Leading from the Heart: Choosing To Be a Servant Leader

By Jack Kahl

Book Overview

Drawing from his thirty years of entrepreneurial experience, his friendship with Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and years of self-motivated study, Jack Kahl reveals the true spirit of leadership. In 1971, Kahl made the investment of a lifetime: he bought a small, Cleveland company with revenues of just $800,000, renamed the company Manco, Inc., and began creating one of the most exciting business stories ever. By the time Kahl retired in 2000, the company was selling consumer products to the best retailers around the globe and had achieved revenues of more than $300 million. He sold the company in 1998, sharing 30% of the wealth -- some $27 million -- with his partners, a title long held by every Manco employee. With Leading From the Heart, Kahl brings a unique and powerful lesson to all aspiring leaders: leadership begins with a choice -- a choice to serve others that comes from the heart.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0578462176
• ISBN13: 9780578462172
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Kahl & Associates
• Length: 130 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

An important balance

As the CEO of Manco, Inc., Jack Kahl is a very successful businessman. Now he can add accomplished author to his list, because Leading from the Heart is a great read that enlightened me to many effective leadership tactics. His idea of a servant leader is inspiring and provides leadership techniques that make people WANT to follow you. This book would be a great guide for any entrepreneur that wants to build a successful business based on good values. Everything in Leading from the Heart is relevant and applicable to real life situations. Kahl's ideas can lead you to a successful career and a happier life as well.

Impressive Book, I'd Reccommed It To Anyone

This is a great book. I've been a student of leadership for the past few years, always reading about historically significant men and women and how they were able to impact the world. Then I picked up Kahl's book, and I couldn't put it down. Servant leadership isn't a new concept, many of the powerful leaders I've studied employed this technique. However, in today's society, we rarely focus on a servant leadership technique. Kahl does a great job of outlining what real leadership looks like and how one can implement it in his everyday life. He makes the case that being a servant leader isn't "weak" or "sweet." No, it's the most effective way to influence others, reach your goals, and make sure you AND your team are successful. Whether you are a CEO, business owner, or simply in charge of leading your family, you will find relevant advice and concepts to think about in this book.

Changed my thinking in the workplace

When my boyfriend first handed me this book and said I had to check it out, I was honestly a little offended. I've never been one to read life-coaching books in any area, especially not in my job. As a young assistant DA, I thought I did a pretty good job of managing myself and my employees, and I didn't need a book to tell me how to do that. But as soon as I read the first chapter, I realized why he had given me the book, which he got from a friend. Kahl takes a different approach to the role of leadership, championing the idea of acting as a "servant" to those around you in order to get the best out of them. The idea sounded crazy to me at first, but as I starting practicing some of his suggestions, I saw such an increase in productivity and a general uplift in the attitude around the office! I can't believe a simple book could make such a difference, but it sure did. I recommend this book for anyone who is in a position of leadership, no matter how high or low in the company, because you could learn a lot from Kahl.

Sometimes, the worst thing about being on top is that you're standing alone.

As a small business owner, I am always looking for good leadership and business books; Leadership From the Heart is one of the best books I've found in a very long time. Jack Kahl shares how he mananged to build a business worth more than $300 million, Manco Inc., and still maintain an ethical, character-driven leadership style. Kahl makes it clear that you can unite ethics and a bottom line, while still being successfull. The best thing about this book is that Kahl's leadership style isn't a gimmic. He really wants to be successful, but he knows that those accomplishments are more lucrative, and feel better, if the people around him are successful too. This book teaches you to be a better leader, better business person, and a better human being.