Introduction: Launching a Leadership Revolution
Launching a Leadership Revolution explores the five levels of influence and much more. You’ll find a lot of good information in Launching a Leadership Revolution. However, the authors weigh you down with too much information that’s not essential to your understanding of the text. The book could easily be half its length or more.
Earlier in the year, someone I met on Lunchclub recommended I read Turn the Page when she learned I loved reading. The book is one of the best ones I’ve read. The book aligns with my reading philosophy. I found clues to let me know I was on the right track. You may wonder why I’m talking about Turn the Page when I’m supposed to be talking about Launching a Leadership Revolution.
I’m getting there. The author of Turn the Page is a co-author of Launching a Leadership Revolution. When I discovered that, I decided I wanted to read this book. Have you ever bought a book because you enjoyed another book the author wrote? Unfortunately, this book did not deliver. My shock and disappointment in Launching a Leadership Revolution, for me, comes from Chris Brady doing what he writes about not doing in Turn the Page.
And as I'm writing this Introduction, I realize why I'm so tough on this book. In all honesty, I don't think I would have been this tough had the book been written by another person. Therefore, decide for yourself if you want to read this book.
Have you read?
Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World by John Hope Bryant, Summary
Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager, Book Summary
Summary of Launching a Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward
Everyone will be called upon for leadership in their life. Most people have a lot of untapped potential locked away. To unleash your true potential requires that you improve your leadership abilities. True leadership can awaken a stagnant environment. Leadership and management are not the same thing.
“Leadership is about doing the right things; management is about doing those things in the right way.”
Definition of Leadership
Leadership is complex, and therefore, difficult to define. The authors, Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward looked at many definitions for leadership, then settled on the following.
“Leadership is the influence of others in a productive, vision-driven direction and is done through the example, conviction, and character of the leader.”
They go on to deconstruct what the life of a leader involves.
- Giving power.
- Helping others fix problems and move forward.
- Serving others.
The Raw Material of Leadership: 3 Foundational Qualities of Leaders
Who should you invest in? The “raw material” for a leader is that they are:
- Hungry: Great leaders are highly motivated to change things for the better. Hunger is necessary to motivate when frustrated.
- Hone-able: They “have an attitude that allows intensifying and sharpening.”
- Honorable: They behave with integrity and character.
True leaders are not simply unhappy with the way things are. They want to make changes for the better. Discontent pushes them forward to work at changing things. They’re driven to win.
“All of leadership starts with hunger. At any point in time when the leader is not hungry, the leader is not functioning as a leader. This may sound radical, but it is true. Remember, a leader takes people somewhere. The moment the leader is not moving, the leader is not leading. And it takes ambition to keep the leader moving.”
If a leader becomes too comfortable, then his ambition will die. As a leader, you don’t want to fall into the Ditch of Complacency. Shun comfort and embrace excellence. Being a leader means traveling close to the Shoulder of Frustration, but true leaders know how to manage frustration. When you face too many frustrations, check your attitude so you don’t fall down into the Ditch of Discouragement. Discouragement robs you of hope and that’s the last thing a leader wants or needs.
Hone-able
Have an attitude that you can sharpen and intensify. One element of being hone-able is to adopt an attitude of continuous learning. You don’t know what you don’t know. No one knows everything, so you need to be teachable. You also have something to teach others. Be humble with your peers, mentors, and direct reports.
Honorable
Integrity is “not doing the wrong thing.” Character is doing the right thing. You blend integrity and character to make honor. The difference between leaders we hate and those we love and praise is their level of honor.
The Five Levels of Influence
In this section, the authors devote a lot of time explaining each of the five levels of influence. But reading through the information, the authors have moved no leadership ideas forward. And a lot of the information is simplistic.
According to Launching a Leadership Revolution, the “five levels of influence” are:
Learning
Lifelong learning is a must, especially today with the rapid pace of change. And not only that, learning must be a top priority and a leader must be able to learn from anyone. Leaders must learn about people, how to read and understand them. True leaders also learn from books.
Performing
Leaders must progress beyond learning. They must perform. Results come through effort. You can perform beyond your current reality, and that’s why leaders grow into their true potential. Nothing worth having comes easy and life isn’t fair.
Leading
The leader must learn how to lead others. J. Robert Clinton said,
‘“The difference between leaders and followers is perspective. The difference between leaders and effective leaders is better perspective. Effective leaders have better perspective.”’
Results come through team effort. Leadership amplifies the reach or scope of a Performer through the joint efforts of other people.
Influence = Effort X Scope
Developing Leaders
Developing other leaders has a multiplying effect. And developing other leaders is important for succession planning. When you develop other leaders, you’re also able to spread out the work. This prevents you from getting burned out. And you can delegate work, so you can focus on the activities and tasks that only you can perform.
Developing Leaders Who Develop Leaders
Any leader who does this will leave a great legacy behind. Your results will come through your endurance and succession of vision. The vision and the leader are intertwined.
Conclusion: Launching a Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward
As a leadership book, Launching a Leadership Revolution needs to be combined with other leadership books for you to get an understanding of the topic. It does have some excellent information. But overall, there are several sections that are too simplistic. As I write this conclusion, I’m reminded that I always advise my readers and clients to read more than one book on a topic to build a strong foundation.
And that advice is very important in this situation. One benefit of reading several books on a topic is that you get to decide what to believe. Critical thinking enables you to reject and accept information. You get to argue with what the authors are saying. And that’s a beautiful thing.
I loved the five levels of influences and how they build on each other. Imagine developing leaders so they can develop other leaders. That’s one way to create a lasting legacy. I also loved the three foundational qualities of a leader – to be hungry, hone-able, and honorable.
Next Steps
- Buy and Read Launching a Leadership Revolution: Mastering the Five Levels of Influence
- Join the Art of Learning Membership Site
If you want access to Bookish Note Launching a Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward, which has more information than the above summary, please consider joining my membership site, the Art of Learning.
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UPDATE: First Published on: Nov 25, 2021
