Whenever I read this book, it’s always a constant battle to resist pointing my finger to people who have violated these principles. While some of the stories shared in the book appear to be a page taken out my my life, it took intentionality and some humble-pie to find out what I believe are things I needed to hear. One of these days I hope to be able to pass down experiences in leadership like Hans Finzel has done in this book.
It should be stated that in my earlier review, I mentioned that I had some theological differences with Finzel. While I may tend to be less “Calvinistic” I have found that I agree with him a little more on the position of “apostolic-style” leadership.
So without wasting anymore time, let me just share a couple of quotes that stuck with me this time through:
- Great leaders forget what it feels like to be led. Some have never even experienced “followership,” because they have led from the moment they were born – right out of the womb, bossing Mom and Dad around!
- One blatantly irritating practice of some leaders…is the use of knowledge – or really the lack therof – to keep people in line and in place.
- “The true leader will have no desire to lord it over God’s heritage, but will be humble, gentle, self-sacrificing, and altogether ready to follow as to lead, when the Spirit makes it clear that a wiser and more gifted man than himself has appeared.” -A.W. Tozer
- …we will only impact people spiritually and permanently by that one-on-one contact that can’t be substituted.
- …top executives spend roughly 90 percent of their time concerned with the messiness of people problems (Bennis & Nanus)
- When all is said and done, the crowns of my achievements will not be the systems I managed, the things O wrote, the structures I built, but the people I personally, permanently influenced through direct contact.
- When we become too preoccupied with policy, procedure, and the fine-tuning of conformity to organizational standards, in effect, we squeeze out some of our most gifted people.
- “My greatest fear is that our best days were our past days. I loathe the thought that we should fade into irrelevance.”
- …dictator style of leadership is…”I know the answers, because I have been given special insight, knowledge, and position. Therefore, I will determine our direction, for I am the leader and I know best.”
- …fundamental beliefs about leadership: The greatest ides bubble up from the workers.
- A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.
- I gave him the project, and then I took it back from him. And that is what dirty delegation is all about…dirty delegations is…making decisions behind the backs of those to whom work is delegated.
- Dictators nver delegate, they just look for the weak-willed who can implement their every desire.
- The longer you lead, the less you remember what it was like to follow.
- Don’t do other people’s work for them.
- We can never communicate enough in our organizations.
- Sooner or later you must put your plans down in writing and spell out your direction clearly.
- There is never a time when more in-house communication is needed that when you first become a leader.
- Effective leadership has more to do with listening than with talking.
- Followers want to communicate to their leaders. If you fail to listen to them, their very effectiveness and job satisfaction will be in jeopardy.
- Whether dealing with followers and leaders, new employees or old, there are people who fit in organizations and others who don’t.
- If it works, it’s obsolete.
- Younger people are not just interested in investing their lives in the maintaining or fostering of institutional structures. They want to go where the action is, they want to make a difference, they want to work in flat organizations, and they want to be in control of their destinies.
Now that my ego has been bruised, I’m looking forward to being a better leader.
Soli Deo Gloria
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