Leadership Step by Step

Starred review from February 1, 2017
Before thinking of Spodek's book as yet another HR-type tome, ask yourself, How does anyone learn to leadoutside of business school and institutes devoted to that subject? Taking a page or two from the performing arts, Spodek bases his advice on a simple rubric: practice, practice, practice. In Spodek's plan, becoming a leader who's followed and respected involves four progressive goals (understanding yourself, leading yourself, understanding others, leading otherswhich are a lot more difficult than these simple headings sound) with 22 total exercises. Every chapter is one step, containing one exercise with instructions, a checklist, questions to reflect on, and post-exercises. The process itself involves much introspection, some dedicated time, and the real opportunity to become a leader. As just one example: to find your authentic voice, capture your inner monologuesand practice them with others. Think about Martin Luther King Jr.'s I have a dream speech or Victor Frankl's memoir of the Holocaust in terms of voicing beliefs. This is practical leadership training made perfect. Bravo!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)