Are you looking for a leadership treatise that is Biblically
based and Christ centered? If so, this
book is not the one for you. I am not
sure why this work is considered a “Christian book” (other than the author’s
profession to be a Christian); yet, I do believe this leadership manuscript is
one that is worthy of your time, effort, and money.
Boundaries for Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud can be
misconstrued as just another leadership book and that is the beauty of Cloud’s
work – it is not just another leadership book.
I do not like to use the word “revolutionary” for books because those
are lofty and often meaningless words to curry favor with potential readers (or
an author). In this case, however, I
will say that Dr. Cloud’s work has “revolutionized” my thinking as an
educational leader.
I can say such a thing because of the timeliness of
receiving this book. We are in the midst
of a significant, external situation involving politics. In maintaining a transparent operation, I
have shared what is taking place with my constituents and we have all share in
each other’s misery. The problem has
been that those times to “get it off the chest” have turned into prolonged
periods of paralysis. Cloud has what he
calls a “control divide exercise” and that was significantly beneficial for
us. He also has other tools that can be
used (calendar audit) to truly help focus a leader on what matters most.
The thesis of Boundaries for Leaders can be summarized
in this way: boundaries are essential for success and they are defined as what
you create and/or what you allow.
Leaders miss the true intent of leadership – not the bottom line or
attaining certain goals but people. In
working with people, a leader must free their creativity, and boundaries are
what help focus those individuals on the most important work. Therein lies the problem – our work cultures
suffer from what Cloud calls “organizational ADD.” So much is going on that we permit that
mentality of putting out fires rather that purposefully focusing on the things
that matter most.
In a sense, leaders establish boundaries that fall into
three categories: attention, inhibition,
and cognition. Attention, you guessed
it, is focusing on what matters most and will produce the greatest result. Conversely, inhibition is dictation what
factors cannot and will not be tolerated because they are irrelevant or
unfruitful. Last, cognition (my term) is
reminding constituents what information should be retained due to its value in
future areas that will demand our attention.
Those simply thoughts are what the entire book is based upon, and he
provides a significant amount of personal examples to help the reader
understand his exact intent.
This book, in my opinion, is worth a read. Get it and put it on your shelf. There will come a time when you need to
reconsider its tenets as a leader. His
final chapter – a leader’s boundaries for self – and the conclusion are wonderful
thoughts to bring an end to a solid, leadership book. Some leadership scholarship is selling a
program to help the author “get rich quick;” however, this manuscript is
different. You can tell he knows and
understands what he is saying and truly wants to help.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I
received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book
review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The
opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with
the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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