Walk the Walk: The #1 Rule for Real Leaders [Hardcover]

Alan Deutschman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2009

In Walk the Walk, Alan Deutschman offers a new take on the true nature of great leadership. Though some experts make it seem complicated, it is actually breathtakingly simple. According to Deutschman, most leaders focus too much on what they say and not nearly enough on setting an example.

This book shows what happens in those unusual cases of true leaders-in business, education, the military, and nonprofits-who always walked the walk, especially when times got tough. In a skeptical world, their actions gave them more credibility than even the best possible speeches. Consider how • Martin Luther King Jr. was so committed to nonviolence that he let a racist detractor beat him up in front of a crowded auditorium rather than raise a hand against him.
• Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett of Southwest Airlines were serious about putting employees first, and proved it by sticking to a no- layoffs policy while other airlines made major cuts.
• Sony founder Masuro Ibuka, who stressed originality over profits, waited for years while his competitors released color televisions-and then released the Trinitron, a breakthrough product that blew the other sets out of the water.

When leaders don't practice what they preach, they often face devastating consequences. Recall how the CEOs of GM and Chrysler hurt their chances of a government bailout by flying their private jets to Washington.
Ultimately, leadership doesn't depend on who you are or even what you say or how you say it, but only on what you do. The eye-opening examples in Walk the Walk will inspire leaders at all levels.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Leaders and aspiring leaders should thank Alan Deutschman for this powerful message. Your words alone mean nothing. Your actions-and only your actions- speak. All successful leaders understand it, while failed leaders don't."
-Geoff Colvin, author of Talent Is Overrated

"Walk the Walk is an inspiring, centering read. It grounds us all in the most important elements of leadership and challenges us to fulfill our potential in enlisting the commitment and energy of others."
-Wendy Kopp, CEO and founder, Teach for America

"I always say that 'change' is a verb. It has to happen in action. You have to do it. That's the terrific lesson of Walk the Walk. This inspiring book looks at real leaders who've made themselves part of the change-and the extraordinary results they've achieved."
-Mimi Silbert, CEO, Delancey Street Foundation

"A great read. Walk the Walk should be required reading for anyone who aspires to lead. Its message is simple: If you want to be a leader, you have to understand the impact of your actions. This book will force leaders to look in the mirror and decide that they need to walk the walk."
-Urban Meyer, head football coach, University of Florida

"With riveting stories of leaders from every sector, Walk the Walk serves as a reminder that business, at its best, is a moral enterprise. This book will give support to leaders who want to do the right thing and do well in the process."
-Carla O'Dell, president, APQC, and coauthor of If We Only Knew What We Know

About the Author

Alan Deutschman is the author of Change or Die, A Tale of Two Valleys, and The Second Coming of Steve Jobs. He has been a Silicon Valley correspondent for Fortune, a senior writer at Fast Company, a senior writer and columnist at GQ, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and New York. He has also been a consultant and lecturer on the subject of personal and organizational change.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover; 1 edition (September 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591842786
• ISBN-13: 978-1591842781
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, we get the leaders we deserve., September 3, 2009

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Walk the Walk: The #1 Rule for Real Leaders (Hardcover)

I am glad that I read this book and believe that you will not only enjoy it but get a great deal from it for several reasons.

1) Alan Deutschman is very clear what constitutes leadership and what a leader must do and contrasts that with we see most of the time. He differentiates between merely occupying a position of leadership and actual leadership, which can be done from any position. These other faux-leader-creatures he calls rulership (think bullies), stewardship (think administrator), and lemminship (think imitative coward).

2) He names names. The chapters cover the different qualities of leadership. He illustrates his points with real world people, mostly famous people, who exhibited those qualities in a given situation and contrasts that with those who pretend to be leaders, but to don't really lead by walking the walk they ask others to tread. For example, he shows how Jeff Bezos of Amazon actually matched his actions with his stated goals while Howard Schulz of Starbucks masked his true goals behind pretty words. He praises Bill Hewlett's responding to a severe downturn in the economy, not by rightsizing through layoffs, but in asking EVERYONE (including himself) to cut back to nine days work and pay every two weeks. Contrast that with Al Gore's panic mongering about global warming and carbon footprints and asking everyone else to shrink theirs while he maintains one the size of several King Kongs. You get the idea.

3) Deutschman can write clearly, concisely, and compellingly.

So, what are the qualities he expects you, as a true leader, to do and exhibit? Your actions at work (and in your personal life) show what is REALLY most important to you. If it doesn't match your words, the words are meaningless and your credibility is shot.

As a leader you need to state what your top one or two priorities are. Again, if your actions don't match them, what you do trumps what you say and people will infer what your true top one or two priorities are. You show WHO comes first.

You also show WHAT comes first by what you do. For example, Ray Kroc was a fanatic about cleanliness as he built McDonalds. He was famous for picking up litter on his way into a store.

Deutschman also shows how people are inspired when a leader actually shares in the risk and pain of what they face each day. When generals or CEOs live in palaces and get rich while others slave with their jobs at risk each day people become demoralized.

He shows how your actually matching your actions to your words gives you a front row seat on your organization's effectiveness. You gain the opportunity to teach, train, and lead in each moment. You provide a clearly marked path others can follow. And, as I noted before, you can lead from any position. You don't need title, position, or formally assigned power. By acting as a true leader you inspire others because they believe in you and will learn to believe in themselves. Powerful stuff.

Would that we had more of it in the world today. I hope this book can help.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent- relevant across the board, September 4, 2009

By 

Lindsey Mann "seed planter" (Atlanta GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Walk the Walk: The #1 Rule for Real Leaders (Hardcover)

I typically dont read stuff like this. Im not so interested in big business; I only own a business because it is a means to do my work in the world. So I was surprised at how fascinating and relevant the book was for me!

A sophistocated level of experience went into this book, evidenced by clarity of thought and presentation. It is also a quick read.... and entertaining, even delightful! I think anyone could glean something meaningful from this concise, revealing look into leadership.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Six Important Take-Aways From Walk the Walk, October 14, 2009

By 

J. Brown (Florida United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Walk the Walk: The #1 Rule for Real Leaders (Hardcover)

In Alan Deutschman's book Walk the Walk, The #1 rule for leaders he debunks the common phrase we all have heard "Do as I say, not as I do". All leaders and non leaders alike recognize the fundamental truth that individuals, families, teams, organizations and entire companies are best lead by example. As soon as your example and actions don't match your words your credibility as a leader is diminished regardless of your title.

Here are six important take-aways from Walk the Walk.

I. For a leader every moment is a teachable moment for the rest of the organization.

II. "the most crucial role of a leader is establishing and instilling the one or two values that will be most important to the organization..." Please note Deutschman states one or two, not six or seven values.

III. A lot of leaders practice lemmingship rather than leadership because their actions don't match the values the speak.

IV. "The general must make himself the eyes of his own army. John Keegan" It is not enough to depend on reports or information provided by those directly working for you. You must periodically go, see and be an example at the working level.

V. "Leaders must share the struggle...sharing the struggle, the risk, and the hardship..."

VI. "Leadership is about creating change, so its greatest challenge comes when change seems nearly impossible - when people feel helpless and their situation appears hopeless.

Even though a lot of us know the fundamental truths of leadership it is easy to slowly drift away from those truths. This book is a good refresher to remind you of sticking to the fundamental truth of leading by example. This book is worth your time because of the stories and illustrations used to drive the points home and I found it worthy enough to send copies to my clients.

Dr. James T. Brown PMP PE CSP
Author, The Handbook of Program Management