The Ascent of a Leader | Book Review

Reviewed by Thomas Scarborough

This book has received high praise. It contains more than thirty recommendations from successful leaders. While the book does not aim to be specifically Christian -- it is written "primarily to the nine out of ten who believe in the existence of God" -- the authors do declare their Christian presuppositions. The "Ascent" referred to in the title is the ascent which a leader makes on the "ladder to success". However, this is a different ladder to those which are often encountered in similar books. Its emphasis is "healthy relationships and character traits" rather than success.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

The book begins by describing the well known "Capacity Ladder", which usually has "four basic rungs". According to this model, the progression to competent leadership runs through four stages: 1) discover what you can do, 2) develop your capacities, 3) acquire a title or position, and 4) attain individual potential. What is wrong with the picture? In itself, perhaps not much. "We have a born impulse to better our lives", and this is "what God intended". However, this may not be "sufficient to ensure that our abilities will result in positive influence or an enduring legacy". "Character immaturity" may lead to self-defeating behaviours. Further, leaders with undeveloped character may rise up the capacity ladder, and with this, "have a negative impact on those around them . . . friendships become fragmented and superficial . . . [they] may manipulate or deceive . . . their inner world feels threatened [and] such leaders undervalue others and overvalue themselves".

WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE?

The authors therefore present the "Character Ladder" as an alternative to the "Capacity Ladder". This simple concept underlies the entire book, and seven out of twelve chapters lead one through the basic elements of the ladder. The ladder has five rungs instead of four, and it further highlights typical personal developments BETWEEN each "rung". I shall focus here on the rungs themselves. The first rung is "stepping up through an act of trust". Above all, this means "expressing your willingness to trust God" for the future. The second is "choosing vulnerability". This means the courage "to come under another's influence", not to go it alone. The third is "aligning with truth". This means "to love and be loved as you reach for your dreams". The fourth is "paying the price". At this mature stage of leadership, "leaders face the greatest challenges from without", and need to go about "regaining objectivity" -- in particular spiritual perspective. The fifth rung is "chutes and leaders". This refers to failure, and the temptation to "take the easy way out" (several are described). However, God cares "about your personal decisions of integrity".

WHAT ARE THE BOOK'S SPIRITUAL PRESUPPOSITIONS?

The purpose of the authors is undoubtedly to reach a wide audience with Christian presuppositions and values. From this point of view, they surely succeed. However, the book does lose something through the concession. While it has a heartening emphasis on trust in God, and emphasises vital Christian themes such as humility, submission, obedience, and suffering, yet it would seem to have elevated "God's standard" -- character, values, and principles -- to too high a status. The authors would seem to assume that character is a support which is more reliable than all others. Yet in Scripture we discover that the finest character may fail in moments where fellowship with God is lost. The book would further seem to place too great an emphasis on the source of destiny lying in "the heart". The Scriptural emphasis would seem to prefer a sovereign God as the guarantor of destiny (1 Sam. 2:7). Although this is not completely absent from the book, I would see a different kind of balance as being more appropriate.

SYNTHESIS

This is a well written book -- a lightweight read which explains some important concepts, building on a well proven model. The old Capacity Ladder may have tended too much to raise the "What" questions of life, while the Character Ladder tends more to ask the "Why" questions, which should serve as a useful corrective to a leader. However, while the book contains many sound spiritual perspectives, the emphasis is perhaps a little too heavily on the belief that one's destiny is "rooted in who you are".

CITATION OF REFERENCE

Thrall, Bill, McNicol, Bruce & McElrath, Ken. The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence. San Fancisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 1999.

Thomas Scarborough is a Congregational minister in Cape Town. His is currently studying for an M.A. through Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. The Ascent of a Leader is required reading.