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Matt Asbury
Cover of Leading at a Higher Level

Leading at a Higher Level

Ken Blanchard

ISBN: 978-0273732312
leadershipmanagementpracticessituational-leadership
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Synopsis

Leading at a Higher Level brings together Ken Blanchard's ideas on leadership, including the Situational Leadership model, into a single volume aimed at leaders who want to build organisations that perform and serve. The book covers vision and values, goal-setting, empowerment, and the shift from "hero" leadership to creating conditions where others lead.

Blanchard emphasises servant leadership and triple bottom line (people, performance, planet). He includes frameworks for one-on-ones, feedback, and organisational design, with the recurring theme that great leaders focus on the success of their people and the organisation, not on their own status.

Why I Recommend It

Blanchard's work is accessible and practical. Situational Leadership—adapting your style to the development level of the person or team—is a useful lens for delegation, mentoring, and knowing when to direct vs. support. The book gives a coherent system rather than a collection of tips, which helps when building a leadership approach from scratch.

Key takeaways:

  • Match style to development: Different people need different amounts of direction and support; adjust accordingly
  • Vision and values drive behaviour: When people understand the "why" and what matters, they can act without constant oversight
  • Lead with service: The best leaders see their role as enabling others to succeed

Practical application: I've used the Situational Leadership model when coaching new managers and when thinking about how much to delegate. The sections on goal alignment and empowerment are useful for moving from command-and-control to a more distributed leadership culture. The tone is optimistic but grounded in practice.

A solid foundation for leaders who want a clear, teachable framework.

Favourite Quote

"The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority."

Blanchard argues that lasting impact comes from earning trust and modelling behaviour, not from position. That shift in mindset is central to leading at a higher level.