Leadership by the book

Book Review

Leadership by the Book : Tools to Transform Your Workplace

By : Ken Blanchard , Bill Hybels and Phil Hodges

When Americans go to work , they are used to leaving their faith at home There is a popular conception that faith and business do not mix Leadership by the Book is written to contradict that notion . More specifically , it holds Jesus up as a role model not only for faith but also for potential leaders in various fields

This book , written by Blanchard et al . in 1999 , is 220 pages long with [banner_entry_middle]

an introduction and two epilogues . It contains twenty one chapters Information about the faith-based organizations the authors represent is contained at the end of the book . The primary author , Ken Blanchard , is the founder of the Center for FaithWalk Leadership . This book strongly reflects his Christian perspective

Thesis and Style

Being a leader in today ‘s culture can come with great benefits , problems and responsibilities . It is a complicated , pluralistic world and potential leaders face as much resistance as they ever had . Finding a way to motivate others , and ones own self , can be a challenge . Many of these leaders go about it in the wrong way , over-focusing on production compliance and other earthly measures of success

The professor and minister in the book help the businessman regain perspective . It ‘s not about the bottom line or the next corporate mega-deal . Focusing on a higher plane of meaning does not decrease earthly success , the authors imply , it does just the opposite

The main premise of this book is that leaders , Christian or not , should look to Jesus Christ as a role model . Christian principles not only work in business , they ultimately help to maximize profits

The book is written in a humanistic story form . It provides outlines the lives of its three main characters . The characters illustrate how Christian principles can drive effective leadership in three different fields , business , education and the clergy . All three face crises in their careers but are able to lean upon their lessons of faith to find meaningful success . The relationship between the three main characters creates a nice flow while the roles of leaders in different contexts are explored . The tree characters are able to learn from each other . This dynamic is illustrative of good leadership qualities , according to the authors . A good leader is not a closed , single minded individual Rather , a good leader must remain open to learning experiences and reflect upon his or her own practices

A central point within the main premise pertains to the idea of service Taking an idea from several biblical parables , the authors show that a leader must also be a servant . Serving does not just mean paying ones dues before rising to the top . It means that the leader must maintain an attitude of service to others even after achieving the leadership position . Potential leaders who view service in a superficial way are likely to fail . Blanchard et al , write

Some leaders view service… [banner_entry_footer]