Competing Values Leadership

by: Kim S. Cameron, Robert E. Quinn, Jeff DeGraff, and Anjan V. Thakor

Published by: Edward Elgar Publishing

Reviewed by Celia Renteria Szelwach, DBA (ABD)

Subtitle: Creating Value in Organizations

As a doctoral candidate in business management, I have leadership books growing out of my ears. When I discovered Competing Values Leadership, I prepared myself for the worst, secretly hoping these authors would offer a unique perspective on leadership that not only offers value but also demonstrates how leadership affects the bottom line in business. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed.

Competing Values Leadership is organized into two main parts, sub-divided into nine chapters. It includes a list of figures and tables used throughout the book to demonstrate key components of the Competing Values Leadership framework.

Part I overviews the competing values theory and explains the four-quadrant visual model underlying this theory. The authors propose that "hundreds of organizations have used the framework to diagnose and implement culture change, establish competitive strategy, motivate employees, facilitate organizational development and change, implement quality processes, (and) develop high potential leaders..." (p. 12).

Cases including Philips Electronics, Dana Corporation, Dell, General Dynamics, and SPX are provided to demonstrate value created by application of the framework which is divided into quadrants describing four value-creating leadership activities: Collaborate, Create, Compete and Control. The authors assert that balanced application of these competing values, preferences, and priorities which exist in all organizations will yield more value and better financial results.

Part II discusses additional applications of the model and how behaviors of the Competing Values Leadership model can result in value creation and higher financial performance.

Since the authors are researchers and academics, Competing Values Leadership is not a book easily examined cover-to-cover. It's filled with quantitative charts and research terms like "multiple regression" and "predictive analysis" unfamiliar to the typical business audience. Yet, once readers wade through the academic jargon, they will discover that the Competing Values Leadership model offers valuable insights into the inherent paradox of leadership and why leadership is actually a balancing act among extremes rather than a simple fix for organizational challenges.

Armchair Interviews highly recommends this book for business professionals and leadership researchers interested in understanding a new approach to leading people, building organizational effectiveness, and achieving higher financial performance.