Great Leaders Grow: Becoming a Leader for Life (2012) Book Review

Great Leaders Grow: Becoming a Leader for Life (2012)

by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller

After reading their best-selling book The Secret, it is right for me to continue reading Great Leaders Grow. I just can't get enough of their wisdom on leadership. And since it is written in a story form, I enjoy myself as I learned. Why do leaders need to GROW? "Growing for a leader is like oxygen to a deep-sea diver: without it, you die. Unlike the dive, you may not physically die – but if you stop growing, your influence will erode, and over time, you can even lost the opportunity to lead at all." They concluded that "The failure to grow sabotages the career of more leaders than anything else." The way to increased influence, impact and leadership effectiveness is through personal growth. "Our capacity to grow determines our capacity to lead."

Debbie Brewster – the protagonist from Ken and Mark's The Secret – returns in this book to mentor her mentor's son, Blake, as he begins his career and wanted to grow in leadership. As accomplished leader herself, Debbie shows Blake how to grow as a leader and as a human being are inseparable. "How well you and I serve will be determined by the decision to grow or not," she says. "Will you be a leader who is always ready to face the next challenge? Or will you be a leader who tries to apply yesterday's solutions to today's problems?" As Blake confronts the challenge as an emergent leader, he turns to Debbie for guidance. Step by step, Debbie, and Blake explore the GROW model – four ways that leaders must challenge and stretch themselves, both on the job and off, to fulfill their highest potentials. Remember this always: Your capacity to grow determines your capacity to lead. If you stop growing, you stop leading.

To be a great leader, simply you must GROW:

G = GAIN KNOWLEDGE involves constantly seeking information in order to improve one's leadership skills.

R = REACHING OUT TO OTHERS as leaders grow by helping others grow.

O = OPEN YOUR WORLD by having new experiences both in one's personal and work life.

W = WALK TOWARD WISDOM. One can gain more knowledge through rigorous self-evaluation and receiving honest feedback.

With every point, both authors give it in details with explanations, examples and practical to-do lists. There are good questions and memorable quotations in this book. The question is not, "Do you want to grow as a leader?" but the question is, "Are you growing as a leader?" Because leadership is a never-ending pursuit, one must continuously grow. Your capacity to GROW determines your capacity to lead! One way to learn this is by reading this book! I highly recommend! Wow!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.