by Steven B. Sample.
There are numerous books on Leadership. While the styles are different, the contents of most are similar.
Dr. Sample’s book presents some unconventional viewpoints seldom found in other books. Among the things I am delighted to learn are:
Liberal arts education is essential in the preparation of leadership, whether in the fields of business, politics, military, or engineering.
Students majoring in liberal arts have an advantage over students majoring in engineering, as they are more exposed to leadership concepts in their formal education. However, even if engineers are not formally exposed to leadership concepts in school, they can pick them up on their own.
Although Machiavelli’s name to many people has become synonymous with deceit, cynicism and even the devil, there is much to learn from Machiavelli’s The Prince. We should “give the devil his due”
“Never make a decision yourself that can reasonably be delegated to a lieutenant.”
“Never make a decision today that can reasonably be put off to tomorrow.” When it was published in 2002, Dr. Sample’s book was a Los Angeles Times’ best seller, the only book by an engineer that made the best seller list. This is interesting information for a fellow engineer like me.
In summary, this book, standing alone, does not cover all the essential enabling elements of leadership. When I initiated a leadership course to engineering undergraduates at the University of Mississippi back in 2002, “The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership” was paired with “Developing the Leader within You” by John C. Maxwell, as the required books for the course.
Niccolo Machiavelli (Source: Wikipedia)
Link of review in amazon.com
5th among 299 ratings as of 4/4/23
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