Leadership Is an Art

These is my first book that I read related to my job. Was giving to me by one of the high managers in the company.
I really apreciatte the gesture and I must admit that at the beginning I was afraid that I will not like it that it will only include motivational quotes the true is that it teach me a lot. It can be short but is full of lessons, it tell stories and provide perspective. I now think that everybody that wants to be a manager can start by getting ideas from this book.

A concise and well-supported treatise of leading in ways that empower employees (broad profit sharing to encourage a sense of ownership) and leading with humility, as a first-servant in the corporation. Much may seem like adages here, but there is much wisdom distilled from years in leadership at Zeeland, Michigan's Herman Miller.

Rated: B
I love Max De Pree's perspective on leadership as a servant to those who follow. He embraces diversity, maximizing human potential, empowerment (a voice, not a vote) and the purpose of values. Books starts out well but faded into more of a philosophical essay toward the end.

Here is a leadership book that has sat on my shelf unread for far too many years. I appreciate DePree's thoughtful look at relational, servant leadership. Good stuff in here about intimacy, inclusivity in leadership, corporate storytelling and covenant relationships. Not your typical business fare. I like it.

I also found this an easy read. It doesn't give you a ten point structure or a clear business plan. This is more like a meandering conversation with a leadership mentor circling around important themes.

Leadership is any science or discipline. Art. It must be felt, experienced, created. Look at leadership through Max De Pree's eyes, you will never confront people, or yourself, and exactly the same way again.

One of the best books about making a humane and empowering workplace. At a time when I was about to give up managing others because I didn't see how I could have a positive impact of people, I read this book. It gave me hope that I could have a positive impact on the people I was managing.

Written in 1989 this little book is newly published in the UK. Max De Pree is chairman and CEO of Hermann Miller Inc. (the US furniture manufacturer which brought Charles Eames to your magazines) and the son of the founder. Hermann Miller Inc. has been extraordinarily successful and has operated in a paradigm of leadership and empowerment quite outside the norm for the Western World.

The philosophy developed by the Millers is set out here in a chatty home-spun style that never-the-less It also led Peter Drucker to write “… says more about leadership in clearer, more elegant and more convincing language than many of the much longer books …”. I agree.