Customer Reviews

The Tao of Leadership: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching Adapted for a New Age

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I've used this book for over 10 years as my leadership support tool. As General Manager of a $200MM business, I need perspective and support on a daily basis - and Heider's book provides it. I love that the persective is NOT a management flavor of the week, but a view on leadership that stands the test of time.

I've given this book as a gift to peers, friends, and family for years - just purchased copies last week for my new staff. It provides us with a common framework and a vision of where we're taking our organization.

Thanks, Heider, for great thoughts, great lessons, and great leadership!

I have read several translations of the Tao Te Ching and was very disappointed in this read. I feel as if much of the strengths from the original text are lost in this author?s choice of words and examples. This translation loses the beauty and appreciation of nature that the original texts focused on. (He refers to calculators and computers in some instances) I was also bothered by his addition of the Christian understanding of God as a character in his translations. Over all I really recommend finding a better translation than this to read if you are a first timer. (such as translation by Victor H. Mair) It is a bit more of a heavy read but caries over the interesting paradoxes that make the ancient document so intriguing.

Also read ?The wisdom of insecurity? By Allan Watts (a Beatnik) if you like the idea of Taoism

In this book, Heider guides the reader down the long path to enlightened leadership. Leadership is not about manipulation or command and control, says Heider; the leader should at most be a catalyst for what the group should come up with themselves. Interesting stuff. The gold nuggets of wisdom that Heider gives in this book are reason enough to buy it, even if you are not a leader. It goes without saying that Taoism encompasses much more than mere leadership and I finished the book wanting to know more about Taoism. My one criticism of this book is that it is not for everybody. What Heider purports, essentially, is a very specific, idealised form of leadership (in real life, you have to learn to have a forceful presence, not just be wise and harmonious). But if this sounds like your type of book, then buy it, along with Max Depree's Leadership Is An Art.

Important lessons for all leaders

This collection of thoughts is a great inspiration to those with a desire not only to be a good and fair leader of others, but also to learn how to lead one's self to greater understanding and gain. This is not a book of gaining better control and manipulation in the office. It is a fantastic compendium of modern Tao and a great way to think about life in general.

John Heider's translation is a maserpiece. He is able to thouroughly and concisely bring the important features of the Tao teachings to the lay person. The book is separated in sections which one can read on a daily basis or all in one sitting. Perhaps the most relaxing feature are the small sketches that accompany some tof the verses. This book is not just for leaders, but for everyone who wants to understand the our world and our very miniscurle and great positon in it.

A great book to read. Opens your heart and helps one see, think, hear, believe and live differently. Thinking less and yet having more. Doing less and yet recieving more.

Heider, John. The Tao of Leadership. Atlanta: Humanics Limited, copyright 1985.

The Tao of Leadership is a book loaded with pearls of wisdom for any person in a position of authority to make a part of their repertoire of leadership strategies. The 3 themes of this book are: 1. Natural Law, or how things happen. 2. A way of life, or how to live in conscious harmony with natural law. 3. A method of leadership, or how to govern or educate other in accordance with natural law. This author looks at various principles of living that if utilized in one's life, can lead to harmony when interacting with others. He adapted these Tao principles from the Chinese culture, and many of the principles have been incorporated into the leadership styles of political rulers and sages of the Chinese people. At first, some of the principles were difficult for me to except because the effort to apply them seemed too easy to incorporate into my responses when interacting with others. But as I practiced the Tao thought, I realized that keeping my ego out of responses to outside stimuli required balancing the application of giving and accepting without allowing myself to judge the person involved; not an easy task! This is an excellent book for those who are looking for strategies to improve their leadership skills.

Leadership is not something you are born with. Nor something you buy in the local deli. It is a life-long process of ever changing, growing, empowering others. And in the end - the best leaders are those, people around them will say "We did it ourselves." If you are ready to develop yourself into being such a leader - this is the right book for you. But be worn and remember - it will take you years to develop this unique capacity. The good thing, though, is that each and every one of us has this capacity within us. Good luck! Ronen Ben-Naphtali (Israel)

The Tao of leadership offers simple clear guidance on how leadership happens. I use the principles of this book in my therapy group leadership and training. Well worth the read. Do not expect tricks to perform, but rather personal philosophy that can affect all aspects of your life. Another reveiwer wrote that this book would be better if it were called the Tao of Life and less leadership centred. It's been done-The Tao Te Ching! This book offers the same material modified for any life leadership role. A good read.