Summary of The DNA of Leadership

Leadership is an elusive trait. It may be a learned skill or a genetic characteristic, but either way, teaching it to someone who is not a born leader is difficult. The way this book approaches that task is part inspirational, part self-assessment and part New-Age excess. Author Judith E. Glaser’s DNA leadership concept is a clever, albeit gimmicky idea, using certain “genes” to describe leadership traits. Her system, however, has problems. She holds that it is verboten to criticize or state a negative viewpoint about another person, even if it is warranted. This makes this approach difficult to use in a business setting. Moreover, her politically correct approach blames leaders for bad workplace attitudes, even when the actual causes might be low pay or poor working conditions. The book is repetitive, which limits its applicability. However, Glaser offers useful surveys and self-assessments. getAbstract acknowledges the value of good leadership, and suggests this book to HR people who want to familiarize themselves with its New-Age leadership approach.