Book Review: EntreLeadership

EntreLeadership is defined as “the process of leading to cause a venture to grow and prosper”.  Dave Ramsey has done it again.  He has released another practical tool for leaders who desire to honor the Lord in the details.  Reading EntreLeadership is much like listening to Dave speak…fast, funny, and focused.  I enjoyed this book in particular because of the amount of time Dave spent talking about mistakes he has made and the lessons he learned from those mistakes.  Many leadership “experts” have a hard time investing in young leaders because they allow their pride to get in the way of sharing their own mistakes along the way.  Dave also dedicated a good bit of this book to explain his own hiring practices as well as his efforts in honoring his team on a daily basis.  I would encourage anyone in a leadership position to read this…and make sure that you refer back to it often.

Below, I have pasted some things that I highlighted while reading…

  • Our championship team is no accident.  We have intentionally built a culture, a value system, and operating principles that cause us to win.  The vast majority of the plays in the playbook are from our own mistakes.  We screwed up, that screwup brought us pain, and we vowed never to get his that way again.
  • Have you ever asked yourself what kind of leader your team members want?
  • EntreLeadership is defined as “the process of leading to cause a venture to grow and prosper”.
  • Your personal strengths will be your company’s strengths and–you guessed it–your personal weaknesses will be your company’s weaknesses.
  • If you want employees, then boss them around; if you want team members, explain why you do what you do.
  • The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound.
  • Look for the little actions you can take that say to your team that while you are in charge, and while you lead from strength, you are all in this together.
  • Dreaming is the lifeblood of people and organizations that are alive and thriving.
  • Goals are visions and dreams with work clothes on.
  • Write the vision and make it plain.  Habakkuk 2:2
  • Ninety percent of making the right decision is the gathering of information.
  • In the multitude of counsel there is safety.  Proverbs 11:14
  • Passion and intensity are two of the hallmarks of the EntreLeader.
  • Don’t be intense about the wrong things.
  • People don’t want to be “marketed to,” they want to be “communicated with.”  Flint McLaughlin
  • You will only sacrifice when you passionately believe in the outcome.
  • You won’t get to the end of your life and wish you had made more money.
  • The first and often the largest mistake we make in hiring is we don’t take enough time.
  • Treat your team like family and they will act like family.
  • Always go too far in extending grace in the case of personal problems because you will never have regrets that way.
  • When there is a problem with a team member’s behavior or competence, we communicate that very clearly and very often.
  • “Sanctioned incompetence demoralizes.” John Maxwell
  • Some days leadership is unbelievably tough.  It requires that you walk through the pain of really rough decisions that are best for everyone in the long term but hurt deeply in the short term.
  • Have the courage to do the right thing, the right way, at the right time, and you will be on your way to becoming an EntreLeader.
  • You could be so smart that you miss the opportunity to be wise.
  • Be diligent to know the state of your flocks and herds. Proverbs 27:23
  • MBWA-Management By Walking Around
  • You have to learn to treat other people like you would want to be treated if you want loyalty and unity in your company.
  • If you want your team to buy into your dream and execute with every ounce of passion they have, you must be caught caring about them personally and treating them with dignity.
  • People yearn for attention.
  • Recognize people in writing.
  • “Leaders are brokers of hope.” Napoleon
  • Be intentional about what you value.
  • When you love on your team it is not hard to attract talent.
  • When in doubt, be generous.
  • In order for the EntreLeader to successfully delegate, they must come to trust the team members’ integrity and competency.
  • Titles don’t make leaders, and if you give someone the title and hold them to the results you must also give them the authority to act.  Responsibility without authority is an explosive shell of a position.
  • “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere.” -Ronald Reagan

 

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