Leadership is a dynamic form of expression, changing with the tides but paradoxically retaining the same principles across every industry, business, and group. Whether social or professional, leadership traits influence, coax, and encourage or discourage human beings on an everyday basis.

1. Leadership is an Art

2. Inspiring others, stoking a
fire of passion in others, is an
art that cannot be
understated. To inspire
others to follow you, embrace
your dream as their own, and
work towards making that
dream come true, is a
phenomenal though poorly
understood concept that
paradoxically remains of the
utmost significance in the
professional world, yet fails
to be taught. How does an
entrepreneur teach others to
be the best of themselves?
How does a leader cultivate
ambition while retaining top
talent? How does a CEO gain
the loyalty of his/her workers
and not encourage
stagnancy?

3. Such are but a few of the many
questions that Max Depree’s
Leadership is an Art explores with
versatile accuracy. Acknowledging the
multitude of prevailing beliefs that
currently characterize the ‘right way’
to lead, Depree concisely but
comprehensively answers many of the
questions that plague modern
leadership. He teaches many lessons,
and so I have chosen to list a few of my
favorites

4. The first responsibility of a leader is to define
reality. The last is to say ‘Thank you.’ In between
the two, the leader must become a servant and a
debtor.
In developing any capitalistic
enterprise, the leader must
understand expectation and
articulate what is considered success
and what is failure. In achieving
such, the leader must do whatever
they can to produce what he or she
said would be produced, be that a
product or service. Yet, even when
acting as a “servant,” the leader must
understand they are always doing so
for a price, thus acting as a “debtor.”

5. “Leaders
don’t inflict
pain; they
bear pain.”
The harsh reality of running a business is that there is sacrifice. There is
burden. There is pain. However, even in the face of difficulty, a leader
cannot bend to the stress. To bend to the stress, to take your stress and
displace it onto others, namely other employees, is to discourage those
you’re supposed to encourage. In order to secure the best possible
productivity from your workers, you must set a stellar example they can
model. While it is hard to not internalize stress, leaders must strive to
remain relaxed. Otherwise, said internalized stress will manifest in other
ways, hurtful ways.

6. “Participative management is not
democratic. Having a say differs from
having a vote.”
An important though subjective distinction, it is
significant to let your employees know they have a voice
in the organization and where it’s going. However, an
effective leader must also realize that, ultimately, the
final decision is up to him or her. Moreover, employees
themselves must realize this. They must understand that
while their input is appreciated, it is not necessarily, or by
any means really, the end all be all. Depree delves into
detail on this vague idea and provides insightful advice on
how to approach and implement this philosophy.

7. The truth is that leadership is a dynamic
skill, changing with the tides and altering
with the current state of the company.
What leadership requires a year ago may
be different today. What leadership
requires at one company may differ
considerably from what leadership
requires at a different company.
Leadership is malleable, flexible, but
strong. It is an art top business executives
must learn and must always continue to
learn; and Depree helps do just that.