Leadership is a quality that is difficult to define. Some believe that it is innate, the gift of a selected few. Others believe that it is a skill that can be learned but don’t agree on what, exactly, should be taught.

In The Thoughtful Leader, Jim Fisher provides an invigorating, inclusive, and positive framework for current and aspiring leaders at all stages of their careers. The author has incorporated various apparently opposing leadership ideas into an integrated model. In order to successfully meet the challenges of a fast-changing world, leaders can no longer choose between managing, directing, or engaging. The thoughtful leader is someone who simultaneously, consistently, and coherently manages, directs, and engages their followers. The framework provides a way for anyone who is motivated to lead, has the courage to act, and is willing to think about their actions to become a more effective leader. Thoughtful leaders can maintain integrity in their actions and activities regardless of the situations that they encounter.

The model developed in this book applies to many settings, including corporate and public service environments. The Thoughtful Leader offers a fresh and forward-thinking framework that allows active and emerging leaders to be better prepared day-to-day.

(Rotman-UTP Publishing)

jim fisher is a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. He was formerly the Vice-Dean and Marcel Desautels Chair in Entrepreneurship at the Rotman School of Management. He joined the Rotman School after a successful business career.