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Bookshelf As workplaces and communities become more globalized, the potential for conflict dramatically increases—and so does the need for leaders who can shepherd others through times of turmoil. In Leading Through Con- flict, Mark Gerzon describes three types of leaders: the Demagogue, who rules by fear and by demon- izing anyone who is "other"; the Manager, who cares only about taking care of his own particular fiefdom; and the Mediator, who is inclusive, holistic, and able to build bridges between dif- fering parties. Gerzon spends most of his time on the Media- tor, "the emerging leadership archetype of our era." He offers a detailed analysis of the Mediator's tools, such as the ability to see all sides of a conflict, the commitment to communication, the ability to promote alliances between factions, and the desire to create innova- tive solutions to old problems. "Although conflict is built into our commercial and civic institutions, the skills for dealing with it are rarely taught," Gerzon notes. He tries to change that with his book. (Harvard Business School Press, $27.95) Innovators have to strike a tricky balance: They must thoroughly understand the history of their fields, and they must be able to toss away all that collective knowledge to create some- thing new. In The Innovation Killer, Cynthia Barton Rabe takes a hard look at how companies strangle innovative ideas by insisting on familiar processes and procedures, by succumbing to "groupthink"—and 58 BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2006 by promoting the even more disastrous "expertthink," in which workers blindly align themselves with the bosses or the company's stan- dard practices. To break this cycle, Rabe believes, organizations need to import "zero gravity thinkers," indi- viduals who are not weighed down by a company's internal forces. These aren't just random icono- clastic mavericks who spout radical ideas, she says. The best zero gravity thinkers might be outsiders with a psychological distance from the chal- lenge at hand, but ideally they also have some related expertise. Even better, they tend to be renaissance thinkers—that is, people with broad interests who are able to synthesize ideas. Rabe offers plenty of examples of zero gravity thinkers who shook up companies and helped bring great new products to market. (Amacom, $26) Transforming a company isn't a simple or an overnight process. It requires identifying the corporation's key goals and making sure the right peo- ple are committed to achieving them over the long haul. Such goals are Must-Win Battles, according to IMD professors Peter Killing and Thomas Malnight and their co-author Tracey Keys. They argue that these battles can't be won unless companies simultaneously deploy a committed team, a defined strategy, and effective leadership. Unlike many business books, Must-Win Bat- tles isn't a motivation- al tract. It's more of a step-by-step blueprint for how to find the right team members, lead them through the first difficult meet- ing, reach consensus on goals, and go forward. The authors pause to describe what kind of setting would work best for the first off-site discussion and to consider what kinds of leadership styles will work best to unite the team. They also offer histories of companies that fought their own transformative battles—and won. (Wharton School Publishing, $27.99) Swordfights and sorcery are at the heart of epics like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings—but they're also common in boardrooms and corner offices. So say Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal, writing about two leadership styles in The Wizard and the Warrior. Wizards are able to invoke symbolism and work within a cultural framework to lead or trans- form a workplace. Warriors under- stand the necessity of conflict in the workplace, but the best of them also know how to harness the political power of combat. "The wizard role enables them to bring imagination, creativity, meaning, and magic," write the authors. "The warrior role mobilizes strength, courage, and willingness to fight as hard and long as necessary to fulfill their mission." Bolman and Deal offer plenty of examples of both toxic and terrific role models—from Mother Teresa to Richard Nixon, from Merlin to Gollum—in this entertain- ing and informative book. (Jossey-Bass, $27.95)