A SAILOR LOOKS AT LEADERSHIP

Randy Deering applies leadership principles from his sailing experience to business and other areas of everyday life in this enjoyable, easy-to-read book on leadership. though sailing seems to take a minor role in A Sailor Looks at Leadership, the author takes the helm in this fairly comprehensive overview of leadership methods and styles, expertly steering the reader through a fast-paced regatta of one-liners. Deering fills the pages with positive, simple, concise theories supported by quotes and data. For instance, he starts chapter 3 with “someone has wisely quipped, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably wind up some place else’” (p. 31). In another place he quotes Burt Nanus: “there is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success then an attractive, worthwhile, achievable vision for the future, widely shared” (p. 31). Finally, after depositing some thoughtful insights, Deering follows with an inscription chiseled in the walls of a Sussex church: “a vision without a task is just a dream, a task without a vision is drudgery, but a vision and a task is the hope of the world” (p. 32). Deering defiantly simplifies, yet supports, a life journey of leadership.

In the section on teamwork, Deering quotes Henry Ford and then follows up with his own thoughtful commentary: “Henry Ford said, ‘Don’t find fault, find a remedy.’ Problems either stop us or stretch us. We can see obstacles or we can see objectives. You can see solutions in every challenge or a problem in every situation” (p. 40). Within almost every theory or point, the author interjects some good homespun thought, obviously based on years of experience and an educated mind. All aspects of leadership seem to be covered: team building, top down leadership, values, and trust building, to name a few. He even shares what he feels a leader needs personally, things like “Keeping in shape physically and mentally” (p. 94), stress management, and seeking sanctuary.

Deering picks up many of the same lessons Christ would have learned through the simple life of one who lived by the sea, then repackages them into modern words. Deering, a theologian with Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees, has a tendency to treat the connection of leadership and christianity as assumed until the last section of the last chapter. “Reputation is who people say you are, character is who you really are. the famous preacher D. L. Moody said, ‘character is what you are in the dark when nobody is looking’” (p. 110). after a short dialog regarding character, not charisma, Deering wraps up with what he calls his “Ten commandments for Leadership” (p. 111).

A Sailor Looks at Leadership can be viewed from two different paradigms. One would be that the book is for someone new to the concept of leadership, that it gives a general overview in a non-threatening tone to introduce a reader to a very complex set of topics. The second point of view is that Deering’s book is a nice review of deeply studied theories in laymen’s terms, coupled with copious illustrations and quotes that add to the foundation and understanding of these theories. In such a complex field as leadership, seldom do you find a book that not only attempts to simplify concepts but succeeds.

GARTH WOODRUFF is an Instructor of Horticulture and Landscape Design at Andrews University. He is currently an avid sailor and promoter of gaining leadership skills through outdoor experiences.