Why Leadership Sucks™ Volume 1

Pretty good read on servant leadership.

Based on Robert Greenleaf's servant leader concept, this text refers to a number of other management and leadership books to exemplify the basic good of giving oneself to one's team. Smith does a good job of highlighting the tough aspects of being a leader, hence the title of the book. For me personally, some chapters served as a stark reminder of what I need to be doing in my own leadership role.

There were times, though, when this book fell into the same trap as many other leadership and management texts: it can be contradictory to itself. Good leadership and management is so situational that it is tough to avoid this trap. Further, there were a number of grammatical errors that distract a reader like myself. I am certainly not perfect with grammar, but an overuse of contractions and words like “ain't” got in the way of my enjoyment of some chapters.

All-in-all, this is a solid, quick read for the aspiring leader and a suitable refresher for the seasoned leader.