The Alchemy of Authentic Leadership by Steven Mundahl & Sharon Massoth - Book review

The Alchemy of Authentic Leadership

By: Steven Mundahl, Sharon Massoth

Published: July 8,2013
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN-10: 1452576319
ISBN-13: 978-1452576312
Publisher: Balboa Press










"Leadership is less about leading others and more about the journey of how we lead ourselves", write president and CEO of Goodwill Industries in western Massachusetts, Steven Mundahl; and psychotherapist and business coach Sharon Massoth, in their insightful and transformational book The Alchemy of Authentic Leadership. The authors describe how leaders learn lessons at the time they are most appropriate for the leader's life journey, and share the principles to guide leaders to take the ethical and values based personal development path.

Steve Mundahl (photo left) and Sharon Massoth understand that life, and the path of leadership is a lifelong journey, and not a specific destination with a discernible endpoint. Instead, the authors share a vision of leadership as voyage of self discovery, of finding personal truths, passion, and an authentic voice. With these critical explorations within, the leader can then align their outward life and behavior with them. For the authors, leadership discovers the person when they discover the leader within themselves.

Sharon Massoth (photo left) and Steven Mundahl recognize that even the most effective leaders can stumble and fall on their inner journey. The authors provide the neurological and behavioral reasons why leaders take foolish risks, causing self destructive outcomes. The authors share practices and tools for self governance, to avoid those dangerous and career destroying actions. These tools and exercises guide the leader toward self healing on the the personal journey.

The authors present a comprehensive examination of the leadership journey within. Through self assessment, the authors guide leaders toward understanding their values, personal attitudes, and actions. With the factors that lead to self destructive behavior understood, the potential for real growth as a leader will emerge. The authors consider the following aspects of the the authentic and internal leadership journey:

* The personal journey of leadership
* Leadership begins at home
* The path to healing
* Meeting your leader on the road
* Healing into wholeness
* Leadership visualization tools
* The alchemy of pure intuition
* Changing negative corporate culture
* The tenets of authentic leadership

For me, the power of the book is how Steve Mundahl and Sharon Massoth combine a complete evaluation of the internal factors of the leadership journey, with the practical techniques and strategies to achieve alignment with those inner values. The authors present an internal journey to self discovery as critical for a leader's success. Leaders become leaders at a time that aligns with their personal development. To support their principles, the authors offer the latest developments in neuroscience and behavioral science.

In a time when otherwise effective leaders seemingly destroy their own careers through foolish and unnecessary risks and actions, this book is am important contribution to leadership thought. The authors describe the elements that go into the process of developing into an ethical and principled leader. They also point out the failure of alignment in the personal values of the dangerous risk taking leader. The book also contains an important and essential section on rebuilding an organization culture from one of negative thought and action to one of positivity and authentic behavior and engagement.

I highly recommend the must read leadership development book The Alchemy of Authentic Leadership by Steven Mundahl and Sharon Massoth, to any current or potential leaders who are seeking an effective guide to navigating the personal inward journey to self understanding. This book offers the strategies and practices for developing as an effective and principled leader.