Book Summary Preview : Never Steal a Paper Clip

The Big Idea

Rather than limiting itself to theoretical research and social surveys, the best leadership literature fleshes out the true meaning of leadership through highlighting the experiences of men and women who have learned the lessons of success and failure.

Words such as commitment, values, character, trust, and humility fill the pages of these books to remind us of timeless truths and the people who learned them. It is always best to learn from those who have learned these lessons the hard way – instead of having to learn them for ourselves.

Why You Need This Book

In this “edutaining” organizational fable, you'll get realistic scenarios and solutions, showing how individuals and organizations should address communication issues that cost organizations millions or even billions of dollars in wasted effort every year.

This book will help everyone at all levels within an organization deal with the moose around the office.

Why You Need This Book

This book emphasizes the importance of other people’s experiences. It shows constructive and courageous ways to deal with common leadership problems. It distills time-tested insights into twelve maxims, each one beginning with Never, to teach us what not to do in order to become great leaders. In many of them, specific examples of actual people whose experiences exemplify each maxim, those who learned the maxims ‘the hard way’, are mentioned to illustrate the point.

Leadership Maxim 1 – Never Play God

Leaders who are vaulted to the pinnacle of power are particularly susceptible to the temptation to upstage whoever may be ahead of them. If you succumb to this temptation, you will always crumble under the weight of your own ego if you pretend to have the power or the position of a god.

Leaders have a hard time pretending to be humble when they want to take the credit for their achievements and throw their weight around. Your problem begins when you try to play god.

The temptation to play god is a never-ending one for leaders, and it must be constantly fought. But once one is free from it, one can lead to the full extent of one’s skills and creativity.

Leadership Maxim 2 – Never Blink in a Hailstorm

If you can’t stand loneliness, stay away from leadership. Outside observers usually see the gregarious side of leaders. Standing out in the midst of a crowd, a leader attracts attention, commands respect, and relishes the presence of colleagues, staff, friends, and well-wishers. To say that a leader is lonely appears to be a contradiction in terms.

President Lyndon Johnson set the record straight in his common and crusty way. He said that being a leader was often like being a jackass in a Texas hailstorm.

Every leader knows what he means. It is lonely at the top when the buck stops, as it must – when the leader stands up and takes responsibility for all that occurs under his watch – and the hail of criticism cuts loose.

As lonely as you may very well be in your leadership role, you will never know real isolation. Your loneliness may be real, but it is never ultimate.

Leadership Maxim 3 – Never Go Solo

Leaders may often be lonely, but they must never go it alone. This is not a contradiction; it is a dangerous moment. Confiding in no one, confessing to no one, and accepting criticism from no one… Any leader who experiences loneliness will be tempted to go solo.

This is a legitimate concern. With their superiors, they have to be performing artists; with their peers, they have to insatiable optimists. With whom can they be themselves?

As an antidote to loneliness, leaders need someone reliable and reputable in whom they can confide.

 

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