Leadership Jazz is the book I have chosen recently to read about leadership. The title attracted me from the first glance, as it discuss leadership as a kind of art and that matches my personality as I have been always passionate about art and I believe that everything can be approached from artistic perspective.
The book is written by Max DePree, who was the CEO of Hirmen Miller. He has a very rich work and personal experiences, which makes him have unique perspective on the ground. It seems he was successful to make the balance between his social land work lives . The video below shows some of his quotes about leadership
How the author relate the Jazz with the leadership?
I was so curious to know why the author choose the Jazz art to describe the leadership and the answer was found in his quote “I enjoy Jazz, and one way to think about the leader-ship is to consider a jazz band. Jazz band leaders must choose the music, find the right musicians, and perform- in public. But the effect of the performance depends on many things -the environment, the volunteers playing in the band, the need for everybody to perform as individuals and as a group, the absolute dependence of the leader on the members of the band, the need of the leader for the followers to play well. What a summary of an organization ! ”
Photo source :https://sommersetretirement.com/event/bob-smith-band-2/jazz-band/
What I like most about the book ?
In general, the writer has a very simple and attractive writing style, I feel that he consider the reader as one of his closest friend, he was very open and I can feel his honest. in addition, he linked every leadership concept he discussed with a real story and situation he faced as solid examples.
” At the core of becoming a leader is al-ways to connect one’s voice and one’s touch.”
That was the main quote of the author that explained what is the whole book about.He said this quote inspired by a personal story happened to him. When his grand daughter was born, The doctor said that she has A 5% chance to live three days . the caring nurse advised him to come to the hospital everyday to visit her rub her body ,her legs and arms with the tip of his finger and tell her over and over that you loves her because she has to be able to connect your voice and your touch and she survived
He believed that this the best description of the work of a leader and to ponder the mysterious energy lying impounded in the connection between touch and voice. According to him: The leader’s voice is the expression of one’s beliefs and A leader’s touch demonstrates competence and resolve.
What I learned from the book ?
The author have discussed some leadership qualities and concepts and raise some questions which I consider is the most beneficial aspects i learned such as;
- A leader should make promises and carry out it considering making balance between the needs employees and organization.
- He mentioned that organization should be aware of preparing the leader, real preparation doesn’t come from book but hard work, feedback and forgiveness.
- The importance of Leaders being fragile precisely at the point of their strengths, liable to fail at the height of their success.
- The leader should deal with what he defined as “ God’s Mix” which much more deeper than diversity, it is a matter of authenticity and it is the element of human worth.each of us is a part of same family ,each of us is ingredient in a great cross culture mix”
- Sometime a leader has no choice dealing with change, the only thing to decide is how to deal with change and he believes that two attitudes will guide us to constructive response to change ; First, the person who leads to change is not your enemy. Second; each of us should become a fanatic learner.
- He gave some guidelines how to approach the process of creative work, protects persons from bureaucracy and legalism, remains vulnerable to real surprise and work with creative people without fear
- He mentioned the importance of delegation that requires trust and trust begins at the top the leader when the leader speaks the truth and acts in accordance
- Trust also was the main idea when he talks about the relationship between leadership and followership.
- At the end of the book , he asked a main question; Do leaders have future ? and his answer was yes but filled with risk and uncertain and the institution future depends on the senior ppl it selected in the present.
What is my leadership style ?
Photo source : https://humanemulator.info/razmeshhenie_objavlenij.php
The author focus that leadership jazz is the servant leader, however, I prefer the situational leadership for two reasons. First, I believe that there is no specific leadership style I can follow all the time but it varies on the work circumstances and the right people.
Second, My future plans is to found a digital platform for women to share their issues and inspire each others and second phase of the project is to turn from digital to an NGO by providing trainings and workshops for women to empower them then third phase is to empower the second generation of their children.
So I believe that running a project that has different phases required to be situational leader so as to behave differently in every phase and it’s work circumstances.
