Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box

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Summary: What an invitation to humble honesty!
Review: While I have been acquainted with the Arbinger material for 20 years, this book walked me back through many instances in my life when my heart has not been right with others. When I first learned this material, I was startled to discover the part I played with the "problem" people in my life. I liked it better when I thought I was "innocent." The most helpful aspect of the book's material was that it was presented in a way such that I didn't feel to defend myself. Instead, I felt to be completely honest with myself. The material has been encouraging and unsettling at the same time. I learned that I could improve myself and my relationships with others, but also that I had much to improve and repair. The thing I feared most, complete honesty, not just an accurate report of my self-deceived emotions, has turned out to be the most freeing experience. I also learned the meaning of the word, arbinger. It means "a forerunner of better things to come" or "that which precedes great change." P.S. Twenty years ago I had a lot of bad days with only a few good moments. Now I have a lot of good days with only a few bad moments. Thank you again, Arbinger.

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Summary: An Influential Work
Review: This is a book that provides information on the foundational elements of behaviour and thus is applicable to all elements of society. I read it in one sitting on a Saturday night because it grabbed my interest. It's unique content is easily understood and deeply motivational. I believe it will be beneficial in all aspects of life to everyone who reads it. This material can change lives in a positive way!

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Summary: couldn't put it down
Review: This is one of those books that I couldn't put down. It is an easy read, but I find myself thinking about the subject matter in almost all settings. I don't think the content of this book only applies to leadership. It applies to pretty much all of us. I reccomend it highly. I'm tempted to buy a copy for all of my friends and coworkers.

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Summary: NAILING SELF-DECEPTION: Brilliant, powerful, practical
Review: LEADERSHIP AND SELF-DECEPTION is a "must" read. As a seasoned psychologist and business consultant, I've been looking for this book for 20 years! It is a clear and convincing explanation of the REAL cause of failure in human relationships, whether the relationships are in the board room or the living room. The core concept---self-deception---represents nothing less than a stunning paradigm shift. Simply put: what discovering and treating BACTERIA did to revolutionize medical practice, understanding and treating SELF-DECEPTION will do to revitalize businesses and families. Brief but profound, LEADERSHIP AND SELF-DECEPTION is a powerful antibiotic for the plague that is decimating businesses and families from the inside. Other approaches are mere ointments by comparison.

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Summary: It's More Than a Book...
Review: Leadership and Self-Deception is more than a book. It's a powerful key to change--personal and professional. Don't expect to read it without being transformed, at least if you read it honestly. It speaks to the heart of human relations isues like not other business book I have encountered. I was stunned, and I'd have to say awakened, by its explanation of interpersonal problems--and I mean the whole range of problems. And I love how the ideas unfold in fiction where I met myself fact to face in the stories of the characters in the book. I truly could not put it down--nor can I resist picking it back up, pondering and applying it. It ranks way at the top of the most powerful life-changing pieces of literature I've read in my lifetime. A must-read for everyone in and outside of business.

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Summary: Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box
Review: This is one of those rare, life-changing books. I could not put it down. Initially thinking it was a book on leadership skills, I soon found it applied in all areas of my life. It is a quick read--written in novel form--but is very thought provoking and insightful. The title is somewhat misleading. I think this is a must-read for everyone: boss, employee, teacher, spouse, parent. I especially think it should be read by anyone who does any counseling. It will forever change the way I look at people and the way I interact with them.

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Summary: Wow!
Review: I love this book! It completely changes the way I view work. Makes me wonder how much time and energy I wasted working in the box!

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Summary: A wonderful surprise
Review: I stumbled on this book one afternoon while looking for something entirely unrelated. But the book called my attention and I started reading it before the book I actually was looking for. Once I started I couldn't put it down. The clear ring of truth was evident as I read the very accessable story. This is nothing short of a transformational book disguised as a business managers guide. Tears came to my eyes as I recognized just a few of my own self deceptions. I had to stop at one point to offer a prayer of thanks to a woman who took care of my children when they were little. She died of cancer last fall and I remembered how the feeling came to me that I should visit her and how that feeling was ignored and the gratitude left unsaid. Even though she is gone now I could no longer ignore that inner urge to tell her how I felt. And that is just the beginning.

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Summary: In the box
Review: I think the "Light on content" reviewer is in the box! The concepts in this book COULD perhaps be contained in a small pamphlet, but Terry Warner's book guides the reader through useful and practical applications. Most people, including me, cannot simply read a pamphlet and expect the concepts contained therein to immediately change us. This book takes the time to help the reader internalize potentially life-changing ideas.

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Summary: Betrayal of Self and Its Relation to Personal Effectiveness
Review: Many people invest time and money to acquire leadership skills only to fall short. They fall short because they fail to first build a foundation for success that begins with an introspective journey. The Arbinger Institute takes us on this important journey with "Leadership and Self-Deception. This book explores personal, derailing baggage that prevents us from the realization of full potential.

This is one of those very good, infrequent, introspective books that identifies universal baggage we all carry - self-deception, or more appropriately, self-betrayal. It's fable format provides practical solutions in identifying when we are in the "self-betrayal" box, what to do to get out, and how we can keep others from getting us back in.

Now that I am informed, I am very aware of my own need to work on this all important failing. The good news is that I have experienced rewards that come from being "being out of the box" and am motivated to continue my work in this area.

This book is bound to resonate with all.