User:TheEyewalk/Cool Boss

Cool Boss: Master 11 Qualities of Today’s Greatest Leaders is a business book written by Can Akdeniz and initially published on Amazon.com in August 2013. The book focuses on new methods in management practice which promote mutual respect and cooperation between managers and employees over those based on authority and discipline.

Background
Mr. Akdeniz indicates that his inspiration came from a desire to isolate, “The qualities that define the careers and mentality of the cool, new generation of business leaders [which] are specifically designed to fit within the modern world, leaving the obsolete and antiquated modes of leadership behind.” Akdeniz studied the management techniques, office protocols and public images of some of the world’s most successful modern business and presents his findings in this work.

Description
Cool Boss describes the changes in management and leadership practice that have been led by some of the most successful businesspeople of the past decade. The author points to leaders of top corporations such as Microsoft, Virgin Group, Apple, and MailChimp to explain how their strategies and behavior led their successes. From the book jacket:


 * “An informed study of the change in business leadership styles over the last few decades. Each chapter studies a key figure and assesses their style of leadership, dissecting their methods to assess levels of innovation and success.  Really interesting to see so many variations in leadership styles.”

Akdeniz’s main idea is that cool bosses are those people who are adaptable, innovative, passionate leaders who connect with the people who work for them, building shared values within their businesses and creating inherent motivation for employees. In his introduction, Akdeniz states:


 * “Cool leaders have a huge advantage in this century and will continue to have a leg up on the competition for years to come, because they have managed to structure their business practices and leadership styles to achieve success in a fluctuating and unpredictable market. Other people will continue to admire and copy their style in order to gain a similar level of success.  The concept is quite simple: if you adapt and evolve with the times, not only staying afloat, but soaring over the malleable and volatile world of business, then you have achieved something profitable and attractive where millions more have failed.”

The book uses case studies to present and analyze 11 specific leadership qualities that can help to bring about success in the business world. Akdeniz also contrasts these qualities strongly with the strategies of what he calls the “old guard” of managers who cultivated cultures of dominance, hierarchy, top-down strategy and decision making, and even fear in their organizations. He suggests that although such methods may have produced results in the past, they are no longer relevant to the business world which is dominated by advanced communications technology and increased transparency.

Chapters

 * 1) The Evolution of Leadership
 * 2) Controlling vs. Enabling
 * 3) Admirable: Lead by Example and Leave a Legacy
 * 4) Accessible: How to Find, Keep, and Empower Great Employees
 * 5) Innovative: Be the Architect of Innovation
 * 6) Supportive: Employees are People, Not Assets
 * 7) Humble: Stay Grounded at the Top
 * 8) Passionate: “Screw It, Let’s Do It”
 * 9) Responsible: Give Back to the World as an Agent of Change
 * 10) Adaptive: The Evolution of Modern Innovation
 * 11) Charismatic: Inspire with Words, Affect with Actions
 * 12) Daring: Leap off Cliffs; Build Wings on the Way Down
 * 13) Collaborative: The Anti-Hierarchy of Modern Leadership
 * 14) How to Get Cool and Stay That Way