Outsider Leadership

Book excerpt: Encompassing interviews with managing directors and CEOs, this book explores the role of business outsiders as leaders. Viewing the term ‘outsider’ in a broad sense, the book considers leader background, perspective, gender, training and family membership and examines the implications, challenges and benefits brought by outsider leaders to their respective business environments. The authors explore questions and themes such as how outsider leaders can enrich an organisation, the importance of relationships and adopting a ‘hybrid’ approach, illuminated by interviewee perspectives. Introducing discussion and analysis through these narratives, Outsider Leadership distils commonalities to frame understanding of their experiences.