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Two New Books to Come…

Posted on April 7, 2016 by James Scouller

I want to apologise for not having posted a blog for four months. It’s because my attention has been elsewhere. More specifically, it’s been on completing the second edition of The Three Levels of Leadership (due out at the end of May 2016) and on starting my long-awaited second book, which will be on teams.

For those of you wondering “Why a second edition of ‘Three Levels’?” here’s what I’ve written in the new book’s preface:

Why issue a second edition of The Three Levels of Leadership five years after the first version? It’s because of what I’ve learned after using the “Three Levels” material with coaching clients.

First, I realised I should have said more about the four dimensions of leadership. In the first edition I outlined the four dimensions briefly, thinking that was enough. It wasn’t. I failed to convey the huge difference it makes to clients when they adopt and apply this four-dimensional way of looking at leadership. For example, after studying their groups or firms through these four windows, leaders I’ve worked with noticed issues they previously ignored or denied and felt the need to act fast. In other words, they learned they can use the four-dimensional view as a practical tool. So I’ve rewritten chapter 1 and added a new chapter (chapter 2, Applying Leadership’s Four Dimensions) using content developed from coaching sessions.

Second, I learned that leadership presence (the subject of the old chapter 5) fascinates readers. In fact, I sense that interest in presence is growing worldwide. This time around I wanted to say more about inner division – something I mentioned but didn’t explain – and offer more detail on the seven qualities of presence, giving each quality its own section. I’ve also added self-reflection questions after describing each quality to make the text more personal and useful to you. The result is an expanded rewritten chapter (now presented as chapter 6).

Third, in the old chapter 6 (developing your Technical Knowledge & Skills) the section on individual psychology and motivation didn’t say much about the latter. It should have. The same chapter also had only a cryptic one-liner on leading change, a subject I’ve been researching since writing the first edition in 2010. This was inadequate on a topic that all leaders need to grasp. I’ve therefore added new sections on motivation and leading change. In both areas I’ve made sure you have content that’s fresh and perhaps surprising for some readers, not a regurgitation of familiar stuff you could read elsewhere. It includes the new Spiral-Waves change model. I hope you’ll feel the two new sections are the clearest, most complete, and yet practical summaries you’ll find anywhere.

These two additions have led me split the old Technical Knowledge & Skills chapter into two: one for knowhow (chapter 7) and the other for skills (chapter 8).

What else? Well, there are several other improvements on the first edition:

• I wanted to show how the three levels and four dimensions connect visually to make it easier for readers to see the book’s big picture. This I’ve done in chapter 5, Summarising The Foundations.
• As I’ve been coaching clients on self-mastery, I’ve tested and added new methods so I’ve updated the section on self-mastery techniques in chapter 11, taking one out and adding one in.
• I corrected an omission in the section on creating and testing a vision by including competencies. This I’ve addressed in chapter 9, Attitude Towards Others.
• I’ve said a bit more about the distinction between the Fountainhead and Self in the model of the human psyche in chapter 10 as I know this point puzzled some first edition readers.
• I sharpened my writing to explain the key ideas in every chapter better than before. Thus, no chapter is unchanged from edition one.
• Finally, I improved the notes section and index.

In expanding certain sections I’ve not lost sight of my chief aim: to offer you a compact master model for growing yourself as a leader. This meant avoiding excess detail. Thus, having explained what I felt would help you most, I’ve pointed you towards other sources where needed.

By the way, I’m working on a new blog post right now, which will be with you soon. It’s about the importance of understanding systems stories.

To illustrate my point, I’ll be looking at Chelsea football club’s unforeseen collapse in the English Premier League. In 2014-15, Chelsea won the championship by eight points having lost only three games over a 38-game season. But 16 games into the 2015-16 season Chelsea were only one point above the relegation zone, having lost nine games already. Experienced commentators said they’d never seen anything like it. What happened? The coming post will explore the possible system story behind the club’s on-field collapse and Jose Mourinho’s sacking … and what leaders can learn from it.

The author is James Scouller, an executive coach. His book, The Three Levels of Leadership: How to Develop Your Leadership Presence, Knowhow and Skill, was published in May 2011. You can learn more about it at www.three-levels-of-leadership.com. If you want to see its reviews, click here: leadership book reviews. If you want to know where to buy it, click HERE. You can read more about his executive coaching services at The Scouller Partnership’s website.

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