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Who is the author of Leadership BS?

Jeffrey Pfeffer is the author of Leadership BS.

Management & Leadership

Leadership BS Book Summary - Leadership BS Book explained in key points

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Leadership BS summary

Name: Leadership BS
Rating: 3.6 (312 reviews)
Author: Jeffrey Pfeffer

Jeffrey Pfeffer

Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time

3.6 (312 ratings)

20 mins

Brief summary

Leadership BS by Jeffrey Pfeffer exposes the harsh truth of leadership industry, where there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead of vague theories, it emphasizes on pragmatic approach and emphasizes on power, politics, and practicality of leadership.

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Leadership

Table of Contents

Leadership BS
Summary of 8 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Gain a new perspective on leadership.

Twenty years ago, no one would have raised an eyebrow if you said that, to become the CEO of a successful company, you’d have to be tough and not always Mr. Nice Guy. That was then. Pick up a random business magazine today, and you’ll learn that being a successful leader means being authentic, caring and empathic.

But is this really a good leadership style? Do you really reach the top by being a modest, authentic and generally nice person all the time?

These blinks take an alternative look at leadership and challenge the common assumptions of today’s leadership literature.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

what a “GE jerk” is;
why successful leaders aren’t afraid to lie; and
why the number of administrators is on the rise in many organizations.

We’ve built myths around popular business leaders that prevent new leaders from succeeding.

Business gurus are a lot like preachers. But instead of delivering comforting myths about a divine, benevolent being, they spread myths about heroic business leaders and the secrets of their ways.

These heroic stories have manufactured appealing images, reputations and legacies, but they fall far short of giving a realistic portrait.

Take the story of former General Electric CEO Jack Welch. The stories have painted him as a man who valued every employee, always instilled confidence in his subordinates and promoted long-term strategies and vision for GE. What the stories tend to leave out is the term “GE jerks,” which former employees used to describe the kind of worker that existed under Welch’s leadership.

Welch had what was referred to as a “rank and yank” policy: every year the bottom 10 percent of GE’s managers would be fired regardless of their overall career performance. This made GE managers ruthless and unpleasant as they desperately chased results.

Other details that business gurus also tend to leave out include the pollution lawsuits filed against GE, the corporation’s price-fixing schemes and the cases of fraud that went on during his reign.

When we create flawless biographies of figures like Jack Welch, it’s really a detriment since people will invariably come to the conclusion that they couldn’t possibly live up to their legacy. As a result, people don’t even bother trying.

When author Michael Dyson wrote a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., he didn’t shy away from mentioning his adultery because he felt it was important not to mythologize our leaders. King’s imperfections are what make King more relatable and human, and therefore more inspirational as a historical figure.

To realize that our heroes also have flaws is vital to our ability to feel as though we’re able to follow in their footsteps and bring about social change in our community. We need to understand that great things can indeed be achieved by imperfect people.

On the other hand, presenting inspirational figures as flawless keeps real change from ever occurring – the problems persist and the gurus stay in business.

Self-confidence and narcissism can help leaders rise to the top and stay there.

No one will accuse Donald Trump of false modesty. His businesses are all plastered with his name: Trump Casino, Trump Steaks, Trump Tower and so on. While this makes him the butt of many jokes, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s the 417th richest man in the world, worth an estimated $4 billion.

So it’s safe to say Trump might know a thing or two about business leadership, especially when it comes to self-promotion.

Worry less about authenticity and more about displaying confidence and poise, even if it’s phony.

When athletes are exhausted, with cramping muscles and sore bones, they have to convince themselves to “play through the pain.” Leaders are often expected to do a similar thing and block out their emotions in order to make the best business decisions.

This is another fact that gets glossed over in books about leadership, which often suggest the best leaders are always the most authentic ones. But in reality, successful leaders are generally putting on a show and displaying different versions of themselves.

Successful leaders use lies to reach their goals and make employees happy.

As children, we’re told that lying is bad, a sinful act. Many American kids are told to emulate the young George Washington, who was caught cutting down a cherry tree when he was six years old and made a famous confession: “I can’t tell a lie. I did it with my hatchet.”

Yet not only is this story most likely a fictional one; lying has also proven to be highly useful for successful business leaders, especially for those trying to gain and hold onto power.

Trust is an inessential trait in leadership as deals often need to be broken.

One of the many perks of being wealthy and powerful would appear to be the ability to break your commitments if you no longer feel like doing something. If you’ve ever had to deal with keeping track of a powerful person’s schedule, you’ll be familiar with how quickly things can change.

Nevertheless, books on leadership will often promote the idea that establishing trust is an essential part of success. Yet the truth is, many businesses perform fantastically even when people have a very low opinion of the leader’s trustworthiness.

Successful leaders place more importance on staying in power and shifting the blame.

There are more than a few differences between military leadership and business leadership.

In the military, officers care so much about their personnel that they often won’t eat until everyone else has had their fill. In business, only a fool believes that their boss has any concern about how hungry they might be.

There’s no reason for workers and employers to feel loyal to one another.

There are different ways businesses will try to protect their prosperity and power, many of which may adversely affect their employees. A round of layoffs is probably the most distressing option, but others include relocating to cheaper offices and cutting back on supplies.

There’s a message here that every employee can learn from: protect your own neck!

You can learn a lot about the ugly truths of leadership by watching leaders in action.

If you watch sports, especially soccer or basketball, you’re probably familiar with playacting, which is when one player dramatically falls after receiving the slightest touch from the opposing player. This is a strategic move that the best players will perfect, since it costs them nothing and, if it works, it may earn them a free kick or a couple of free throws.

The best leaders are also familiar with the benefits of playacting. So if you want to know what’s really going on, it’s best to keep an eye on their performance and what they’re doing, rather than what they’re saying.

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What is Leadership BS about?

Leadership BS (2015) looks at the dirty world of business executives to see what life’s really like at the top of the corporate ladder. What we find is something quite different than the squeaky-clean image most motivational leadership gurus and CEO biographies will try to sell you. Discover what a nasty business you’ll really have to get into if you want to become a successful leader in today’s cutthroat business world.

Leadership BS Review

Leadership BS (2015) by Jeffrey Pfeffer offers a thought-provoking examination of the leadership industry and challenges conventional wisdom about what makes a good leader. Here's why this book is worth your time:

It provides sharp insights and a critical analysis of popular leadership practices, debunking myths and exposing the gap between theory and reality.
The book offers real-world examples and case studies, illustrating the negative consequences of certain leadership practices and providing valuable lessons for readers.
With its no-nonsense approach and straightforward writing style, the book sparks meaningful conversations and encourages readers to question traditional leadership norms.

Best quote from Leadership BS

The story about young George Washington and the cherry tree was likely an invention by one of Washingtons biographers to promote his book.

—Jeffrey Pfeffer

Who should read Leadership BS?

Managers, bosses and anyone interested in leadership skills
Readers interested in social science
Students of business

About the Author

Jeffrey Pfeffer is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and has taught many classes on effective human-resource management. Today, he is considered one of the world’s leading management experts, with published research on organizational power that goes back nearly 30 years. He is also the author of Power, which details how readers can successfully wield power in their everyday lives.

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