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

Over the years I have read a lot of management and leadership books - you know the kind, the ones with attention-grabbing titles, perhaps a numerical device in there too like 'seven habits of highly successful people' or 'five steps to complete and total world domination'. So imagine my delight when I saw the title of Scouller's book. Only three levels? Wow, this guy has nailed it in only three!But this book isn't like those other books.This book is the real deal. This isn't a title with some words attached to it, where we're told to 'fake it until we make it' (yeah, thanks), or presented with some vaguely inspiring but ultimately useless self-congratulatory anecdotes. This book gets to the heart of the matter. We all know that at the end of the day leadership is about our own psychology and if we wish to effectively lead other people we have to begin first with ourselves, but this book goes further. The majority of it is devoted to understanding our psychology by laying down fascinating models of the psyche and providing a level of depth unseen elsewhere. Well, you did want to know how to be an effective leader, right? No surface level tinkering here, this book goes in deep and provides tools for discovering what's really holding you back. Spoiler: it's probably not the mouthy employee you've been bad-mouthing to your partner.There is a huge amount of content here - if you're looking for a quick fix this probably isn't it - but if you're looking to understand how to really grow, really evolve, really achieve your goals, then this is the book that will lay it out for you.This book is responsible for the beginning of a journey far more epic than I could have conceived when I first opened its cover - the one of self-discovery. Buckle up.

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 psycheThe 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.

Although I have attended many leadership training seminars over a legal career spanning 25 years this is the first book I have read on the subject. My wife found it on Amazon as I sat, glass of wine in hand, reflecting on some mild (and of course entirely spurious) criticism of my leadership "style" from a 360 degree appraisal. I found the book excellent on 2 counts. First, it contains a very useful summary of a lot of academic management theory. But secondly, and more significantly, James Scouller concentrates much of the book on his third level of leadership - Personal Leadership - which is all about a leaders psychological, moral and technical development and how it affects their "presence" (the intangible and unique qualities an individual has which inspire others to trust and be led by them) and their behaviour. The other two levels of leadership - Public Leadership (how we appear in group situations) and Private Leadership (leading in one to one situations) are of course very important and the subject of much management/leadership study. But working on Personal Leadership is what can make the difference in helping us make the changes we need to make to be better Public and Private Leaders - and as importantly, enjoy being a leader. I would recommend this as a thought provoking read to anyone in a leadership position, whether you were born to it or have had it thrust upon you.

This is a must have book on leadership.The Three levels of leadership is a pragmatic guide on how to develop your leadership knowledge and skills.I have benefited greatly from using this book to develop myself and the team around me.I recommend this book to anyone wishing to become an effective leader or wanting develop themselves further as a leader.