02 Mar 2025: Leading at a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations – Book Review
Leading at a Higher Level:
Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations
Kenneth H. Blanchard
Third edition
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 2019. xxviii, 388 pages
Reviewed by Jason Ballard
PhD student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Associational Mission Strategist for the Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association
What happens when the hunger for a profitable outcome damages a company’s future? What happens when a nonprofit organization loses sight of those it exists to help because it cannot stop focusing on those who can give the most contributions? What happens when a church consumed with increasing their attendance fails to care for and equip those who call it their own? In every case, the organization, whether for-profit or non-profit, religious or secular, has chosen to pursue a goal that is not best for all those it serves. In a modern world where lasting impact is seen as more important than profit, these choices may cost an organization everything.
In Leading at a Higher Level, by Ken Blanchard, the author defines the process of leading at a higher level as “the process of achieving worthwhile results while acting with respect, care, and fairness for the well-being of all involved” (xxiv). Blanchard builds this process on the idea, taken from Matt Hayes and Jeff Stevens in The Heart of Business, that when leadership focuses on the goal of profit, then everyone involved, “stockholders, top managers, employees, customers, suppliers, and the community—quickly become self-serving” (xxiii). Blanchard explains that it is because of these “self-serving” goals that “in recent years, we have taken the emphasis away from goal accomplishment and have defined leadership as the capacity to influence others by unleashing their power and potential to impact the greater good” (xxiii). Blanchard defines this “greater good” as “what is best for all involved” (xxiii), thus ascending to leadership that is on a “higher level” than the self-serving purposes that often dominate organizational and business leadership. Blanchard divides the book into sections that describe the four characteristics that the author finds “where leading at a higher level is the rule rather than the exception” (xxvi).
The first characteristic — “the right target and vision”—which focuses on what Blanchard’s foundational piece of leading at a higher level— “the creation of a compelling vision” (xxvi) introducing the “quadruple bottom line” as “the employer of choice, the provider of choice, the investment of choice, and the corporate citizen of choice” (4). The author refers to this mark throughout the book as he explains that leadership must focus on these four areas explaining how organizations focused on these goals are considered “High Performing Organizations” (10 – 11) to which he explains the SCORES model for measuring success. Blanchard concludes this section by defining a compelling vision as one that “articulates people’s hopes and dreams, touches their hearts and spirits, and helps them see how they can contribute” (17).
Blanchard analyzes the second characteristic — “Treat Your People Right” (33) by focusing on how to compel employees by “empowering” them to do their job (35). Empowerment, Blanchard explains, is tied to the leadership style that guides employees. Blanchard then introduces the SLII leadership model, which outlines not only the personality and developmental levels of employees but then matches them with an appropriate leadership style. Blanchard then discusses the essential trait of “self-leadership” (69) before moving on to the subjects of “one-on-one leadership” (81) where he addresses “coaching” (131) and “mentoring” (145). Blanchard continues by discussing the challenge of leading teams before turning his attention to the examination of organizational leadership. Here, Blanchard compares the SCORES model to organizational development stages.
Chapters 14 through 16 provide valuable discussion for leaders of any organization—leading change—with impressive thought and careful direction. Blanchard first tackles the issues surrounding unsuccessful change by listing “15 Predictable Reasons Why Change Efforts Typically Fail” (213). The author addresses the challenge of leading change as a journey and gives five stages to consider as one leads through this process. In chapter 15, Blanchard addresses “Change Leadership Strategies” and offers some practical suggestions for leading any organization through these difficult times. Blanchard concludes this section by discussing what is needed to not only lead change within the functions of an organization but the culture as well.
Blanchard then addresses the third characteristic of leading at a higher level, “Treat your Customers Right.” This section consists of only one chapter and calls the reader to do all they can to serve their customers. Blanchard highlights three stages of serving customers at a higher level by calling on the reader to “Decide what you want your customer experience to be” (272), then “Discover what your customers want” (274), and finally “Deliver your ideal customer service experience” (277). Blanchard’s main focus here is to put the power to serve the needs of the customer in the hands of those that make direct contact with customers. If, however, the “provider of choice” bottom line is as important as the other members of the quadruple bottom line, then it would only make sense that there must be more to say on this characteristic than simply one chapter.
Blanchard addresses the final characteristic of leading at a higher level— “Have the right kind of leadership” (285) by describing the concept of “servant leadership” and then turning his attention to helping the leader find their leadership approach in the final chapter— “Determining Your Leadership Point of View” (313). Blanchard divides servant leadership into the two roles of the authority figure emphasizing the accomplishment of the vision, and the servant carefully implementing that vision (288). With this, Blanchard then expounds the advantages of servant leadership in a practical manner that explains the value of this leadership approach to any organization.
In the final chapter, Blanchard brings the four characteristics discussed throughout the book together to outline a process of discovering one’s “Leadership Point of View” through a series of questions and discussions. After calling on the reader to explore their relationships to “key people” in their lives and “key events” from their lives, Blanchard guides the reader into a discovery of their values. These values for the leader then guide them to their expectations for others and the expectations for oneself (321). This very personal exercise creates a leadership profile that is valuable to any leader as they pursue opportunities for their future pursuits.
Blanchard’s book presents a valuable assessment of the requirements of leadership that are focused on more than results and profits. With his clear goal of the “quadruple bottom line,” Blanchard explains how the goal of any organization and its leader should be to do more than grow financial outcomes. In a modern world where incoming employees are focused more on their impact on the planet, in society and in history than profit margins, Blanchard’s call to lead with a “higher focus” than the bank account will resonate with the next generation of employees and executives. Blanchard’s practical applications clarify a leader’s vision for the organization he leads as well as the relationships that are integral to the success of a “high performing organization.”
In the end, Leading at a Higher Level, is an excellent resource for current or aspiring leaders of churches or religious organizations as a discussion of what the proper pursuit of a church should be. Although Blanchard does not directly address church structure or language in the book, the applications are clear as pastors and leaders must consider the impact of their organization over and beyond their attendance or collections. By driving church leaders to think about the vision and goals of their organization on a broader spectrum with the quadruple bottom line, Blanchard challenges church leaders to think carefully about what they are pursuing as a church. The chapters on change leadership offer church leaders valuable insight into the difficult environment that churches currently find themselves attempting to address and in which to minister. The chapter on developing your “Leadership Point of View” would serve pastors well in understanding how they address those they lead and what they expect from their staff. This book provides a strong foundation for leaders to build an effective church, ministry, or organization and would work well as a study for lead pastors of several churches working together for personal leadership development and accountability of leadership integrity.