Customer Reviews

The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow

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Any organization that has a true mensch (or mensches!) as its leadership has a powerful competitive advantage. A mensch strongly disdains leading others by means of persuasion (the carrot on the end of the stick) or through the power of positional authority (forget the carrot, just hit people with the stick). A mensch chooses instead to lead by example, through the sheer force of authentic character and unassuming integrity (not to be confused with the faux, two-dimensional charisma of a "celebrity CEO"). People want to work for, even rally around, a mensch leader. An interaction with a mensch manager leaves a person with, to borrow a religious metaphor, "with his cup filled up;" having just been the beneficiary of genuine wisdom, respect and dignity. A mensch is selfless, builds up others around her, and is key to the sustained success of any organization.

The good news from Bruna Martinuzzi is menches are born, not made; which is why I must implore you to buy, read, reflect, and act upon her new book, The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow.

Bruna Martinuzzi explores the key character traits that make up a mensch through the analogy of a tree: roots, the foundational mensch qualities (humility, authenticity, empathy); trunk, those qualities visible through everyday interaction with a mensch (accountability, optimism, mastery), and branches, those additional visible traits which help to build up other people, mentoring others to also become menches (a positive mood, generosity, appreciation). The tree is a very apt metaphor, particularly when considering that one of the most infamous CEOs of recent history, purely antithetical to the notion of menschdom, was nicknamed "Chainsaw Al" Dunlap.

Even better, Bruna Martinuzzi concludes each chapter with numerous and copious "leaves" of advice; specific action recommendations to help develop each mensch character trait, making this not just a book to read or even just skim, but a workbook to reflect on, "weigh and consider" as Francis Bacon said, act upon, and refer back to. Bruna Martinuzzi also cites numerous resources to expand the reader's efforts to develop a character trait, with a very useful recommended "mensch library" as just one of a number of useful appendicies concluding the book.

Perhaps best of all, this book was not written just for people who have already elbowed their way into a high-profile management role. As Bruna Martinuzzi explains in her introduction, this book is for the "everday leader" - from managers, supervisors, team leaders to community organizers, teachers, professionals, shopkeepers - anyone who aspires to be a mensch leader within their respective spheres, large or small. For that matter, the greatest personal brand one can aspire to is being a mensch, making this book a must read.

I was drawn in by the fun book title and was pleasantly suprised that it turned out to be such a great read. Bruna's writing style is clever and concise. The idea of focusing on yourself and really learning what it means to be authentic and to inspire is a lesson well learned. If you are looking for an easy read which packs in some good leadership learning, this is it.

I love how the author shares her vast reading, research and life experience, and approaches the issue with her own style, wit, and personal wisdom. "The Leader as a Mensch" is easy and enjoyable to read, very well organized and pleasantly laid out, and I especially like how easy it is to quickly access certain sections that I like to focus on. Whether one has formal leadership authority or not, this is one of those rare books I felt I had to have and have to read more than once as it has the potential for powerful, positive impact on one's personal and professional life. For me "The Leader as a Mensch" is right up there with my favrouite book, Tony Robbins' "Awaken the Giant Within", a book that has brought about a tremendous turn around in my life. Both books now have a place on my night-table and I will refer to them over and over! Knowing that everyone will benefit from having Mensch leadership qualities, I wanted each of my grown-up children to have their own book so that they too can refer to it often and can use the author's valued insights to shape their lives into a joyful, successful and prosperous journey.

The Leader as Mensch isn't just about the theory of great leadership. Bruna Martinuzzi provides the reader with simple truths to being the kind of person that people instinctively follow, a person of upstanding character, honor and integrity - in a word, a mensch.

It is a short book, and so engagingly written that I read it very quickly the first time. But the insights it contains are lasting, and in the weeks since I read it, I have frequently found myself picking it up again to reread a particular section. Each page is so packed with information and tools I get something new from it each time I pick it up. This is a book that all leaders should have within easy reach.

The brain loves connections. In the book, "The Leader as a Mensch.." Bruna connects familiar leadership strategies with EQ, allowing the brain to make strong connections and put EQ leadership both into a context of what we know and what we need to know. It a must have for those of us that are leaders, work with leaders or are developing leaders. I highly recommend this book.

The best source for anyone who wants to improve their leadership skills. This book will not gather dust on your shelf; it is on your shelf and you use it often. It's easy and fast to read but you want to re-read it to capture everything - so full of tips and tools. And there are so many other resources mentioned in the book for improving your leadership. I bought several copies of the book as gifts for friends and associates.

The Leader as a Mensch has brought my attention to the vitality and need for emotional intelligence/leadership in organizations today. It took me back through the journey amongst the masters of leadership and my reasoning of my efforts/passion in this field. I can turn a page in Bruna's book and know the words will bring clarity and creativity in every glimpse. This book can be implemented into organizations as a performance support tool as well.
Bravo Bruna!! A pleasure to read and a message to remember.
Dana Schuster
Training Specialist

"The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow" is a quick and interesting read for aspiring leaders seeking a new understanding and appreciation of the traits and dimensions of effective leadership.

Virtually every chapter identifies other books and resources that I now want to read. I have added several to my reading list.

The more I read, the more I realized how little I actually knew. Bruna Martinuzzi motivated me seek a deeper understanding of a whole host of topics.

An empowering, energizing, different take on leadership. Most enjoyable.

Taken as a whole, this book could be considered a "dense read". Not because it is at all difficult read..., au contrere. But, because it offers so much information packed into each chapter. The material is actually very understandable and easy to read yet it carries the weight of something very transforming. I found myself thinking, I should take one chapter at a time and focus on the element(s) of leadership being espoused for a month. I would use the concepts and examples given in that chapter to adapt my way of being in practical terms to really foster and promote those parts of myself that operate along that particular vein of my existing leadership skills. The author also got me excited to access each chapter's reference list to really explore the meaning of its elements more deeply. So, I guess I better plan to take more than a month to fully engage in each chapter's principles which clearly possess great power. I would consider this book a "Plan for Daily Living" with the goal being exceptional individual growth and dynamism. Taking these concepts to heart and using them on a daily basis will certainly have people looking to you with great confidence. And, the prinicples are sure to rub off. An energizing and inspiring read.

This is a book of leadership wisdom from which acting and aspiring managers will take tremendous value. Bruna Martinuzzi writes from the heart and imparts real wisdom in her writing through thoughtful prose, quick examples, memorable quotations, and other creative means. She takes a very genuine approach to leadership and traces its structure, from its roots in humility and authenticity, through to its ultimate expression in mastery and generosity (with many other concepts and examples provided along the way).

This book would make a good gift for employees - its messages would be helpful to reinforce a great corporate culture, or to renew a stale one among team members.

In short, this is a beautiful and inspiring read. Well worth the time.

-Dave Sussman (Steppenwolf)