Customer Reviews

Toy Box Leadership: Leadership Lessons from the Toys You Loved as a Child

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When thinking about purchasing a book, don't be deterred by a book's title (initially, I was about this one) and don't base the decision solely on testimonials by an impressive list of business thinkers (although in this instance, their praise is justified). Rather, check out as many reviews as you can, especially Customer Reviews. Others have their own reasons for commending Ron Hunter and Michael Waddell on what they achieve in Toy Box Leadership. Here are two of mine.

First, they create a context for the creation and subsequent popularity of ten toys (i.e. LEGO® Bricks, Slinky® Dog, Play-Doh®, the yo-yo, Mr. Potato Head® and Rubik's Cube®, the rocking horse, little green plastic army men, Lite-Brite®, and Weebles®) and then, devoting a separate chapter to each of the ten, share thought-provoking insights on leadership lessons to be learned from each. I played with many of these toys as a child and then purchased them for four children and more recently for ten grandchildren. Frankly, the connections that Hunter and Waddell make never occurred to me. Once again, I am reminded of the "invisibility of the obvious." Consider these representative comments from the narrative:

LEGO® bricks "teach us that each individual [connection between and among a company's people] is interdependent on the next connection for success. The properly placed brick within a structure provides strength and substance and adds to the overall structure. Placing each person so he or she connects properly results in the healthy utilization of human resources."

"Being a Play-Doh® person does not mean you are weak, gullible, or even wishy-washy, but rather that you have determined to be molded in positive ways that are essential to their development." Such people are shaped the way they are because they are receptive to change and being changed, yet have "durable" character because their exact ingredients (i.e. humility, teachability, and desire to improve) allow the substance to have consistent integrity.

"The leadership lesson from the Mr. Potato Head® toy is that you must choose the right face for the right place when communicating." The face "is the courier of the message," an extension of one's emotions, and an interpreter of one's intent. According to hundreds of research studies in which millions of respondents participated, with statistics varying only slightly among the studies, the impact of face-to-face contact is determined as follows: body language about 50-55%, tone of voice about 30-35%, what is actually spoken no more than 15-20%. All great leaders have "presence" and that is largely the result of their physicality amidst those around them. Hunter and Waddell identify and then discuss "the eight faces that every leader must pack" and then be able to call upon, depending on what the given situation requires such as empathetic concern, a show of confidence, intensity of conviction, great disappointment, or sheer delight. "Remember, it's your first expression that makes the first impression."

"The qualities of the Rubik's Cube® puzzle that make it so intriguing are the same qualities that make it such a good example of ethics...The cube's color, depth, and dimensions represent the complexity of your ethics. As you solve the problems of life, this toy teaches the importance of making the right turns." As I read Hunter and Waddell's comments, I was immediately reminded of Jim Collins' admonition in Good to Great to "get the right people on the bus, get the wrong people off the bus, with everyone in the right seats." Proper alignment of resources with work to be done is indeed one of the greatest challenges all managers face.

"Weebles® toys teach durability, a mandatory characteristic for any successful leader. They teach you that staying down is not an option." (Years ago, Jack Dempsey said that champions "get up when they can't.") "A leader is never more closely watched than in the moments following a failure. When leaders fail, you immediately wonder what their next move will be." Leaders with endurance understand that falling down" is inevitable so they anticipate it, learn from it, and do all they can to avoid making the same mistake(s) again. Like Weebles® toys, effective leaders also have a center of balance. Theirs combines both internal factors (e.g. determination, resilience, and purpose) and external factors (e.g. support of colleagues, mentors, and prior experience). Being able to bounce back from adversity often tends to discourage one's opponents.

I also admire the skill by which Hunter and Waddell enable their reader to complete a process of discovery and reflection so that as the final chapter approaches, she or he has accumulated the basic components of principled, results-driven leadership and can then assemble them as if they were (yes) individual LEGO® Bricks or parts of Mr. Potato. In this instance, I am reminded of what a French Romantic poet once said in response to an inquiry about how to write a poem. (I think it was Baudelaire but I'm not certain.) In so many words, he said, "First you draw a birdcage with its door open, then you wait and wait and wait and wait...until a bird flies in the door. Then you erase the cage." This is what Hunter and Waddell seem to have in mind when suggesting that "When you lay this book down and put away these toys, remember the lessons."

Congratulations to them on a brilliant achievement!

I bought a copy of Toy Box Leadership initially because of the great endorsements (John Maxwell, Jeffery Fox, Ken Blanchard, Andy Andrews, Laurie Beth Jones, Dick Vitale, etc.). Now that I have gotten a couple of chapters into it, I can say that this book stands on it's on merit. I read dozens of leadership books a year and it has been a long time since I have seen such a diverse array of topics and principles communicated in such a simple, yet powerful way. I also love how they tied each toy's history and trivia into each lesson while blending nostalgia and practical wisdom. This is one book that won't just sit on my shelf - its too much fun.

I am not much of one to read books on leadership or business principles, but I found Toy Box Leadership to be interesting and informative, even if it was "just reminding me of what I already learned as a child."

The book is an enjoyable read, and contains a sort of simple wisdom that can help anyone make sense of what some would make out to be complicated leadership ideas. The toy tie-ins are the best part, and really make it all stick.

Old fashioned just became fashionable again. By growing up, we tend to lose those simple life's lessons that Hunter and Waddell remind us of throughout the book. Think about it the next time someone tells you to "Grow Up." This is the kind of leader I strive to be.

The authors simply tell us that the sum of a group, including the leader, is greater than the whole when networking with others that surround us.

How refreshing to not have to learn something new for us to excel as leaders.

Groucho Marx, a none too small influence on one of the authors of this book, quipped in at least one film, "Why it's so simple a four year old child could understand it. Now go out and get me a four year old child cause I can't make head or tail of it." The principle serves the writers of this book well as they explore the toys- a fun variety of the toys we grew up with- in interesting and engaging ways. As other reviewers have noted, the book is all about the creative connections between the world of leadership and the toys we fondly remember.

One important side note to the book: it is a reminder that the toys of yesteryear are vastly superior to many toys of today, which hardly promote creative thinking or leadership. In addition, the writers rightly promote strong personal relationships as a cornerstone to good leadership.

As Groucho said, maybe four year olds are in touch with many of the somewhat simple skills we need to succeed in our too-complex and technologically driven contemporary society.

Toy Box Leadership is an unusual book written on a fascinating premise. The common toys we used as children can teach us valuable lessons about leadership principles. Your first reaction may be skepticism or even ridicule toward this simple premise. But once you open the book and start reading, your apprehension will turn into appreciation.

This book examines some of the most fondly remembered toys of childhood including LEGO® Bricks, Slinky® Dog, Play Doh®, Yo-Yo, Rocking Horse, Little Green Army Men and others. These toys subliminally taught us about the basic nature of leadership, and recalling their designs and function may remind us of leadership qualities we lost along the way to adulthood.

Toy Box Leadership dedicates a single chapter to each beloved toy of one's childhood. It analyzes the traits that made the toy interesting and playful. Then the authors draw powerful analogies from the toys to communicate important leadership lessons. For example, after telling the reader about the history behind LEGO® bricks and how they are manufactured - they ask us "how many ways can you arrange six-studded LEGO® bricks? In an astounding 915,103,756 different positions." The authors follow this question by discussing how building relationships begin with connecting. This is not done superficially, as they dedicate many pages to pull rich meaning from the aspects of each toy. You will be impressed with the excellent assessment they provide.

This enlightening book is truly different from many books written about leadership today. It is a very short read, but you will be taken back to the days when life was simpler. You will also learn new lessons from some of the toys you once loved.

Whoever thought we could learn so much from the toys we loved as a child? Wow, what a awesome book with clear applications from the toys we all played with when we were little. Ron & Michael do a excellent job of presenting ways to improve your leadership skills whether by building relationships with Lego bricks, or learning the correct way to communicate with Mr. Potato Head. All around this book is perfect for anyone wanting to improve their leadership skills.

Highly Recommended.

We live in a changing world; thankfully there are unchanging principles that help steady us through it all. Leadership adapts and leadership is proactive, but true leadership is based on unchanging principles. Ron Hunter and Mike Waddell give us a fresh look at these timeless principles in their book Toy Box Leadership. Ron and Mike use the toys we all grew up with to share simple yet profound principles of what solid leadership really is. In a day when we are surrounded by an unending list of books presenting the latest leadership trends, it is refreshing to get back to the simple, basic lessons we can learn from childhood and the toys we all loved. I recommend Toy Box Leadership for anyone who has an interest in sharpening and streamlining their leadership abilities.

Michael and Ron have completed the most difficult task of weaving vivid illustrations with interesting anecdotes to present the basic qualities of proven leaders. A very ease read that I will continue to read several times in the upcoming years. Don't bypass this book because you think that it looks "childish." I can assure you that this book will challenge you. This is one of the few books that I would not hesitate to give to other leaders, regardless of their exposure to leadership materials. Great read and outstanding book.

Toy Box Leadership is a refreshing read on the subject of leadership. It is not a heavy academic tome written from the ivory tower, but a practical, innovative look at the subject from men who are using the principles. It is an ideal read on an airplane trip or waiting in an airport terminal. The short chapters, while tied together, stand alone and can be read in any order.

Part of the book's uniqueness is the authors' use of simple toys most of us remember to illustrate aspects of leadership that over get overlooked. The chapters on Lego bricks, the slinky dog, and little green army men are worth the price of the book. Everything else is icing on the cake.

I highly recommend the book. I plan to give copies to approximately 50 of our college's leading donors.