Michael Jones
(First Edition, Pianoscapes, Publication Date, MAY 2006)

Who am I really? When do I feel most present and alive? What am I uniquely called to do? Where is home? What is my relationship to beauty? How do I let go? What is my inspiration? How can I best serve the common good?

In a time of uncertainty and sudden change, leaders will need new questions, ones that help to develop qualities of being that are more organic, creative and whole. It signals a time when leaders will need to develop a capacity for experiencing and understanding a new and more subtle intelligence, a way of knowing that is not a separate mental function, but rather the source of an imaginative response to our world. As a kind of sense organ, this intelligence reaches out and makes tentative contact with wholeness, that is, things of an order larger than we can see directly, making visible that which is hidden, so as to begin to draw into awareness that which cannot yet be heard or seen.

Artful Leadership explores this journey of awakening in the form of a conversation with John, a successful senior leader who is searching for a greater sense of meaning and purpose to his work. As the conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that this journey cannot be achieved alone. Instead leaders will need to come together to reclaim the commons -a space of wholeness in the personal and public imagination- to explore the less tangible dimensions of leadership as an effective counterpoint to the more usual mechanistic view of the world.

Reviews

"Words matter. Artful leadership is a superb example of how much. The writing is a work of art in itself; it is like viewing a masterpiece and each time you return to it you see something more. I felt that I had been on a retreat for the soul when I finished reading each chapter. The conversational tone draws the reader in and you feel as though you are walking with Michael on a path that will lead you to a greater depth of understanding, not just about leadership, but about yourself. I recommend this book for all who have a passion for leadership and whose heart's desire is to make the world a better place."
— Katherine Tyler Scott
Managing Partner, Ki ThoughtBridge LLC
Board Member, The International Leadership Association

"As an accomplished musician and composer, Michael Jones brings a unique sensibility to the subject of leadership. While other writers address style, process, and leadership issues, Michael illuminates the deep parallels between leadership and the creative process.

He reminds us that, beyond all techniques and advice, leading is about bringing forth new realities in line with our deepest aspirations. Leading arises from awakening us as human beings, from developing our unique gifts and cultivating our sense of connection -- with one another, with our work, and with the Universe. And leading ultimately manifests in the health of the whole, the commons that defines that connectedness.

Herein lies the core paradox of leading: When we learn how to recognize and nurture the commons, what is most personal becomes most universal, and the ego's obsession with the self gives way to the being's commitment to presence and to the future."
— Peter M. Senge, author The 5th Discipline
Founding Chair, SoL [Society for Organizational Learning}
Senior Lecturer, MIT, Sloan School of Management

"Michael Jones has produced a refreshing book that will stand out in the large body of literature on leadership. Written as a dialogue, the book needs to be savoured slowly to fully enjoy its poetic language and all the nuances that the author brings forth in considering the role of presence and imagination in the exercise of leadership. His invitation to live our gifts and pay attention to beauty points out to what matters most in the transformation of our ailing work places. Every word in this book reached my heart and soul."
— Marie-Eve Marchand, Ph.D.
President, ECODA inc.
Adjunct professor, Department of Management, Laval University, Quebec

"This book rocked my worldview and my understanding of the role of the arts in leadership. It is the only book that I've read cover-to-cover TWICE in a very long time. Michael Jones explores the power of creativity and human imagination in a gentle, deeply personal way. It is truly a hope-filled roadmap to a more just and sustainable world."
— Rick Ingrasci, M.D., M.P.H.
Co-author, "Chop Wood, Carry Water: A Guide to Spiritual Fulfillment in Daily Life"

" Artful Leadership is a missing piece of inquiry and exploration that we can learn from because it invites each of us to stop being academic, use our imagination and embrace the beauty and grace that not many see in times of turmoil and uncertainty."
— Lavinia Weissman. Publisher, www.workecology.com, Consultant, Executive Coach