Annotations on Leadership

By Nicky Fairless

Cottrell, David and Eric Harvy. Leadership Courage: Leadership Strategies
for I ndividual and Organizational Success. Peoria: MultiAd, 2004. Print.

Being a courageous and optimistic leader is not easy, it requires constant focus and refocus at all times.
David Cottrell and Eric Harvey illustrate how a person can experience greater satisfaction in his or her
leadership role by finding the courage to walk the talk. Cottrell and Harvey offer insight on eleven
different ways a reader can improve individual and organizational changes by having the courage to
communicate, encourage, and focus. Chocked full of inspirational quotes from famous leaders such as
Thomas Jefferson, William Faulkner, and John Madden, Leadership Courage reminds us to share the
vision, see the big picture, and fostering a commitment to life-long learning.


Endersbe, Tom, Jay Therrien and Jon Wortmann. The Three Commitments of Leadership. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.

Leaders are not born - people become leaders by practicing leadership. Tom Endersbe, Jay Thrrien, and
Jon Wortman introduce three practices that every leader should commit to. The three commitments:
clarity, stability, and rhythm as described in The Three Commitments of Leadership offer insight as to
what leaders should pay attention to. Stories about familiar businesses, such as Amazon, Zappos, and
Trader Joes, provide support to their leadership theories. In closing, a good leader models the actions he
or she expects from his or her team.


Iacocca, Lee and Cathrine Whitney. Where Have All the Leaders Gone? New York: Scribner, 2007.
Print.
Whether youre running a country or running a business, Lee Iacocca speaks the hard truth about
leadership. Talk is cheap, Leaders are made, not born, and Pick good people and set the right
priorities are some words of wisdom that Lee Iacocca shares in his book, Where Have All the Leaders
Gone? Iacocca shares his nine points of leadership (the 9 Cs) which identifies qualities every leader
should have. As an example of how to 9 Cs relate to leaders, he uses the 9 Cs to rate the 2008
presidential candidates. In addition, Iacocca has a chapter on the importance of teachers in the classroom as leaders.
Ultimately, Iacocca is worried that leaders have lost their compass and reminds his readers about responsibility,
accountability, and discipline and community spirit, qualities that all leaders should exude.


Coatney, Sharon. The Many Faces of School Library Leadership. Santa Barbara: Libraries
Unlimited, 2010. Print.

Leadership is a process, more so than a role or a position. Sharon Coatney, editor of The Many Faces
of School Library Leadership, brings to us a collection of essays written by leaders and thinkers who
are practicing in the field of school librarianship. At the heart of this publication, the essays cover the
many facets of school librarianship, such as advocacy, intellectual freedom, and leading from the
middle. Those who are driven by a vision, able to communicate that vision, then act to mobilize the
resources to achieve success are the leaders of our time. Coatney reminds us that leaders who are
continually learning and updating skills are modeling the idea of a life-long learner.