I just read the press release stating that Ed Betof's book Leaders as Teachers has already sold 1,000 copies in pre-release. This is really exciting to me because this was one of the books I worked on, and I am glad to see that it is already so successful, especially since Ed was just a delight to work with and the idea of leaders as teachers is so compelling. (And the book looks and feels really nice too: hardbound with a dustcover and pretty endpapers. Selecting the various components of a hardbound book is really fun to do.)

In his book, Ed talks about six benefits of using a leaders-as-teachers approach in an organization. They are

• helping to drive business results by aligning the learning function with organizational strategy

• stimulating the learning and development of leaders and associates through role modeling, creating a safe environment for feedback, and building networks

• improving the leadership skills of leaders who teach

• strengthening organizational culture and communication

• promoting positive business and organizational change

• reducing costs by leveraging top talent.

An unspoken theme of the book is the aspirational quality of using a leaders-as-teachers approach. This isn't just about making do or getting by, but about doing great things as an organization. Ed draws on concepts from such thinkers as Tim Butler and Jim Waldroop (deeply embedded life interests), Bernard Haldane (key transferable career management principles), Noel Tichy (leader-teacher principles and Leadership Teachable Points of View), John Kotter (change and change leadership), and Jim Collins (Built to Last and Good to Great) and uses them as a foundation for developing and implementing a leaders-as-teachers program that has had great success.