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    The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People
    The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People
    The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People
    Ebook163 pages1 hour

    The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People

    By Kevin Leman and William Pentak

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    About this ebook

    Discover a fresh perspective on the art of leading in Dr. Kevin Leman's story about a young reporter who lands the meeting of a lifetime and walks away with the keys to exceptional leadership. The Way of the Shepherd points you beyond dated trends and out-of-touch management techniques to the strategies that will make you a truly outstanding leader.

    When William Pentak had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview Ted McBride, one of the most respected CEOs in America, he was shocked by what McBride was willing to share. McBride taught him the seven secrets he inherited long ago from his mentor--an eccentric but brilliant professor who passed on these time-tested management principles that, while ancient in their origin, are still applicable in today's fast-paced, high-tech world.

    Throughout The Way of the Shepherd, you'll learn how to infuse your work with meaning, no matter your role, title, industry, or the size of your team. Uncover the tried-and-true best practices for how to engage, energize, and ignite your workforce by:

    • Getting to know your team, one person at a time
    • Relentlessly communicating your values and your mission
    • Defining the cause for your people and showing them where they fit in
    • Having a heart for the people that you're leading
    • Understanding that great leadership isn't just professional, it's personal

    If you're ready to transform your team, create a culture of belonging, and truly learn to lead by example, it's time to discover The Way of the Shepherd.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateMay 26, 2009
    ISBN9780310543121
    Author

    Kevin Leman

    El Dr. Kevin Leman es fundador de MatchWise.com y autor de más de 25 libros acerca del matrimonio y la familia. Dr. Leman es un invitado frecuente en numerosas estasiones de radio y programas de television como. El Paisaje, Oprah, Hoy, CNN, y Enfocandose en la Familia con Dr. James Dobson.

    Read more from Kevin Leman

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    Reviews for The Way of the Shepherd

    5/5

    17 ratings6 reviews

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    • 3/5
      How do you write a management book? Choose your metaphor and let the analogies unfold. Business books based on military organizations and leaders, sports teams and stellar athletes, and historical figures and events fill the shelf. Leman reaches back to a pastoral occupation to draw out modern lessons on leadership.

      The author uses a story analogy: a business professor, who raises sheep on the side, mentoring a student by taking him out of the classroom and into the field, the grazing field. I'm not a fan of the story analogy approach as the story is often a weak vehicle to carry the meat of the message. The story in this book is not distracting but it is not engrossing either.

      The leadership lessons are solid but will strike some readers as paternalistic as the shepherd-manager is the wise leader and the sheep-employees are foolish, blind, and directionless. If you can look past this there are extremely valuable lessons on engaging with employees and dealing with their personal and professional issues as it affects their work and their interrelationships with fellow workers. The attention to the employee needs, witnessed in popular shows like "Undercover Boss", is the important lesson of this book. "Have a heart for your sheep" and "remember that great leadership isn't just professional; it's personal." The section on knowing the SHAPE (Strengths, Heart, Attitude, Personality, and Experiences) of employees, I mean the flock, is good reading for any manager. The importance of addressing employee concerns and conflicts is something every manager needs.

      It is an easy and short read with many valuable, though not unique, observations. Managers need to be reminded of these principles. A manager who feels disconnected from those who report to him and wants to mentor them, address good and bad behaviors, and learn to develop their talents will benefit from reading this book.
    • 4/5
      This is a very interesting short book giving seven very practical and wise management principles. In reading it, I was made aware of some of my own shortcomings in relating to people. In this way, the book has been helpful. On the other hand, the title leads one from a Christian background to assume that the book will have some reference to the Christ, the Good Shepherd, but I was disappointed to find no Biblical reference in the book at all. In addition, the comparsion of people and employees to sheep could also have sinister implications. After all no matter how well a shepherd takes care of his sheep, they are after all animals, and to be exploited for their material value to the shepherd. I have the impression that this is also what the book is about. It is an attitude to take care of the people so that the company will have better profits. It is not so that the flock will flourish better in itself. It's true that even the Christian will admit that the Christian community should trump the wants of the individual. Yet, from a Christian and divine perspective there would be much more emphasis on the needs of the individual. After all, the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 and goes after the lost sheep. I have the impression that the writer of this book would not consider that profitable. This is not a book about Christian community.
    • 5/5
      A remarkable book which made me rethink about and re -evaluate how I lead.
    • 5/5
      Great book filled with practical, boots-on-the-ground wisdom. Highly enjoyed it!
    • 5/5
      This book caught my attention while surfing for a new "listen" on Audible. It is thought-provoking, humbling, and entertaining. This book is an easy read filled with wisdom. I want a hard copy so I can highlight key points. You will enjoy this book.
    • 5/5
      A great book. I was given an assignment from the dean of my college to read this book for her class and write a 10 page term paper on it. At first I saw this book as a waste of time..until I read the chapter. Not only did this book made me feel like the student of the great Jack Neumann, but the information and knowledge I got it from it was very helpful and beneficial.

      Recommend it from the bottom of my apex.

    Book preview

    The Way of the Shepherd - Kevin Leman

    CHAPTER 1: Know the Condition of Your Flock

    I was an MBA student about to graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, McBride continued. The last semester all of us were exhilarated that we had actually survived the program. Our professors threw so much information at us so quickly, we used to joke it was like trying to take a sip from a fire hydrant. But despite feeling ecstatic, we also felt anxious to find work and therefore busied ourselves with recruitment interviews on the UT campus. Finally the day arrived that I had been dreaming of. I landed a position with General Technologies. I was thrilled to no end . . . and terrified."

    What terrified you? I asked.

    I was hired as a manager in the financial operations division, where I would supervise nine people.

    So you worried you weren’t up to the job?

    Yes and no. I wasn’t afraid of working in the finance department; it was the idea of supervising nine people that scared me to death. McBride turned as if to look at something far away. He shook his head slowly. When I look back now, he continued, well . . . it makes me laugh. I was a cocky MBA with all the answers, but I didn’t have a clue where to start when it came to managing people.

    So what did you do? I probed.

    I went to see one of my professors,Dr. Jack Neumann. He had taught one of our courses in the MBA program. He was also my mentor. The day I landed the General Technologies job I couldn’t wait to tell him the good news. I also wanted to ask for his help.

    And he was the one who taught you the seven principles?

    Exactly.

    And so McBride sat down and began to tell a story that at times sounded more like fiction than fact. But according to him, what he learned from Dr. Neumann had unlocked more of the secrets about becoming a great leader than any other principle or program he’d ever encountered. I sat rapt, ready to hear the secrets revealed as McBride took me back forty-five years, to April 12, 1957.

    April 12, 1957

    When I landed the position at General Technologies, I sailed down Austin’s Speedway Avenue to the School of Business, ran up three escalators, and flew into Dr. Neumann’s office.

    Dr. Neumann, I got the job! Can you believe it? General Technologies hired me!

    That’s great! Congratulations, Ted, he said, putting his hand on my arm. GT is a great company. I’m proud of you. I knew you could do it. What are you going to be doing for the company?

    I’m going to be a manager in the finance department! I declared.

    That’s great! Neumann replied. All those late-night hours you spent studying finance really paid off. You’ll be a wonderful asset to the company and a great representative of our program. I know you’ll do well.

    Thanks, I certainly hope so, I said, dropping my head. I’ve spent so much energy trying to get my degree and get through interviews that I hadn’t given much thought as to whether I’m actually up for the job.

    Dr. Neumann silently eyed me from across his desk.Okay, Ted, what’s wrong? Are you afraid you can’t do the job? You shouldn’t be; with few exceptions, you made straight A’s.

    Well, Dr. Neumann, it’s not that. It’s not the finance part that scares me, I stammered. I was embarrassed to look so weak in front of someone I admired so much.

    Well, what is it, then?

    "It’s the management part. I’m going to be supervising nine people. I’ve never supervised one person before, and now I’m going to be supervising nine. Dr. Neumann, I have to be honest with you. I’m scared to death at the prospect. I don’t even know where to begin. I fumbled with my hands for a few moments, then finally looked up and blurted out, Can you help me?"

    Almost immediately an awkward silence filled the room. I felt like I had just let down my mentor. Jack Neumann taught in one of the best MBA programs in the country. I can’t believe I just did that, I thought. He doesn’t have a lot of spare time on his hands, especially for students who already occupy nine-tenths of his every waking hour.

    Dr. Neumann sat in silence, staring a hole through me as if he were weighing an idea. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke.

    "Ted, I’ve never known a student, including you, who didn’t have spring fever this close to the end of the program. It’s difficult enough for students not to mentally check out of here, especially after they land a job. I’m also aware that you have big assignments due in your strategy and finance classes and a final exam in B-Law that comprises 100 percent of your grade. I can teach you the secrets of managing people, but you’ll have to keep up your course load and give me your Saturdays from here to graduation."

    Now it was my turn to stare back at him. He was right. I did have spring fever. I counted MBA School as one of the greatest experiences of my life, but all I wanted now was out. Neumann interrupted my thoughts.

    Ted, I don’t mind giving you my Saturdays, but I won’t do it if you don’t have a teachable spirit. The opportunity cost of my time is too high. Think it over and call me tonight to let me know what you decide.

    That evening I went home and mulled it over. Surely, GT would train me, I thought. Then again, Neumann was no mere college professor with his nose stuck in a textbook. He was voted Outstanding Professor of the Year a half-dozen times, partly because he had real-world experience. In fact, he still had a thriving consulting practice.

    I didn’t have to think long. I must be insane, I said out loud as I dialed Dr. Neumann’s number. But before I could change my mind and hang up, he answered the phone.

    Hello, he said.

    Dr. Neumann . . .

    Yes, Ted. What did you decide?

    I’ve decided to do it.

    Good, he said. Be at the Business School on the corner of Speedway and Inner Campus Drive at 8:00 A.M. tomorrow. I’ll swing by and pick you up. Oh, and wear a pair of jeans you don’t mind getting dirty.

    I hung up the phone, my mind buzzing with questions. What had I gotten myself into? Jeans?

    Despite my reservations, at eight the next morning I stood on the corner, wondering if I wasn’t the dumbest MBA on campus. I already had my job, after all.

    A moment later, an old, beat-up pickup with fading paint pulled around the corner and stopped in front of me. The passenger door flew open and, to my astonishment, there sat Dr. Neumann, dressed in a T-shirt, faded jeans, and a pair of worn-out cowboy boots. I had never seen him wear anything but a coat and tie. Before I knew it, we were squeaking and bouncing our way to Neumann’s ranch home in the Texas hill country. Pulling off the farm-to-market road, we wound our way up the long driveway to his ranch. The size and beauty of the ranch struck me. Maybe I should get into consulting, I

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