Another book I had to read for grad class.

Here is my critique:

Writer and conservationist Boyd Varty grew up observing wild animals on the Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. His unique upbringing provided him a unique vantage point of the animal kingdom, and humanity. “People get a huge worry about the value in the world if they're not busy and doing something and being productive,” he says in an interview with the TED Radio Hour host, Guy Raz. “But in nature,” he continues, “everything is just so uniquely itself.” Which, according to Varty, “is the essence of wisdom - to be where you are and to allow action to arise out of that being.”

In many ways, Keith Ferrazzi argues, the same for healthy organizations. That, in order to be healthy and strong, to work together in harmony, and to allow a culture of action rather than inaction, they community and everyone in it must have the confidence to be uniquely itself and not defined by power or position. “Position does not define power,” Ferrazzi writes,  because “impact defines power” (p. 19). And the impact any one individual can impose upon a school or company directly depends upon how they view their role within the school or company.

Ferrazzi writes that “We all need to think of ourselves as leaders, as innovators, regardless of our job titles” (p. 24) for if we want to achieve an outcome that has a greater impact than what we might have achieve on your own, we “have to arrive with a sense of curiosity at the forefront of our mind.” We have to “set aside our conviction that our way is the right way” and “open ourself up to the assumption that others on our team have ideas that may be far better than yours” (p. 28). We have to be willing to see our roles and unique selves as part of a great whole. No one role is greater than another.

Unlike Bolman and Deal (Leading with the Soul), Ferrazzi’s Leading Without Authority offers sage advice and personal stories of how to improve a working culture and strengthen relationships. There is little fluff, and a great deal of hard work. “We need people who don’t make excuses,” he writes, “who take the lead in innovating and lead without authority when it’s necessary to get things done” (Ferrazzi, p. 38). Ferrazzi then provides hands-on, real life examples of men and women who have taken the burden of transforming their teams through difficult yet purposeful decisions and relationships yet, all the while, acknowledge and accepting that the process will not be easy. “I am not ignoring the reality of difficult situations” he writes, “I’m saying instead, that if success matters to you, you’re the only one who can overcome the obstacle in your way. Even when facing our most daunting problems, we have 100 percent of the power over how we choose to react.” (p. 51). Which is advice that everyone – leader or non – needs to hear. But also, “One of the best things about accepting the mindset of leading with authority is that it can cure the disease of seeing yourself as a victim” (p. 55).

                But perhaps the greatest advice Ferrazzi preaches is that of community and team, of purpose, and how to help others find their role in life and within the company. “People do not want to be told,” he writes,

“They want to be part of something. A new type of leadership is needed that is human, authentic, purposeful, and is about creating the right environment for others to flourish. This type of leadership will create trust, unlock self-motivation, and is needed to unleash extraordinary performance” (p 66).

                Daniel Pink, the New York Times Bestseller and author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, agrees. According to Pink, every human has three key components to their motivation: Mastery – or the desire to get better at stuff, Purpose – the longing to make the world a better place, and Autonomy – the need to be self-directed. People don’t want to be told or bought or manipulated into doing something, they want autonomy on how to do it, the ability to get better at it, and a strong and purposeful Why for why it matters.

                Ferrazzi also considers and appropriately argues for the importance of vulnerability and authenticity in relationships. “When you speak with someone in a way that is humble and vulnerable,” he writes, “you tap into each other’s humanity and encourage the other person to open up and take more risks with you. (p. 74). A practice akin to Brene Brown and her New York Times Bestseller, Dare to Lead. “The courage to be vulnerable,” she writes, “is not about winning or losing, it’s about the courage to show up when you can’t predict or control the outcome” (pg 7). Leading is not about power or force, it isn’t about manipulating minds with fear or gimmicks, its about being people and treating people like people. It’s about investing in one another, finding one’s gifts or talents – their passions – and allowing them to use them openly and without fear. Leaders helps others do this, making leaders and the actions of leadership something that everyone can do, no matter their title. “You have to make the choice to care,” Ferrazzi writes, “and you have to let your teammates know it. You need to tell them. Better still, you need to tell them and show them. In whatever way you can, make sure they not only hear it, but experience it” (p. 75). Which can take considerable time.

                In a time where numbers and figures and charts that monitor our improvement and measure our growth, leadership must be patient. “It takes time for givers to build goodwill and trust,” Ferrazzi reminds us, “but eventually, they establish reputations and relationships that enhance their success” (p 78) which will, in the end, produce greater success, a stronger working environment, and (because it’s what the higher-ups care about) stronger numbers. People who feel valued, feel heard, want to come to work, to share their ideas, and to help contribute. Thus making them more valuable. Leaders who exist in a small space, who primarily focus on the data, on growth, and a small number of opinions will find their companies or schools struggling and in a constant state of disarray and turnover. They will find workers unable to lead because they are unwilling.

                The last piece of wisdom worth noting is Farrazzi’s emphasis on criticism and growth. “We tend to tune out criticism when it is dished out by someone who only seems to want to point out what we did wrong,” he writes. But “when we give feedback out of a spirit of truly wanting to help the other person become the best they can possibly be, it is the ultimate form of generosity” (p 143). As leaders who are trying to inspire others to lead without authority, this concept is crucial because it goes both ways. Not only does it remind the positioned leader on how to provide criticism to his or her employees (with a spirit of true help, empathy, and concern), it demands that they in turn receive criticism with a similar spirit of reception and openness. How leaders receive feedback is an immediate and real example to their staff on how they view their opinion (is it truly valid?), but it is also a lesson on how to receive information we really don’t want or like hearing. If the boss refuses to hear what needs to be said, why would the employees?

                Leading without authority also means saying hard things because we care about people, we care about them doing well, being well, and providing the best they can for our businesses or schools. Brene Brown says, “Clear is kind” (p. 247) Keith Ferrazzi is a bit more longwinded:

“Team leaders often think they are being “kind” by not sharing feedback that will hurt someone’s feelings, but kindness requires the courage to be candid. It’s easy to confuse kindness with weakness, but true kindness requires strength. High performance environments rely on candor and transparency, because that’s what it takes to create rich, collaborative partnerships that produce extraordinary results” (p 151).

                As leaders, we must be willing to look at a colleague or boss and say, “That isn’t good enough.” Because it isn’t. But in order to be heard, in order for the recipient to receive our thoughts, our slight (or even heavy) rebuke, we must have a foundation of trust previously built, and that is exactly what Keith Ferrazzi is arguing throughout Leading Without Authority. That in order for us to have a the ability to speak into another’s life, we must be men and women who have gained authority by our actions and words, not merely by position. We must use our gifts and abilities as good people to build a platform that will allow us to use our gifts and abilities as workers to help change the people we work with.

                “Everything is just so uniquely itself” Boyd Varty says of the animal kingdom, “And by being uniquely itself they are a part of a greater unfolding.” He called this unity. Keith Farrazzi calls it leading without authority.