Nobody, not even the venerable Dale Carnegie, has ever written a worthwhile advice book on leadership without explaining the why as well as the how. Nearly a decade after its first publication, this book still shines, capturing like nothing before and little since the essence of leadership in turbulent, ambiguous times. Personal mastery is the leader leading himself. Be a model. Mental models are the frames of reference through which we interpret the world.
Shared vision is the belief that elevates a group from mere compliance to deep commitment.
And lastly there's team learning, in which individuals create and find meaning through dialogue. The writing here, I must say, is less inspired than the ideas. And although this is one of the few business books in which the diagrams actually add something, they occasionally confuse more than clarify. This is a demanding book. Still, anyone who leads without having attempted this book is carrying a toolbox with at least one item missing.