LEADERSHIP BOOKSHELF
March 2026 | The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine 13
LEADERSHIP BOOKSHELF
LESSONS FROM“ FIRST AMONG EQUALS: HOW TO MANAGE A
GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS” BY PATRICK J. MCKENNA & DAVID
H. MAISTER
First Among Equals: How To Manage A Group of Professionals by Patrick J. McKenna and David H. Maister is a practical leadership manual for those asked to lead other talented professionals without relying on authority, rank, or command power. It focuses on situations common in law, consulting, medicine, academia, policing, and other knowledge-driven fields where teams comprise highly educated, autonomous, and often skeptical peers.
For executive leaders, the book answers a fundamental question: How do you lead people who don’ t have to follow you?
I. The Core Leadership Challenge Professionals differ from typical employees:
• They value autonomy and resist micromanagement.
• They judge leaders by credibility, integrity, and competence, not by title.
• They are often strong-willed, independent, and internally motivated.
• They respond best to leaders who coach, not command.
The leader of professionals must shift from the logic of hierarchical authority to the logic of influence, trust, clarity, and purpose.
II. Mandate Clarity: The First Step of Professional Leadership McKenna & Maister insist that leadership succeeds or fails based on how clearly the leader defines:
1. Role & Mandate
• What exactly is the leader expected to accomplish?
• What authority do they actually have?
• What results are they accountable for?
2. Purpose of the Team
• Why does the group exist?
• What distinguishes it from other teams or functions?
• What value |
does |
it |
deliver |
to |
the |
organization? |
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3. Membership Rules
• Who belongs?
• What standards, expectations, and behaviors define membership?
Executives often overlook this— and then spend months firefighting confusion.
III. The Leadership Mindset: Influence > Control
Professionals follow leaders for credibility, not command. The book outlines three pillars of professional leadership:
1. Build One-on-One Trust The leader must:
• listen with discipline
• learn what motivates each person
• understand career ambitions
• recognize what each member needs to thrive
Trust is built individually before it is built collectively.
2. Inspire Rather Than Direct Professionals respond to:
• meaningful work
• intellectual challenge
• opportunities to grow
• recognition and respect