Customer Reviews

Extraordinary Leadership: Thinking Systems, Making a Difference

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the long awaited text for the first year of Dr. Gilbert's 3 year leadership seminars. Here leadership is grounded in a solidly scientific theory of human relationships. As such, it scintilates with insight. Like her other presentations of Bowen Family Systems Theory, this slim tome is exceptionally applicable, faithful to theory, engaging and succinct, without sacrificing depth. It is hard to beat Dr. Gilbert's introductions for reliable, pithy and helpful interpretation of a most original coherent theory of human functioning. For the novice to Family Systems theory, any of Dr. Gilbert's books are good places to start. Keep Bowen's "Family Therapy in Clinical Practice" in one hand, and one of Dr. Gilbert's books in the other.

This book is a wonderful introduction to leadership thinking that is more lifestyle than step-by-step. It promises to affect the whole individual in all relationships (including family) and allows self-work to grow a leadership style that will emerge from a person's being rather than his/her doing. Great for inner reflection and pragmatic application!

A look at family systems theory from the perspective of how it speaks to good leadership, especially congregational leadership. Solid material with good examples, but the author stretches it quite a bit and tried unsuccessfully to apply the theory to a few things to which it doesn't really apply, like preaching and public speaking.

While the writing style is a bit enthusiastic for this reviewer's taste, the grasp of Bowen theory and its application to leadership is very good and the work is quite readable. This work makes is a very readable, comprehensive introduction to the application of Bowen theory to leadership and thus in this reviewer's perspective, a good introduction to the meaning and practice of leadership.

I reccomend reading these books in order.Very helpful if you are interested in getting inside the psychology of the workplace and how you can control your interactions

Although I enjoy the principles behind Bowen-theory, I feel like this work, and other works by Gilbert are a bit repetitive. There are the principles, and how common sense dictates how these principles are extended into different areas of leadership. Perhaps a 10 page pamplet would have worked better, along with our own common sense extending those principles into areas that matter to us.