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Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box

Author: Arbinger Institute
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4 reviews
Sales Rank: 105126

Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7

ISBN: 1576751740
Dewey Decimal Number: 658
EAN: 9781576751749
ASIN: 1576751740

Publication Date: March 1, 2002
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Also Available In:

•	Unknown Binding - Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box
•	Audio CD - Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box
•	Hardcover - Leadership and Self-deception: Getting Out of the Box (Arbinger Institute)

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Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

Know Thyself: Are You Self-Deceived? March 11, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This book tells of a manager, a CEO, a father, and a 19th century scientist who while searching diligently for their problems "out there" find that the problem is within themselves. If you're familiar with systems thinking you'll understand the science behind it. But the beauty of the book is that it's written as a business fable that follows one character through his self-discovery and correction. Along the way, you'll be drawn in as you find yourself relating to the character's challenges wanting to know what happens next in order to help yourself.

The best way to illustrate the premise behind the book, without revealing the secrets is by retelling the story of the 19th scientist, Dr Ignaz Semmelweis. As an obstetrician in the maternity ward at Vienna General Hospital he observed a high 1 in 10 mortality rate, while next door where the midwives delivered babies the mortality rate was only 1 in 50. Semmelweis researched and tested and experimented, only to discover to his horror that the doctors, who were also experimenting on cadavers, were carrying small 'particles' back to the maternity ward that sickened the women. He discovered "germs" -- and he discovered that the high mortality rate was not caused by something "out there" but by himself.

Leadership and Self-Deception sets out to answer the problem: "How can people simultaneously (1) create their own problems, (2) be unable to see that they are creating their own problems, and yet (3) resist any attempts to help them stop creating those problems?"

As I coach, I help people to recognize their role in their problems and their options to do something about it. I'm always amazed when a client resists working toward a solution because the existence of the problem provides some sort of perverse justification for my client's way of acting or a view of the world. This is self-deception. Profound. The book makes it clear that humans do this quite regularly. Indeed, I clearly saw myself in the book's story.

I won't give away the ending or the solution, only to say that the book takes the reader on a satisfying, yet challenging journey to examine inner motivations, self-betrayal, self-justification, blame of others, and what we can do to stop the cycle. We can't control other people's behavior, but we can choose our response, and this is where the power of personal responsibility lies.

With a balanced approach the book assists the reader to take responsibility for changing the world around them by changing themselves.

3 out of 5 stars

Wasn't what I'd hoped August 30, 2006
2 out of 4 found this review helpful

I bought this book because I thought self-deception can be a big problem and I thought it may have insights. It wasn't the book I was imagining, however. On the one hand it contains a lot of truth about how self-deception works, particularly when people-dynamics are involved, and all that could be useful to many people, I suppose. On the other hand it appears to be logically flawed and too much like pop-psych self-help to be of much use to any but those who are starting right at the bottom of self-awareness.It reasts on a base of humanism which, obviously untenable for many readers it, is never acknowledfed. The authors seem to take it as axiomatic.On another level the dialogue is often so stilted and repetitive that althought there are 2 or 3 surprisingly good lines here and there, it makes you wonder whether they were deliberate!You might like this book, despite my disappointment, especially if you are struggling in the work-place (successful or not you can struggle either way).

5 out of 5 stars

Great lessons, easy read June 8, 2005
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Can's say more. One of the very well written books.
Easy flow as a story.
But very insightful lessons!
Would recommend this book to many people within my organisation.
Also would recommend this book to many of my friends.

5 out of 5 stars

If you like Covey..You'll find this an excellent read August 24, 2000
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

The Arbinger Institute's view on how we create (organisational) problems for ourselves and then how we "fix" them, is simple yet profound.

I've read hundreds of management , leadership and personal development books ... This one adopts the number one position - Overnight!

Whether you are struglling to influence your team or organisation to willingly embrace change; or find yourself as a parent with a "difficult" child, then this is for you.

They suggest that we suffer from 3 problems!

1 We create our own problems 2 We are blind to these problems 3 We resist wanting to fix these problems..

The book is a story (therefore any easy read!) of a new guy 6 months into his new company, attending his first review with the boss. He believes that he has done really well since he joined and is anticipating bouquets...

However, his boss (the enlightened one!) has a different view. What unfolds is a home truths session that could be you or I... dealing with the essence of why we create the problems we do with people.

Not until the final pages does the author reveal the solution.

Having read Covey, Senge, Peters etc. I found this a refreshing view of our eternal challenge with people.

Buy it and give your friends a copy!