Just Another Dime a Dozen Leadership Book

Leadership books are a “dime a dozen” in the modern day.  By that statement, I imply that nothing is truly novel because the ideas are merely repackaged into a different format.  Fairness is Overrated:  And 51 other Leadership Principles to Revolutionize your Workplace, by Tim Stevens, is another one of those books.  I am not saying that the book cannot help you become a better leader (because it can); however, the volume does not have revolutionary thoughts that distinguish it from any other.

Stevens divides the book into four major sections:  (1) be a leader worth following, (2) find the right people, (3) build a healthy culture, and (4) lead confidently through a crisis.  If you have read any amount of leadership books, those major headings reveal why I consider this book one of those that are a “dime a dozen.”  Within those major section headings, the author has written short – and I mean very – chapters that are easily digestible.  This format is a positive in that the ideas are easily accessible but it is also a negative in promoting the tendency to read through them quickly.  At the end of each chapter, a couple of discussions or application questions are applied.  If you are going to use this book to bring about change in your leadership, then the power rests within those personal applications.  

The namesake chapter is number 38 and begins on page 152 – “Fairness is Overrated.”  He does argue quite forcefully and correctly that fairness should not be a priority.  Why?  Listen to these short sentences – “We make decisions based on priority, not fairness.  We filter discussions through our mission and values, not whether it is fair” (page 153).   Very true!  Our world, with its bent toward social justice, struggles with being unfair; however, Stevens is right in his statement.

While the author is quotable, again, this book is a “dime a dozen” without anything spectacular; so that is why I rated this book as I did.  I also struggled with his background as a pastor and the lack of focus on God's expectations of leadership (rare quotes from Scripture or even mention of God or Jesus).  If you apply what you read from it, then changes will occur in your leadership; so if that is what you are seeking (and you will not breeze through it too quickly), then it might be a good book for you. 

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookBloggers.com review 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.”