Off the Shelf Leadership Thesis Relies on Spiritual Perspective By Traci Matt ASSOCIATE EDITOR (Editors note: This month we are fea- turing the second installment of our book review column titled “Off the Shelf.” If you have read any books that would be of interest to those in the rebuilding industry please bring them to our attention for review in an upcoming issue.) “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make,” by Hans Finzel, published by NexGen. At a recent Exchange staff meeting, there was a rare bit of dissension regard- ing the presentation of this book review. As the editor and I differed on our final opinions of the book, we debated using various formats from a Ebert and Roeper “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” approach, to more colorful Dan Aykroyd-flavored terminology begin- ning with “Polly, you ignorant…” The editor finally relented and said I could write the review solo if I’d express how much she enjoyed the book. Polly really liked the book. Now it’s my turn. “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make” is a relatively brief litany of ways to be a positive leader through “down-and-dirty” relationship building with those in your charge. Author Hans Finzel does a fine job of categorizing ten areas of leadership which particularly cause trouble for those who don’t stay focused on the people around them. His subheads and bullet points not only help with comprehension and retention, but make this little book a practical reference tool. The ‘“Powerpoints” at the end of the chapters (Could he find a cornier head- ing?), also help to clarify Finzel’s main ideas. However, chapter-closing digres- sions of statistics, charts, quotations from other authors, poetry, and Scripture, ulti- mately distract from the relatively strong messages of his own writings. The ten chapter titles are clear and to the point, and the book is full of quotable one liners such as: “The good you do can be destroyed by the precau- tions you fail to take,” or “The greatest ideas bubble up from the workers,” or my favorite, “People who hold great power in organizations usually don’t sense their power—like a skunk who is immune to the aroma that has so much power over others!” Finzel is president of the Christian ministry World Venture, which was known as CBInternational until June of this year. His leadership know-how is vast with a staff of 500 spread throughout 60 areas around the world, and more than 15,000 donors and partnering churches. So reader beware: Finzel’s theories are built on the servant-leadership mod- els of Jesus Christ, Moses, Joshua, and other biblical figures. Now don’t misunderstand. I am a card-carrying member of the born-again Christian church and love to study the Bible. I would really have enjoyed this as a Sunday School class curriculum. It even makes me grin to think that Finzel has slipped a little Scripture onto the desks of secular managers who never would have picked up this book if they had known it was bursting with reli- gious teachings. But it doesn’t seem quite fair that even with a quick scan of the chapter titles, it’s not clear that this is a religiously-based book and inappropriate in many business settings. Yet with that in mind, his core theories are well-stated and worth considering. Finzel’s Top Ten The author presents the most impor- tant points first with his top ten list. Chapter One explores the “top-down” attitude, illustrated by a “military model of barking orders to weak under- lings.” This abusive leadership style is characterized by depriving people of knowledge in order to keep them in line, much as a brutal dictator maintains his power through ignorance. This is where the “servant leadership” or “participatory management” format is introduced with the visual of the pyra- mid resting on the leader’s shoulders (as opposed to the leader sitting atop the pyramid monitoring his organization from above). “There is nothing in my organization that anyone does that I should not be willing to do myself if it promotes the good of us all,’ he says. Chapter Two will hit a nerve with those task-oriented personalities. Do you consider people interruptions or oppor- tunities? Finzel points out that although successful leaders must complete a cer- tain amount of paperwork, they will always have time for relationships. If this is a struggle for you, he suggests changing to a “MBWA” management style—“manage by walking around.” The next two chapters unfold with pointers for recognizing and making the most of different personality types in your organization. Some need regular affirmation and encouragement, while others need a lot of rope to try out new ideas or hang themselves in the process. He says these “mavericks” may cause trouble, but their innovative spirits are what keep organizations from drying out. “Dictatorship in Decision-making” presents a comparison of organizational charts, including the traditional bosses- at-the-top chart; the horizontal “lead- the-charge” chart which resembles a sports tournament