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The Ascent of a Leader Book Review: If you are ready to be personally challenged in the area of foundational relationships, this is an engaging book to read. The Ascent of a Leader is an extraordinary book for ordinary people living every day life. I would highly recommend this book for people who are not afraid to move outside their comfort zone and live their passion.
Lee Gossett, BS Creating enduring relationships with friends and family means opening yourself to the influences of the world – your world. Are you ready? Are you the kind of leader people want to follow? Would you follow you? The Ascent of a Leader is about developing ordinary relationships into extraordinary circumstances. Most people never realize their true destiny in life because of the choices they make. They simply miss the boat. Do you want to achieve your ultimate destiny? If so, recognize that achieving your ultimate destiny is a process that takes significant preparation and very often lots of hard work. How unfortunate it is to come to the end of life and know that the things that stood in our way were just “things.” Oftentimes, we trust ourselves and rely on our own instincts. We think we know it all. As a leader, you have to continue to change and grow by remaining teachable. In your ascent, become a mentor for others and pour your life into a “heart” legacy that will leave a lasting impression in today’s fast-paced, technology crazed world. If you’ve ever stood at the bottom of a ladder and looked up, you know it can be a frightening experience. The author compares the ascent of a leader to that of climbing a ladder – the Character Ladder. Let’s review them rung by rung! TRUST. The first rung is an act of trust. If I were to ask how many of you have been exposed due to a betrayal of a confidence or trust, there would probably be too many of us to count! So, as a result, we keep to ourselves and disclose very little to others. And, sometimes when we do, we are reminded of why we don’t trust especially if that trust is violated. We were created to be in relationship and community with others. Therefore, we must hope and believe that God is working for our best interests, all the time. VULNERABILITY. The second rung is choosing vulnerability. Vulnerability means opening your heart to others and having the potential to influence others through trials as well as successes. Vulnerability is about submission and allowing others to see cracks in our lives. We have to be willing to become transparent to those around us. In some circumstances, however, that can be extremely difficult in the workplace due to office politics and favoritism. When you are willing to reach out to others with a generosity of spirit, when you genuinely care about others, you can make a difference in their lives. The rewards you receive will outweigh any risks. Can you imagine what today’s workplace would be like if we were willing to be vulnerable and truly share ourselves with others? TRUTH. Truth in itself is a powerful concept and most of us surround ourselves with people who are not willing to tell us the truth because it’s easier for us to accept a lie than the truth about ourselves. We rationalize a lie as protecting our hearts from hurt feelings and damaged relationships. So, we mask our true inner self from others. This secrecy can destroy relationships and inhibit us from being truthful with others. Aligning ourselves with truth is a personal decision because pleasing others through our words and telling others the truth can be in direct contradiction with each other. But, it also depends on who is sharing truth with you and the maturity of the people involved. Hearing truth from someone you totally trust and respect makes a tremendous impact on whether you will receive this correction as a gift or not. PAYING THE PRICE. Paying the price is all about suffering - going through trials - and most of us would rather not have to deal with this character aspect. It’s painful. And, at some point in time, I would say that most of us have sacrificed for either something we wanted or something others wanted from us. Eventually, life catches up. Retrospectively, we evaluate the costs of decisions and start to refocus on the purpose for our existence – Why are we here? Is this all there is? Storms come. Storms go. Our consistent ability to maintain our objectivity in the midst of trials is critical to survival. Failure is a good teacher. For it is in times like these we are humbled and recognize our personal limitations. DISCOVERING YOUR DESTINY. What a disappointment it would be to come to the end of life and realize that you did not fulfill your purpose or passion in life. Achieving our destinies depends on a 360 degree view of life – relationships, work situations, family, friends, etc. Sometimes, it’s easier to conform and just be content with where you are in the moment. Good is good enough. But, are you willing to risk it all? Discovering your destiny means to step out beyond the current circumstances and be willing to risk the good for the great. While it’s difficult to plan your destiny, you can start to prepare now. Here’s how: 1) Confront complacency 2) Find ways to share your convictions and passions in service to others 3) Be teachable and be willing to teach others 4) Allow God to lead your life, totally and completely 5) SHARE what you know with others 6) Be thoughtful in your relationships and do not allow others to monopolize all your time 7) Live in a constant state of conviction as you resolve and renew character concerns, trust a little more and be vulnerable, align with the truth even if it comes with a high cost If you thoughtfully consider these seven challenges, they will produce tremendous fruit at the end of life. Leave a legacy filled with compassion, selflessness, integrity, and concern. What is your heart’s desire? The Character Ladder is not about gaining greater control or a higher position than others. It’s about a slow, steady ascent to a higher quality of living and to know that you are in the right place, at the right time, for the right reason and season. What tools do you have in your toolbox? A carpenter has a hammer and nails. A painter has a paintbrush and canvas. To develop character, you have to take the first step. Oftentimes, the first step is the most difficult and challenging. When we begin to abandon our negative thinking in favor of heart centered thinking, you will start to experience tremendous changes in your life and relationships. Build community. Whatever the obstacles, the benefits far outweigh any risks. What we do matters less than who we are or whose we are in the scope of our brief existence. The ascent of a leader begins with the choices we make about which ladders to climb and how far we are willing to go. Previous Reviews
Book Review
"You Don’t Need a Title to Be a
Leader" As a child, nothing was more frustrating than receiving the explanation: “Because I said so,” from a parent. As a kid, it seemed intolerably unfair to be expected to obey a decision without receiving any reasons as to why the decision was made. As an adult, it’s no easier to accept the explanation: “Because I said so,” from a boss. We are irritated when managers pull rank without offering us insight into their decision-making. We are particularly suspicious of leaders when we sense they are trying to leverage their authority to manipulate or control us. In You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader, Mark Sanborn separates leadership from position. Instead of measuring leadership by location in a hierarchy, Sanborn adopts the simple phrase “positive influence” to define leadership. A concise text filled with leadership truisms, You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader doesn’t break new ground as much as it reminds the reader of the true essence of leadership. Sanborn’s view of leadership emphasizes relationships instead of rank, cooperation over control, and persuasion rather than orders. By divorcing leadership from title, Sanborn makes it accessible to the non-CEO. Leadership is not the realm of the elite executive, but the common medium of middle managers, line workers, mothers, teachers, and custodians. Much of the book has a motivational feel. Sanborn points out the tremendous difference made by each person’s daily leadership, and he dignifies the potential of every person to change the course of history through the positive influence they exert on others. On page 94, Sanborn endorses motivation as a basic tenet of leadership: “The first job of those who act as leaders—whatever their title—is to convince others of the significance of their actions.” In You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader, Sanborn doesn’t plumb the depths of any one topic as much as he overviews a selection of basic leadership wisdom. He touches upon attitude (see opportunity versus obligation on page 29), selflessness (page 16), and execution (read about visioning, page 72) in weaving his conception of untitled leadership. You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader has great appeal as an introductory text on the topic of leadership. The book makes an ideal gift for the individual who has always been taught that leadership is synonymous with the person in charge. Rather than embracing positional prestige, Mark Sanborn sets out a refreshing picture of others-centered leadership that radiates from relational influence. |
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