cover image What Makes a Leader?

What Makes a Leader?

Daniel P. Goleman, with Jack and Suzy Welch, a conversation with the authors. . Audio Renaissance, $14.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-1-59397-973-7

This brief drive-time motivational audio features three great business minds: former CEO of General Electric Jack Welch; his wife and former editor of the Harvard Business Review , Suzy Welch; and Emotional Intelligence author Goleman. Unfortunately, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. The hourlong format barely gives the three time to cover the basics, let alone do justice to complex issues surrounding leadership, self-confidence and cultivating a team spirit in the workplace. There is also too much of Goleman—the ostensible interviewer—and not enough of the Welches, who don't speak a word until the third track. Jack Welch makes some intriguing points about hiring strategies and the promotion of key people, but his gravelly voice is not a natural for audio, with the volume flitting in and out as his enthusiasm waxes and wanes. Suzy Welch, in contrast, shines brightly; her voice is passionate, engaging and consistent throughout, and her illustrations are always helpful. What distinguishes this audio from the leadership books all three authors have written is the kind of excitement that Suzy Welch's ideas and presentation generate. (Oct.)