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More about the book:

There are dozens of leaders described and evaluated.

Part One- The Four Faces of Strategic Leadership

1. Managing by slogan is not leadership- this chapter describes the current practice of follow the current management fads...quality, restructuring etc and failing to think what type of leader is required for the business and its future.
2. Leaders are not all the same This chapter describes both the four type of leaders discussed in the book and how they fit the life cycle, as well as the key characteristics of all leaders, namely:
   • Dedication
   • Passion
   • Credibility
   • Unique talent
   • Ability to institute a winning game plan
   • Flexibility and willingness to relinquish power
   • Ability to build and maintain the right team
   • Steadfastness and courage
   • Alert to proper timing.
3. A Leader for All Seasons- Is This Possible - What determines the RIGHT leader?
1. Business Life cycle
2. Customer types
3. Competitive types
4. Stakeholder needs
5. Dynamics of technology

Part Two - Product Leaders

1. Risktakers: The Product is the Passion- describes the eight key characteristics of this type of leader's game plan. This includes: recognizing a need before the customer, protecting the innovation against pirates, educating the customer about the value of the innovation and several others. The chapter highlights the type of team required and the timing.
2. Caretakers: Evolutionaries Ensuring the Future. Again this describes the eight key characteristics of this type of leader's game plan. This includes: Assess objectively, and invest in, the current product line's assets and liabilitie, creating strong advertising and promotions to spur demand, be prepared to meet customer demands, employ competitive, periodically aggressive pricing and others.
3. Surgeons and Undertakers: Rethinking Priorities and Viability. The game plan for these type of leaders is again different. It includes: analyzing the company's vital signs and making a quick decision, evaluating the reasons for past successes and failures, assessing the competitive arena, building customer, employee, and supplier confidence, and others.

Part Three- The Problem Solving Leaders.

7. Solving the Insoluable: Leading the Possible Dream. This deals with leaders who have a vision and mission to do what many think is impossible. Key elements of the strategies include: probing to understand the real problem, obtaining long-term commitment and sponsorship, create and then meet realistic expectations, avoid the "not invented here" mentality and others.

8. Solving the Client's Problems: The Consultative Leader This type of leader works closely with his or her clients to solve their problems. The problems are not as complex as those in the previous category. Eleven elements are discussed: select clients who recognize they have a problem and wants to solve it, select clients who want a long-term relationship, use relationship pricing, listen and others.

Part Four- The Marketing Leaders

9. Risktaker Sellers- this chapter focuses on leaders who gain an advantage by creating new and different ways of selling their products or services. Many illustrations are provided, including those who concentrated on how to sell, others who focused on where they selling, a third categoy on when they sold and others who used a combination of unique services to differentiate their offering.

10. Caretaker Marketers- " caretaker marketers mission is to build on the creativity of the risktakers and install systems that will enable the organization to continue to have a competitive marketing advantage.

Part Five- System and production leaders.

11. System/ Netwrork Risktakers are leaders who build a unique and high quality system in advance of demand and invest to allow it to remain a leader.

12. Production Leaders: The Difference is How it is made. These are leaders are able to create a competitive advantage by creating unique and innovative ways of making a product or providing a service.

Part Six Leadership Past and Future

13. Leadership lessons from the 1980s- This chapter highlights some of the positives and negatives of the 1980s and what the reader can learn from them Example include: "don't confuse asset stripping with leadership, don't be greed and self serving, plan for leadership succession and others

14.Problems and Trends of the 1990s: Challenges and Opportunities for Strategic Leadership This chapter identifies several areas where leaders are required and specifies the type of leader needed to do the job.

15. Leaders for All Seasons. This chapter points out and illustrates how General Electric has had different types of leaders during its 126 year history and how and why they were the right leaders for the right time.