Internship Book Review

Book Review for
A New Breed of Leader: 8 Leadership Qualities that Matter Most in the Real World
By Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D.

This book outlines the qualities and characteristics needed for leaders in the 21st Century. Dr. Bethel writes that we must let go of the past and our reaction to change must allow for new leadership dreams and actions to emerge. The author describes these eight characteristics as puzzle pieces. As my educational colleagues consider these concepts, Dr. Bethel writes, “the value of each piece lies in the tools it gives you to shape your personal leadership strength and to reinforce your ability to serve others” (Bethel, p.6, 2009).

The eight qualities leaders need to acquire and possess are competence, accountability, openness, language, values, perspective, power and humility. Bethel categorizes leaders into four different groups. These include enlighteners, creators, sustainers, and builders. Enlighteners are those that feel an obligation to a cause, social issue, personal or corporate goals and their vision. Creators are those that can envision prospective ideas coming to fruition when others cannot. Sustainers have the ability to take the work of the enlighteners and creators and multiply the effectiveness and production, making the projects long-term successes. Builders are leaders those that have the ability to create a vision of which all stakeholders can take ownership (Bethel, 2009).

Competence is a quality that is continually built. Competence is what a leader uses to back up his vision and purpose as he expresses it to his followers. It is not always transferable from one leadership situation to another. It is expressed in four areas: emotional, intellectual, instinctive and strategic. Of these, emotional competence is what allows a leader to stay calm in the midst of conflict among employees or others. Proactive thinking, that helps avoid conflict by actions such as including all stakeholders, is a form of strategic competence.

Accountability is the second value necessary for today’s leaders. This quality requires leaders to walk the talk they give to their families, communities and employees. Today’s society needs leaders who are accountable and personally responsible. Accountable leaders are able to accept the blame for their mistakes, live by example and understand that others are watching them closely to see if they are authentic in their lives. Dr. Bethel writes, “Discipline…the ability to do what you should do, when you should do it, to the best of your ability, whether you want to or like to, or not” (Bethel, p. 101, 2009).

The third characteristic is openness. Openness is the ability to have an open mind, open heart and open ears. Leaders - who are open - foster an environment that allows for creativity and the freedom to encourage “out-of-the-box” thinking. They possess a sense of humor that allows for the dismissal of overt fastidiousness that squelches innovative thinking.

Language and its proper use are the fourth quality leaders need. Leaders need to be clear. “Clarity means being able to communicate in clear, simple, and precise terms” (p. 155). Leaders can improve their communications skills by improving their ability to present information, by studying the masters, by committing to speaking plainly, and by mastering the usage of words.

The fifth value is values! Leaders must have personal values that exist as a sieve through which all decisions fall. As a leader, your values include what you think is important, needed, and true. Some of the values individuals seek include recognition, relationship, status, power, accomplishment, wealth, and acceptance. All of these values play a role in our interaction with others. (Bethel, 2009)

Leaders should also possess the sixth characteristic – perspective. This quality allows us to consider events and their consequences from the past, present and future. It helps us to achieve balance and simplicity as we look at the challenges we face. This is important for school leaders as they try to balance the interests of all the stakeholders in a school community.

Power is the seventh quality. Leadership power can derive from the position a person holds. It can also be the personal fortitude a person possesses. Many educational institutions look for headmaster, principal or superintendent having the mindset of a servant leader. These leaders do not require others to do a task that they would not be willing to do themselves.

Lastly, the quality of humility is invaluable to leaders. This quality makes a leader approachable and sincere. It also keeps the leader from making decisions out of haste based on pride. It is also the quality that allows a leader to have the courage to apologize.

For educational leaders to home their leadership skills, Dr. Bethel lists some suggestions for personal development. These include managing time, commitment to goals, weight control, empathy, listen, spiritual development, budgeting money, concentration, attitudes toward children and parents, feelings of self-worth and getting sufficient sleep (p. 364). Developing these skills and others would help the educational leader to fulfill their purpose in the position they have found themselves.

Bethel, S. (2009). A New Breed of Leader: 8 leadership qualities that matter most in the real world: what works, what doesn't, and why . New York: Berkley Publishing Group.