Why Leadership Sucks™ Volume 2: The Pain, Pitfalls, and Challenges of Servant Leadership Fundamentals Paperback – October 1, 2016

Near the end of "Chapter 14: Courteous Communication", Miles writes: "If you won’t tell somebody upfront what the budget for a particular project you’re asking them to complete is, you have no business asking them what their product or service or project is going to cost. You owe it to them to tell them upfront what you think you can afford, and then they will find a way to work within that amount."

I couldn't have said it better myself!! I have experienced two kinds of clients. Those who tell me their budget up front, and those that ask me what I charge. The producers who open with their ideal audio post budget, as Miles suggests, tend to be easier to work with overall. I think it is because they are more transparent about all of their expectations. Sometimes I can work within their numbers, sometimes I point them to someone who can, and sometimes we have a conversation about realistic expectations that ends up building a two-way foundation of trust, even if I don't get to work on that particular project at all.

Why Leadership Sucks, Volume 2 is FULL of great guidance to new and veteran leaders. Some of it articulated things I suspected already. Some challenged me to stretch, grow, and change. All of it is well thought out and clearly presented.

In Why Leadership Sucks Volume 2, Miles Smith tells us that there are more resources available to teach us and train us in leadership than ever before, yet we are lacking leadership in almost every aspect of society. Schools, businesses, not for profit, everywhere. So, what's the deal with that? The answer to that question is really pretty simple. The training is there and the people are there, but the implementation of what the people are learning is not being done. In other words, there is not follow through. How do we handle this issue before it gets out of hand? That answer is pretty simple too. We need to train our leaders on how to follow through with the leadership training they have already received. That is where this book comes into play. The main focus throughout the chapters is how to get leaders to follow through with what they have been trained to do. Two things stood out to me as I was reading this. The first point is being a leader means that you are not going to be liked by everyone. That is just part of the job. If you go into a leadership role and expect everyone to like you then you are not going to be working as a true leader, but as a pleaser or as a friend. Not true leadership. The second good point is honesty. If you are honest as a leader, then you can start to build a relationship of respect. Once that has been established, then you can really start to take off as a leader in the building or organization. Again, there are lots of resources on this topic and this is jut one more book on the pile, but it carries a strong message that I feel many could benefit from.

Wisconsin author Miles Anthony Smith is `a Gen X'er leader and author, cares enough about organizational health to make the tough decisions, hire and coach the right people, set clear expectations, develop a strong team culture, and strengthen organizational cash flow, exhibiting both humility and fierce resolve. He currently works for Rawhide Boys Ranch as Director of Vehicle Donations and Digital Marketing. His mission in life is To Chart the Course, Pave the Pathway, and Light the Lane for Others to Eclipse My Own Success in Leadership.' Miles earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Oral Roberts University (he is a classically trained violist, violinist, and composer) and a Master's in Business Administration from the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. His expertise in the business management field includes in depth experience in accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, servant leadership, small-business management, and macroeconomics. Miles obviously has the skills to advise us on career planning and how to be agile, adapt to ambiguity and develop resilience.

In his Introduction to this Volume Two of his Why Leadership Sucks Series he states, ‘We have more management consultants than ever before in the history of the world. Yet we have a severe lack of leadership in most areas of government, business, and even non-profit organizations. So why is that? I believe it is a lack of follow-through... plain and simple. We all gorge ourselves on leadership conferences, webinars, books, and so on, but how much do we actually put into practice? This book is about putting what we learn into practice, and it is a hallmark of the servant leadership and Level 5 leadership style that I try to emulate every day. At times when our lives feel out of control, we need to get back to the basics of life and leadership. We can get so distracted by things in life that we forget about what is seminally true. It is always about the fundamentals: fundamentals in work, life, sports, faith, and relationships. We can easily allow ourselves to become distracted by all kinds of things that really don’t matter, and most of the time a return to the fundamentals brings us back into balance and promotes peace in our lives. That’s what this book is about.’

Miles discusses the levels of servant leadership – with the highest level being Level 5 – ‘Leaders at this stage are able to build enduring greatness (over many years or even decades) through a paradoxical combination of personal humility and professional resolve.’
He divides this second volume into four parts – Part 1, To serve or not to serve, Part 2, ‘Leggo’ my ego, Part 3, The danger of ‘persona non grata’, and Part 4 Fierce competition steamrolls ahead.

To attempt to reduce this book into a quick summary does not do Miles generous manner of teaching service. Read it slowly, absorbing all the details, and you will come away with an enriching experience that offers the road to meaningful leadership – or rather, servant leadership! Grady Harp, November 16
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Smith follows Volume 1 with an even more detailed and applicable Volume 2. Premised under Servant Leadership and Jesus Christ, the book clearly connotes the greatest servant leaders ultimately follow Christ’s teaches – whether they know it or not. While there are myriad leadership principles, tips and personal examples; my favorites were: Generosity, Memorable Identity, Delegation, Communication, and Pig Pen Leadership (a must read chapter for leadership change agents). You’ll enjoy the book based on the concepts, learnings and easy-to-read format.