Book Review: Love Works by Joel Manby

“Love isn’t a feeling but an action, an action by which leaders and entire organizations can experience almost unimaginable success and personal fulfillment.” 

Joel Manby – Love Works

Love Works by Joel Manby is a must read for leaders.

In Love Works, Manby offers “seven timeless principles for effective leaders.”  These tips are primarily based on I Corinthians 13 and are the same principles Manby uses to lead Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE) where he is the President and CEO.  Last year, Joel and HFE were featured on Undercover Boss.  That week, it was the second most watched show in America (led only by American Idol), and the response was amazing.  Americans wanted to be a part of a company with the type of culture and leadership that was represented at HFE – a culture and leadership based on love.  Based on the response of the show, Manby decided to write Love Works as a way to get these principles in the hands of leaders around the country.

In Love Works, Manby explains that agape love is the key to leading effectively.  Throughout the book, he interweaves in stories from his own experience at HFE, at Saab, at Saturn, and at home with seven lessons designed to help leaders.  Each story builds on one another to give the reader a picture of a leadership based on love – a leadership that is patient, kind, trusting, unselfish, truthful, forgiving, and dedicated.

I found myself underlining words, phrases, and sentences on most pages as I digested what Manby shared.  I will keep a copy of Love Works on my desk as a reference and reminder, and I will definitely recommend Love Works to aspiring leaders.  If you are a leader at work, in church, at home or in other arenas of life, consider picking up a copy of Love Works for yourself!

How have you experienced love at work?  How would things be different for you if your leadership was based on love or if you were led out of love?