Lead from the Heart:: Transformational Leadership for the 21St Century

by Mark C. Crowley

Our common belief in business is that the heart has no place in workplace management.

In fact, most of us were taught that the heart acts like Kryptonite in leadership: it inherently undermines a managers effectiveness and lowers productivity and profitability.

In this stunning and groundbreaking work, however, engagement expert, Mark C. Crowley, provides irrefutable proof that we were wrong.

Crowley begins by showing us how traditional leadership practices are failing. Across the globe, employee engagement and job satisfaction scores have fallen to crisis levels. According to astonishing research from Gallup, 70% of the US workforce is now disengaged.

It once was that a job and a paycheck kept workers satisfied and productive. Today, pay barely makes the list of what inspires people to put their hearts into their work and contribute to their highest capacity.

Right before our eyes, human beings have evolved in what they need and want in exchange for work. 21st Century employees are seeking to find purpose, meaning and feelings of significance. What drives their engagement is feeling valued, respected, developed and cared for.

Crowleys profound insight draws upon recent medical science discoveries which prove its the heart, and not the mind, that drives human motivation and achievement.

Theres nothing soft about Lead From The Heart. It represents the future of workplace management and a roadmap to driving uncommon engagement, productivity and profitability.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Business, Business Leadership, Professional Development

171 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 6, 2011

Reviews

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the latest book the leadership team at BIGGBY read as a group, and I think it resonated with many of us. It's already aligned with the "heart" of our culture, so I think that made it an easy sell, but there are some good challenges the author makes that landed with people. The section on hiring practices, in particular, made me reflect on how we perform as a company. There are practices that I already had in place, but now want to super-charge (for example, getting work samples by performing skills tests) and others that I want to implement or do better on (having the entire team involved with the hiring process, and being super super patient and picky, even if that means delaying filling a position). Thoroughly enjoyed.

[Jeff Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lead from the heart
Mark Crawley does a great job sharing both from empirical data and personal experience about how expressing genuine care for one’s employees

In an age where employee dissatisfaction is high, Crawley gives 4 practical tips about how to live this out.

1. Build a highly engaged team (hire people with heart)
2. Connect on a personal level
3. Maximize employee potential
4. Value and honor achievement

None of these is rocket science, of course, but each one does much to help bring out the best in your hires. I found most insightful his advice concerning valuing and honoring achievement, as I’ve seen this principle active in my life but not one to which I have given a whole lot of thought in my present context.

This is definitely a book to read through twice; it is rich and it is immensely practical.

[IAO131 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, short book that summarizes the "leading from the heart" approach that is becoming more and more popular/well-known form of transformational leadership, especially in the last few years. He lays out his basic philosophy, how it contradicts the "traditional wisdom," and gives very practical ways to enact this philosophy. Like most leadership books, it is about 60% content and 40% narratives and anecdotes which help to show the principles in action, but generally serve as filler. 4 stars for being able to be concise (more so than many similar authors), and being clear without devolving into new age-y oversimplicity.

[Valerie Hoyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Depak of a more modern Leadership. Crowley is Honest, authentic and candid. This book does not allow the author to stand on the sidelines and look handsome. He let's you know that his childhood made him vulnerable and therefore more caring. He shows how workers can hurt you and in the end how leaders who lead from the heart will always rise to the top. This is a really fantastic read with tons of quotes to highlight and share.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe because my leadership book club has read so many books I am easily bored by any repetition, but this is basically research to back up our group instinct that we should treat people well. But we should be honest and not give false affirmation. I find it hard to confront people I like so this was good for me. Otherwise unremarkable.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not bad. I read it for a project at work. It's a VERY fast read (like, maybe 4 hours total?) and it does have some decent ideas incorporated. And I've met with the author, he seems like a decent, smart guy who is genuine and believes in his work.

Overall, I often get stuck on the same thing when it comes to "corporate culture" books - they all have a really dood-centric aspect that just sits funny with me. Look, this guy IS a dood, he's also someone from the financial industry, he's going to TALK dood. I get it. Still. I have a hard time fully connecting to ANY corporate culture book that feels gendered, especially because nearly all of them are gendered penis-ward.

That said, it's a bridging starting point in a culture that IS super penis-centric so it's a good place to begin and it has some good bones on which to grow (oh, geez, I see what I did there). I'll be interested to see what the rest of the team has to say about it. And I DO like that the author takes/took care of his employees. That's meaningful.

[Dr. Jon Pirtle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fellow chaplain recommended this book to me. I ordered it. Read it in two sittings. An enduring truth of how to motivate people: be honest/real/authentic/labor hard to touch their core and they will most often respond in kind. An encouraging book to remind us who minister to others that our ultimate goal should be the person as such--his/her core. If he/she knows in his/her heart that you care, productivity goes up--in trust levels, in income oftentimes, in loyalty, in friendship, in what matters.

[Ayu Ambarini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book after a meaningful eight-month journey, and it was worth every page. Mark C. Crowley challenges the long-held belief that leadership must be purely rational, metrics-driven, and detached. Instead, he makes a compelling case that the most effective leaders in the 21st century are those who genuinely lead with empathy, compassion, and authenticity. Those qualities often underestimated in traditional leadership models

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for a class. Not usually my thing, but it was a short, interesting read with some valid points on leadership.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. Summary: Don't be a tool. So if that is revelatory leadership advice, then you NEED to read this, so you stop being a tool. Otherwise ... yawn and move on.

[Muhammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's no room for hate anymore. A man must a good kind for the future of environment

[Eeva Lennon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read, has a lot of good insight and encouragement to lead from the heart.
I wish I had had a boss like this. And I wish I can be a boss like this one day.
But as a book it was not particularily good...

[Olli Sorje · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was reading part I it felt like very long introduction chapter. All the time I was wondering when do we get to "the core" of this. Part II was better but I can't say that it had anything new and spectacular for me. Book was OK but I didn't get much out of it.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ FEB 2013

Easy read, but loaded with practical advice and illustrations on a heart-led approach to leadership.

[Sergio Beltran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read to refocus on what's important on a leadership to remind myself we work with and for people...

[Michel Christophe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good how to implement transformational leadership book.

[Angie]

Some good (but not surprising) insights, but I don't have the patience for its repetitious writing and sloppy editing.