Leadership is an Art (ISBN 0440503248)

The Tendency to Deteriorate:
Not everything that is old is wise. But this book, written 20 years ago, is jam-packed with wisdom. Max DePree wrote in 1987 that the management team's job "is to provide an environment that allows momentum to gather." DePree's simple, but profound leadership primer has never been equaled. Read it and you'll marvel at the insights--like in his five-page chapter, "Pink Ice in the Urinal." Few CEOs before him and hardly anyone after him have so eloquently discussed the tendency of organizations to deteriorate like in the pink ice chapter. Even DePree's chapter titles are memorable: Theory Fastball, Tribal Storytelling, Some Thoughts for CEOs Who Build Buildings, and Why Should I Weep? DePree wrote that a financial analyst once asked him, "What is one of the most difficult things that you personally need to work on?" DePree's answer: "The interception of entropy." "One of the important things leaders need to learn is to recognize the signals of impending deterioration." He kept a list and observed that leaders, especially in large organizations, fail to see the signs of entropy, including: 1) a tendency toward superficiality; 2) no longer having time for celebration and ritual; 3) a growing feeling that rewards and goals are the same thing; 4) when people stop telling tribal stories or cannot understand them; and 5) when problem-makers outnumber problem-solvers. His list was longer--but you get the idea. The pink ice in the urinal? It was a team member's odd suggestion for dressing up the men's room for their VIP visitors. "Despite the good intentions behind this idea," DePree commented that the team member was signaling a clear deterioration in thinking and strategizing. The pink ice in the urinal would have little effect on the VIPs--so why bother? Focus on the strategic, not the cosmetic.

Learning From The Master:
As CEO Coach, Poet and author of a leadership book that helps leaders learn how to unleash the genius of teams and corporations, I feel this book is a must read. Max is not talking about theories, he is sharing his real experiences from his successful leadership of an excellent company. If you want to learn how to be a leader, this book is core to your collection. I have learned much from this insightful book. Paul David Walker Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations

Leadership is an Art:
This book was purchased as a birthday (May) gift for a family member who has subordinates reporting to her. Shipment was prompt and book arrived timely and in excellent condition. I have seen others review of this book, saying it is a "must read" for anyone having people reporting to them. Since the birthday isn't until May, I won't know her reaction till after then.

Leadership Is an Art - a great book:
I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read and the concept was one I believe all of Corporate America should embrace.

Avoid this book:
"Leadership is an Art" is double-spaced, large type and only 148 pages long and yet it is so thin on content that it still feels like the author is struggling to fill the pages. The five pages of the introduction cover basically everything the author has to say while the rest of the book is filled with redundant anecdotes and pointless religious musing. The few actual points the author does make seem so common sense to me (treat the people who work for you with respect, what a concept) that it actually kind of disturbs me that so many people seem to find his ideas revolutionary.