Mike,

Your review comes with several key points to remember and apply in any business.

The kind of leadership style, that the author advocates, could work in the industrial revolution era. But even in those days, Henry Ford's scientific management was based on observing, listening and measuring the employee's work to make the necessary performance tune ups.

Today, the most advanced economies aren't competing in the industrial era league. They're competing in the knowledge era league! The globalization and the speed of technological evolution has changed the way business compete and work. In the industrial era the focus was mass production. Today, the focus is personalized innovation. Today, the employee knows much more about the what, why, where and the how of building the product/service than his boss. Today, the employee plays a critical role in the way that customers experience a brand by delivering a world-class customer experience.

The leadership style must adapt to this new reality. The new leadership style should focus on People and Results. And in this order because without People, I absolutely guarantee you that, you can NOT achieve any successful Results.
Caring about your employees doesn't make you a weak leader... it shows that you're humble enough to recognize that you can't make everything by your own and that you appreciate the choice that every employee made to choose YOU as a employer.
Praise your employees when they achieve great results. Redirect them when they should know better. Do this, and you will build a great team and a great business.

Bottom line is: you can lead in fundamental two ways. Through fear or through respect. If you choose the first option, sooner or later your followers will say: that's enough! History has shown us this over and over again. If you choose the second option, then the chances are great that you'll make an impact in the World.

The choice is up to you.

Thank you Mike for sharing this with us.

Best regards,
Bruno Coelho