Toy Box Leadership

If you’ve read some of my past posts, you know that I enjoy learning and sharing through stories.  I like to take a simple life event and relate it to what can sometimes be complex life and work situations.

I enjoy reading fable style leadership books, such as those written by Mark Sanborn, Patrick Lencioni and Steve Farber.  They write very interesting stories with important leadership lessons.  In Toy Box Leadership, authors Ron Hunter, Jr. and Michael E. Waddell have taken a similar approach; using old favorites from our childhood toy boxes and relating them to present day leadership principles.

The lessons shared by Hunter and Waddell can be seen in the chapter titles, some of which are listed below:

• LEGO Bricks (Relationships – Building begins with connecting)
• Clinky Dog (Vision – Pull, then be patient)
• Mr.Potato Head (Communication – The right face for the right place)
• Little Green Army Men (Strategy – Success is in the set-up)
• Weebles (Endurance – Staying down is not an option)

Very important life lessons are learned as children.

We learn the importance of sharing over greed.  We learn the benefits of tolerance over anger.  We learn to listen and talk rather than hit and sulk.  We learn to eat right and exercise.  We learn self-discipline.  We learn about reward and punishment.  This book expands those lessons in a creative and interesting way.

Who is your favorite leadership author?  What lesson have you learned from their writing and how have you applied it?  Share with our readers!

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Eleanor Biddulph is the Executive Vice President of Client Services at Progressive Medical, Inc.   She can be reached at [email protected]

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