Amazon.com Review Using the story/parable format so popular these days, Leadership and Self-Deception takes a novel psychological approach to leadership. It's not what you do that matters, say the authors (presumably plural--the book is credited to the esteemed Arbinger Institute), but why you do it. Latching onto the latest leadership trend won't make people follow you if your motives are selfish--people can smell a rat, even one that says it's trying to empower them. The tricky thing is, we don't know that our motivation is flawed. We deceive ourselves in subtle ways into thinking that we're doing the right thing for the right reason. We really do know what the right thing to do is, but this constant self-justification becomes such an ingrained habit that it's hard to break free of it--it's as though we're trapped in a box, the authors say.
Learning how the process of self-deception works--and how to avoid it and stay in touch with our innate sense of what's right--is at the heart of the book. We follow Tom, an old-school, by-the-book kind of guy who is a newly hired executive at Zagrum Corporation, as two senior executives show him the many ways he's "in the box," how that limits him as a leader in ways he's not aware of, and of course how to get out. This is as much a book about personal transformation as it is about leadership per se. The authors use examples from the characters' private as well as professional lives to show how self-deception skews our view of ourselves and the world and ruins our interactions with people, despite what we sincerely believe are our best intentions.
While the writing won't make John Updike lose any sleep, the story entertainingly does the job of pulling the reader in and making a potentially abstruse argument quite enjoyable. The authors have a much better ear for dialogue than is typical of the genre (the book is largely dialogue), although a certain didactic tone creeps in now and then. But ultimately it's a hopeful, even inspiring read that flows along nicely and conveys a message that more than a few managers need to hear. --Pat McGill
Product Description Leadership and Self-Deception is the first book to identify a single, underlying cause of every form of leadership failure. Through the story of Toma shluck in his managers wordsreaders discover that identifying and treating individual leadership problems as if they were separate and distinct is not enough to transform people into successful leaders. The authors suggest that the key to leadership lies not in what we do, but in how we "are." They explore this compelling secret: Self-deception is the central player and trap underlying all leadership failures, relationship issues, and performance problems in organizations. Leaders who live in the box of self-deception are trapped: they cannot lead, no matter how hard they try and no matter how many skills and techniques they employ. With convincing examples, the authors show clearly how self-deception operates and how to overcome it. While other books cover people skills, this one goes deeper, fully illuminating the secret to leadership success.
A life changing experienceJanuary 7, 2009 After having read and taught both personal and group dynamics for over thirty years I was overwhelmed to find that this book had paradigm changing perspective. I would recommend it to everyone in both personal and corporate settings. The sequel "Anatomy of Peace" was even better as it added more detail and would appeal to the non-corporate environment as well.
Outstanding BookDecember 13, 2008 This is a great book with amazing insights into human nature. The concepts are applicable to anyone, not just leadership. I'm leading some of my non-management employees through a discussion of the book. They seem to really identify with the book.
Absolutely insightfulNovember 29, 2008 After reading this book, I had to read it again. I was reading it for a training and I explained to my Trainer that this book is a "good ouch". If you want to change your way of being in relationships, if you want transformation in your company, applying the principles from this book will definately bring a transformation. I recommend this book to everyone from student, husband, wife and executive. Cheri
Awesome Book!November 25, 2008 This book was such an easy read and very motivating. It will cause anybody to self-reflect and want to make changes in their lives. Anyone who reads this book will not be disappointed.
Jorth's view on Leadership and Self-deceptionNovember 21, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is exceptional in regard to understanding the inner workings of our perceptions and the effect our personal character influences what we see and hear. Highly recommended.
Coach Charles Powell
amazon store
Buy Tascam from Our affiliate store , safe up to 30%!
