You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: Summary by Cameron Van Horn

You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: Summary by Cameron Van Horn

           

            The book You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader by Mark Sanborn is a great read for people interested in learning how to lead from a position with a non-leadership title.

The Introduction of the book gives us examples of leadership characteristics.

·        “Believe they can positively shape their lives and careers.

·        Lead through their relationships with people, as opposed to their control over people.

·        Collaborate rather than control.

·        Persuade others to contribute, rather than order them to.

·        Get others to follow them out of respect and commitment rather than fear and compliance.

I feel this was a good way to summarize the characteristics of a leader.

            The book also offered eight ways to motivate ourselves as leaders (Found on pages 34-36).

1.      Make time to reflect

2.      Remember to dream

3.      Mirror those who are successful around you

4.      Retreat to advance

5.      Mentor someone else

6.      Enjoy the journey

7.      Live like a victor, not a victim

8.      Search for the pony (It’s a cute little story about the naïve enthusiasm of children)

 Part II of the book revolves around the six principles of leadership. Those are:

1.     Self-Mastery

2.     Focus

3.     People

4.     Persuasive Communication

5.     Execution

6.     Giving

Each of these principles have an entire chapter devoted to them. They discuss the topic in more detail.

            Lastly Mark talks about the difference between your Resume and your Legacy. It gives us the differences between the meanings of both words.

Resume:

1.     What you’ve accomplished

2.     Results

3.     The money you’ve made

4.     The impression you leave

5.     Your Career Self-improvement

Legacy:

1.     What you’ve contributed

2.     Relationships

3.     The difference you’ve made

4.     The Impact you have on your organization, family and community

5.     Helping others improve

I feel this was a nice ending to the book.

Overall, I feel the book was a great account of the things that people have done to achieve true leadership. The points I have given above, to me, are the best descriptions Mark Sanborn wrote that fully embody the leadership role.