Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to critique the book Leadership Without Easy Answers by Ronald A. Heifetz, to point out its advantages and shortcomings, and to make judgment on its relevance and inadequacies.
Facts: The first three chapters of the book are dedicated to explaining the general concepts of leadership. Heifetz presents the four theories of leadership, proposes seven definitions of leadership, emphasizes the importance of mobilizing and adaptive process, and defines authority. In the following four chapters, the author addresses leadership with authority. He lists the functions of authority, differentiates formal and informal authority, explains principles of leadership, and describes different types of leaders. In Chapters 8 and 9 of the book, the author deals with leadership without authority. Heifetz closely examines informal authority. The last two chapters of the book address the issues of survival. Heifetz discusses assassination and the importance of staying away from stress and loneliness.
Analysis: Leadership Without Easy Answers by Heifetz is a very valuable book as it provides the basic concepts, definitions, and examples of leadership. Overall, the book is structured very logically, and the transition between the subjects is very smooth. Each chapter also follows a certain pattern, and the matters are discussed thoroughly and in detail. One of the drawbacks, however, is the author’s assumption that everyone reads the book from start to finish. In each chapter, the author addresses the issues presuming that the reader is familiar with the previous chapters. Thus, if any of the chapters is read out of sequence, it seems to be taken out of context and is, thus, harder to follow. The language of the book indicates that the author intended the audience to be of a college student level, therefore, the book is inappropriate for a younger audience. The examples that Heifetz presents to support his arguments are very appropriate, effective, and persuasive. The book is valuable from two different perspectives: it not only provides the theoretical and historic background on leadership, but also offers practical advice to the audience.
Conclusion: Leadership Without Easy Answers by Ronald A. Heifetz is a valuable learning asset as it relates both theoretical and practical information to the reader. The thoroughness of the analyses and the engaging tone of the author make this book a pleasurable reading. The only shortcoming of this book is the author’s assumption that it will be read in its entirety, thus some material in the individual chapters taken out of context is sometimes unclear. Overall, this book is very enlightening and engaging.