Book: The Responsive Leader
Book review: 
“The Responsive Leader by Erik Korsvik Østergaard is a well written and informative text. It is written in a way that makes for easy consumption and provides a great range of insights from which businesses and organizations of all levels will be able to glean many helpful tips, as Østergaard busts myths that may hold industry back and limit growth. It’s certainly a book that will open many readers’ eyes. In an exhaustive text, Østergaard leaves no stone unturned with The Responsive Leader as he seeks to encourage business owners to remain relevant to their employees and customers. He also provides a great resource for those looking to take their business to extraordinary heights.
Book review:
“Throughout the book, Østergaard claims that no one can achieve the status of a responsive leader overnight, but, through practice of talking with your staff, trying new things, failing, and learning from your failures, you will reach a level of leadership that will help your business grow and continue to gain popularity and employees based on their strong purpose and value. The last three chapters provide case studies to help process all the information together. Being able to read about real companies that put their value in hard work instead of the money or products made, and their profound success is enlightening and very motivational. At the end, I felt like I had a better sense of how to be a successful and responsive leader to those around me.”
Book review: 
4.3 stars of 5 : “THE RESPONSIVE LEADER is a worthwhile blueprint for all levels of leadership, lighting the path to greater success and more meaningful work in an ever-changing world. (…) Using the methods outlined in THE RESPONSIVE LEADER, leaders can take their companies to new heights by creating a culture of engagement, meaningfulness, and relevancy to employees and customers. (…) The writing style of THE RESPONSIVE LEADER is no-nonsense and down-to-earth without the showmanship typical of some of today’s so-called thought leaders. The fact that Østergaard doesn’t come across as a guru-like figure at all gives his book a winsome combination of warmth and practicality. ”
Book review:
“He just processes the information in such a compelling and manageable way that I walked away feeling absolutely confident I could become the leader I want to be. (…) I can’t stay enough good stuff about this book. If you are anything like me, you’ll find it hard to put it down. And you’ll think twice before you do any number of the things at work that you simply do on autopilot. If you’re committed to continuous improvement as a leader, you want to read this book.”
A modern world with rapid changes and an emerging digitalisation requires – and paves the way for – a new approach to leadership and organisational design. The technological and societal megatrends affect the market, the organisations, and the expectations from employees and customers, and several new leadership frameworks have been born.
The Responsive Leader that masters this paradigm shift will gravitate towards the new paradigm, but will also know how to mix-and-dose the old and new worlds in a responsive way. The Responsive Leader shapes the modern workplace; a workplace where people want to show up for work.
The book consists of three parts
“It’s clear that the world of work is changing which means leadership is also changing. This book is a great framework for becoming the leader all of our organizations so desperately need.”
“Erik is uniquely positioned to understand what a Responsive Leader is and to write this book. Like me and many others, he shares intrigue and belief in what next stage organisations are like and how technology is changing the way we work and how we live. Traditional leaders are struggling to keep up with this, let alone lead others into this new world. That’s why this book is so crucial. Commentating, challenging and then comforting leaders into their new sensibilities, this book is likely to become THE reference point for those of us who know we need to upgrade our Leadership Operating System.”
“I warmly welcome this book on the new style of leadership, needed by organisations to survive and thrive in complex and volatile business environments. I couldn’t agree more – it is all about people and their mindset!”
“He takes you by the hand and leads you safely through the vast amount of academic studies and leadership literature and presents his own very attractive and consistent framework on how to shift from the Yesterday of Work to the Future of Work – as a leader, as an organization, as a human. Erik masters the art of inviting you in to the world of uncertainty and gives you a map to navigate towards the rising sun. Hint: It’s all about people, curiosity and circular learning. Go ahead and dive in.”
“Having read The Responsive Leader I can say that I am inspired. Erik is theoretically well founded, but many authors are that. What sets this book apart is the hands-on approach: Theories only matter if they lead to practical results. That’s what this book is about. Highly recommended to all my colleagues doing real work with real people for real organisations.”
“Times are changing and the need to adapt and respond to the changes affecting our organisations are of vital importance. This book is filled with personal experiences and practical knowledge and it will give you a sense of the essentials in responsive leadership from a Danish perspective. It is my great pleasure the recommend the book.”
“I am a big fan of self-management for workplaces. However, as a co-founder of a self-managed company, I get very impatient with books that overhype self-management and don’t spend enough time on how to get there and how to make is sustainable. Erik is a practitioner and it shows in this book. As he says, this book is not a ‘codex that you must follow dogmatically.’ Better than that, the book is a platform for the mindset, habits, and practices to help you create a more humane and meaningful workplace, with more engaged and happier people. Go ahead and read it”
“Many leaders and organizations are in this digitalized age seeking how to lead under rapid changing circumstances. Erik gives in his book an answer with very useful methods, tools and frameworks. If you seek to be a leader of tomorrow, let this book be one of your inspirations.”
“Useful for all modern leaders, and filled with methods to apply. Some very solid learning!”
08.10.2018: How to be innovative with your leadership: A practical guide (article in Training Magazine)