THE

 ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY   March  27,  2012    
 

The  Arts  of  

Leadership  
An   E xecutive   B ook  
Sumary  

The      

EADM  424  -­‐02      

BY  MAGRIET  KRUGER    

   

Professor  Keith  Grint  

Keith  Grint  -­‐  Professor  of  Public    

Leadership  and  Management  at  

Warwick  Business  School,  Warwick  
Keith  Grint  is  Professor  of  Public   Grint  is  also  a  founding  co-­‐editor  of  the  
Leadership  and  Management  at  Warwick   journal  Leadership  published  by  Sage  
University,  England.  
Business  School,  Warwick  University,   http://lea.sagepub.com/,  and  founding  
England.    His  post  at  Warwick  University   co-­‐organizer  of  the  International  
is  only  the  most  recent  of  Professor   Conference  in  Leadership  Research.  
Grint’s  successful  academic  career.     Some  of  the  books  Grint  produced  
Some  of  Grint’s  most  notable  academic   include:  Leadership,  Management  &  
achievements  include  :    Professor  of   Command:  Rethinking  D-­‐Day  (2008);  
Defence  Leadership  at  Cranfield   Leadership:  Limits  and  Possibilities  
University;  Deputy  Principal  (Leadership   (2005);The  Sociology  of  Work  3rd  edition  
and  Management)  at  the  Defence   (2005);  The  Arts  of  Leadership  (2000);  
College  of  Management  and  Technology   Organizational  Leadership  (with  John  
within  the  Defence  Academy  in   Bratton  and  Debra  Nelson);  Fuzzy  
Shrivenham;  Professor  of  Leadership   Management  (1997);  The  Machine  at  
Studies  and  Director  of  the  Lancaster   Work:  Technology,  Work  and  Society,  
Leadership  Centre  at  Lancaster   (with  Steve  Woolgar)  (1997);  and  
University  Management  School;  as  well   Management:  A  Sociological  
as  Director  of  Research  at  the  Saïd   Introduction  (1995).  
Business  School  and  Fellow  in  
Organisational  Behaviour,  Templeton   http://www.windsorleadershiptrust.org.
College,  University  of  Oxford,  he  remains   uk/en/1/kgrint.html      

an  Associate  Fellow  of  the  Saïd  Business      “Keith  spent  10  years  in  industry  before  switching  
School  and  of  Green  Templeton  College,    
Are   leaders  born  or  made?  Do  they  have   to  an  academic  career  and  has  been  variously  
 
Oxford.    Professor  Grint  is  also  a  Visiting     particular  traits  or  are  we  all  potential  leaders?   employed  as  an  agricultural  laborer,  a  factory  
Research  Professor  at  Lancaster  
 
Do  traditional  approaches  help  us  to  pick  and   worker,  an  industrial  cleaner,  a  removals  worker,  a  
 
  develop  leaders  or  are  there  alternative  ways   freezer  operative,  a  swimming  pool  attendant,  a  
University,  a  Fellow  of  the  Windsor    
that  advance  our  understanding?      These  are   postman,  a  clerical  worker,  and  a  part-­‐time  karate  
Leadership  Trust  and  a  Fellow  of  the    
  all  questions  that  K eith  Grint  explores  in  his   teacher”    
Sunningdale  Institute.      
insightful  book,  The  Arts  of  Leadership,  Oxford   http://www.nhsscotlandevent.com/speakers/2011-­‐Speakers/Keith-­‐Grint  
University  Press,  2000.      
THE  ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY  |       2  
 

By  examining  the  leadership  of  famous    

business,  political,  military  and  social  

The  Arts  of  

leaders,  Grint  suggests  and  
demonstrates  how  we  might  adopt  the  
 

 
Index:  
metaphor  of  art  as  a  way  of  studying,    

Leadership     understanding  and  explaining  the  

phenomena  of  leadership.      
 
Introduction:  The  Arts  of  
   
Introduction:  The  Arts  of  Leadership     Leadership  
In  his  book,  The  Arts  of  Leadership,  Keith      
Grint  argues  that  the  reason  we  have   Philosophical,  Fine,  Martial,    
such  difficulty  in  studying,   Philosophical,  Fine,  
understanding,  explaining  and  imitating   and  Performing:  Leadership    
Martial,  and  Performing:  
leadership,  is  because  we  often  adopt  
Arts  
perspectives  and  models  to  study  
leadership  that  obscure,  rather  than  
Grint  argues  in  his  book,  The  Arts  of   Leadership  
  Arts  
Leadership,  that  “leadership  is  critically    
illuminate,  exactly  what  is  involved  in    
concerned  with  establishing  and  
leading  towards,  and  achieving,  success.     • The  Philosophical  Arts:    Study  
coordinating  the  relationships  between    
Most  leadership  research,  according  to   four  things:  the  who  [an  identity],  the   of  Identity  
what  [a  strategic  vision],  the  how    
Grint,  “has  tended  to  be  either  a  review   • The  Fine  Arts:  Studio  of  
of  successful  leaders  or  grounded  in   [organizational  tactics]  and  the  why  
  Strategic  Vision  
survey  approaches.    Either  way,  the   [persuasive  communication]”  (Grint,  
results  are  often  informative  but  not   2004,  27).         • The  Martial  Arts:  Dojo  of  
 
definitive”  (Grint,  2000,  4).    In  his  book,   Organizational  Tactics  
The  Arts  of  Leadership,  Grint  identifies   The  Philosophical  Arts:       • The  Performing  Arts:  Theater  
four  paradoxes  that  have  hindered  the   of  Persuasive  Communication  
Study  of  Identity    
understanding  of  leadership:  “it  appears  
Leadership  is  not  simply  about  leaders:  
to  have  more  to  do  with  the  invention  of  
analysis,  despite  claims  to  the  contrary;  
“it  is  an  essentially  social  phenomenon;      
without  followers  there  are  no  leaders”  
it  appears  to  operate  on  the  basis  of  
indeterminacy  whilst  claiming  to  be  
(Grint,  2004,  6).    The  need  for  followers   The  
 
Arts  of  Leadership:  
means  that  leaders  have  to  construct  a  
deterministic;  it  appears  to  be  rooted  in  
community  that  followers  can  feel  part  
Book  
  Summary  
irony,  rather  than  truth;  and  it  usually    
of  (Grint,  2000,  6).    According  to  Grint,    
rest  on  a  constructed  identity  but  claims  
collective  identity  is  imagined.    Because  
a  reflective  identity”  (Grint,  2004,  6).  
members  of  the  community  hardly  know     • Part  1:  Parallel  Leadership  
In  The  Arts  of  Leadership,  Grint  argues   each  other  “they  have  to  imagine  the   Situations  
 
that  leadership  should  be  considered  as   similarities  that  apparently  bind  them  
o Crash-­‐Landing  and  Take  –Off  
“an  array  of  arts,  more  than  a  science”   together  […]  identity  is  constructed  not     o The  Floating  Republics  
(Grint,  2000,  6).    According  to  Grint  “we   discovered;  it  is  imposed  upon  an  
o Nursing  the  Media  
can  better  understand  the  four  central   population  rather  than  emerging  from    
o Scarlet  and  Black  
features  of  leadership  by  considering   one  […]  it  is  not  an  event,  it  is  a  process”  
(Grint,  2004,  8).        These  communities    
leadership  as  an  ensemble  of  arts.    The   • Part  2:  Situating  Extreme  
four  central  features  of  leadership,  as   can  be  held  together  “by  love  of  the  
  Leaders  
identified  by  Grint  include:  “the   leader  or  of  the  community,  by  hate  of  
invention  of  identity,  the  formulation  of   the  ‘other’,  by  greed,  or  by  honour”     o Henry  Ford  
strategic  vision,  the  construction  of   (Grint,  2004,  7).      
o Horatio  Nelson  
organizational  tactics,  and  the    
One  of  the  essential  tasks  of  leaders  is  to   o Adolf  Hitler  
deployment  of  persuasive  mechanisms   o Martin  Luther  King  
motivate  people  to  do  what  needs  to  be    
to  ensure  followers  actually  follow”  
done  (Grint,  2004,  409).    Money  can  be  
(Grint,  200,  27).         • The  End  of  Leadership?  
used  to  motivate  people,  but  as  Grint,  
  points  out,  money  has  severe  limitations    
as  a  mobilizer  (motivator)  of  followers  
 
  for  a  variety  of  reasons  (Grint,  2004,    
409).       The  Arts  of  Leadership:  
   
    Book   Critique    
 
 THE  ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY  |       3  
 

FOUR  CENTRAL  QUESTIONS  OF  LEADERSHIP   Grint  argues,  that  “although  money  may   constructed  and  it  is  through  philosophy  
act  as  a  basic  mobilizer  for  followers,  it   that  we  begin  to  answer  that  slippery  
  seldom  operates  at  the  extreme-­‐edge,   question:  who  are  we?  (Grint,  2004,  13).  
    where  success  depends  upon  the  
     Who  are  you?                                                                                           willingness  to  take  personal  risks  […]  that    
 
I      Identity:   kind  of  mobilization  is  often  […]  
“Identity  is  constructed  out  of  the  
  amorphous  baggage  of  myth  and  the   associated  with  the  identity  of  the   The  Fine  Arts:  
followers  or  leader  or  organization  
contested  resources  of  history;  it  is  not  a   Studio  of  Strategic  Vision    
  reflection  of  the  world  but  a  construction  of   (Grint,  2004,  409  -­‐  410).    According  to   “Leadership  is  an  invention  […]  
Grint,  “the  success  of  leaders  is    
it.    It  is  rooted  in  the  philosopher’s  stone  not   leadership  is  primarily  rooted  in,  and  a  
  the  scientist’s  microscope”  (Grint,  2004,  27).   dependent  upon  the  extent  to  which  
they  can  construct  and  articulate  an   product  of,  the  imagination  […]  to  
    identity  that  pushes  followers  further   imagine  ‘what  is  not  present’  is  to  
than  money  can  pull  them”  (Grint,  2004,   concern  oneself  both  with  what  may  be  
  411).    In  other  words,  “it  may  well  be   and  what  was  but    is  no  longer.    It  is  to  
that  whichever  leader  can  most   look  at  the  what  –  the  content  of  the  
 What  is  the  vision?                                                            successfully                                  ‘  construct’  
                           […]  the  identity   vision  –  but  also  to  consider  where  this  
will  be  achieved,  when  it  will  be  
 Strategic  vision:  
of   h is   o r   h er   f ollowers  in  a  way  that  
generates  maximum  effort  may  also  be   achieved,  and  why  it  should  be  achieved”  
“Strategic  visions  are  designed  through  the  
the  most  successful  leader”  (Grint,  2004,   (Grint,  2004,  13).      
  imagination   not  t he  e xperiment,   t hey   a re  
12)  
the  equivalent  of  the  fine  arts  not  physics,   All  leaders,  regardless  of  level  of  power  
  for  they  involve  imagination  rather  than  
When  examining  identity  from  a   or  stature,  “face  the  same  form  of  
experimentation,  they  are  paintings,  not  
constructivism  approach,  the  approach   problems,  which  are  all  problems  of  the  
  photographs  (Grint,  2004,  28).   suggest  that  “[…]  what  the  identity  (or   imagination:  who  are  we,  how  did  we  get  
situation,  or  leader,  or  whatever)   here,  where  do  we  want  to  go,  why  
  actually  is,  is  a  consequence  of  various   should  we  go  there,  and  what  do  we  
accounts  and  interpretations,  all  of   need  to  do  to  get  there?”  (14).  Leaders  
  have  to  dream  up  new  strategies  and  too  
How  will  you  realize  the  vision?               which  vie  for  domination”  (Grint,  2004,   device  plans.    
 Organizational  tactics:     10).  Grint  argues  that  “the  only  essential  
“Organizational  tactics  are  rather  better   element  of  identities  is  that  they  are   According  to  Grint,  imagination  is  crucial  
  envisaged  as  martial  arts  than  mathematics,   essentially  contested,  and  that   in  the  construction  of  “the  community  
for  here  the  leader  must  evaluate  the   contestation  is  the  context  within  which   narrative  or  myth  […]  a  myth  in  the  
  organizational   f orms   a nd  m anoeuvers   leaders  vie  to  impose  their  own  version   sense  of  narrative  that  roots  a  
suitable  for  competition  and  must  take   of  identity  upon  populations”  (Grint,   community  in  the  past,  explains  it  
  account  of  the  likely  indeterminacy  of   2004,  9).      Thus,  what  we  know  about  a   present,  and  conjures  up  a  preferred  
outcome”  (Grint,  2004,  28).   particular  leader,  or  a  situation,  is  the   future.    A  leader  without  a  persuasive  
  particular  version  of  him  or  her,  or  it  has   account  of  the  past,  present  and  future  is  
secured  prominence  with  us.    Identity  is   unlikely  to  remain  a  leader  for  long”  
  not  essentially  embodied  by  leaders’   (Grint,  2004,  14).    
actions  and  words.    Instead,  “it  is  
  Why  should  followers  want  to   constructed  by  themselves  and  those   As  noted,  leadership  is  not  simply  about  
embody  the  identity,  pursue   around  and  after  them”  (Grint,  2004,   leaders.    The  imagination  of  followers  is  
 
the  strategic  vision,  and  adopt   12).  “There  is  no  single  final  truth,  only   also  relevant.      Followers  need  to  
  the  organizational  tactics?                                different  
 
interpretations  that  construct,   “interpret  events,  gestures,  speeches,  
rather   than  reflect,  the  phenomenon”   texts  and  so  on  to  mean  something  
 
Persuasive   communication:   (Grint,  2000,  12).    The  challenge  is  to   similar  to  that  which  the  leader  implies”  
  “Persuasive   c ommunication   c an  c ertainly   persuade  others  that  your  own  version   (Grint,  2000,  14).    There  is,  of  course,  no  
be  supplemented  by  scientific  knowledge,   of  their  identity,  as  well  as  your  own,  is   way  of  ensuring  that  followers  interpret  
  but  fundamentally  this  is  the  world  of  the   legitimate.       a  leader’s  actions  or  words  in  precisely  
performing  arts,  the  theater  of  rhetorical   the  manner  the  leader  intends.    But,  as  
  skill,  of  negotiating  skills,  and  of  inducing   The  trick,  according  to  Grint,  is  “to   Grint  points  out:  “there  are  methods  for  
convince  them  that  they  have  not  been  
  the  audience  to  believe  in  the  world  you   convinced”  (Grint,  2000,  12).      “We  may  
trying  to  limit  the  discrepancy  between  
paint  with  words  and  props”  (Grint,  2004,   the  two,  and  it  is  this  discrepancy,  this  
regard  the  construction  of  identity  both   gap  of  the  imagination,  upon  which  
  28).  
as  a  crucial  element  and  task  of   leaders  need  to  concentrate”  (Grint,  
    leadership  […]  it  is  in  philosophical   2004,  14).      
endeavours  that  one’s  identity  is  
THE  ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY  |       4  
 

The  Martial  Arts:   According  to  Grint,  the  sporting  arena  is    
a  useful  way  of  thinking  about  the  
Dojo  of  Organizational  Tactics     different  forms  of  organizational  tactics,    
“There  is  more  to  leadership  than   (overpowering,  neutralizing  and  resource  
constructing  an  identity  [who]  and   inversion),  especially  if  we  adopt  the    
imagining  the  future  [what].    To  achieve   idea  of  Martial  Arts.    “Thinking  about  
the  what  [future],  leaders  need  to   organizational  tactics  as  different  forms    
consider  the  how  as  well”  (Grint,  2000,   of  martial  art  encourages  us  to  move  
16).       away  from  the  assumptions,  in  karate  or    
boxing,  for  example,  that  the  leader  who  
How  are  we  going  to  achieve  the   accumulates  the  greater  resources  will,    
strategic  vision  that  reflects  our  identity?   in  most  cases,  be  successful.    By  
The  problem  with  determining  the  how,   reconsidering  the  utility  of  aikido  we  can    
Grint  argues,  is  that  leadership  is   better  appreciate  how  the  greater  
indeterminate.  There  is  no  guarantee   resources  of  an  opponent  can  be  
 
that  a  certain  type  of  leader,  or  certain   neutralized  to  even  out  the  contest  or  
style  of  leadership,  will  lead  to  success.     even  swing  the  resource  balance  in  a  
 
There  is  a  gap  between  theory  and   different  direction.    And  by  considering  
practice-­‐  “between  the  issuing  of   The  Performing  Arts:  
the  metaphor  of  T’ai  Chi  we  can  perceive  
orders/request  and  achieving   how  the  resources  of  an  opponent  can   Theater  of  Persuasive  Communication  
appropriate  action.    The  orders  /request   be  utilized  to  undermine  the  opponent”    Once  a  leader  or  organization  establish  
may  appear  perfectly  logical  to  the   (Grint,  2004,  417).   who  they  are,  what  their  vision  is,  and  
leader  but  not  necessarily  to  the   how  to  achieve  that  vision  and  overcome  
followers,  and  even  if  they  do  appear  to     opponents,  they  should  consider  the  why  
be  logical  that  is  not  sufficient  reason  to      Karate    
question  –  why  should  followers  follow?    
expect  them  to  be  carried  out”  (Grint,     Grint  argues  that  “karate’s  traditional  
Without  followers  there  is  no  leader”  
2000,  16).    Logic  is  seldom  sufficient  to   reliance  upon  the  development  of  
  sufficiently  overpowering  strengths  and   (Grint,  2004,  22).    
persuade  followers  to  follow  (Grint,  
2000,  16).       technique  to  deliver  a  single  strike  to  a   Grint  argues  that  “leaders  can  be  
pressure  point  of  an  opponent  that  will   successful  only  if  their  followers  come  to  
Grint  also  argues  that  follower  “may     effectively  terminate  an  attack”  (Grint,   believe  in  the  collective  identity  [who],  
comply  with  leaders’  requests  for  their  
  2004,  18)    can  be  used  to  study  and   the  strategic  vision  [why],  and  the  
own  reasons  and  in  pursuit  of  their  own   understand  organizational  tactics.   organizational  tactic  [how]  of  the  leader”  
interests”  (Grint,  2000,  18).    Thus     (Grint,  2004,  23).    That  is  why  persuasive  
undermining  the  “direct  link  between   communication  is  so  important  to  
the  request  and  the  act;  the  leader  and    
   Aikido   leadership,  “for  without  a  persuasive  
the  led”  (Grint.  2004,  18).  Followers     why  there  is  little  to  mobilize  followers  
need  to  be  devoted  to  the  leader  (who)   Aikido,  another  of  the  martial  arts  that  
further  than  you  can  push  them  (Grint,  
and/or  the  cause  (why).                     that  can  be  useful  in  studying  
organizational  tactics,  tends  to  rest  upon   2004,  27).    So,  followers  need  to  be  
  the  tactic  of  neutralization  –  the  intention   sufficiently  motivated  to  ‘get  there.’    
“All  leaders  err,  but  the  most  successful  
leaders  are  those  who  lead  an     is  to  neutralize  the  attacker  and  prevent   According  to  Grint  (2004),  “motivation  is  
organization  that  is  empowered  to   further  attack.    “[Aikido]  is  inherently  a   partly  constructed  through  the  
compensate  for  his  or  her  errors”  (Grint,     reactive  system  designed  solely  for   envisioning  of  an  identity  [who],  a  
2004,  414).      In  other  words  successful   personal  protection  and  promotes  a   strategic  vision  [what],  and  a  set  of  
leaders  are  those  who  enable  their     version  of  moral  action  intended  to  
organizational  tactics  [how]  that  
followers  to  take  action  and  to   minimize  damage  to  an  attacker”  (Grint,  
compensate  for  their  mistakes.    This  
  2004,  19).       enhances  the  chances  of  success  and  
reduces  the  risk  of  failure,  but  is  
does  not  mean  that  followers  take  the  
blame  for  leaders’  errors;  instead,  it  
  primarily  achieved  through  the  fourth  
form  of  leadership  art:  the  performing  
means  that  followers  are  capable  of  
correcting  the  error  by  preventing  it  or          T’ai  Chi   arts”  (Grint,  2000,  23).    “Having  a  
persuasive  message,  delivering  it  
Resource  inversion,  also  an  organizational  
by  compensating  for  it.    “The  success  of     tactic,  can  be  compared  to  T’ai  Chi,  “a  
effectively,  and  deploying  negotiating  
leaders  is  crucially  dependent  upon  the   skills  to  achieve  movement”  (Grint,  2004,  
‘soft’  martial  art  where  the  aim  is  to  use  
extent  to  which  followers’  competence     the  opponents’  strength  to  defeat  him  or  
23),  is  crucial  to  achieving  change  and  it  
can  compensate  for  leaders’   is  a  critical  element  of  leadership.      
incompetence”  (Grint,  2004,  417).       her  rather  than  attempting  to  stop  him  or  
Persuasive  communication  is  necessary  
her  head-­‐on,  as  in  m uch  of  karate,  or  
neutralize  his  or  her  efforts  to  continue  the   to  motivate  and  mobilize  followers  and  it  
attack  ,  as  in  Aikido”  (Grint,  2004,  22).  
THE  ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY  |       5  
 

is  “derived  from  the  skills  of  rhetoric  and   The  Floating  Republics    
the  skills  of  negotiation”  (Grint,  2004,   The  focus  shifts  “from  the  politics  of  
23).     business  to  the  business  of  politics”  
when  Grint  examines  the  “naval  mutinies  
 “  […]  leadership  is  a    performance,  an  
that  occurred  within  weeks  from  each  
inventive  display,  and  we  can  summarize  
other  in  England,  in  1797”  (Grint,  2004,  
this  by  suggesting  that  successful  
30).    In  this  chapter,  Grint,  attempts  to  
leadership  depends  upon  the  extent  to  
determine  what  accounts  for  the  success  
which  leaders  ‘perform’  the  words  and  
of  the  first  mutiny,  the  Spithead  mutiny,  
deeds  conventionally  associated  with  
and  the  failure  of  the  second,  the  Nore  
leaders  –  but  it  also  requires  followers  to  
mutiny.    He  concludes  the  chapter  by  
believe  in  their  performance”  (Grint,  
arguing  that  the  explanation  for  the  
2004,  419).    
success  of  the  first  mutiny  and  the  failure  
of  the  second,  “lies  not  in  the  mutineers’  
  leaders  nor  in  the  events  and  
  circumstances  of  the  mutinies  but  rather  
The  Arts  of  Leadership:   Freddie  Laker  
in  the  way  the  Admiralty  switched  
http://www.freddieawards.com/       strategies  and  tactics  after  the  first  
Book  Summary   mutiny”  (Grint,  2000,  72  -­‐73).    The  
The  Arts  of  Leadership  is  divided  into  two   Grint  concludes  the  chapter  by  arguing   Admiralty  was  able  to  alter  the  why  and  
parts.    The  first  part  of  the  book  focuses   that  even  though  it  seems  like  Branson   who.    The  first  mutineers  were  portrayed  
upon  four  instances  of  ‘parallel   consistently  outperformed  Laker,  one   as  “oppressed  but  honest  and  loyal  
leadership’  to  try  and  establish  whether   cannot  assume  that  Laker  is  a  poor   sailors,”  fighting  for  their  rights,  whereas  
leadership  is  itself  crucial,  what   leader.    Branson  was  just  better  able  to   the  second  group  of  mutineers  were  
difference  leadership  makes  and   apply  the  arts  of  leadership.    Branson   portrayed  as  “reprobate  and  
“whether  there  are    resemblances   constructed  a  “resilient  and  vibrant   revolutionary  scum”  that  were  
between  its  formation  and  different   corporate  identity,  he  does  embody  a   undermining  the  authority  of  the  king  
walks  of  life  –  in  effect,  whether   vivid  and  rigorous  imagination  to   (Grint,  2000,  73).      
leadership  is  similar  in  political,  social,   envisage  alternative  futures,  he  has  a  
military,  and  business  environments”   skillful  knack  of  wrong-­‐footing  much   Grint  concludes  that  the  ability  of  the  
(Grint,  2000,  28).       stronger  opponents,  and  he  has  a   Admiralty  to  “interpret  the  identity  of  
charmed  relationship  with  the  media   the  mutineers  in  markedly  different  ways  
  rooted  in  his  strong  performing  abilities”   […]  played  a  significant  role  in  allowing  
(Grint,  2000,  69).       the  first  to  succeed  and  the  second  to  
Part  1:  Parallel  Leadership   fail”  (Grint,  2000,  96).          

Situations    

Crash-­‐Landing  and  Take  -­‐Off     Nursing  the  Media  

The  first  case  of  parallel  leadership  Grint   Grint  examines  the  life  of  a  social  leader,  
examines  in  his  book,  The  Arts  of   Florence  Nightingale,  in  Chapter  4  of  his  
Leadership,  is  that  of  “two  contemporary   book,  The  Arts  of  Leadership.  Instead  of  
business  leaders  [Freddie  Laker  and   parallel  leaders,  facing  parallel  scenarios,  
Richard  Branson]  whose  fortunes  appear   this  chapter  focuses  on  “one  leader  
quite  different  but  where  the  particular   involved  in  parallel  circumstances”  
business  [Skytrain  and  Virgin  Atlantic]  is   (Grint,  2004,  30).    In  the  first  instance,  
almost  identical”  (Grint,  2000,  29  –  30).   Nightingale  manages  to  gain  “enormous  
By  examining  the  successes  and  failures   influence  on  the  public,  and  the  
of  these  two  leaders,  Grint  “seeks  to   politicians  in  Britain”,  however,  after  
explain  why  the  fortunes  of  these  two   Nightingale  return  to  Britain  from  the  
similar  individuals  should  have  turned   Crimea,  her  efforts  were  “markedly  less  
out  so  radically  different”  (Grint,  2000,   successful”  (Grint,  2004,  30).      
 
30).      
Richard  Branson   The  aim  of  this  chapter  is  to  explain  
Nightingale’s  initial  success  and  the  
http://www.cnngo.com/sydney/visit/richard-­‐branson-­‐ ultimate  failure  of  her  efforts.  Grint  
jets-­‐sydney-­‐new-­‐name-­‐virgin-­‐australia-­‐659374  
argues  that  Nightingale  was  unsuccessful  
  in  her  attempt  to  bring  about  reform  in  
THE  ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY  |       6  
 

the  British  military,  in  part,  because  she     Horatio  Nelson  

was  “imaginative  in  what  could  and   Moving  away  from  the  business  world,  
should  be  done  –  but  how  things  could   Part  2:  Situating  Extreme   Grint  returns  to  the  world  of  military  as  
be  achieved  was  often  beyond  her”   he  considers  the  case  of  Horatio  Nelson,  
(Grint,  2000,  148).             Leaders   England’s  greatest  admiral,  in  chapter  7.      
In  the  second  part  of  The  Arts  of  
Leadership,  Grint  focuses  on  the  four    
critical  issues  and  the  central  features  of  
leadership  (identity,  strategic  vision,    
organizational  tactics,  and  persuasive  
 
communication)  and  explores  these  four  
features  of  leadership  by  deploying  them    
against  extreme  cases  of  leadership.      
 
 
 
Henry  Ford  
In  Chapter  6,  Grint  examines  the  success    
and  failures  of  Henry  Ford.    According  to  
 
Grint,  the  successes  of  Ford  can  be  
attributed,  in  part,  to  Ford’s  ability  to    
“seduce  colleagues,  employees  and  
customers  alike”  (Grint,  2000,  189).    
Ford’s  failures,  on  the  other  hand,  can  be  
attributed,  in  part,  to  the  fact  that  “Ford    
  removed  all  those  people  who  had  a  
Horatio  Nelson  
talent  equal  to  his  or  the  temerity  to  
Florence  Nightingale  
argue  with  him”  (Grint,  2000,  191).    In   http://www.grimshaworigin.org/Webpa
http://hopeinrhodes.blogspot.ca/2010/05/saints-­‐ the  end,  Ford  sacked  all  those  people   ges2/JohnGwBattleNile.htm    
alive-­‐florence-­‐nightingale.html     who  “could  have  stopped  him  from  
making  many  of  the  mistakes  he  made”   According  to  Grint,  “a  great  part  of  
  (Grint,  2000,  191).    Unlike  Richard   Nelson’s  leadership  skill  was  in  
Branson,  Ford  did  not  “generate  an  open   recognizing  and  aligning  the  particular  
Scarlet  and  Black   organization  where  followers  were   skills  and  competence  of  his  own  
In  this  chapter,  the  last  of  the  first  part  of   encouraged  to  compensate  for  his  own   followers  with  organizational  tactics  that  
the  book,  Grint  examines  “the  British   errors  or  were  free  to  criticize  him  when   made  the  most  of  such  skills  and  
army’s  defeat  at  Isandhlwana  at  the   necessary”  (Grint,  2000,  221).     competences  […  and  it  was  in]  his  
hands  of  the  Zulu  army,  and  the  repulse   performing  arts,  for  in  many  ways  he  
of  the  latter  by  the  former  at  Rorke’s     was  foremost  in  promoting  his  own  
Drift”  (Grint,  2004,  30).    Through  his   career,  his  own  version  of  events,  his  
analysis  of  events,  Grint  describes  why    
own  successes,  and  his  own  heroic  
the  first  encounter  went  so  badly  for  the     death”  (Grint,  2000,  229).      Nelson  was  
British  and  the  second  so  badly  for  the   also  able  to  “align  his  personal  ambition  
Zulus.    Grint  ends  the  chapter  by    
to  the  strategic  vision  of  the  Admiralty”  
concluding  that,  even  though  neither  the     which  enabled  him  to  portray  his  
British  nor  the  Zulu  armies  consciously   “demand  for  their  [his  crew’s]  sacrifices  
adopted  the  tactics  of  resource-­‐    
[death  in  battle]  as  offerings  for  their  
inversion,  these  tactics  “provide  a     nation  rather  than  as  stepping  stones  for  
significant  explanation  for  the  fortunes   their  admiral”  (Grint,  2000,  279).                              
of  the  various  parties”  (Grint,  2000,  182).      
Also,  “critical  was  the  demonizing  of  the    
 
Zulu  identity  by  the  British  and  the  
misunderstanding  of  the  British  strategy     Adolf  Hitler  
by  the  Zulus.    It  was  not  simply  the  rifle   Adolf  Hitler  is  the  topic  of  chapter  8.  
 
that  won  the  war;  it  was  leadership  and   Grint  argues  that  Adolf  Hitler  “embodied  
the  lack  of  leadership  that  proved   Henry  Ford   the  four  arts  of  leadership  and  took  
critical”  (Grint,  2000,  182).             them  to  levels  seldom  seen  before  or  
http://www.answers.com/topic/henry-­‐ford      
since”  (Grint,  2000,  289).      
THE  ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY  |       7  
 

Hitler’s  leadership  demonstrates  that   arguing  that  King’s  greatest  leadership   deeds  conventionally  associated  with  
“identity  is  constructed;  it  is  the  product   art  was  the  art  of  persuasive   leaders  –  but  it  also  requires  followers  to  
of  imagination  rather  than  a  product  of   communication.   believe  in  their  performance”  (Grint,  
history”  (Grint,  2000,  289).       2004,  419).    
 
   
  Keith  Grint  compares  leadership  to  a  talisman  
   (an  object  thought  to  have  magic  powers  and  
  to  bring  good  luck  or  success).    He  argues  that  
   “we  can  never  be  sure  whether  it  works  –  but  
  only  a  brave  individual”  dares  to  go  without  
   one  (Grint,  2004,  419).  Thus,  Grint  argues  
  whether  leaders  “actually  works  miracles  or  
 
 not  is  irrelevant,  because,  as  long  as  followers  
 
  believe  they  need  leaders,  leaders  will  be  
 
 necessary”  (Grint,  2004,  420).  
 
     
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
Martin  Luther  King  Jr.  
Adolf  Hitler  
http://www.biography.com/people/martin-­‐luther-­‐
The  Arts  of  Leadership:    
http://purpleopurple.com/biography/short-­‐
Book  Critique:  
king-­‐jr-­‐9365086    
biography/adolf-­‐hitler.html  
  Keith  Grint  has  been  a  leader  in  the  field  
His  success  was  due  in  part  to  the  fact   of  leadership  and  has  actively  studied  
that  he  was  able  to  construct  a  German  
identity  that  many  adopted,  but  Grint  
The  End  of  Leadership?   leadership  since  1986.    He’s  professional  
Grint  ends  his  book,  The  Arts  of   resume  is  extremely  impressive  and  he  
argues  that  it  also  laid  in  the  fact  that   has  held  various  prestigious  academic  
Leadership,  with  a  chapter  entitled,  The  
many  said  nothing  or  did  nothing  to  stop   titles  such  as  Professor  of  Defence  
End  of  Leader  Ship?,  in  which  he  
him:  “The  road  to  Auschwitz  was  built  by   Leadership;  Deputy  Principal  (Leadership  
summarizes  the  issues  and  conclusions  
hate,  but  paved  by  indifference”   and  Management);  Professor  of  
from  the  various  case  studies  and  he  sets  
(Kershaw,  1983,  227  as  quoted  in  Grint,   Leadership  Studies;  and  Director  of  the  
out  what  the  analysis  has  to  say  to  
2000,  335).         Lancaster  Leadership  Centre.      Grint  is  
leaders  in  the  twenty  firsts  century.      
also  a  founding  co-­‐editor  of  the  journal  
           
According  to  Grint,  “the  success  of   Leadership  published  by  Sage  
Martin  Luther  King   leaders  is  dependent  upon  the  extent  to   http://lea.sagepub.com/,  and  founding  
which  they  can  construct  and  articulate   co-­‐organizer  of  the  International  
Martin  Luther  King  and  his  I  Have  a  
an  identity  that  pushes  followers  further   Conference  in  Leadership  Research.    
Dream  speech  is  the  focal  point  of  
chapter  9.    In  this  chapter,  Grint  looks  at   than  money  can  pull  them”  (Grint,  2004,   Grint  has  also  published  various  books  
the  significance  of  rhetoric  to  leadership.     411).       exploring  leadership  in  all  its  forms.  And  
Keith  Grint  argues  that  “speeches  are  the   his  research  interests  include  the  
Further,  Grint  argue  that  “the  success  of   practical  implications  of  contemporary  
product  not  of  gifted  individuals  but  an   leaders  is  crucially  dependent  upon  the  
entire  corpus  of  supporters,  human  and   management  theory;  the  comparative  
extent  to  which  followers’  competence   analysis  of  managerial  innovations;  
non-­‐human,  who  between  them  render   can  compensate  for  leaders’  
oppositional  accounts  of  the  speech,   organizational  theory;  technology;  
incompetence”  (Grint,  2004,  417).       leadership  and  re-­‐engineering  
illegitimate,  or  at  least  less  legitimate  
than  their  own  version.    Speeches   (http://books.google.ca).    Keith  Grint  is  
Also,  “leadership  success  is  dependent  
therefore  are  contested  processes  not   thus  well  informed  on  the  topic  of  
upon  the  extent  to  which  leaders  are  
merely  objective  events.    They  are   leadership,  his  area  of  expertise,  and  the  
sufficiently  and  inventively  inconsistent  
contingent  but  not  arbitrary-­‐  speeches   ideal  person  to  write  a  book  that  
to  wrong-­‐foot  their  more  conscious  
do  not  mean  anything  the  listener  likes   investigates  the  notion  of  leadership.        
opponents”  (Grint,  2004,  413).      
but  neither  do  they  necessarily  mean   Keith  Grint  argues,  in  The  Arts  of  
exactly  what  the  speaker  intends”  (Grint,   And  Grint  suggests  “that  successful  
Leadership,  that  leadership  should  be  
2000,  179).      Grint  conclude  chapter  9  by   leadership  depends  upon  the  extent  to  
considered  as  an  array  of  arts,  rather  
which  leaders  ‘perform’  the  words  and  
THE  ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY  |       8  
 

than  a  science:  “if  we  abandon  the   alone,  both  because  that  success  is  a   include  title  such  as  The  Art  and  
infinite  quest  for  scientific  certainty  and   social  not  an  individual  achievement  and   Discipline  of  Strategic  Leadership,  by  
seek  out  the  help  of  philosophical,  fine,   because  followers  carry  the   Mike  Freedman  and  Benjamin  B.  Tregoe  
martial,  and  performing  arts,  we  might   responsibility  of  compensating  for   (2004);    Art  and  Science  of  Leadership,  by  
go  some  way  to  resolving  that  most   leaders’  errors”  (Grint,  2004,  5).       Afsaneh  Nahavandi  (2008);    Leadership:  
perennial  of  human  questions:  what  is   The  Warrior's  Art,  by  Christopher  
leadership?”(Grint,  2004,  420).     According  to  Grint  “one  of  the  greatest   Kolenda  (2001);    The  Art  of  School  
ironies  of  leadership”  is  that      “while  we   Leadership,  by  Thomas  R.  Hoerr  (2005);    
In  The  Arts  of  Leadership,  Grint   traditionally  look  to  leaders  to  solve  our   The  Art  of  Leadership,  by  George  
successfully  demonstrates  how  the  arts   problems,  it  would  seem  that  leaders  are   Manning  (2011);  and    Leadership  Is  an  
can  be  applied  to  study  the  successes   most  likely  to  be  successful  when  they   Art  by  Max  Depree  (2004).    These  
and  failures  of  leaders,  and  how  the  arts   reflect  the  problems  straight  back  to   authors  and  books  were  not  necessarily  
can  be  used  to  analyze  the  phenomena   where  they  have  to  be  solved  –  at  the   influenced  by  Grint’s  work,  but  it  does  
of  leadership  in  his  book  The  Arts  of   feet  of  the  followers”  (Grint,  2004,  5  –  6).     show  that  studying  leadership  as  an  
Leadership.  Through  his  analysis  of  the   I  agree.       array  of  arts,  rather  than  a  science,  does  
leadership  of  notable  leaders,  Keith   have  some  legitimacy.            
demonstrates  that  the  capacity  of   Since  Grint’s  book,  The  Arts  of  
leaders  to  make  mistakes  is  one  of  the   Leadership,  was  published  in  2000,    
limits  of  leadership.    He  argues  that  to   various  other  leadership  experts  have  
achieve  success  “followers  must  play   published  various  books  that  look  at    
their  part  and  cannot  rely  upon  the   leadership  as  an  array  of  arts,  rather  
leader,  or  leaders,  to  secure  success   than  a  science.      These  publications  
     

     

     

     

     

   

   

 
THE  ARTS  OF  LEADERSHIP  AN  EXECUTIVE  BOOK  SUMARY  |       9  

Source:  
 

Grint,  Keith.  (2000)  The  arts  leadership.  Oxford:  Oxford  University  Press.