The main challenge of leadership is that it is poorly understood, and the public associates leadership with scandal and distrust. Also, people in leadership roles often do not understand how to lead. In The Leadership Contract, Vince Molinaro presents a fresh look at leadership, and offers a tangible, concise, and easy-to-understand document that outlines what leadership is: making tough decisions, obligation, hard work, and community. Molinaro explores the risks and rewards of leadership in the context of these concepts. He captures key lessons gleaned from his experiences as a consultant for leaders in a variety of organizations, and reframes leadership as an opportunity to build successful and sustainable organizations.

Simply Management

Simply Managing is a shortened and updated version of Henry Mintzberg’s 2009 book Managing, and is based on his observations of 29 managers working in different fields. The book explains what management is and is not; what managers do and do not do; and the craft, science, and art of management. Mintzberg suggests that managers are constantly working amid chaos and that many managers are flawed, but that they can often correct their own shortcomings by focusing on what they do best. Moreover, Mintzberg suggests that instead of focusing on the stories of heroic managers who save their companies, managers ought to strive for the more natural goals of leading people, solving problems, and implementing plans for the future.