BookReview.qxd


BOOK REVIEW 99

Title: The Communicating Leader: The key to strategic

alignment (2nd Ed)

Author: Gustav Puth

Publisher: Van Schaik Publishers

Reviewer: XC Birkenbach

The aim of the book according to the author, is “meant to be a

usable tool, an instrument in the toolbox of the real leader and

leadership student”. The book is written in conversational style

(as intended by the author) and the 219 pages of the 10 chapters

are logically packaged into three parts. While the main emphasis

is naturally on leadership and communication, the coverage

includes topics t ypically encountered in Organisational

Behaviour or Management texts, e.g., organizational culture,

managing change, motivation, conflict management and

strategic management.

The layout of the text is neat with a one-page framework

summary at the start of each chapter as well as a chapter

summary at the end of each chapter. A list of references is also

given at the end of every chapter.

While the content areas mentioned above are covered in

traditional fashion, the author has sketched them against the

backdrop of the demands of a changing society and, specifically,

the changing world of work.

It is my view that the author has succeeded in his aim to provide

an instrument in the toolbox of, especially, practicing managers.

The book is replete with menus of “how to do it” (and what not

to do). This includes common sense advice on effective

listening, principles of a supportive communication style, keys

to developing business leadership, the do’s and don’ts of

imparting a vision etc. For a first-time reader of this sort of

subject matter, concepts like corporate culture, change

management, motivation, and conflict management are

discussed in a user friendly manner.

In summary, the book is written and presented in a style that

should be welcomed by practicing managers and would-be

leaders. It is certainly excellent as a guide to the do’s and don’ts

of many leadership tasks. For this reason it is highly

recommended to the target audience. Students in the

undergraduate courses such as Organisational Behaviour would

also benefit by reading the book. Senior students are probably

not going to find enough depth in the subject matter and may

even find the presentation of some ideas naïve.

In conclusion, a few matters for the author to consider. On

page 159 the Thomas-Kilmann conflict management style grid

is confused with the work of Blake and Mouton. Also, the

40/30/20 formula for calculating the conclusion that senior

managers spend less than 3% of their time (and energy) on

building a corporate perspective needs greater explanation.

The logic of this has certainly eluded the current reviewer.

Finally, although the author points out that the book is written

in “conversational style”, my view is that some of the

referencing should have been more rigorous. For example,

much of the chapter on change (Chapter 6) is based on the

work of Bill Bridges. Yet, Bridges is referred to only once on

p.115 as having made a distinction between change and

transition. Readers who are not familiar with Bridges’ work

may not recognize that the model of transition and the rest of

the accompanying ideas in the chapter are the work of the

original author.