Dear Bookworms,
Recently, I received a recommendation from a well-respected business leader to read the book Monday Morning Leadership. He recommended it as one that had impacted his own perspective significantly and so I took note. For readers, teachers, or just life-long learners, a good book is an invaluable tool, and if this one has contributed at all to the success of the man endorsing it, then I wanted to know about it.
Monday Morning Leadership is a short volume written by the acclaimed businessman David Cottrell. There are, of course, thousands of valuable books available on the topics of leadership and business management, but what made this one so interesting to me is that the material was presented through a story. Essentially, it provides a fictionalized account of a man, Jeff Walters, who seeks out the advice and mentorship of Tony Pearce, a respected older businessman because he has reached an impasse with his career and recognizes the need for some help. Tony agrees to help Jeff on the condition that he will commit to meeting together every Monday morning for eight weeks.
My honest opinion is that, as a fiction story, this book leaves much to be desired but as instructional material, it is succinct and engaging. The story moves along largely through dialogue between Jeff and Tony. Because of the didactic nature of Cottrell’s material, however, he has these characters using an abundance of repetition and summarizing, which frequently leads to awkward-sounding conversation.
To get value out of this book (of which, there is a great deal) I recommend an intentional suspension of disbelief. The dialogue is a tool to place the concepts discussed on a relatable level and it does that well.
Each chapter focuses on one of the Monday morning meetings as Tony teaches Jeff how to reevaluate foundational business principles. Topics range from conceptual areas like attitudes and perspectives, to practical matters, like time management and hiring. Cottrell breaks down the concepts with simple, focused explanations and analogies that make otherwise intimidating concepts digestible. Although I initially found it somewhat frustrating that Jeff’s workplace struggles are discussed mostly in vague and general terms, I came to appreciate how this allows readers to see the broader concepts at work, and to envision the solutions for their own circumstances, rather than becoming distracted by the specifics of one particular example Cottrell could have invented for Jeff.
Overall, I appreciated this book very much. It’s a quick read and the key concepts are reinforced at the end of each chapter with a graphic of Jeff’s “notes” for the day. Monday Morning Leadership is definitely something I’ll be keeping on my shelves!
Keep reading!
Live, Love, Learn,
Elise and The Write Teacher(s)