Leading from the Top

Leading from the Top is a journey through 90 years of American presidential history to glean lessons in issues management from those who dealt with the most complex issues, on the biggest stage and under the most intense scrutiny. Reading the book, you will learn why asking permission, reframing the issue, and knowing the length of your runway are all important components in successful issues management.

This book uses history to build on common knowledge to accelerate recall of the concepts presented. It looks at fifteen presidents, from Franklin Roosevelt to Joe Biden, and examines one issue each managed. Each chapter ends by assessing success or failure through the lens of issues management consulting and providing succinct lessons that readers can draw from and apply to conflict resolution, problem-solving and crisis management.

Leading from the Top is written for both aspiring and seasoned leaders to learn about or refine their issues management approaches as well as the reader who is interested in a different way to assess our presidents. This said, the book is not written to be prescriptive on any of the issues presented, but simply to provide perspective and tools to use to do your own assessments going forward.