Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box (Hardcover)

~ Institute of Arbinger (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The "disease" of self-deception (acting in ways contrary to what one knows is right) underlies all leadership problems in today's organizations, according to the premise of this work. However well intentioned they may be, leaders who deceive themselves always end up undermining their own performance. This straightforward book explains how leaders can discover their own self-deceptions and learn how to escape destructive patterns. The authors demonstrate that breaking out of these patterns leads to improved teamwork, commitment, trust, communication, motivation, and leadership.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 181 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1ST edition (2000)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001HB13RU
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,230 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly written - clarifying, October 4, 2009

By	B. Van De Werk "Bastiaan van de Werk" (the Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This is one of those books that you wish you had read 10 years earlier. Though I doubt I would have been able to appreciate it as much back then. The basic premise of the book is how our own negative actions and thought influence those around us negatively which in turn affects us etc. Such a negative spiral of interaction is called 'being in the box'. The book gives some valuable insights about this process: none of which are radically new most of which seem blatantly obvious. The book illustrates these insights using various stories of a range of very recognisable professional and private situations. Most important: the book made me much more aware of how my thoughts and feelings affect those around me and vise versa and for that alone I am very grateful.

I got this book (the paperback version) two years ago from Jack Wood a professor at IMD - after attending a leadership course there. It's not a long read and I finished it before my plane touched down during the flight home. My wife read it within a week of me and I've been borrowing my copy to several of my friends and colleagues from time to time. They invariably love it.