The Leadership Dojo: Build Your Foundation as an Exemplary Leader

I currently supervise a small team, within a larger organization. I have always been resistant to authority, and had a hard time "embodying" it, when I have been expected to lead. This book is really giving me insight into the values and principles of leadership from an experiential point of view, not from an "Outside-in" approach. The book makes me interested in training with the author, or following a body-centered, process oriented approach to becoming a better, more confident and effective leader.I recommend this book for anyone who wants to be a more effective leader of other people, or those who just want to "lead their own lives", more effectively, confidently and congruently. It's not just another self-help book, or another business success book with the latest buzz-words, but it's based the author's years of leadership consulting work with top corporations and the military, as well many years of committed Aikido practice. (Aikido is a Japanese non-resistant form of martial arts, whose philosophy can also be applied to other types of interactions with others.)

Exactly the book I was looking for.I did not realise it when I bought it. I thought they were using the term Dojo in the more general way of a training place for leaders. But this book turned out to be much more important than that. It opened up a set of practices that are the best mind hack for dealing with life that I have ever had. I have been meditating 30 years. I have studied many many many books on managing your mind from many perspectives. I have been doing HeartMath training for about 1 year.I am very involved in quantified self and lifehacker type movements.The basic practices from this book that I learned in 1 hour have had a bigger immediate impact than all the above put together.The changes in my personal and business life in the last two days has been amazing.

"The Leadership Dojo" is an attempt to bring the practices of martial arts and eastern philosophy into the business world, and it succeeds in presenting some very unique ideas. One of the key concepts in this book is that body and self are the same. What this means is that the way you present your body, whether consciously or unconsciously, is actually the true self that you are presenting to others. In fact, if the body is not well balanced it could lead to actual physical and mental stress that will hinder your efforts to become an efficient leader. This really makes you think about the way in which you present yourself in the office or workplace. What message is your body sending out?The only thing that I found a bit of a letdown was that the author discusses his theories through case studies rather than in general, so sometimes as you read it you may feel that it's nice that the person mentioned could get over his or her personal issues, but the issues that you as the reader are facing are different. The author does give some tips for practice in developing a sense of body, but he doesn't provide much in the way of how to interpret signs from the body.In the end, if you're looking for a book that will raise some interesting and profound questions, then this is a book for you. If you're looking for a book with the answers, then you may not find what you're looking for. I feel that this book is worth a read. As for the answers, I'm still thinking about them myself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Strozzi-H eckler applies wisdom from the martial arts to the challenges of leadership in contemporary society with finess.

If you want to truly lead people, this is a must read. But not just a must read, it is a must-do. Dr. Heckler speaks in eloquent prose about the need for finding the center of the self before trying to manage others. There are many practices built into this book so don't think you're going to just read a book and lead people. You gotta work!

We don't have a body, we are our bodies. I must remember that, every day, and a Dojo is the only way. Thank you Richard.

Very good book, wonderful insights for anyone. The distinctions and tools Richard Heckler uses are useful to all leaders at every level. ROY

The book would have been better in multiple volumes. It was so all over the place. I lost interest as the book went on and on.

An insiteful journey into the core of leadership qualities of the individual. A refeshing holistic approach to the multi faceted nature of the emrgence of natural leadership through individual practice. Not an either you have it or your don't approach to leadership but one which exemplarises the value of deliberate practice, (practicing at what you are aware you are not good at, until you become good at it) It is in the end a book about taking personal responsibility for the leadership qualities within us all in order to live a self-directed life. Inspirational.

Leadership is about centring, getting in touch with who you are, facing the issues you face, and then reaching out and engaging with them (or rather, engaging with the people you need to engage with in order to address the issues).This book why and how to achieve this.

A great book for anyone serious about Martial Arts and personal development