Mind of a Manager Soul of a Leader

Prior reviewers have accurately depicted this work as delineating, in a informative yet entertaining way, the basic differences between management and leadership. As a former Program Manager with degrees in hard science and an MBA, and over 35 years of work experience, I can attest that the working world frequently (in not "almost always") confuses or confounds these two. Furthermore, I believe that different psychological types of folks (a la the Jungian Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) are generally attuned to one, the other, or neither. It is rare to find an individual who can encompass both approaches. Yet, knowing about their differences is the first step towards successfully integrating them. As they say, recognizing the problem is half the solution. I usually give away books after I read them. Not this one. This is a keeper!

Organizations need both leadership and management, and it helps individuals to understance the place of both. Many leadership books focus completely on the virtues of inspiration. Some management books are entirely about measurement and accountability. The high performance organization needs both, and this book fills the void by highlighting the differences between the two disciplines.

Hickman's "Mind of A Manager, Soul of A Leader" is 281 pages of lucidly written management insight that goes well beyond the typical dry, anecdotal discourse of the genre. The co-author of "Creating Excellence", Hickman dissects the psychological core of the conflict between the "manager" and "leader" personality types; a conflict he ably shows can be productive if understood and harnessed.Numerous business scenarios and reality-based interactions are viewed through the perspective of each personality.One such evaluation is "Conserving Plus Risking" whereby the "manager" conserves assets while the "leader" risks them. The "Plus" refers to the author's ongoing assertion that both can be had by the organization if astute enough to recognize the potential of each. If not, the organization will likely be dominated by one mind-set or the other, losing the value of the missing perspective and valuable resource.Hickman does well in presenting a balanced view of both perspectives without condescension to either. The value of both to the organization is enhanced by the combination of the two.The book can be of great benefit to both corporate and entreprenuerial businesses and individuals. The value of the human capital of all businesses is fully realized when the potential of both mentalities is used in concert to accomplish a balanced perspective.