Review by leslieibrahim -- The Four Hats by Drake E. Taylor
1 posts
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Four Hats" by Drake E. Taylor.]
As a girl whose father worked in the military and then pursued his passion as a farmer, I was completely moved by this book. Reading how accurately it describes both farming and leadership, and how those two things always go hand in hand, I recalled how hardworking my father was and how dedicated he was to his job. The book, The Four Hats Of Leadership , offers a very detailed description of the process of farming. And then links it to the process of leading.
But that’s not all, as it also offers an insight on the job of a drill instructor, and the way he has to handle and lead his team. But then continues to explain that in the business world, the DI hat should rarely be used (emphasis on rarely, since it is necessary sometimes). Weirdly enough, I believe that the true meaning of leadership was lost because of the excess of this in particular.
However, the psychological hat is the one that interested me the most because the majority of people, myself included, do not give this hat much importance. “Giving others the impression that you are flawless” has to be one of my favorite lines. Give them the impression, means acknowledging that you are not, in fact, flawless. But they don’t need to know that. The author, “Drake E. Taylor”, included the acronym SMART, the stages of goal setting and the change reactions, which reminded me of management and made me realize the similarities between management and leadership.
The last hat was the self-care hat. I quote the author “This is probably the most important, yet most overlooked of the four hats.” And I couldn’t agree more. Leaders often lose themselves trying to take care of projects and other people, which results in losing them as well. He encourages leaders to focus on their life goals as well. A reminder that wearing your self-care hat once in a while won’t cause any harm.
“The four hats of leadership need to intertwine in your life.” The book explains how they are all linked and equally important for your success, and then offers multiple situations in which leaders should ask themselves which hat they should be wearing.
In scouts, you are taught over and over again the true meaning of leadership and its importance. However, this books gives you a completely different outlook on it. It has made me reconsider everything I thought I knew about leadership as well as a few valuable life lessons.
Moreover, what I truly enjoyed the most was the multiple quotes from multiple important figures that the author included in order to give the reader a global insight on leadership instead of sticking to his point of view and his words only.
Finally, what I'd like to put out is the presence of the author. Sharing his opinions and experiences made the book livelier and more personal, which made me connect in a deeper manner instead of being superficial. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I repeatedly tried to find something to criticize, but found nothing other than the fact that the book was short and would’ve been more enjoyable if it were longer. But even that, I understand, as the author might’ve not had much to add in order to keep the book brief yet interesting.
I would recommend this book to basically anyone as I do not find it is unsuitable to a specific kind of audience, but note that it would be very beneficial for managers, most importantly those struggling in their work, as well as anyone considering to open their own business one day.
******
The Four Hats
View: on Bookshelves |
As a girl whose father worked in the military and then pursued his passion as a farmer, I was completely moved by this book. Reading how accurately it describes both farming and leadership, and how those two things always go hand in hand, I recalled how hardworking my father was and how dedicated he was to his job. The book, The Four Hats Of Leadership , offers a very detailed description of the process of farming. And then links it to the process of leading.
But that’s not all, as it also offers an insight on the job of a drill instructor, and the way he has to handle and lead his team. But then continues to explain that in the business world, the DI hat should rarely be used (emphasis on rarely, since it is necessary sometimes). Weirdly enough, I believe that the true meaning of leadership was lost because of the excess of this in particular.
However, the psychological hat is the one that interested me the most because the majority of people, myself included, do not give this hat much importance. “Giving others the impression that you are flawless” has to be one of my favorite lines. Give them the impression, means acknowledging that you are not, in fact, flawless. But they don’t need to know that. The author, “Drake E. Taylor”, included the acronym SMART, the stages of goal setting and the change reactions, which reminded me of management and made me realize the similarities between management and leadership.
The last hat was the self-care hat. I quote the author “This is probably the most important, yet most overlooked of the four hats.” And I couldn’t agree more. Leaders often lose themselves trying to take care of projects and other people, which results in losing them as well. He encourages leaders to focus on their life goals as well. A reminder that wearing your self-care hat once in a while won’t cause any harm.
“The four hats of leadership need to intertwine in your life.” The book explains how they are all linked and equally important for your success, and then offers multiple situations in which leaders should ask themselves which hat they should be wearing.
In scouts, you are taught over and over again the true meaning of leadership and its importance. However, this books gives you a completely different outlook on it. It has made me reconsider everything I thought I knew about leadership as well as a few valuable life lessons.
Moreover, what I truly enjoyed the most was the multiple quotes from multiple important figures that the author included in order to give the reader a global insight on leadership instead of sticking to his point of view and his words only.
Finally, what I'd like to put out is the presence of the author. Sharing his opinions and experiences made the book livelier and more personal, which made me connect in a deeper manner instead of being superficial. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I repeatedly tried to find something to criticize, but found nothing other than the fact that the book was short and would’ve been more enjoyable if it were longer. But even that, I understand, as the author might’ve not had much to add in order to keep the book brief yet interesting.
I would recommend this book to basically anyone as I do not find it is unsuitable to a specific kind of audience, but note that it would be very beneficial for managers, most importantly those struggling in their work, as well as anyone considering to open their own business one day.
******
The Four Hats
View: on Bookshelves |
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