Review by katdchu -- Effective Leaders and Leadership

[katdchu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Effective Leaders and Leadership" by Mildred Stallworth.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Effective Leaders and Leadership (2017) Mildred Stallworth

 
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.


This book discusses many aspects of leadership in families, organizations, churches, politics and business. Everyone is born with these basic skills. The main premise presented by the author is, to be an effective leader, one must have a desire to begin a mission that is greater that what’s seen on the surface. You must be an individual who can visualize images, thoughts and ideas to make this future vision a reality that positively contributes to society.


Main leadership skills listed by the author include accountability, compassion, communication, consistency, decisiveness, etiquette, integrity, listening, prioritization and transparency. It takes a certain kind of person to be an effective leader for instance, many may be willing and ready, but are they able to follow through to bring forth the vision? Leading requires considerable authority, boldness and innovation. Leaders must be confident to follow their own dictates, by always setting an example to others. They must respect, support their followers every step of the way as they move forward together.


One key aspect addressed includes differences between being a pacesetter and being a manager. An example cited is Christian Leadership with Jesus Christ as the pacesetter example to follow. Wisdom about the subject from the past and present includes thoughtful rhetoric supported by many quotes from various recognized celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and recognized dynamic leaders such as John Maxwell. More importantly, what it takes to be a leader has a high benchmark. Included are comments regarding the direction on how to be a leadership pacesetter when dealing with bullying or political unrest. The political examples provided are exclusively American.


There is a plethora of dialog provided about behaviors and expectations of effective leadership, so that it may seem the writing is taken directly from notes. Also, supporting evidence regarding leadership from current available research from various fields such as anthropology, business, cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and sociology is not provided.


It seems the author’s opinions are strongly influenced by North American, Judeo-Christian and upper middle-class values and beliefs. There may be divergent opinions about statements or views of the author. Given the current global trend of far-right political leaders who lack accountability and are morally bankrupt, people may find this book far from reality.


What I liked best, there are plenty of positive examples one can draw from to enhance your own leadership style. What I disliked most is the lack of supporting evidence from the best available research. The genre is a self-help, so it is a good read for those that want to build better leadership skills or people that enjoy reading Christian literature sharing similar values and beliefs as the author.

******
Effective Leaders and Leadership
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like katdchu's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Jlbaird85]

Thanks for the review! I am always looking for leadership books to build my skills as a supervisor. I look forward to reading this book!