If you're a music fan, then going backstage at Glastonbury is an experience that could leave you starstruck.

I had an equivalent experience, as a business and entrepreneurship writer/fan/geek, last week when I was invited to the launch of the new book by Allan Leighton.

Allan is now famously pursuing a 'plural' career - as Chairman of Royal Mail, Deputy Chair of Selfridges, and board positions at other companies.

But he rose to fame as CEO of supermarket chain ASDA, which he was instrumental in rescuing from failure and turning into a major success story, and as chairman of Lastminute.com.

Along the way he's built up quite a contacts book - so among the 40 or so guests were:

  • Philip Green, billionaire entrepreneurial owner of BHS, Top Man etc
  • Stuart Rose, CEO and rescuer of Marks and Spencer
  • James Dyson, inventor of the eponymous vacuum cleaner and major league entrepreneur
  • Justin King, CEO of Sainsbury's who has successfully turned the business around
  • Sir Gulam Noon, Indian food entrepreneur
  • Andy Hornby, CEO of Halifax Bank of Scotland
  • ...and many influential city financiers, business editors of national newspapers, and so on.

About a third of the guests at this party controlled some of the best known brands in Britain, and had a combined wealth of over £4bn.

I was very starstruck!

Anyway, the book. It's called 'Allan Leighton on Leadership', and features 20-minute interviews with some of Britain's top business leaders - so it's like being able to ask them their advice or opinions at a party like this.

I've now finished reading it from cover to cover, and have to say I found it fascinating. It doesn't contain any earth-shattering revelations - but good leadership isn't about that. What this book does is to gather together real insights into the management style of susccessul leaders, and gives you confidence that it is the simple stuff that works - and that you can do it.

It covers all angles of a leaders role from starting a business, dealing with problems, managing an ongoing business, forming your top team, dealing with the media and dealing with the moneymen to focusing the business on the customer.

It's great to explore this through the words of people who have actually 'been there, done that', with the added interpretation from Allan. I'll be dipping into it again from time to time - and I highly recommend it.