Read to Lead Program Launches!

We are excited to announce an exciting new feature that Leadership Akron and the Akron-Summit County Public Library has developed. Each month, a Leadership Akron Alumni’s “best read” will be featured on the Akron-Summit County’s website. We look to this feature to be a virtual sharing of insights from our community leaders and the books that inspire them.

This month’s featured leader is Bernie Rochford. Here are his thoughts on How Did That Happen?

Title: How Did That Happen

Author: Roger Conners and Tom Smith

Publisher: Tantor Media      Year: 2009 

What were the overall strengths of this book?

The authors provide practical examples of how to apply their principles and techniques.  The focus is on how to make you a better leader and take responsibility for your actions.  They use the title of the book in a cleaver way to really drive home their point which is “How did I let that happen”.  It can be easy to look to other people’s errors as to why a project fails but the leader of the project must take ownership for his or her own shortcomings.  The authors go further and show you how to get others involved in the project to accept their own personal responsibility.

What were the drawbacks, if any, of this book?

The book is much more of a training manual that would be better presented in a classroom format over time allowing for group interaction and role play.  There are several references to web sites and material outside of the book itself that the reader was expected to review and I found that distracting.  I didn’t disagree with any of the points being made; it was just a bit hard to work through them in a book format.  If I had realized the format before beginning the review I might have approached the book differently.

How does this book tie into the workplace and/or our community? How might you apply the insights in this book to your own leadership?

The book is geared specifically for application in the workplace.  Some or all of the book would be useful as part of a leadership training and development program facilitated by a trainer.  I have used some of what I have gleaned from the book for a project that I am currently undertaking involving a committee of our staff.  I am hopeful that I have framed the project appropriately and will have the buy in from the committee.

To whom would you recommend this book and why?

I would recommend the book to corporate training staff or consultants looking for material on leadership and group processes.

What is the “bottom line” of this book?

It is not an easy read or one that is full of inspiration.  It is a training manual that would be useful in certain settings.  I did find it more complicated than it needed to be and slow in developing some of their points.

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