Leaders Are Made!: A Building Block Approach to Effective Leadership

Rating:
Summary: This book must be in your library
Review: Bucciarelli has captured the leadership concept and broken into easy to digest parts. I've read hundreds of books on leadership and John's is the first one I have agreed with page after page. This is not theory, it is practical application of years of research. I know I will use this book as my map to success. Whether it's for you work, your family, or your life in general, this book will help you to understand what it is that makes you successful, and what you need to become and even stronger leader. Not only do I understand where I need to improve, but I understand what I need to do to become stronger. America needs leaders, and John has the program to help us develop them.

Rating:
Summary: This book must be in your library
Review: Bucciarelli has captured the leadership concept and broken into easy to digest parts. I've read hundreds of books on leadership and John's is the first one I have agreed with page after page. This is not theory, it is practical application of years of research. I know I will use this book as my map to success. Whether it's for you work, your family, or your life in general, this book will help you to understand what it is that makes you successful, and what you need to become and even stronger leader. Not only do I understand where I need to improve, but I understand what I need to do to become stronger. America needs leaders, and John has the program to help us develop them.

Rating:
Summary: Leadership: Analyzed and Simplified with Exercises
Review: Leaders Are Made comes from the training approach to leadership, and is as good a summary of the key elements of leadership as I have seen. The book mostly operates at the fundamental level, and will be most beneficial to young people who are just starting their careers. However, if you find that you are not getting the results you want, this book will probably help you diagnose what is lacking in your leadership.

The core of the book is contained in a section called Leadership Building Blocks. This has 17 sections that address aspects of leadership. These sections cover oral communication, oral presentation, written communication, initiative, sensitivity to others, influence, delegation, administrative control, problem analysis, judgment, planning, organizing, decisiveness, physical stamina, technical competence, mission accomplishment, and followership. Most of these sections contain more material than most young people will already know, and can speed up the development of competency. I did find the section on problem analysis to be weak, but the others seemed to be appropriate for achieving competency. You will find some quirky subjects in here that you wouldn't normally expect, such as a discussion of personal sexual habits. Just skip over any that bother you, and you will still benefit from the book.

The book also has good sections on leadership ethics and development that many will benefit from reading and applying.

The book is organized to contain many quotes from leadership authorities, and the quotes give the book a variety and richness that a text by one person would not have. For those who have not read widely, you will get an idea of other authors you may find valuable.

The book's strength is contained in self-assessment exercises that help you spot where you are strong, average, and below average. Obviously, you need some minimal level of competency in all areas. However, as the book points out, everyone leads in a different way. I suggest that you focus on building on your strengths, and do enough in the weak areas to be sure they don't sap from your strengths. But avoid trying to be outstanding everywhere. You will underperform if you do. That same effort will work better in extending your strengths. In any situation, you will probably be surrounded by others who can complement your strengths. In fact, you should as a leader try to create that situation.

For those who want to continue their self-development to higher levels, I suggest The Other 90 Percent.

The book's main weakness is that it describes what "should" be done in ideal situations. The book would have been strengthened by helping people understand when you should make an exception. For example, the book describes that you should always communicate through the chain of command. While that will usually be the case, knowing when to make an exception is critical. Informal information gathered from outside one's realm of influence and responsibility often provides key insights. Sharing information quickly when delay will be costly may also override this normal way of doing things. I would have liked to have seen some hands-on exercises that would simulate crisis environments. That's when leadership is most needed. As a young man, I benefited from such crisis leadership training, still remember those experiences vividly, and often benefit from them.

After you finish reading this book, I suggest that you focus on finding causes and purposes that you feel excited about being a leader for. Leading to achieve meaningful results in places that count is the real payoff from this kind of book. Shoot for the best purposes . . . always!

Rating:
Summary: Leadership: Analyzed and Simplified with Exercises
Review: Leaders Are Made comes from the training approach to leadership, and is as good a summary of the key elements of leadership as I have seen. The book mostly operates at the fundamental level, and will be most beneficial to young people who are just starting their careers. However, if you find that you are not getting the results you want, this book will probably help you diagnose what is lacking in your leadership.

The core of the book is contained in a section called Leadership Building Blocks. This has 17 sections that address aspects of leadership. These sections cover oral communication, oral presentation, written communication, initiative, sensitivity to others, influence, delegation, administrative control, problem analysis, judgment, planning, organizing, decisiveness, physical stamina, technical competence, mission accomplishment, and followership. Most of these sections contain more material than most young people will already know, and can speed up the development of competency. I did find the section on problem analysis to be weak, but the others seemed to be appropriate for achieving competency. You will find some quirky subjects in here that you wouldn't normally expect, such as a discussion of personal sexual habits. Just skip over any that bother you, and you will still benefit from the book.

The book also has good sections on leadership ethics and development that many will benefit from reading and applying.

The book is organized to contain many quotes from leadership authorities, and the quotes give the book a variety and richness that a text by one person would not have. For those who have not read widely, you will get an idea of other authors you may find valuable.

The book's strength is contained in self-assessment exercises that help you spot where you are strong, average, and below average. Obviously, you need some minimal level of competency in all areas. However, as the book points out, everyone leads in a different way. I suggest that you focus on building on your strengths, and do enough in the weak areas to be sure they don't sap from your strengths. But avoid trying to be outstanding everywhere. You will underperform if you do. That same effort will work better in extending your strengths. In any situation, you will probably be surrounded by others who can complement your strengths. In fact, you should as a leader try to create that situation.

For those who want to continue their self-development to higher levels, I suggest The Other 90 Percent.

The book's main weakness is that it describes what "should" be done in ideal situations. The book would have been strengthened by helping people understand when you should make an exception. For example, the book describes that you should always communicate through the chain of command. While that will usually be the case, knowing when to make an exception is critical. Informal information gathered from outside one's realm of influence and responsibility often provides key insights. Sharing information quickly when delay will be costly may also override this normal way of doing things. I would have liked to have seen some hands-on exercises that would simulate crisis environments. That's when leadership is most needed. As a young man, I benefited from such crisis leadership training, still remember those experiences vividly, and often benefit from them.

After you finish reading this book, I suggest that you focus on finding causes and purposes that you feel excited about being a leader for. Leading to achieve meaningful results in places that count is the real payoff from this kind of book. Shoot for the best purposes . . . always!

Rating:
Summary: A Single-Source Abundance of Information and Insight
Review: The late Vince Lombardi once asserted that leaders are made -- they are not born. "And they are made just like anything else that has ever been made in this country -- by hard effort and that's the price we all have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal." Bucciarelli obvious agrees. It is also worth noting that the school, college, and professional teams Lombardi coached were also renowned for other qualities such as tenacity, discipline, commitment, self-sacrifice, mastery of basic skills, and -- above all else -- teamwork. Bucciarelli explains that "Much of the material presented in this book is modeled after the Leadership Assessment and Development Program used by the United States Army. This program was developed through research and leadership experiences collected over the past thirty years."

The material is organized as follows:

Leadership Defined

Leadership Foundation

Confidence

Leadership Self-Assessment

Leadership Building Blocks [there are 17, ranging from Oral Communications to Followership]

Leadership Style

Leadership Ethics

Leadership Development

Bucciarelli then provides a References section which suggests a wealth of additional resources for those in need of them. If leaders are not born but can be made, HOW? Bucciarelli (and presumably Lombardi) would reply: "block" by "block." After completing what amounts to a 17-step process, will anyone become a leader? Of course not but, at least theoretically, anyone can. As with the process by which Lombardi prepared his players for another season, the process which Bucciarelli proposes will determine who will measure up...and who will not.

Bucciarelli draws heavily upon the wisdom and experience of other experts on the subject of leadership (e.g. Bennis, Blanchard, Covey, Drucker, Kohlberg, O'Toole, Peters, Sun Tzu, and Waitley), quoting key points from their works within an appropriate context. He also includes a series of rigorous self-assessment exercises which, all by themselves, are worth the cost of this book. Throughout, he urges his reader to "build on your life experiences a strong foundation of skills to confidently lead the members of your group to success in any endeavor you choose to pursue." Everything Bucciarelli advocates is wholly consistent with the principles endorsed by history's greatest religious, political, military, and intellectual leaders. As I read this book, I was reminded of several coaching clinics I attended in years past. The featured speakers included Lombardi, Wooden, Paterno, Knight, McKay, Auerbach, Holtz, Shula, and Valvano. Each in his own words emphasized the great importance of preparation, dedication, personal integrity, and determination.

Who will derive the greatest benefit from this book? I especially recommend it to college and university students now studying business. Also, to those who have recently embarked on a business career or have reached the middle-management level. But I do not exclude executives at the highest organizational levels. No doubt much (if not most) of what Bucciarelli covers is familiar to them. However, and I think this is a key point, much of Bucciarelli's material can be shared by supervisors with those for whom they are responsible and who are in need of specific constructive criticism...

Rating:
Summary: A Foundation for Living
Review: This was one of the finest and most useful books that I have ever read. I have 3 sons and this will be a very useful tool in raising them. I will use it as a guideline/checklist to monitor their progress and developement. The book is written at a level that most people can read, understand, and follow. It gives very detailed and practical examples on how to improve all areas of one's life. I would rate this as one of the 10 greatest books that I have read. It is a must read for all parents and for anyone who wants to improve their performance in life.

Rating:
Summary: A Foundation for Living
Review: This was one of the finest and most useful books that I have ever read. I have 3 sons and this will be a very useful tool in raising them. I will use it as a guideline/checklist to monitor their progress and developement. The book is written at a level that most people can read, understand, and follow. It gives very detailed and practical examples on how to improve all areas of one's life. I would rate this as one of the 10 greatest books that I have read. It is a must read for all parents and for anyone who wants to improve their performance in life.