Leadership Presence

This book is a good value. I was a little unsure about it when I heard it was a leadership book based on acting, but the connections to acting are very well done. It really focuses on the depth and feeling behind acting and genuineness of being a leader. And not in a hokey way. Great stories. Great exercises. Great examples. An easy read and a good one, too.

Much more than a book on becoming a "polished" executive. I used this book with a client who is the youngest exec in his high tech firm, and we found the chapters to be helpful in his overall leadership development. I appreciated the author's writing on leadership thinking and outlook as well has the suggestions on external behaviors that communicate "presence". Ultimately, presence comes from within.

Why is it when some actors take the stage they automatically command the attention of the audience? It doesn't matter if they are not the most important part of the scene - they still command the audience's attention even when in the background. These people have a sense of presence; their very being and bearing demands respect. That ability to command respect is what this book is about. How does a real leader create this sense of presence such that he or she automatically has the attention and respect of those they lead?The authors define presence as "the ability to connect authentically with the thoughts and feelings of others". While business has generally ignored this sense of presence and assumed that people will be led simply because they are employees, the acting profession lives or dies by this sense of presence. Business is now struggling to create loyal employees who think for theirselves and have a sense of being a part of a larger community. Business is looking for great leaders. To help find or create these great leaders there has been a plethora of books about the attributes of great leaders; they communicate well, they treat others as important, etc. The difference between most management or leadership books and this one can best be illustrated by the art of dance. A good dancer can be mechanically perfect. Every twist, every turn, every leap is exactly as it should be, but still the dance is boring. On the other hand a dancer who truly feels and moves to the music as it were a part of their self creates a thing of beauty to see. That is where this book differentiates itself from the other books on leadership. The others are typically descriptions of what makes good leaders - the mechanics of the perfect dance. This book helps the leader to establish a sense of presence that in turn causes a sense of immediate respect in others - the dancer who feels the music.At the end of each chapter are exercises to help the reader to learn to apply the lessons. The authors fill a deep chasm in management theory with this book. "Leadership Presence: Dramatic Techniques to Reach Out, Motivate and Inspire" is a highly recommended read and required reading for those in leadership positions of any kind.

I found the highly readable Leadership Presence to be satisfying on many levels. It is enjoyable to read, with many grippping stories that support the authors' discussion of what makes an effective leader. It feels useable, as it has practical applications listed at the end of each chapter, written clearly as exercizes that anyone could do. The authors have a great deal of experience working with a wide variety of buisnesses, large and small,and they draw from this wealth of experience in presenting their innovative approach to the art of leadership.This book outlines the principles of acting and applies them to what it takes to be an effective leader; even more, on what it takes to be an effective person in any realm in communicating with others. I related strongly to the ideas in this book -- as a drama teacher, as one who works with middle schoolers and a community of teachers and parents, and even as a mother of two daughters. Even though I was familiar with many of the ideas that related to acting, I saw these ideas presented in a different context, and I believe the book will be a great reference for me in work and in the rest of my life. I plan to give a copy to my middle school principal, and to my rabbi--as I was reading, I thought of many people who would enjoy and benefit from this book. I highly recommend it!

The first few paragraphs of the Foreword by Warren Bennis tip you off that Leadership Presence is an unusual and heady business leadership book. Authors Halpern and Lubar are convincing and clear. Their anecdote-filled guide is profound without being heavy or treacly. Leadership Presence offers meaty chapters and practical exercises that are fun and helpful to readers, suggestive of the benefits to corporate groups who take Ariel Group seminars - and often keep coming back for more. Halpern and Lubar are classy and serious with just enough humor to make this different self-improvement book an exhilarating read. Inspiring, almost like a novel with characters you care about, Leadership Presence is amazing. You won't be able to put it down.