Leadership is an Art

Rating:
Summary: Leadership with a human touch
Review: A morally based book on leadership. For people looking to understand leadership from the human side, "Leadership Is An Art" is one of the required readings I would suggest that you start with. It is based on the ethics/morals and philosopy of most types of leadership. I have used this book in teaching leadership courses at the university level as it is based on inquiry and insights while requiring the reader to form his/her own conclusions. This book applies to all types of leadership - from business to social and family settings.

Rating:
Summary: Leadership with a human touch
Review: A morally based book on leadership. For people looking to understand leadership from the human side, "Leadership Is An Art" is one of the required readings I would suggest that you start with. It is based on the ethics/morals and philosopy of most types of leadership. I have used this book in teaching leadership courses at the university level as it is based on inquiry and insights while requiring the reader to form his/her own conclusions. This book applies to all types of leadership - from business to social and family settings.

Rating:
Summary: Basic Leadership
Review: Although this was a good read, and had a lot of great information, I think that it just skimmed the surface. This would be a good book for the beginner in management or leadership, but if you have already read anything on the subject this would mainly serve as only an affirmation to what you have already heard. DePree gives a lot of great testimonies to back up his information, and that helps make this an enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: A good starting point
Review: As a college student about to enter the working world, I felt DePree wrote a good book for a starter. There are many questions about the complexity of the subject of leadership I find important which he did not address. The basics that he did cover, on the other hand, satisfied me.

Rating:
Summary: I Only Give It Three Stars
Review: As I was reading this book, I heard the author speaking to me and reading the words on the page. Unfortunatly, this author is not a good story teller. His sentences are short and undescriptive. Don't get me wrong, I understand that leadership is not the most exciting topic to write about; however, DePree didn't make it very exciting to read about either. DePree states in the introduction that, "the book is not filled with anecdotes." It is my experience that when a book does not include working examples of its main ideas,(other than examples within the company that the author works for) it becomes more of a textbook than an entertaining read. However, DePree seems to be a very intelligent man with many good insights into the aspects of leadership. In my personal opinion, the book is filled with intelligent thoughts about leadership, but could use a bit more "color."

Rating:
Summary: Good for those who are lacking leadership knowlage.
Review: De Pree's ideas although radical to the novice I felt were a bit redundent in regards to various other books about business leadership. His book strikes me as a good book for a college student who's working on his/her business major, or any other person interested in the field of business leadership.

Rating:
Summary: Revolutionary Leadership?
Review: Despite what appears to be the vast majority of opinions on this book, I found this book very difficult to get through. What De Pree writes as "authoritative" leadership concepts, I see as nothing more than common sense. Perhaps I have been blessed to work in a company that touts similar values and beliefs or perhaps I am just a person that already believes that it is the diversity of people that is what makes a company successful. But I found dredging through De Pree's long lists of leadership principles exhaustive and frustrating. I didn't find this book revolutionary (which is how he seems to write it) or even particularly interesting. "Man's Search For Meaning" is a FAR more compelling leadership read....

Rating:
Summary: The most elegant book on leadership you will ever read.
Review: For anyone looking to go beyond the status quo of leadership, Leadership Is An Art is required reading. Going beyond the mechanics of leading and into the ethics and philosopy of leadership, the book puts a human face on what can be a very harsh position, corporate leadership. With probing questions, the author pulls out of the reader many insights, and forces you to think through things yourself, allowing you to own the conclusions you come to. If you are in any type of leadership at all, from parents to CEO's, read this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Leadership book that speaks about the Heart
Review: I have read so many leadership books and among all this one stands out the most. In practice of management in real life, often my thoughts take me back to this book. If you have few minutes, before bed or on the train, this book might bring you a total different view of management, what leadership means and how it could be implementated, with a heart. For those who think 'managers are the bad guys' please read this book. For those managers who think they are great but haven't got respect from their technical folks, they could use this book and hopefully it will change theirs lives and lives of many others around them.

Rating:
Summary: Send Out Your Resume
Review: I thought that Leadership is an Art was an excellent book. It was concise and a very easy read. Through his example of the Herman Miller Co. DePree showed how an employer can, by sharing in potential and utilizing employee creativity, benefit the company as a whole. It is leadership that can help individuals reach their potential. DePree brought up and interesting type of leadership called roving leadership. These are the leaders that are there when we need them. This book reminds us that as a leader, it is important to be an enabler of others. After all, if those you lead are not successful and do not reach their potential, you as a leader are not successful either. Read this book and you will seriously consider sending your resume to the Herman Miller Co.