Straight Talk on Leadership (PDF)

An urgent wake-up call--and radical action
plan--for business leaders everywhere

While it focuses primarily on Canadian business, this important
book shares valuable insights of benefit to transformational
business leaders everywhere. Without sugar coating his message,
author R. Douglas Williamson, head of the prestigious consultancy,
The Beacon Group, points to complacency, lack of leadership
sophistication, and an inward focus as the chief reasons why
Canadian companies are at risk of falling behind the rest of the
world. Issuing an urgent call to action, Williamson helps leaders
understand the four principle challenges facing the modern leader
and describes the eight essential leadership competencies required
to navigate the future. He provides powerful strategies, tools and
techniques for how to reframe thinking about leadership and reform
leadership strategies.

* Case Studies from The Beacon Group's wide and diversified
client base include The Four Seasons, Scotiabank, Nortel Networks,
Research in Motion, The Hudson's Bay Company, Export
Development Canada, Holt Renfrew, and many others.

* An impassioned call to action for leaders everywhere combined
with practical advice and tools to help leaders take up the
responsibility of transformational leadership during a period of
unprecedented change and monumental global challenges.

* One of the rare books to focus on Canadian business and
business leadership, it explains why that country's competitiveness
is in serious jeopardy and what can be done about it.