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Owen's latest addition to the management self-help canon is subtitled ''50 Timeless Lessons for Leaders''. Fifty lessons in under 250 pages? You have to know that the genuine newness of the insights might be on the disappointing side of fabulous. That's not to completely write off ''Leadership Rules''. I enjoyed reading it. Given its structure of short sharp snipes which might be aimed at the dip-in-and-out brigade, I can also say that it reads well as a sit-down-and-consider book.

That's not to completely write off ''Leadership Rules''. I enjoyed reading it. Given its structure of short sharp snipes which might be aimed at the dip-in-&-out brigade, I can also say that it reads well as a sit-down-&-consider book. I had a motive, it has to be admitted. I'm in the throes of both my final year professional exams and my firm's second tier leadership course. I need to know this stuff. That doesn't mean I'm a sucker for punishment. Some of my lower-mark exam passes might well be on the basis of a tendency to say something along the lines of ""''I know this is what the syllabus says, but actually, in practice, our experience states, it's rubbish!"" '' I read critically. And critically, Owen's approach has something going for it.

• Leadership is a team game – you can't have leaders without followers, pick your team well.<br>• Consider your obituary – how do you want to be remembered? Do that stuff now.<br>• Accept that you're not perfect – figure out what you're good at, do that, lead in that area.<br>• Remember you're visible – be a role model.<br>• Figure out what your values are and live them, visibly (and pretend when you can't quite measure up).<br>• Accept responsibility – the buck stops here.<br>• Earn respect, forget about being liked.<br>• Be positive and decisive – even when thought unreasonable.<br>• Be passionate about it, or don't bother.<br>• Luck has nothing to do with anything.<br>• Technical skills are only there to give you credence, beware how you use them.<br>• Fear is not a motivator, nor is ''compliance''.<br>• Integrity is not the same as ethical: people can make up their own minds on your ethics – just be true to yourself.<br>• Find what matters and focus – yourself and everyone else.<br>• Don't expect life (or business) to be fair – it isn't – remember you're paid to exploit that: read Sun Tsu on the art of war.<br>• Accept that change is inevitable and whether it is the economy, the technology or the globalisation change is really about people – manage it accordingly.<br>• Accept the limits on resources: cut what doesn't matter, but sell it well – make more-for-less a challenge not a constraint and reward those who meet it.<br>• Leaders can be created, they don't have to be born fully-formed. If that adds up to somewhat less than 50fifty, maybe it explains the degree of repetition you'll find in the book.

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