The Extraordinary Power of Leader Humility: Thriving Organizations – Great Results

by Marilyn Gist

“This inspiring book belongs on the desk of every CEO and politician. With eye-opening case studies and recommended behaviors in every chapter, it's an indispensable user guide for servant leaders.”—Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The New One Minute Manager and coeditor of Servant Leadership in ActionOn the most fundamental level, leaders must bring divergent groups together and forge a consensus on a path forward. But what makes that possible? Humility—a deep regard for the dignity of others—is the key, says distinguished leadership educator Marilyn Gist.Leadership is a relationship, and humility is the foundation for all healthy relationships. Leader humility can increase engagement and retention. It inspires and motivates. Gist offers a model of leader humility derived from three questions people ask of their Who are you? Where are we going? Do you see me? She explores each of these questions in depth, as well as the six key qualities of leader a balanced ego, integrity, a compelling vision, ethical strategies, generous inclusion, and a developmental focus. Much of this book is based on Gist's interviews with a dozen distinguished leaders of organizations such as the Mayo Clinic, Costco, REI, Alaska Airlines, Starbucks, and others. And the foreword and a guest chapter are written by Alan Mulally, the legendary leader who brought Ford back from the brink of bankruptcy after the 2008 financial collapse and whose work is an exemplar of leader humility.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2020

Reviews

[Martti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nicest quote from the book, not much related to management, which might be half of the reason: "We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."


When we look at a leader, if I'm getting a new boss or we have a new national leader or a new CEO comes into the organization, immediately we start to think about three things, who are you? Not your name, but who are you really as a person? Where are we going? And do you see me? Am I just a cog in the wheel or do you see me at all?

And the leader's behaviors and the spoken words in a fairly short period of time are going to signal people about who they are, the direction they're setting and how you're being treated.


The author had a series of interviews with big successful old CEOs who supposedly did at least this one good deed that makes them specialists in general management methodology, supposedly. The problem is that instead of being inspirational and biographical, it reads more like an executive branding exercise; the simple stories relayed and the lessons learned are short and shallow, and they are quoted early and often throughout. The author does not question the claims or take a critical eye, accepting their versions of the story as the singular truth—modern capitalist fables prepared for the masses hungry for self-improvement.

These inclusions are presented unequivocally as CEOs leading by being humble and “doing the right thing,” yet read like press releases.

[Richard Webb · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some good review points in this book. However, it is a bland read with many of the same talking points I've read for a majority of Leadership books post 2020.