Leadership: Texas Hold 'Em Style [Paperback]

Andrew J. Harvey (Author), Raymond E. Foster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2007

Fun and entertaining journey through leadership that includes an interactive website (www.pokerleadership.com); proven & tested; high impact; ease of application; high road approach.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Andrew Harvey, Ed.D served in law enforcement 25 yrs, 12 as a Capt. BA & Masters; & a doctorate in organizational leadership (Pepperdine); graduate of FBI National Academy; CA POST Command Coll, West Point Leadership Prgrm. A prof at the Univ. of Phoenix, & advisor at the Union Institute and Univ.(UI&U). Expert in leadership & career development, & was an instructor in command leadership for LAPD Acad. Published in national & intnl publications, 1st book was The Call to Lead. Andrew Harvey Seminars provides leadership training/consulting. Lt. Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.) 24 yrs law enforcement experience. BA from UI&U in Criminal Justice Mgmt & a Masters in Public Financial Mgmt from Cal State, Fullerton (CSUF). A Prof at CSUF & UI&U & has taught univ. courses in law enforcement, policy, tech & leadership. As an author, published in a wide range of venues & appeared on television & radio as an expert in policing; 1st book, Police Technology is used in over 90 colleges/univs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (October 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419674382
• ISBN-13: 978-1419674389
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #566,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different Kind of Leadership Book!, February 24, 2008

By 

Paul Patti (Jupiter, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Leadership: Texas Hold 'Em Style (Paperback)

I write police promotional textbook exams and assessments for a living [...]. I'm always seeking out new and cutting edge books in the fields of police supervision, management and leadership.

So, I was very pleasantly surprised after I finished reading this unique leadership book. It presents an impressive amount of information on leadership in a fun and interesting format - with liberal use of relevant and humorous quotes, experiences and analogies. Your retention of the material will be extremely high because of the author's unique writing style and the attention-grabbing format. Both authors are highly qualified and experienced to present this material - but that's not the primary reason you should consider this book. If you are in law enforcement, entering law enforcement or looking to advance your law enforcement career, this book not only covers the basic leadrship experience in a way that is lively and interesting, it makes you relate to and almost experience the hardcore, daily struggle all law enforcement supervisors and managers have with how to select, train and "grow" quality law enforcement personnel.

It took a lot of guts to write a leadership book in such a unique format. And guts is what you'll need in Poker .. and in Leadership ... and this book, if nothing else, will make you see how you can embody these leadership skills.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lasting Resource, April 26, 2008

By 

Andrew J. Borrello (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Leadership: Texas Hold 'Em Style (Paperback)

Wow...what a great book. As a consultant for career development and promotion, I read all the leadership materials I can get my hands on. The problem is, much of it is disappointing. It's too long; too theoretical; too convoluted; or just plain boring. Harvey & Foster created a leadership encyclopedia of sorts that is packed with the essentials of leadership. This book has all the basics: Delegation, Decision Making, Teamwork, and many more, but it also has valuable details on important elements of leadership that other books often overlook: Consistency (important), Accountability (one of the biggest problems with new generation employees), and How to fail. This book is well written and detailed, but concise in that it won't overwhelm the reader. It weaves the information through stories, definitions that are right on the money, great quotes, simple diagrams, and nice-to-know parallel information. This book serves as a great resource and will always be at an arm's reach for years to come.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unusual and very effective approach to presenting leadership (and life) advice, September 16, 2009

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Leadership: Texas Hold 'Em Style (Paperback)

This is without question one of the best books on effective leadership ever written and it is profound and entertaining as one of the most unusual yet best possible analogies is used. Poker is a game that requires a combination of skill and luck, luck in the sense that the cards you receive are randomly selected and skill in the sense that the best hand does not always win. This combination is one that is directly applicable to the situation faced by leaders in that they must play the hand they are dealt.
While people in leadership positions can often select the people that work under them, there are many cases where they do not. Of course they generally have little to no influence in selecting the people in other areas that they must work with or the exterior circumstances such as market forces and economic tides. The latter part is the equivalent of the cards that you are dealt, which is important but not the only factor.
Complaining about the cards you have received is a common action and quite healthy, as long as it is not taken too far. Bouncing back and forth between leadership in the workplace and the equivalent situation in a poker game, the authors write some of the best advice for leaders and just generally dealing with life ever put on paper. We are all constantly buffeted by forces and events largely beyond our control, yet the worst thing we can do is to let our complaining and blaming become a dominant force in our lives. Winners in poker examine the cards they are dealt, examine the cards that the other players have exposed, make reasonable estimates regarding the unseen assets of their opponents, examine their current financial stake, look closely at their opponents in an attempt to read any subtle signals in their mannerisms and then take a calculated risk. This is what should be done in the business world. Sometimes the cards simply aren't there yet you bet anyway just to keep the opposition confused. In the business world, this is known as strategic thinking, taking a gamble on an immediate loss with the opportunity for greater benefits in the future. If you don't lose on occasion, you are not pressing the issues as much as you should.
Many books on leadership tend to be correct in their content but dull in their delivery. In this case the content is superb and the delivery is even beyond that, the comparisons between poker and quality leadership are apt, educational and make this book one that should be read, re-read and intellectually digested.