Boundaries for Leaders

I just finished Dr. Henry Cloud’s newest book Boundaries for Leaders.  I really believe this is a must have for your leadership library.

I’m a firm believer that you must lead yourself well to lead others better and this is one of those books that will help you lead yourself well.

The key point from the book that I’ve been thinking about over and over is, “as a leader, you always get what you create and what you allow.”  Leadership is tough and there are days that we unintentionally allow or create unhealthy behaviors in our teams.  We must be aware of what we’re creating and what we’re allowing.  Dr. Cloud explains that we’re “ridiculously in charge” and we must own what we’re creating.

Here are a few other key things that I highlighted from the book:

“the leader sets the boundaries that will determine whether the vision and the people thrive or fail.”

“when leaders begin to behave differently, most of the issues that hamper results and harm company culture are truly fixable.”

“Ultimately, leaders own it.  They are the ones who define and create the boundaries that drive the behavior that forms the identity of teams and culture and sets the standards of performance.”

“Sometimes the smartest and most talented leaders are very, very close to significant success, if they can get their ‘people issues’ sorted out.”

“Good boundaries, both those that help us manage ourselves and lead others, always produce freedom, not control.”

“too many leaders forget that they also need to manage themselves, since no one else is doing it; they fail to put into place key boundaries of self-leadership that the sheer volume of work and responsibilities can obscure.”

Where does your leadership need more boundaries?