Results-Based Leadership; How Leaders Build the Business and Improve the Bottom Line - Review

HR Magazine, May, 1999

By Dave Ulrich, Jack Zenger and Norm Smallwood Harvard Business School Press, 1999, 238 pages, ISBN: 0-87584-871-0.

"Effective leadership equals attributes multiplied by results" is the premise behind Results-based Leadership. Previous research on leadership has emphasized personal attributes of leadership over results, which the authors say is only part of the equation. Being charismatic and trustworthy is important, but real leaders get things done. This book shows leaders how to achieve results in four areas: results for employees, the organization, its customers and its investors.

The book is divided into eight chapters. Chapter 1 discusses why models of leadership based on personal attributes are out-of-date and why results-based leadership models are more effective. Personal attributes models may be generic or vague and are based on past conditions. Because results-based leaders have goals, they can more easily measure success.

Chapter 2 helps leaders define the results they want. Chapter 3 discusses results for employees. It's no secret that leaders need to develop their employees' potential. Leaders can build employee capability by doing the following: buy, build, benchmark, borrow, bounce and bind. Those terms mean recruit, train employees, compare best practices with other organizations, bring in new ideas from outside vendors, terminate employees who are no longer effective and retain good employees, respectively.

Chapter 4 discusses results for the organization. Organizational results refers to what the entire organization accomplishes beyond the talents of individual employees. For organizations to succeed, they must integrate, add value to customers, maintain continuity, engage employees, offer uniqueness and establish identity.

Chapters 5 and 6 discuss results for the organization's customers and investors, respectively. The fifth chapter explains the myths and realities behind firm equity - a concept that shows customers respond to certain product brands and corporate cultures. For example, one myth the authors challenge is "the customer is always right." The reality is "some customers are more right than others," but it is up to the leaders to decide which customers are worth the extra effort.

The last two chapters discuss the more practical aspects of results-based leadership. Chapter 7 lists 14 ways to become a results-based leader, including taking total responsibility for the organization and knowing the organization's capabilities. Chapter 8 discusses mentoring future results-based leaders.

Charts and diagrams are used throughout the book.

Results-Based Leadership: How Leaders Build the Business and Improve the Bottom Line is available through the SHRMStore at www. shrm.org/shrmstore or by calling (800) 444-5006, option 1, $21.95 for SHRM members, $24.95 list price. Please ask for item number 48.26560 and use order code M059B.