Thought Leadership

ROBIN RYDE is the Head of the Centre for Strategic Leadership with the National School of Government. Ryde has a background in leadership and organizational development spanning numerous sectors and internationally. In particular he was the youngest person to direct the British Prime Minister's flagship leadership development programme and he has delivered cross-sector development and consultancy in the UK, the US and other territories including South America and Eastern Europe. Ryde has two degrees in Sociology, is a qualified accountant and has, for some years, led evaluations of a diverse range of government programmes from the sale of UK gold reserves to the procurement of advanced military technologies. His interest in leadership thinking has, in part, been sparked by literally hundreds of private and public sector Chief Executives with whom he has engaged. This has ignited an interest in the way that leaders think and approach problems and the common dilemmas they face. Ryde regularly speaks at seminars and conferences and is nestled between Dame Anita Roddick and Sir Martin Sorrell on the BBC's 50 Lessons Business Leaders guide. He is a keen SCUBA diver and lives in South West London with his family.

• PART ONE: THINKING ON AUTOPILOT Like Raindrops on a Window Pane A Bleak Summary The Production and Shaping of Thinking Habits PART TWO: SWITCHING CONTROLS TO MANUAL Board Meetings on the Beach Put Thinking Habits on your Radar Prepare the way for Transformational Thinking Trigger the Right Thinking Channel PART THREE: MOVING HEARTS AND MINDS A much Broader Repertoire Changing Channels Replacing Sticky Thinking with Exit Thinking The Real Job of Leadership

'The relationship between effective leaders and highly performing organisations is clear. As Head of the National School of Government's Centre for Strategic Leadership, Robin Ryde has overseen the development of many leaders from all sectors. We can learn from the varied experiences of these leaders and I commend Robin for bringing together and translating this vast body of knowledge into practical leadership wisdom.' - Sir Gus O'Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service'Bang up to date and full of insight, Robin Ryde will be required reading for anyone who wants to be a leader in an age of terrifying change.' Jeremy Vine, BBC Presenter'An immensely enjoyable, provocative and intriguing book; your meetings will never be quite the same again and you will have Robin Ryde to thank for that.' Professor Keith Grint, Cranfield University& Defense Leadership Academy'This book provides real insights from an experienced and respected practitioner in the field of senior management development.' Iain Macdonald, Group vice President& Group Controller, BP plcAt last, an accessible business book that truly inspires and places passion at the heart of leadership Robert Swan OBE, the first man to walk to the North and South Poles'A leader persuades people through reason, but compels them to action through emotion - Robin Ryde understands that and I am pleased he has put his wealth of experience into this book.' Simon Woodroffe Founder of YO! Sushi and YO! Everything else'Its no longer enough, when leading in a complex, connected and fast changing world, to read about how others have lead and changed organisations in the past - even the recent past. This is the first leadership book that offers leaders real tools to help them understand how people think and real methods to change that thinking. Robin Ryde has pulled off the difficult trick of intellectual and academic analysis and grounded it in real experience having observed first hand hundreds of today's senior leadership figures across all sectors in action. Apply the tools - they really work!' Steve Mcguirk, President, Chief Fire Officers Association'Ryde's work on leadership offers refreshing insights into how leadership can be expressed in terms of serving a group in their interactions and releasing a group's creative potential to address the challenges they face.' - The Rt Rev David Rossdale, Foundation for Church Leadership'It's an intriguing book that offers tools to aid an understanding of how people think and methods to change that thinking. Its overall success is in coming an intellectual and academic analysis with the grounding of the author's first-hand observation of hundreds of senior leaders across all sections. - Oliver Rowe, Public Service Magazine'This book contributes an interesting and valuable perspective on how we think and how that insight can benefit anyone adopting a leading role. Potentially it has far-reaching appeal and I would recommend it to anyone aspiring to improve their self-awareness, and general communication, meeting and change management skills.' Elizabeth Murphy, Library and Information Update