Wise decisions are the heart and soul of happiness and success, both at work and on a personal level, say the authors of this fluidly written, engaging self-improvement book.
Robert Ackerman and J. Ibeh Agbanyim are executives with deep experience in organizational psychology and executive coaching. Over the years, they have pinpointed several keys to leadership success, from attitude, communication and active listening to patience, perseverance and the importance of embracing humility, which they detail here.
“Servant leadership is all about serving those who are under us by encouraging, collaborating and humanizing the workplace. Leadership should bring out the humanity in us.” Throughout the book, the authors offer simple vignettes to demonstrate how leaders can better connect with employees by taking steps such as allowing creative freedom and perhaps even flextime rather than micromanaging them. One technique suggested is to ask employees to anonymously fill in the blank, “I wish management knew _______.” Then the workers will be assured that they are being heard.
Each short chapter concludes with a concise recap of the information given, followed by references. Key areas discussed range from the importance of trust in humanizing the work environment to learning how to keep focused and optimistic amid life’s distractions.
The narrative is written in a simply-stated and friendly style, although occasionally it could use editing to sharpen the focus of each chapter. (For example, a passage in a chapter titled “Humility in Leadership” about a store manager helping a woman in need seems to have little to do with humility and would be more appropriate for the “Intentional Acts of Kindness” chapter.)
Nonetheless, the book buzzes with thoughtful, palpable steps toward guiding readers to make quality decisions whether in the office or at home. Anecdotes further help readers learn ways to apply positive actions toward strengthening relationships.
In all, this book serves up useful advice in an easy, breezy manner that is certain to engage a wide swath of readers.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
