Rating: 
(Dallas: BenBella Books, 2014)
201 pgs
Tim Irwin is an organizational psychologist who owns his own management consulting company in Atlanta. He previously wrote two books: Running with the Bulls, and Derailed. Irwin primarily works with corporate executives, so, while his books are certainly helpful for church and non-profit leaders, they are most applicable to leaders in the marketplace.
In this book, Irwin explores the essential nature of leadership. In a previous book, Derailed, he examined why talented leaders get “derailed” through moral, ethical, or other disastrous means. In this book, Irwin bores down into the inner core of a leader.
He states: “Oddly, leadership failures rarely reflect a problem with the leader’s competence. Most often the fall occurs because of a breach of something inside the leader” (xv). He notes: “Very few leaders realize their aspirations . . . Instead, somewhere along the line many began working for money instead of meaning . . . Some actually went off the rails, but most were simply dead on the tracks” (7). Interestingly, Irwin suggests that “Dailyness” can quench the noble aspirations of a leader (7).
Irwin claims there are three “faces” of a leader. These are the leader’s 1) Style: the outward face of a leader; 2) Conduct: their day to day actions; 3) Core.
It is the inner core of a leader that Irwin addresses throughout the book. He claims that many leaders are driven by external goals or motivators. He also suggests that many leaders have never been helped to clearly understand their inner core. He comments: “There is no MRI for our core!” (19).
However, Irwin suggests that, “Our core has a voice” (15). “Whether we are aware if it, there is a fairly steady conversation going on inside of us, and when we learn to pay attention to that voice, the revelations about ourselves can be informative if not startling” (16). He suggests that, “we are our own black box” (21). We contain within ourselves the answers to our behavior. Irwin offers help to leaders so they can be in tune with their core. He argues that, “Skillful self-examination builds a strong core, which makes us more effective leaders” (23).
In the following pages, Irwin walks readers through a number of ways they may become better acquainted with themselves. He has sections on “Looking Backward, Looking Ahead, Looking Side-to-side. Irwin has some great catchwords, such as, “The gravitational force of yourself” (30).
The bottom line is for leaders to take time to learn about, listen to, and understand, themselves. For, “Self examination leads to self awareness” (38).
Irwin suggests that, although many leaders are active and in the public spotlight, they often have never taken time to reflect upon their actions and to examine their motives. To listen to themselves. He quotes Abraham Lincoln who claimed: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power” (68). Irwin adds: “If arrogance is the mother of all derailers, then humility is the mother of all safeguards” (68). He also includes a C.S. Lewis quote: “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less” (68).
Irwin has led a successful consulting company for a long time. He has dealt with numerous leaders and worked with a diverse array of personality tests and instruments. He knows his stuff. Throughout the book he offers helpful insights that, if heeded, are certain to enhance leadership at any level.
Irwin suggests that for leaders to inspire people to follow them, they must inspire people by staying true to their core. He suggests: “People follow a leader they can trust, not one who provides great entertainment value” (79).
Chapter Ten is entitled, “Lies Leaders Love” (109). He cites Robert Heinlein who claimed, “Man is not a rational animal, he’s a rationalizing animal” (109). Irwin notes that, “Leaders who lie to others lie to themselves first” (113). He also offers an interesting formula: Q times A = E. That is, a 10 Idea times 0 acceptance equals zero Effectiveness. He argues that if leaders do not gain acceptance of their ideas from followers, then it matters not how good the idea is, its implementation will be ineffective (126).
Finally, Irwin suggests that leaders are motivated by ideas. However, sometimes the ideas driving their behavior are false. In such cases, leaders need to examine their ideas and ultimately “detonate false beliefs” (135).
This book is filled with helpful wisdom that can help any leader to be more effective. The key is self-awareness. Incredibly, many high profile leaders, as well as leaders at every level, are blind to their own personal issues and erroneous beliefs. Often the issues that ultimately derail leaders could be overcome, if only leaders would take the time and enlist the help of others to ensure they understood themselves, and their issues, clearly.
In my own work with leaders, I have at times been amazed at their enormous blind spots. At times their pride or insecurity or anger was apparent to everyone in the room but them. Yet often these same leaders refused to seek feedback or to enlist help from others. There is simply too much at stake for leaders to turn a blind eye to their weaknesses and false notions. Wise leaders will not take any shortcuts in becoming the finest leader they can be.
Irwin is writing to secular as well as Christian leaders. As a result, he does not specify the work of the Holy Spirit or prayer in the leader’s life. Certainly no one knows our core more intimately than the Holy Spirit. It is His voice we need to learn to identify, as well as our own. Prayer and meditation are extremely helpful tools to gaining heaven’s perspective on our core as well as or situation. Without the assistance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we may indeed unearth some ugly aspects of our character and past, but be unable to address it in our own wisdom and strength. Writing to a secular audience, Irwin did not delve deeply into these aspects, so I feel like some valuable tools are missing for the Christian leader. Nonetheless, this book will offer the leader many helpful insights. Perhaps it would be best to pray before you begin reading this book, that the Holy Spirit will walk you through each page and open your eyes to see the truths that you need to address in your life.
by Richard Blackaby