Leadership Books - Page 4

Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series)

Susan Komives, Nance Lucas, Timothy R. McMahon

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Editorial Review:

My students have been searching for a leadership book that they don't have to translate to their experiences. At last, here is a book that integrates cutting edge ideas of leadership with examples and stories from college students.

Kathleen E. Allen, vice president for student development, College of Saint Benedict

Exploring Leadership fills a gap in the literature of leadership, providing a carefully-crafted student guide structured to the needs of leadership training courses for students. It helps students assess their own potential for leadership, gives them a concise grounding in major leadership concepts and theories, and takes them through a contemporary leadership approach that equips them for the challenges of providing leadership in groups, communities, and organizations.

Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders (J-B Leadership Network Series)

Reggie McNeal

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Based on his extensive experience as coach and mentor to many thousands of Christian leaders across a broad spectrum of ministry settings, Reggie McNeal helps spiritual leaders understand that they will self-select into or out of greatness. In this important book, McNeal shows how great spiritual leaders are committed consciously and intentionally to seven spiritual disciplines, habits of heart and mind that shape both their character and competence:

 

The discipline of self-awareness—the single most important body of information a leader possesses

 

The discipline of self-management—handling difficult emotions, expectations, temptations, mental vibrancy, and physical well-being

 

The discipline of self-development—a life-long commitment to learning and growing and building on one's strengths

 

The discipline of mission—enjoying the permissions of maintaining the sense of God's purpose for your life and leadership

 

The discipline of decision-making—knowing the elements of good decisions and learning from failure

 

The discipline of belonging—the determination to nurture relationships and to live in community with others, including family, followers, mentors, and friends

 

The discipline of aloneness—the intentional practice of soul-making solitude and contemplation

 

Making Vision Stick (Leadership Library)

Andy Stanley

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Zondervan Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $4.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Rehashed stuff... 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I found this book to be sort of a rehash of Visioneering. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't word for word, but the principles were there in condensed form. It seems like all the Leadership books are becoming redundant. This one was blaise' at best for me. Sorry. I usually like what Andy Stanley writes.

Small but Helpful 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I wanted to help people catch our ministry's vision. I trusted Andy Stanley to help me. He did. I was surprised when I opened the envelope and saw a tiny book. I read it in less than an hour. Because I am so busy, it's brevity was a blessing! I recommend that you buy the book used. It is priced high for being such a small read.

Making Vision Stick 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A quick read and to the point. I have already put into practice some of the sound advice from this book and will continue to refer to it. I am casting vision for my church and this book has reminded me of the importance of communicating the vision and working with my leadership team to promote it at all times and at all levels of the church.

Editorial Review:

With Making Vision Stick, you'll learn how to propel you and your organization forward on the vision God has granted you.

Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures

Gary L., McIntosh, Samuel D., Rima

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Baker Books Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $9.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Confronting Latent Failures While Becoming an Effective Leader 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

In this revised edition of "Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership" authors, Gary McIntosh and Samuel Rima reflect on what they have experienced and observed in Christian leadership during the ten years since the first edition was first published. Gary and Sam both share from the conflict in their own personal experiences which brought them to a place of recognizing their personal dysfunction and the importance of taking proactive steps in their journey of self discovery, healing and fulfillment..

Part one of the book helps the reader understand more fully what the dark side of personality is and how it develops. Part two deals with discovery of the dark side of leadership the reader may be dealing with personally. Part three discusses overcoming the dark side and offers a five-step plan for accomplishing this.

Additional chapters have been included to cover topics such as: The dangers of the dark side, and the process of spiritual composting. The appendix has been expanded by adding a section to help the reader identify their dark side.

Examples from the failures of Biblical and contemporary Christian leaders are used to illustrate various dysfunctions in the leadership styles of the compulsive leader, the narcissistic leader, the paranoid leader, the codependent leader, and the passive-aggressive leader.

I found the "targeting insights," and "applying insights" featured at the end of each chapter to be practical and helpful tools for self discovery.

This edition of "Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership" has a new subtitle which offers new help to the reader, "How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures. By melding relevant and significant information with proactive steps for today's Christian leaders, Gary L. McIntosh and Samuel D. Rima help their readers avoid the risks and consequences of making untimely devastating decisions that would taint the effectiveness of their personal testimony and the reputations of the Christian church.

Editorial Review:

The Christian world has been rocked by the number of prominent leaders, in both church and parachurch organizations, who have been compromised by moral, ethical, and theological failures. This pace-setting volume addresses this alarming problem and offers Christian leaders valuable guidance in dealing with the inherent risks of their work. Using biblical and current examples, the authors describe the characteristics of five types of leaders and the problems that are most likely to develop if their particular dysfunctions develop unrestrained. McIntosh and Rima offer a series of steps for leaders to consider so they can take control of their dark side and learn to harness its creative powers. This edition includes a new introduction, updated information throughout, a self-assessment tool, and other additional material. Includes endorsements from John Maxwell, Leighton Ford, Leith Anderson, and Rob Angel.

How to Rule the World: A Handbook for the Aspiring Dictator

Andre de Guillaume

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chicago Review Press Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $4.54

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

To dictate or not to dictate 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

How to Rule the World... sounds simple enough, and with this guide, it makes it all the easier. You'll learn the tell tale signs of whether you should rule the world, set yourself in position so as to takeover and what to do once you are there. You'll learn how to dress extravagantly, where to hide your money, what earthly objects you will need to show off your wealth, and even what to do when you are ready to retire and put the next person of your choosing into power.

All this and snappy little history lessons based on past world rulers and their mistakes and proper procedures. While most book along this line tend to throw in alot of humor, this one cuts back on it, providing just enough tongue-in-cheek to make it a light-hearted affair while getting a history lesson on world rulers. It's not Machiavelli but if you wanted that then you should read that.

Overall, it's imaginative, light hearted, and informative. Well worth buying, Only down part is the artwork really put me off to begin with as it is seemingly done by a child, however, it grows on you and then I think it becomes more appropriate with these caricatures rather than more realistic portraits.

Editorial Review:

Everyone wants to rule the world, but only a precious few have the skills to create an ironclad plan of attack. Simple, direct, and delightfully unprincipled, this guide contains tales of global power mongering from every age and endeavors to show dilettante dictators and tyrants-to-be just how it's done. Tips are provided on creating a personal flag, what type of puppet government to establish, how to squelch free speech, and, most important, how to handle enemies. Also included are humorous full-color illustrations, sidebars on admirable despots, and self-quizzes that allow readers to see if they have what it takes to conquer the world.

It's Our Ship: The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership

Captain D. Michael Abrashoff

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

IT'S OUR SHIP 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I'm a big fan of Captain D. Michael Abrashoff's leadership methods and his books. His latest, IT'S OUR SHIP - The No Nonsense Guide to Leadership is the third in a series based on his command tour aboard USS BENFOLD (DDG65) and building on his experiences with leaders in the business world. In this third book, I see Michael's growth as an author and as a leader. The third book includes some snippets from the story outlined in his first best seller - IT'S YOUR SHIP. Sure to be a best seller in its own right, IT'S OUR SHIP provides a great blend of Michael's own story with those of other proven leaders in the business world. These are stories worth telling and Michael tells them exceedingly well. In his latest book, he takes you back to USS Benfold, then to The Container Store, Pitney Bowes, Aflac, 1-800-GOT-JUNK and many other commercial enterprises before ending where he started - USS BENFOLD. From each enterprise, he brings together their leadership lessons with his and demonstrates that these principles work in every environment. All it takes is "collaboration" - the key word in this book.

I come at the three books (the second was GET YOUR SHIP TOGETHER) from a different perspective and much more critical eye than most readers. I was commissioned the same year (1982) Michael was - though from Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island rather than the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. We both assumed command in 1997 (though my command was a shore command) and we both worked for the Secretary of Defense (though mine was Donald H. Rumsfeld - as fine, patriotic, and honest a man as ever served (twice) in that demanding position). When I assumed command, I was taking over for an interim caretaker Commanding Officer who was nurturing a command back to health after two failed Inspector General inspections (somewhat like the Operational Propulsion Plant Examination that USS BENFOLD had failed before Michael assumed command). I know first-hand the challenges of command. I retired as a Navy Captain in 2006 with a career spanning 30 years of service as an enlisted Sailor and a commissioned one. I am a Navyman. I fully appreciate the context of his books and the purpose for which they were written. Read these books, apply the principles and watch your people grow, succeed and surpass your expectations.

I know that the leadership principles that Michael outlined in all three books work. They work extraordinarily well, when properly employed. They worked for him, they worked for me, they work for Commanding Officers at sea and ashore today, and they will work for you. Captain Abrashoff is a masterful leader and brilliant storyteller. I've gone back to do some research and can't validate that "virtually all 310 Sailors were deeply demoralized" or that "clearly his (the former CO's) leadership had failed", as Michael has described the situation. I say this, because statements like these are toned down a bit in his second and third books, which shows Michael's growth as both author and leader. While this over-dramatization tells a better story, Arleigh Burke destroyer Sailors are the cream of the crop of surface Sailors. Michael started off in a far better position than a reader might otherwise think, though he and his crew faced significant challenges and overcame them together to achieve remarkable successes by any measure.

Commander Abrashoff assumed command of a nearly new Arleigh Burke destroyer and inherited a crew that suffered the natural trials and tribulations of pre-commissioning a ship and `bringing her to life.' The truth of the matter is that three of the officers under the former CO and the former CO himself are all Navy Flag officers today - the enlisted Sailors of that first crew went on to enjoy great success as well. The first CO of USS BENFOLD was certainly doing something right and continues to do well on active duty today. I think it's more a matter of different approaches to leadership - there are many ways to effectively command an Arleigh Burke destroyer.

I give you my own insight so that you understand fully that there is no doubting that Commander Abrashoff's approach is successful - and he fills you with genuine confidence that you can be equally successful (that in itself is a sign of a good leader). Leaders everywhere would do well to make his three books a part of their libraries - but only putting them on the shelf after they have devoured every word. I remain a student of leadership and Michael's books have contributed greatly to my education. I could have used them at the start, in the middle and at the end of my Navy career. I read and reread them today. And I will, again, tomorrow. I hope you'll join me. You will not regret it.

Editorial Review:

The story of Captain Abrashoff and his command of USS Benfold has become legendary inside and outside the Navy. By governing his ship with his unique management techniques, Abrashoff turned the Benfold into a model of naval efficiency, with amazing cost savings, the highest gunnery score in the Pacific Fleet, and a highly motivated and top performing crew.

In IT'S YOUR SHIP, he first demonstrated how to bring his successful management techniques from the ship to the boardroom. Now, in his newest book IT'S OUR SHIP, in the same rugged, can-do voice, Abrashoff will focus on the leadership, motivational, and management insights and tips that he has learned from his last six years of addressing business and corporate audiences.

Abrashoff's timely advice will be eminently prescriptive, and will feature anecdotes and insights from leaders of businesses large and small and from public and non-profit sectors.

The 7 Habits for Managers: Managing Yourself, Leading Others, Unleashing Potential

Stephen R. Covey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

true and applicable, your team will love you for it 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Stephen Covey is a true coach for a leader. This will empower you to be at your best as a leader and to inspire others. Perfect to revisit from time to time if you ever feel like you are just spinning your wheels or need to get back to your roots.

Editorial Review:

No organization has ever become great without exceptional leadership - without leaders who can connect the efforts of their teams to the critical objectives of the organization, who can tap the full potential of each individual on their team? It takes a leadership mind-set, skill-set, and tool-set. This audio is the synthesis of Dr. Stephen R. Covey's two-day interactive and intensive workshop on leadership. The proven principles of the 7 Habits are applied to leadership roles as Covey teaches managers and other leaders how to define their contributions, develop greater influence, leverage hidden resources, give constructive feedback, and unleash the full potential of their team against critical priorities. The 7 Habits approach helps developing leaders unleash the talents and capability of their team against the organization's highest priorities.

Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry

Ruth Haley Barton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Refreshment for the Leader's Soul 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

"Strengthening the soul of our leadership is an invitation that begins, continues and ends with seeking God in the crucible of ministry." These words from the final chapter summarize the central theme of the book. The chapters leading up to it paint a compelling picture of the fruitfulness and joy of leading from a healthy soul that is focused on God, and the risks of soul-less leadership in ministry.

Barton follows the story of Moses and talks about her own journey, including struggles and victories. At times she challenges the reader to take stock and at other times she offers practical advice for refilling our souls. And at the end of each chapter, she offers a "practice" that will help readers to reflect on and apply the teaching they've just read.

I'm not one to read with a highlighter in hand, but within the first few pages I found myself thinking, "Oh, that's good," and marking a couple of sentences for future references. I kept going back to the highlighter as Barton kept taking me to places deep in my spirit. At times Barton's words were a needed wake-up call and at other times they were a source of refreshment. I'm thankful for both, and I'm sure that you will be as well.

Editorial Review:

(I>"I'm tired of helping others enjoy God."

"I just want to enjoy God for myself." With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership explores topics such as responding to the dynamics of calling facing the loneliness of leadership leading from your authentic self cultivating spiritual community reenvisioning the promised land discerning God's will together

Each chapter includes a spiritual practice to ensure your soul gets the nourishment it needs. Forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God is the best choice you can make for yourself and for those you lead.

Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths

Timothy Butler

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Unstuck but not yet moving forward 4 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

Butler's book has one of the best cover images I've see i awhile. A fish leaps into the air, leaving behind other fish swimming peacefully in their glass bowl. At first he seems bent on self-destruction, till we realize another bowl is waiting to receive him. It's mostly hidden at the edge of the page and it's emptier.

The image is appropriate bcause Butler's book ultimately is about finding vision and image. He keeps referring to the Hundred Careers exercise: choose your top 12 from a list of 100. Then (and this is the important part) uncover common themes.

Usually I get nervous when career counselors urge clients to work with specific choices, because most people carry inaccurate stereotypes of careers with them. Accountants can be extraverted and sales people can be shy. But I sense that Butler works with each person's unique perceptions of the careers, although he doesn't say so directly.

Another reviewer suggests that a reader might need a guide to work through the process. I'm more concerned about translating insight into action. If you're an artist trapped in a banking career, how do you carry out the exploration you need? How do you find your new life? OK, a creative decides to become a freelance artist, but things get a little more complicated in real life. Every freelancer I know (including me) has to deal with creating systems to get the work done, marketing, staying motivated, and dealing with dumb things like more ink for the printer and why hasn't the bank transferred over your account forms.

Of course, vision can be compelling. A strong vision can motivate career changers to find solutions, sometimes almost effortlessly.

I can't help comparing this book to Herminia Ibarra's book, Working Identity, also published by Harvard Universiety Press. Ibarra emphasizes the zig zag pattern of actions most people take to find their next careers. Most people I know operate that way. They just take one step at a time till they realize that somehow they've landed where they're supposed to be.

Ibarra also targets midlife career changers -- people who have achieved some success and accomplishment. This book seems directed to younger people who have less at stake. For example, a 35-year-old woman who leaves a high-powered financial career to become a high school teacher, reducing her income from $106K to $34K. Some people make those kinds of moves and never look back. Others realize they miss the lifestyle of the larger salary. Still others get bogged down by conditions of working, like paperwork.

I can't help wondering how this woman will feel when she's in her fifties and sixties. And I hope she likes teaching, because it's going to be hard to make a shift back to the corporate world from just about anything else.

Definitely Getting Unstuck holds value for people at the early stages of their career searches. I would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a new way to think about career change. But I've seen people who need to get unstuck not just from their jobs but from their analysis. Exploring possibilities is fun. Translating them to realities - and living with the aftermath - gets a whole lot more complicated.

Editorial Review:

You will experience psychological impasse many times in your life. During these times, you have the sensation that you're stuck or paralyzed. You're convinced that something must change, whether in your work or personal life. Though this feeling is normal, you need to move beyond it. Failure to "get unstuck" can put your career and personal life - as well as the healthy functioning of your team or organisation - at risk. In "Getting Unstuck", business psychologist and researcher Timothy Butler offers strategies for moving beyond a career or personal-life impasse - by recognising the state of impasse, awakening your imagination, recognising patterns of meaning in your life, and taking action for change. Drawing on a wealth of stories about individuals who have successfully transitioned out of impasses, "Getting Unstuck" provides a practical, authoritative road map for moving past your immediate impasse - and defining a meaningful path forward.

Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrows Success (Maxwell, John C.)

John C. Maxwell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great principles you can apply today. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 0 people found this review helpful.

You only have today. And what you do (or don't do) today bears much significance. Today Matters is practical and well written, giving insights from someone who has lived many significant, meaningful days. If you're looking for a book that helps guide you into making every day count, John Maxwell's Today Matters is a must read.

Editorial Review:

New York Times bestselling author John C. Maxwell reveals the surprisingly straightforward secret to daily success and fulfillment. Most of us look at our days in the wrong way. We overexaggerate yesterday. We overestimate tomorrow. We underestimate today. The truth is that the most important day you will experience is today. Making today your masterpiece is the key to success. Maxwell offers twelve decisions and disciplines-he calls it his daily dozen-that can be learned and mastered by any person to achieve success. He teaches how to possess possibilities, remain focused, enjoy good health, exhibit stability, hold an advantage, be tenacious, experience fulfillment, exercise options, sense inner peace, feel significant, receive direction, and learn to grow. These lessons are simple, but the gap between knowing and doing is greater than the gap between ignorance and knowledge. In TODAYMATTERS, Maxwell teaches how to close that problematic gap.