Customer Reviews

The Tao of Leadership: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching Adapted for a New Age

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've used this book for over 10 years as my leadership support tool. As General Manager of a $200MM business, I need perspective and support on a daily basis - and Heider's book provides it. I love that the persective is NOT a management flavor of the week, but a view on leadership that stands the test of time.

I've given this book as a gift to peers, friends, and family for years - just purchased copies last week for my new staff. It provides us with a common framework and a vision of where we're taking our organization.

Thanks, Heider, for great thoughts, great lessons, and great leadership!

Each page gives you a lot to think about and to reflect upon.
Don't bother with this book if you want something to give you
the quick and dirty answer, this ain't it.

But, it will get you to stop and reflect upon yourself and your effect
upon the world and others. It will get you to find your own
answers if you slow down long enough to sense them.
This book is best a few pages at a time. It can get deep if you let it.

The thing that would make this book a 10 is if it were focused a little less
on "leadership". Maybe something like; The Tao of Life.

In this book, Heider guides the reader down the long path to enlightened leadership. Leadership is not about manipulation or command and control, says Heider; the leader should at most be a catalyst for what the group should come up with themselves. Interesting stuff. The gold nuggets of wisdom that Heider gives in this book are reason enough to buy it, even if you are not a leader. It goes without saying that Taoism encompasses much more than mere leadership and I finished the book wanting to know more about Taoism. My one criticism of this book is that it is not for everybody. What Heider purports, essentially, is a very specific, idealised form of leadership (in real life, you have to learn to have a forceful presence, not just be wise and harmonious). But if this sounds like your type of book, then buy it, along with Max Depree's Leadership Is An Art.

John Heider's translation is a maserpiece. He is able to thouroughly and concisely bring the important features of the Tao teachings to the lay person. The book is separated in sections which one can read on a daily basis or all in one sitting. Perhaps the most relaxing feature are the small sketches that accompany some tof the verses. This book is not just for leaders, but for everyone who wants to understand the our world and our very miniscurle and great positon in it.

Leadership is not something you are born with. Nor something you buy in the local deli. It is a life-long process of ever changing, growing, empowering others. And in the end - the best leaders are those, people around them will say "We did it ourselves." If you are ready to develop yourself into being such a leader - this is the right book for you. But be worn and remember - it will take you years to develop this unique capacity. The good thing, though, is that each and every one of us has this capacity within us. Good luck! Ronen Ben-Naphtali (Israel)

Heider, John. The Tao of Leadership. Atlanta: Humanics Limited, copyright 1985.

The Tao of Leadership is a book loaded with pearls of wisdom for any person in a position of authority to make a part of their repertoire of leadership strategies. The 3 themes of this book are: 1. Natural Law, or how things happen. 2. A way of life, or how to live in conscious harmony with natural law. 3. A method of leadership, or how to govern or educate other in accordance with natural law. This author looks at various principles of living that if utilized in one's life, can lead to harmony when interacting with others. He adapted these Tao principles from the Chinese culture, and many of the principles have been incorporated into the leadership styles of political rulers and sages of the Chinese people. At first, some of the principles were difficult for me to except because the effort to apply them seemed too easy to incorporate into my responses when interacting with others. But as I practiced the Tao thought, I realized that keeping my ego out of responses to outside stimuli required balancing the application of giving and accepting without allowing myself to judge the person involved; not an easy task! This is an excellent book for those who are looking for strategies to improve their leadership skills.

I agree with that other guy(girl?) in that this book should be about life... not leadership. -The concepts are adapted from Lao Tzu's timeless classic; put into easily understood interpretation makes one really grasp the idea of nonresistance towards the flow of creative juices. -However, this book would be a ten if it were about life. It has been my experience that in dealing with one's own demons, one has a better understanding of another's pain. I've applied this book to both leadership situations, and daily living (though I've had to read between the lines for that).

The Tao of leadership offers simple clear guidance on how leadership happens. I use the principles of this book in my therapy group leadership and training. Well worth the read. Do not expect tricks to perform, but rather personal philosophy that can affect all aspects of your life. Another reveiwer wrote that this book would be better if it were called the Tao of Life and less leadership centred. It's been done-The Tao Te Ching! This book offers the same material modified for any life leadership role. A good read.

First, if you're looking for a straight translation of the Tao te Ching, this isn't it. If, however, you want a book that roughly translates one of the world's great texts into modern leadership language, this book is great.
Broken into simple chapters to match the Ching, it easily conveys very profound ideas for group facilitation and leadership. Like the Tao te Ching, it's emphasis is on the yin or gentler aspects of leadership. It's good to balance this with a more yang book (Good to Great, Leadership is An art, etc.) to get a rounded perspective on leadership.
However, since most leadership in Western culture is very yang oriented, this will provide a good balance and deep insights that will assist most of us in becoming better leaders.

Nice little book to keep on hand for those trying times. Has lots of very relevant points - you just have to stop, think and put it in context for you.
It's also a book that allows you to look at the world around you and see the impact others have on their environment (some good & some bad) - again you have to stop, think and observe.