Boundaries For Leaders - book review

I heard Dr. Henry Cloud speak at Women of Faith one year and really enjoyed him. My friends and I have been referring to ourselves as monkeys (as the need arises) ever since that event. So, when I saw that Booksneeze was offering one of his books to read and that it was on leadership (big topic in our household lately) I knew that I had to get it.

Many of the leadership books that I've been reading lately have been about leading in general through all aspects of life. This one focused on being a CEO of a company. That made it a little harder for me to see how it could pertain to all aspects in my life while I was reading it. When I went back and pulled together all the parts that I had underlined and the notes I had written in the margin, I saw that I did gather a good chunk of information that I can use in my daily life as a mom running my business called home.

I found a strong connection between this book and what I've been learning about leadership from LIFE Leadership. Doing all you can do and not worrying about the stuff that you have no control over. Which does not mean ignoring the stuff you cannot control, you still need to acknowledge that it's there but then you need to move on. PDCA: plan, do, check, and adjust by using daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings with either a mentor or an accountability team. Make sure that your big rocks go in first and above that, know what your big rocks are and keep them in front of you every day.

The new thought sparks I got from this book was the idea of Learned Helplessness and that it starts at childhood. We grow up and tuck those moments away leaving the residue to be sparked by every day things. Those sparks set off the helplessness and leave us and those around us wondering what just happened. The mind is an amazing machine. I call it a machine because there are all sorts of parts in there that I just don't understand their function but I know that they are there for a purpose.

I enjoyed the book and think it would be an excellent read for anyone thinking about starting a business, running their own business, or are currently a CEO. For the average reader trying to learn more about how they can lead in their lives and communities, there are more helpful books out there to gather information from.

Have you read any great leadership books lately?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”