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BOOK REVIEW

Thank You for Leading

Former city councilor recognizes leaders, offers leadership skills in new book

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Former Las Cruces City Councilor Jack Eakman explores a fascinating topic in his new book, “Thank You for Leading.”

Self-published earlier this year, the book includes Eakman’s personal experiences with strong and effective leaders in his own life and details the leadership skills and styles of some of Las Cruces’ and New Mexico’s most prominent leaders, including The Bridge of Southern New Mexico President and CEO Tracey Bryan, banker and author Joe Bullock, businessman and Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine President John Hummer, Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Debbi Moore, Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart, Las Cruces City Attorney Jennifer Vega-Brown, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and others.

What do all 12 of the leaders Eakman interviewed for his book have in common? Their “uncommon commonalities,” he said, include “a deep sense of purpose and mission,” core beliefs, courage, communication skills, ethical standards and magnetism.

Here is what Eakman says about Debbi Moore: “Debbie measures her success through the lens of watching people grow in their responsibilities and in their personal sphere of influence in the world. The accomplishments of those she has mentored, she acknowledges, is the most important scoreboard anyone could have.”

Here is what he says about Sheriff Kim Stewart: “Up until now, the only Doña Ana County sheriff that became legendary was Pat Garrett. I predict that is about to change.”

And about John Hummer: “He is supremely optimistic about the future that his mission will improve. If he were a corporate stock, I would borrow money to buy!”

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, Eakman and his two brothers began learning about leadership at a very early age.

Their father was a kosher butcher five days a week and a pastor on Sundays. Their mother taught piano lessons, with their father driving her to students’ homes every Saturday and writing his sermon for the next day while waiting in the car.

“My mother and father became leaders right before my eyes,” Eakman said, “transforming themselves from the effects of backbreaking laborers into spiritual beacons.”

Eakman himself was a hospital administrator, business improvement consultant and Las Cruces city councilor (2015-19). He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in public administration.

Eakman’s book both chronicles the leadership skills of others and guides the reader in recognizing and developing his or her own leadership skills. There is a chapter on self-development and another containing “assembly instructions” that invites the reader to inventory his or her strongest areas of talent.

Eakman identifies 17 “talent areas that directly relate to the ability to lead with excellence.” With that inventory, you can follow Eakman’s leadership development plan “to bring you and yours more satisfaction, more challenge, more opportunities and more rewards.”

The book is available on amazon.com at $4.19 for the Kindle version and $12.99 for the paperback. It’s also available at www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.indiebound.org and google.com, which means the book can be purchased through COAS Bookstore or any other local independent bookseller.

Also find it at www.bookfinder.com – just type “Jack Eakman” in the author line and hit “search.”

For more information, contact Eakman at jee@q.com.

Thank You for Leading, Jack Eakman

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