The Only Leaders Worth* Following: Why Some Leaders Succeed, Others Fail, and How the Quality of Our Lives Hangs in the Balance

by Tim Spiker

The Only Leaders Worth* Following explores what makes some leaders successful while others fail. In it, Tim Spiker explains the Who* Not What Principle —that becoming a truly great leader is far more about developing who we are as people than improving what we do. In spite of data, logic, and personal experiences that point to it, few leaders intentionally and consciously order their own leadership development or the leadership development within their organizations by this principle.What lives within the well-developed Who that makes an exceptional leader? To start, it is far more complex than having good moral character. It means addressing our insecurities and drive for self-preservation. It requires investigation into our core assumptions about life and the personal disciplines we exercise. In short, it means becoming Inwardly Sound and Others Focused.While becoming a well-developed Who is challenging, it is both the most important and most efficient path to reaching our potential as leaders. Who our leaders are, rather than what they do, ultimately determines if we will follow them over the long haul…and it will determine if others will follow us as well.

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2020

Reviews

[Pyramids Ubiquitous · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate this book for its straightforward and relatable approach to leadership. The Only Leaders Worth Following preaches the benefits of good leadership stemming from being a good, well-developed human and how what we do as leaders isn't nearly as important as who we are. Whether it's staying physically fit or healthfully working through personal issues, I have to be secure in who I am to be able to focus on the well-being and development of others. It is something that I can read repeatedly every-so-often as it contains important reminders about what's truly important: making a difference in other people's lives. It is one of the best and most human leadership development books you can read.

[Kaelah ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 out of 5 stars for me! My job has a book club, and I had the opportunity to read this book. I thought it was really interesting and a good read. My job even set up a Zoom meeting with Tim Spiker to explain the first 4 chapters of the book. I am not big into non-fiction, and this was a read for work so that is why I only gave it 3 stars.

[Kern · Rating 2 out of 5]

A work-assigned read. Not much in here I wasn't already aware of—consciously or subconsciously—but it's a solid introduction to empathy and emotional intelligence for those who don't value or regularly exercise those traits. The second half gets repetitive, reinforcing the same (simple) ideas over and over, seemingly stretched to meet a page count.

[Justin Snell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best books on leadership I’ve ever read. After reading the concepts here I can see where my improvement needs to happen. I can only imagine how any organization would catapult itself forward if it adopted the principles Tim lays out so clearly.

[Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started with four stars until the story about Southwest Airlines, which every management book seems to talk about. The concept is revolutionary, but with little practical advice to achieve it. I guess you have to contact the author to pay for leadership consulting to apply the book.

[Seth Pesek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biggest take away of *Who. Inwardly Sound and Others Focused - resonated quite well.