Leadership Is a Relationship: How to Put People First in the Digital World

by Michael S. Erwin, Willys DeVoll

The glut of information that floods our brains each day has quietly taken a very important victim: interpersonal relationships. Strong relationships are crucial for our health and flourishing, and leaders who proactively value relationships are building stronger, healthier, and more successful organizations. In this book, the authors document just how seriously the Information Age has compromised our connection to other people, and offer a compelling, story-based solution.

By interviewing a group of successful and internationally prominent leaders from different careers, backgrounds, skill sets, and schools of thought, the authors offer readers an inspiring antidote to one of the most serious--and underreported--crises of our era. They showcase leaders who couldn't be more different from media-darling CEOs like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos, who've built profit-making machines with ruthless tactics and an almost pathological lack of empathy. Each chapter of the book will end with questions for reflection and take-away tips, making it perfect for a busy reader who wants quick insight, or the leader who wants to use it as a modular curriculum for their organization.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Business, Professional Development

224 pages, Hardcover

Published November 9, 2021

Reviews

[Harper · Rating 2 out of 5]

school book, had good nuggets but just wasn't vibing

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever your answer is you will benefit from this book. Hard learned lessons from both others and stories throughout make it an easy read.

I took pages of notes, some I will use starting now. Some will be part of organizational strategies used in the future to build teams that truly focus on their people and naturally develops leaders.

I have had the pleasure of sitting down with Mike Erwin. Search Always in Pursuit podcast episode 50. Mike is a master relationship builder who has built numerous teams in and out of uniform.

Highly recommend this book!!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the most relevant leadership book I've read recently. The best part of this book is it is CURRENT to today’s world. This book was not written in the early 2000s or 1990s it encompasses today world and problems. The art of being a Leader that leaders by relationship, in my opinion is the utmost important skill a Leader can possess. There is no need to focus on the bottom line when you lead by relationships because that bottom like will just continue to grow.

[Marty Webb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a professional book club. We chose the book after one of the authors was on Brene Brown’s podcast, and was very compelling. While some of the stories were great none of us in the book club enjoyed because we gained no new insights and some of the stories while compelling felt mismatched to the theme.

[Libbey · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’re looking for an Uber-masculine, practically questionable self help book, look no further. I, however, was not. Severe lack of diverse stories but plenty (read: only) examples of leadership from the military and sports. Two stars because it had a select number of sound pieces of advice and my hard copy had large font.

[Cliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a unique read and approach. A leadership book focused not on specific skills but instead focused on leadership as a collaborative activity. Leaders are nothing without the people they lead, and strengthening our relationships betters us as humans who lead other humans. It is all about relationships.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted more from the book - I wanted more summary at the end. The stories were ok - but the takeaways were lacking. Also the stories didn’t always fit the theme, so they needed more the authors to tie it all together.

[Hannah Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy pointers for leaders or people who want to be leaders. Very relatable to work life and work life balance

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly anecdotes/stories focused on military stories. Not unhelpful but small pool to draw from. Nothing “revelatory” in this, some good nuggets of leadership wisdom.

[Christa JoAnna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is NOT a leadership book 📕

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know the author of this book personally! And that's always fun.

My connection to Mike Erwin aside, I really enjoyed this. I liked that it used personal stories to convey examples of leading through relationships, and I liked that that's the framework for how the authors encourage readers to put people first in the digital world.

Readers seeking very specific takeaways in the form of a system to put people first might be disappointed since this isn't a traditional "how to" book in that sense. But I enjoyed that it wasn't a "list format" and I really enjoyed how they crafted the book to support their hypothesis that leading through relationships should be at the foundation of what we strive to do.

[Justin Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out about this book when one of the co-authors (Mike Erwin) was on Brene Brown's podcast discussing this work and I was intrigued. It is a quick read, well-organized around eight chapters. The co-authors combine their insights with the stories of leaders such as former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald to highlight the importance of relationship-based leadership in today's chaotic landscape. I found the writing quite timely as we approach the three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with organizations forced to adapt to hybrid work environments and different communication platforms. Although these digital tools have come a long way and kept organizations operating when they had to rapidly adjust from working together in an office, they highlight the richness of in-person interactions and how communicating through the screen just cannot capture those subtle, non-verbal inputs we experience sitting across from someone. The fourth chapter is entitled "The Vocabulary of Trust" which resonated with me, including the vignette on Bob McDonald becoming Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the summer of 2014 when the VA was under pressure from an internal audit, FBI probe, and a White House investigation. The message was clear that seemingly trivial changes to the words we use can build or erode trust.

[Chris M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broadly insightful with a specific message

I liked how the personal stories related to specific circumstances. And yet, each of them were consistent to the theme of “relationships matter”. Each of them belonged in this book.

While I enjoyed reading this book (I’m a 40-something professional who has learned relationship lessons the hard way!) I think this book would be especially helpful for young, ambitious people who are inspired to achieve “great things” in life. Erwin’s book is full of inspiring stories that offer a gentle warning, one that hopefully teaches lessons and grants wisdom leading to a fulfilling life where relationships are prioritized before self, status or career.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the stories compelling and the message clearly explanatory and inspirational.