Leadership Lessons from the Cherokee Nation: Learn from All I Observe

by Chad Smith

Leadership lessons from the Cherokee chief who transformed his nation Chad "Corntassel" Smith was instrumental in turning his 300,000-strong nation from an organization in turmoil and disarray into a functional, progressive business/government entity. In "Leadership Lessons of the Cherokee Nation," Smith introduces the "Point A to Point B" leadership model he used. It is based on a traditional Cherokee prayer that encourages learning from different perspectives as the sun moves across the sky from sunrise to sunset.

This model illustrates that at Point A, people must have the humility to understand their place in space and time, as well as their strengths and weaknesses; Point B requires vision and an understanding of opportunities. "Leadership Lessons of the Cherokee Nation" helps you negotiate the curves, detours, and potholes between the two points.

Chad "Corntassel" Smith is the former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1999-2011) and now speaks and consults to organizations across the country.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Reference

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the title, I expected stories about leadership that could be replicated in my own business. That title, though, is misleading. Instead of repeatable lessons, this is more a history of the author's time as a leader of the Cherokee Nation. Much of the book consists of magazine or newspaper articles penned by the author, mostly about nation politics or stories about interesting nation members. To me, they read like Paul Harvey stories, homespun by design. The author's leadership stories revolve around his attempt at rebuilding Cherokee character by eliminating an entitlement mentality and dealing with politics, which he does with these stories. The final section was a series of annual "state of the nation" speeches given by the author. I found very little of this book useful for leadership in my life, but I could see some might find this useful.

I was also disappointed that many of the stories are repeated. The author used magazine articles written over more than a decade for much of this book, and many articles repeated stories about people the author met, his parents, and his history. You read about a Cherokee high school student that died of cancer four times, give or take, throughout the book. While repeating basic stories might be the way to get elected or to sway beliefs, it doesn't make for compelling reading.

As a leadership book, I found this underwhelming. But this works as a history of the Cherokee Nation under Chad Smith, albeit with the repetition issues I described above. Smith covers the range of happenings in the nation, from the petty battles of tribal politics to the reflection on lost heros to the impact of the nation running businesses.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chad Smith's "Leadership Lessons from the Cherokee Nation" is a must read for anyone looking for an inspiring, productive read in the realm of leadership. Smith accounts his years and progressions as a leader of the Cherokee nation from 1999 until 2011, and he draws upon his own knowledge, personal experiences, as well as the experiences of his family - including his great-grandfather Redbird Smith - as how to how they lead their lives as leaders in the face of numerous challenges and adversity. I thought this was an eye-opening read not only on the level of learning the history of struggles within and among the Cherokee Nation, but also how it approaches getting back to basics and paving a way to learn and progress. Smith identifies that it takes listening and learning to identify the problems that are there, identifying where and how you want to progress beyond that point, and then taking the steps to apply that "Point A to Point B" mentality in order to achieve the results one wants, and I found it not only illuminating to see how this worked from the principles of the Cherokee Nation, but also in any measure of attaining ones goals for not only the individual, but working within and for a group.

This is certainly a book I would not hesitate to recommend and one that I will long keep with me as far as the lessons and messages it carries are concerned. Much, much respect to Chad Smith for writing this respective work - I found the principles, essays, and advice all worth the read.

Overall score: 5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher McGraw Hill.

[Bill Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, written from a humble perspective with some of life's greatest lessons. Hard work, attention to details and an ethnic philosophy that leads to award winning community.

[Eric Paradis · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Audio book version). This book presents lessons in leadership inspired by a real-life experience by Chad Smith who was Chief-Principal of the Cherokee Nation for more than 10 years. It is presented as a road-map or a recipe driving to success for any endeavour. The backdrop being the hardships of the Cherokee people over the last four centuries, the material goes beyond the business talk gibberish and is very down to earth with real life examples. It is inspiring, sometimes redundant, but always pertinent and elevating. Learn by observing from all angles, pursue your goals undaunted, define your goals, plant your seeds and leave the wood pile higher.

[Michelle's Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book cover is on my Pinterest board and my blog, Michelle Dragalin’s Journey.