From the authors of the best-selling books 'TeamWork' and 'When Teams Work Best'.
This is an ideal supplement for undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, servant leadership, social leadership, service learning, and social entrepreneurship.
"A powerful, moving, and substantive book that puts leadership in the hands of every day people. LaFasto and Larson's work is grounded in theory yet crystal clear in describing the core dimensions of humanistic leadership. This book expands the domain of leadership and encourages all of us to make life better in some way for others." - Peter G. Northouse, Western Michigan University
Key Features:
- Thirty stories of real people: The leaders interviewed for this book are a highly diverse group. They range in age from 16 to 88 years old. Six of them are still under 30 but are leading important efforts in areas such as stopping child sexual exploitation, helping foster children, and building wells in countries where water is scarce. Both men and women, the interviewees are multicultural in origin and in focus. They come from countries as diverse as India, Canada, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and the United States. They are of different spiritual beliefs and religious backgrounds. Their educational levels range from middle school to doctorate level, and their incomes vary widely. Some are still in school; some have careers; some are retired. All are engaged in meaningful efforts to better the human condition somewhere in the world.
- End-of-chapter tools for self-discovery: These tools include exercises that encourage personal reflection as well as class discussion. This approach will pair well with additional content on leadership styles, models, and theories in a mainstream course.
- Focus on social responsibility, finding one's passion, and seeking personal meaning from one's work: Through the examples of the people profiled in this book and our research-based discussions, the book offers valuable insights into how each of us can connect with a social issue or need that we are passionate about and translate that connection into a meaningful, self-fulfilling helping experience. The book puts particular emphasis on identifying one's own strengths and finding ways in which those strengths can be put to use in the service of others. Chapter 9, "A Larger Life," explores the relationship between helping others and personal happiness.
- End-of-book suggestions for getting started: A back-of-the-book section offers concrete suggestions for how to begin one's own journey toward helping others. An extended example is offered for how to take the first small step and then proceed in an incremental fashion to assuming increasing ownership of a helping effort. This step-by-step process of increasing personal responsibility is illustrated by a helpful chart titled "The Spectrum of Involvement." A resource section offers websites of organizations featured in the book for those who might have been inspired by the stories of the interviewees.
Industry Reviews
A powerful, moving, and substantive book that puts leadership in the hands of everyday people. LaFasto and Larson's work is grounded in theory yet crystal clear in describing the core dimensions of humanitarian leadership. This book expands the domain of leadership and encourages all of us to make life better in some way for others. -- Peter G. Northouse As someone who comes from a long line of public servants, I found the message of service to others in this insightful and original book inspiring and hopeful. The problems we face in our global community are complex and often seemingly intractable, but LaFasto and Larson make a convincing case that individual citizens, of any age and from any walk of life, can have a positive and often lasting impact. So many of us want to help, but don't know where to begin. The deeply moving stories of the remarkable people profiled in this book help point the way. -- United States Senator Mark Udall "This short book gives me hope that giants continue to walk the earth, lending a hand to those in need of extraordinary help." -- Dr. Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor, City University of New York "It is gratifying to see so many of the leaders in this book engaged in the vital work of improving the health of men, women, and children around the globe. The commitment and compassion of these humanitarians make me believe in a future in which people everywhere enjoy long, productive lives." -- Dr. Brian Williams, former Epidemiologist, World Health Organization; Fellow of the South African Centre for Epidemiology and Analysis This book should be required reading for every student in every University in the country. President John F. Kennedy told us "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction." Now La Fasto and Larson have made sense of this position and made it easy for each of us to understand the power we have within us to make a real difference in the real world. -- Harry Leibowitz
