The Extraordinary Power of Leader Humility by Marilyn Gist, PhD

Ultimately, it all comes down to see or be seen. Leaders come in two varieties, those who want to be the center of attention, or those who place others in the center of the spotlight. This book covers that concept well, reminding me profoundly that I’ve chosen to step away from the glim and glamour of a gilded life for one of less dynamic wholesomeness. Profound simplicity can be a raging leadership experience in humility.

I love simplicity.

It is an honor to hand off the acknowledgement of greatness to others. In my tiny little world of living, I was impressed to read of such insights in corporate America. The most effective way to lead is through influence not power.

Power players are not necessarily there because they want to be, often they have the power because someone else didn’t want it.  It’s a juggernaut of contemplation to realize that as a teacher of future leaders, I do my best leading through influencing. And there’s nothing more indicative of that than a mom with an ALL WHITE living room, TELLING her children, do not take red Kool-Aid into that room. If she’s sitting there with a glass of red wine, they want to play grown up too, and they will do what you influence them to do. The same is true of the team in your boardroom.

If you’re telling them from your powerful position on the 10^th floor to do their jobs, they’re less likely to do their job than if you come down from your high-end office and join them on the stockroom floor. The humble leaders show their employees the value of leadership by influencing from a level perspective. That’s one of the biggest, most profound outtakes from this book. And I loved that one!

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Extraordinary-Power-Leader-Humility-Organizations/dp/1523089660

If you’re thinking diversity, there’s a segment on how to bring the cultural diversity that exists naturally in our communities right into the workplace. I liked the ideas offered here, and the gentle ways of sharing those ideas. I’m particularly fond of the cultural influence of humble leadership, as if it comes naturally in an unforced way to the front of the room. Proactive communication and the emotional generosity of generous spirits abound in the pages of this book, and I found them to be a refreshing change over the forced interactions found in other recent books on leadership training.

Have you noticed the impact a leader can have when they simply ALLOW others to follow?

This concept of influencing leaders rather than power hungry overdriven and unprincipled demanding sycophants leads me to believe there may be hope for the coming generations. There may somewhere in our lives be influencers who can bring along the unskilled and train them to be greater than they’ve ever been. I was impressed with the simple dynamics of leadership portrayed in this extraordinary display of power. I recommend this book.

Kendall Townsend, posted by Nicole Killian