“Leadership is an art” is all about the ‘why’ rather than the ‘how’ of corporate life. It is easy to understand why max De Pree is chairman and CEO of Herman Miller Inc. chosen as one of the 100 best companies to work for in the United States. His writing reflects the conviction of a man who does what he believes in.
To De Pree, leadership is an art designed to link the variety of gifts people have to the work and service of the organisation.” Leaders don’t inflict pain, they bear pain”.
Leadership is serving as oppose to owning. It means, accepting that relationships count more than structure.
“Work is one of our greatest privileges. Work can even be poetic,” This is a gift every leader owes his team. Every employee has the right to be needed to be involved.to understand, to be accountable, to make a commitment to be able to say ‘yes’ to the following question: is this a place where they will let me do my best?
The author sees a corporation as a group of people working closely together within a conventional relationship – something akin to a Renoir pre skilled at quantification but painting. Leadership must be “a gift to the spirit”. Sophisticated and trained managers are skilled at quantification but “wonders” the author – How often do they concentrate on the spirit or the debt they owe the future?
An effect corporation enables people to have ‘space’ and give meaning to their diverse gifts. De Pree chooses to look at quality in terms of integrity. “A fine sense of one’s obligations”. Finally, a leader needs to be sensitive to all signs of entropy. De Pree’s interpretation of different signs of entropy are extremely thought provoking.
There are beautiful moments throughout the book, but the most touching – why must a leader weep?
The style is simple and elegant, the tone conversational. There is no trace of ‘holier than thou’. One must own this book in the true sense of the word. This book will set you on a spiritual journey where the maps are love, trust, respect, grace and warmth. And yes, this journey has no destination, it is forever.
“LEADERSHIP IS AN ART” BY MAX DE PREE | (ARROW BUSINESS BOOKS). 148 PAGES
I took the road less travelled by and that has made all the difference
– Robert Frost –
