The Shaping of an Effective Leader: Eight Formative Principles of Leadership

"Effective leadership is both an art and a science, there is more than one right way to lead."When and where I first noticed this book is a little bit of a mystery to me, but it is no surprise that a book about leadership written by college president landed in my hands. Gayle Beebe is the current president of Westmont College and former president of Spring Arbor University, both are highly renowned Christian institutions and members of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).Beebe's book appealed to me on many levels: it was concise (under 200 pages), it focused on leadership in the higher education (where I see my life's calling), and the steps found in the book seemed practical and down-to-earth.Though the back cover states in big bold letters, "Leadership without formulas," the leadership principles laid out throughout the book are quite formulaic. The bulk of the book is derived from Beebe's mentor and leadership guru Peter Drucker. Much of the information is from Drucker's writings or Beebe's personal interactions with Drucker. In the end I feel like the book should have been entitled, "Leadership According to Drucker."Beebe divides leadership into eight cumulative principles with each subsequent principle building on the previous principle. Starting from the foundation, the eight principles are character, competence, chemistry, culture, compatibility, convictions, connections, and commitment. Each principle is given its own chapter and each chapter includes numerous bullet points, listed questions, and key values. It would be very interesting (and time consuming) to diagram the book into a workable infograph.I found the book most interesting when Beebe dived into his own personal leadership experiences and shared examples from his leadership journey.In the end, I found the book to be very interesting and his words on leadership to be timely yet ageless. By the end of the book, I found myself doing research on Peter Drucker, which I am sure is one of President Beebe's key objectives.

Just a heads up that this book is formatted in extremely large print which actually makes reading it difficult to follow. I didn't notice it saying anything like "large print" when I purchased so I was surprised. Great content, but the Read How You Want publisher makes this a "wonky" reading experience.

Whether you are the head of a large company, or a mid-level manager responsible for a single division, or even a single employee in a start-up company, what you do as a leader fundamentally shapes the destiny of your organization, according to Gayle Beebe in this book. The world desperately needs individuals willing to pay the price, undergo the development and put up with the inconvenience in order to provide effective leadership.The book, which is in part a panegyric to the celebrated management teacher and author Peter Drucker, arises from lessons learnt during the author's leadership experience which includes 12 years as a college president. The author identifies 8 principles arranged in a pyramid structure, with character as the base upon which are built competence, chemistry, culture, compatibility, convictions, connections and commitment. For each level of the pyramid there is a vice and a virtue, and the discussion of each principle draws on the teachings of Drucker.I agree with the author that the world needs a lot more of the right sorts of leaders. Whilst I did not find the book as enthralling as some of the other books on leadership that I have read, there is in my opinion a lot of sound and helpful advice to be found between the covers. Hopefully readers will be sufficiently enticed by the quotes from Peter Drucker to try reading some of his works first-hand.

I have always believed that it is good to read a book, but it is even better to know the author. I have had the privilege of taking classes from Dr. Gayle Beebe, and the honor of having him serve on my dissertation committee. I have been forever changed by the experience. I can state, as an eyewitness, that Dr. Beebe has written a book about the kind of leadership principles that he exemplifies. I will use this book, about the leadership traits it takes to be a true difference maker, in all of the courses I teach in educational leadership and teacher training. The Shaping of an Effective Leader is yet another debt of gratitude I owe to Gayle Beebe for the profound impact he has had on my life.Dr. Glen Lloyd Green

In essence this book is a perfect stepping stone upon which to delve further into the topic of leadership. The personal nature of the principles Beebe introduces resonate deeply with the reader because they provide life to what otherwise might feel like a dry subject that many believe is out of their reach. He provides a solid framework upon which to expand your leadership purview. Beebe places the reader in a friendly conversation about leadership similar to what a student would do with his/her mentor.If you want a thoughtful and personal view on leadership that does not read like a textbook then I highly recommend this book.

I worked with Gayle Beebe when he was president at Spring Arbor University. I was privileged to see the original pyramid that led to the eight principles of leadership before the book was written.From character to commitment, Gayle has used his creative genius to help all of us who are leaders. This is one of the most effective books I have read. Thank you Gayle.Irene Price GreinerAlumni Director, Spring Arbor University

Well written and thoughtful guide to the necessary qualities of effectiveness and leadership. Should be required reading in any leadership course.

Beebe's book has very helpful ideas, but honestly, most of them have been stated before. The book reads quite autobiographical about Beebe's personal learning and experiences, about how much he has learned as a leader. Interesting read, yet would not recommend it. There are much better books out there on effective leadership.