Staff Leadership Book Pick of the Month: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Are you interested in a book that tells good stories about successful leaders and what they do? Or do you prefer a book full of researched anecdotes about a particular theory? This book has both. Author Eric Barker combines short stories about extraordinary people and a particular leadership strategy they use. He also writes about the research behind the concept. His unique style does not stop there. He discusses concepts related to business leaders and shares the good, the bad and the ugly. Once he exposes all sides of the concept, he gives you reasons for or against using this practice in your everyday life. He asks questions like:

• Should we play it safe in business?

• Do nice guys finish last?

• Do quitters never win and winners never quit?

• Is it what you know or whom you know that gets you further?

• Should you work, work, work or find a work-life balance?

This book came out of his work on his successful blog, Barking Up the Wrong Tree, where he explores the world’s most successful individuals and what they did to get there. He looks at the science behind these concepts and practices and shares all possible angles to give an overall perspective. Barker then gives you his final thoughts about what would be best after considering all sides. This unbridled truth about business concepts is refreshing and enlightening.

I found two takeaways from the book. First, Barker discusses the long-standing quote “Good Guys Finish Last.” He goes in-depth about how sometimes people who do not follow the rules or are jerks to others are seen more powerful and can be more successful. However, that is only a temporary situation. In the end, people who are trustworthy and respectful to others are the ones who are the most successful. People are more inclined to work with or for those they can trust.

A second takeaway is finding a work-life balance. Barker shares the story of Ted Williams, a famous baseball player. He explained that Williams was a very successful player because of his drive for perfection. This drive for mastery of his baseball skills helped him set records that had not been broken for decades. Williams’s every waking second was focused on improving his skills. This devotion made him one of the greats of the game, and his legacy lives on to this day. However, that same devotion was his downfall in his personal relationships, especially with his wife and children. Barker feels that work-life balance is essential, especial in today’s digital age. If we wanted to, we could be connected to work 24/7. He stresses that we should push ourselves to be better, including things outside of work — like relationships. He stressed two ways you can find that work-life balance. He stresses ditching the to-do list and instead schedule everything. He shares research that shows that scheduling everything into your calendar is a more efficient way to accomplish tasks that need to be completed. He states that if you have something that is so important to the bottom line, then you should dedicate time on your calendar to accomplish it. The other way to help with work-life balance is to end your workday on time. He suggests having a set routine at the end of the day; this will help you leave on time and help plan your next day.

Barker advocates two things in his book: finding ways to improve yourself and not just looking at what successful people do but the research behind it as well. He does this by looking at all sides of what successful people do, including stories of these successful people both good and bad, as well as various research studies, to find possible ways these concepts could work for us in our daily lives. This approach makes for an interesting and educational book.