Need to know just what the laissez‐faire style of management really is? Want to know the difference between autocratic and tyrannical leadership? This new magnum opus from Sage has the ambitious aim of defining leadership for our modern world. The credentials of the editors are impressive. Goethals is the founder of the leadership programme at Williams College; MacGregor Burns is the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government emeritus at Williams and senior fellow at the University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership, America's first undergraduate school of leadership studies.
In a distinctive, glossy binding, this four‐volume work is extremely well produced and very clearly laid out, with a very readable font size. As far as possible, the articles are written without use of jargon. The work includes approximately 400 substantive articles, ranging in length from 1,000 to 6,000 words. The text is supported with over 100 photographs and other illustrations, and covers leaders from Charlemagne to Oprah Winfrey. At the beginning of each volume there is a list of entries, and also the excellent readers guide. This categorises items into a range of subject headings. These include biographies, business, case studies, cross‐cultural/international topics, leadership styles and military. There are entries on almost 40 leadership theories and 17 different leadership styles. A wide‐range of subject areas are covered, from the arts to business. Entries are arranged alphabetically and each is signed. Sidebars are used throughout to add extra information, and the encyclopedia also contains ample suggestions for further reading throughout.
In any work this ambitious in scope there are bound to be some oversights. There are, indeed, some intriguing omissions. Julius Caesar, for instance, does not rate any mention in the military section; Einstein does not appear under science and technology, yet Coco Chanel appears in the women and gender category. In contrast, there are some rather unexpected entries, such as Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Beethoven and the Beatles. The work attempts to indicate its up‐to‐the‐minute twenty‐first century credentials by referring to e‐leadership. Curiously, however, neither Bill Gates nor Steve Jobs rate a mention in the science and technology category, although there are encyclopedia articles referring to them. Tim Berners‐Lee, widely regarded as the architect of the world wide web, does not even rate a short biography.
Each of the four volumes contains Appendix 1, a bibliography of significant books on leadership and Appendix 2, a directory of leadership programs. Appendix 2 is very American focused although a handful of UK organizations do get a mention, such as the Leadership Trust in Ross on Wye and the National College for School Leadership. Volume 4 also includes two further appendices. Appendix 3 covers presidential speeches on foreign policy and war, including Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address, and George Washington's farewell address. They are arranged chronologically and add up to an interesting historical insight into the country that shapes all our destinies. The fourth appendix covers primary sources – sacred texts and includes very short extracts from Genesis, Proverbs, Exodus, Daniel, the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, The Analects, and book 2 of the Qur'an. There are no extracts from the Tora, and this appendix is dominated by excerpts from the bible. The work has an extensive index, very well cross‐referenced and with the main headings marked in bold.
The particular strengths of this work include the extensive suggestions for further reading throughout the volumes. These could be particularly useful as reading lists for a wide‐range of management and leadership courses. The weaknesses of the encyclopedia are some surprising omissions, such as those listed above, and its largely American bias. Overall this is an ambitious and extremely useful work, the first of its kind, and relatively good value for money. It would be of use on a wide range of reference shelves, including those headed political science, general management, social sciences and general reference.
