Book Review

Leadership Just Got Personal

Reviewed by Maria Schaeffer, PMP

	Author	Steven Fulmer  (Note: Steven was one of the speakers for the 2014 Annual Conference.)
	Publication	Steven Fulmer, Inc; soft cover, 113 pages; ISBN 978-0-9850073-0-0; 2012; $20
	Purpose	This book is a compilation of stories, lessons, and reflections on personal and professional leadership.
	Audience	Project Managers, Experienced Project Managers, Any individual seeking to lead teams and others
	Availability	Available for purchase at www.stevenfulmer.com

Dream • Believe • Become

These are the three words that Steven included when he signed his book for me at the PMI Portland Chapter 2014 Annual Conference.  After reading this book, these three words became very meaningful to me.  They represent Steven’s astute message that we all can become leaders and we all can take that leadership to its fullest potential.  The question is:

Are you willing to work to attain your own level of greatness?

Overview

The book is outlined into three parts filled with piercing insights, beliefs, and reflections that challenge you to question and choose a path in your personal and professional lives.  The first part inspires you to initiate that journey of self-awareness.  The second part identifies leadership as having three dimensional forms: Height, Width, and Depth are correlated with Leadership of Others through Authority, Leadership of Self, and Leadership through Influence.  The third part captures the struggles and difficulties when placed at the helm of leadership.  Through captivating stories of his past experiences and others, Steven reveals that leadership is challenging but also rewarding at the same time.

I found the book to be fluid and engaging, citing some of the greatest figures of all time–Michelangelo, Confucius, Thomas Edison–and more current influencers of our time–Jim Collins, Jack Welch, Maria Shriver.  Steven describes philosophies of various writers, including Patrick Lencioni, (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team) and Michael Lewis (Moneyball) and applies his own perspective to them, providing great clarity of how true leadership is to be regarded and attained.  I especially enjoyed how the connection between leadership and the art of sailing was described.

Audience

This book is well-suited for aspiring project managers as well as experienced project managers. It describes how to influence others to take charge of their responsibilities, how to aspire to be great and how to work effectively together.  Having great leaders within a team will lead to achieving project successes.  For those who seek change, better your communication with others and build high performing teams, then you are in good company!

As the book is just over 100 pages, the book is easy to read yet still effective for the busiest of project managers.  However, I also found myself stopping many times to process and reflect due to its profound thoughts, which are so eloquently written.  This book has changed me for the better and I highly recommend keeping this book close for reference, encouragement, and inspiration throughout your career.

I had the pleasure of working with Steven for a period of five months in preparation for the 2014 Annual Conference.  Steven was chosen as one of the speakers. As a speaker team coordinator, I corresponded with Steven and gathered all the necessary information to market his presentation.  Not only did I enjoy the review of this book, I seized the honor of sharing my first-hand knowledge of Steven Fulmer. 

About the Author

Steven Fulmer is a successful entrepreneur and author in Portland, Oregon who speaks at numerous leadership conferences and workshops nation-wide.  Creator of LifeQuest Mapping™, he is a well-accomplished coach and human strategist.  Steven was a former Vice-President of a $10M software company where he was instrumental in its growth.   Now Steven inspires Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, associations, and emerging leaders.

About the Reviewer

Maria Schaeffer, PMP, is a Program Director with over 17 years of engineering and construction management experience in a variety of fields and industries from government to commercial building to manufacturing. Maria enjoys consulting on new business process changes to colleagues and client professionals alike. 

Her goals are to proliferate, influence and provide value to those who share the same passion for improving efficiencies in management and in life.