Book Review: You Can't Lead With Your Feet on the Desk

You Can't Lead With Your Feet on the Desk: Building Relationships, Breaking down Barriers and Delivering Profits by Ed Fuller.

I received this book for Christmas.  It had been on my Amazon wishlist for a while and I was excited to get it.  I had heard a couple of good things about the book and the title alone seemed right in the middle of my interest, particularly the "Building Relationships" part.

I started it thinking it was a book about leadership.  It does, kind of, fit the category of Leadership.  The author shares leadership tips drawn from his experience in leading a division of Marriot.  So, is kind of a mentor/leadership book with this is how I/we/Marriot did(does) things and you can learn something from that.

Mostly it shares varies stories about Marriot Lodging International, with some supporting stories from other sources, mostly football.  Most of the stories are interesting and there are a few nuggets to be gleaned from the book, but if you are looking for a book on Leadership, this would not be a good first (or second or third choice).  However, if you wanted to know more about Marriot, this is your book.  By and large the book, to me, seems more intent on selling the Marriot brand thank anything else.

So, while I don't recommend it as a book on leadership, here are a few quotes which I hope you enjoy:

"Experience has taught me that, far from being irrelevant, solid relationships are the read bedrock of business success." p.4

"...to reinforce a productive relationship, you need to demonstrate fairness and evenhandedness...." p. 5

"There can be no letup in a leader's campaign to instill values in team members." p. 41

"In the final analysis, the praise or blame for an organization's ethics is its leader's responsibility." p. 42

"Everything a leader does, no matter how commonplace, has a symbolic value." p. 50

"When a leaders shows respect for an employee, it's a pretty save bet that the employee will return the gesture a thousandfold.  Effective leaders respect the feelings of the people in their organizations." p. 51

"...employees who feel they are respected can take pride in being a source of help for others." p. 56

"A leader can send no more powerful message than to provide support in a crisis.  It is the ultimate trust builder." p. 91

"Once trust is lost - with a person, a company, or a product - it's almost impossible to restore it." p. 92

"As George Bernard Shaw sardonically observed, 'The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.'" p. 98

"Paying close attention to what the person across the talbe has to say is the essential key to building a solid relationship." p. 99

"Don't let concerns about losing fact keep you from doing what needs to be done." p. 133