Book Review: Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney

While most other authors on leadership have written almost the same things, Lowney’s Heroic Leadership introduced novel insights and inspired reflections on principles and concepts never quite previously associated with the subject.

Chris Lowney’s Heroic Leadership is one of a few books that has had a profound impact on me as a person, as well as a leader. While the Heroic Leader’s four pillars confirm some principles that I personally value, they have helped me fully understand the importance of other principles that Lowney has adeptly articulated in his book. I am referring to love-driven leadership and the ‘magis’ principle of leadership.

However mushy it sounds, love is indeed universal. More than promises of any monetary reward, demonstrating care for your co-workers is very effective in making them relate to you as a person, and not merely as their superior. That personal touch is the key to making the organizational goal or mission relevant to the personal goal of the individual. I have personally seen this work myself over the course of my professional career. But I have never seen anyone articulate this concept more succinctly as Lowney.

‘Magis’ as a leadership pillar has given me new light on the meaning of ‘continuous improvement’. Heroic Leadership has made me see that even more important than continuous process improvement is the heroic principle of contributing to other people’s lives and making it better for them, in whatever way one can contribute. It is not the quantity of one’s contribution that matters but one’s quality of effort put into the work which will ultimately have resounding impact on people.

Great book indeed.