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At first glance, you may think this is a lawn and garden book, but when you read beyond the chapter titles, crafted from an agricultural model, to the subtitles, you soon find out that this book is really about successfully growing people, not plants. It seems that growth cycles for plants and people are remarkably similar. In 24 concise chapters, Karen Jett uses these similarities to vividly demonstrate how you, as a leader, can successfully “grow” your people.

Agriculture has shaped the growth of our civilization for 10,000 years and it is still one of our largest, and, arguably, most important industries. Where better to find a cornucopia of growth examples, and what clearer, simpler, comparisons than these could be possible? It’s all in here: till the soil; plant healthy seeds; water generously; supplement with nutrients; provide personal support; rotate your crops; harvest thoroughly. The book’s message is simple – manage your “farm” and your people will grow.

Peter Drucker, who I was fortunate enough to have as a mentor during and after my time as a vice president with the American Management Association, once said, “Our challenge (in management) is not in getting results from extraordinary people, it is in getting extraordinary results from ordinary people (and that’s almost all of us).” We all have to be cultivated.

In one of my favorite chapters, “Chemical Fertilizer or Natural Fertilizer? - Bases of Power,” Karen breaks down the exercise of power within organizations into five archetypes that cover the power, authority and influence “territory” admirably. They are: legitimate, coercive, reward, expert, and referent power.

This book is a fertile field of real-life experiences, taken from both research and from Karen’s own career and daily life experiences. Her husband, after all, is a farmer.

“Managers have a multitude of powerful ways to promote growth or get the work done. They, like farmers, need to have a complete understanding of both the fertilizer (power) and the plant (employee) in order to produce the most work.” It doesn’t get much simpler, or more powerful, than that.

“Building Up The Soil – Trust and Respect” is another favorite chapter. Here, Karen recognizes that “building up the soil doesn’t end with nourishing the plant.” And building up an employee doesn’t stop at the end of the workday. It’s an ongoing process, rooted in mutual benefit in which a glimmer of hope satisfied leads to greater trust. To have healthy, productive workers, we need healthy organizations.

Finally, one of the most impressive aspects of this book is its well thought through grounding in successful leadership techniques and personnel development tools, presented in such a way that you can adopt any one (or more) of them almost immediately.

It is not a book best buried among corporate reports, or left sitting on a shelf. It is a book you can use, and take with you anywhere you go. It is a book that provides ready reference for some of organizations’ greatest challenges. And each learning point is presented in a unique and entertaining way. Business books, after all, don’t have to be dull! Happy reading.

John Reddish, MS, CMC, works with entrepreneurs and leaders who want to master growth, transition, and succession to get results faster, less painfully and in ways that work for them. Consultant, author, speaker and mentor, John is celebrating his 30th year in the consulting business and is a former executive with the American Management Association, IBM and the Edison Electric Institute. He also believes in the integrity and quality of Karen Jett’s work.