Charlene Li made a splash a few years ago when she co-authored Groundswell. Through Groundswell, many leaders saw the need to make their organizations more open using social media. But just how to do it remains a mystery. In Open Leadership, Li seeks to teach her readers how to demonstrate open leadership and transform their organizations in the process.

Open leadership is “having the confidence and humility to give up the need to be in control while inspiring commitment from people to accomplish goals” (p. 14).  Leaders accomplish this by having an open mind-set – the ability to let go of control. Organizations must recognize that they are not in control – their customers, employees, and partners are.

Open leadership is about new relationships, and new relationships need new guidelines. The book outlines some suggestions for become an open leader, among them:

1. Respect that your customers and employees have power.

2. Share constantly to build trust.

3. Nurture curiosity and humility.

4. Hold openness accountable.

5. Forgive failure.

Inside open leadership are touches of transformational leadership. It’s hard to convince followers that you consider them individually without embracing social media. However if you do, you have the opportunity to create near-personal relationships with customers and employees.

Like in Groundswell, Li uses a variety of case studies, but also diagnostic exercises, checklists, rich examples, and systematic approach to open leadership. Through these tools, any leader with an open mindset can follow her advice and get results.

Open Leadership will be available on May 24, 2010. I recommend that and leader interested in social media pick it up. More so, I implore any leader NOT interested in social media to read it even more throughly.