The Three Levels of Leadership: How to Develop Your Leadership Presence, Knowhow and Skill [Paperback]

There are a vast number of leadership books available. I have read a few of them over the 25 years that I have worked in financial services management. I confess I have often been tempted by the high profile leadership gurus/business celebrities that flood the market with their wisdom and especially those that offer quick solutions to becoming more successful as a leader and manager.
This book exceeded all of my expectations and it's written in an engaging, honest and practical style. It's easy to understand and the author helps by summarising the information he provides at the end of each chapter, which really helped me memorise it and remain focussed.
What I did not expect at all, was that this book would to take me on a journey of soul searching about how serious I am now, or ever have been, about being the best leader I can be, or indeed the best team member.
By covering psychology, it took me to places, where I have to say I felt distinctly uncomfortable about myself and my performance, not just in business but in my social, spiritual, and family life too.
As a self-help manual, I will be using this book as a reference point for some considerable time to come. Hopefully, familiarity and improvement on my part will ease the personal anxiety of the first encounter.
I am not an expert book reviewer, as you can no doubt tell but I do heartily recommend this book to any team member, manager or leader that wants to improve their business performance and perhaps their life.

This book has allowed me to fully understand what leadership really is. Thinking of leadership as a process and having a clear definition has really enabled to me think about leadership in a clear manner.

James Scouller writes about the mind of a leader and this will allow you to develop in many areas of your life. I have read about self-mastery before and previous texts seem vague; however James Scouller offers a clear and concise picture of what self-mastery really is and what it truly involves.

This book has really added value to the way I think about things, allowing me to progress in an array of areas. I suggest that anyone who is interested in leadership or wants to progress in their career read this book.

I came across James Scouller's book "The Three Levels of Leadership - How to Develop Your Leadership Presence, Knowhow and Skill" via an Amazon review of a different leadership book. I'm very glad I did. Here's why...

James is superbly (and unusually) qualified to write this book - he has been a CEO for many years in his corporate career; he was a client of executive coaching during that time; he gained advanced coaching qualifications and accreditation, and started his own executive coaching business in 2004; and he underwent in-depth applied psychology training at the Institute of Psychosynthesis in London.

The book presents a holistic and integrated approach to leadership, is laid out in a comprehensive yet uncluttered manner with "The Key Points" listed at the end of each chapter, and provides an extensive notes section at the end of the book to ensure there is a good flow to the main body. Also there is a supporting website, Three-Levels-of-Leadership.com, with excellent free resources to complement the book.

The three levels are: Personal, Private (1:1 context) and Public Leadership. James sets out Four Dimensions - Motivating Purpose; Task Progress & Results; Upholding Group Unity; Attention to Individuals. The book outlines 14 key private leadership behaviours and 34 for the public leadership domain. It also talks about the difference between Presence and Charisma, as well as underlining the difference between an End Goal and a Performance Goal (I really liked the "ASPECT" Performance Goal-Setting model on page 99).

Crucially, James devotes most time to the personal domain, where he covers The Three Elements of Personal Leadership:
* Technical - knowing your technical weaknesses and continually updating your knowledge and skills
* Attitude toward others - believing other people to be as important as you - or learning to believe it
* Self-mastery - committing to self-awareness, self-integration, growth and flexible command of your psyche

The self-mastery element comprises "A Leader's Map of the Psyche" which presents complex subject matter in a highly accessible manner, including exercises to aid self-reflection, discovery, and action. This map includes Four Levels of Mind (Higher, Lower, Emotional, Physical), The Self (Self-awareness, Will, Imagination), False Self (essentially, a container for one's limiting beliefs), Conscious Mind, Collective Unconscious, and Fountainhead (the source of your life force).

I certainly agree with the author that undertaking the (lifelong) commitment to self-mastery is at the core of how a leader (and indeed, anyone for that matter) can truly become the best they can be, and by extension best serve those they lead. Buy this book and it will be a trusted companion on that deeply enriching voyage of discovery, and to making your highest contribution to self and others.