The book Leadership is an Art by Max De Pree, is the single book that has had profound influence on my leadership style. I'm fortunate enough to lead some of the most outstanding and humble folks and the ideas of the book has helped me to make a small difference in their lives. I'll share key concepts of the book in a few posts.
What is the Art here?
The art of Leadership, as Max says is “liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective and humane way possible” Thus the true leader:
The first responsibility of a leader is to define the reality. Last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. This sums up the progress of an artful leader. The measure of leadership is not the quality of the head, but the tone of the body.
Signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers:
What is the Art here?
The art of Leadership, as Max says is “liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective and humane way possible” Thus the true leader:
- Is a ”servant” of his followers in that he removes the obstacles that prevent them from doing their jobs
- Enables his or her followers to realize their full potential
- Have the self confidence to “encourage contrary opinion” and “abandon themselves to the strength of others”
The first responsibility of a leader is to define the reality. Last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. This sums up the progress of an artful leader. The measure of leadership is not the quality of the head, but the tone of the body.
Signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers:
- Are the followers reaching their potential?
- Are they learning? Serving?
- Do they achieve the required results?
- Do they change with grace? Manage conflicts?
No comments:
Post a Comment