Although it doesn’t contain a new and unique idea to some professionals, the book, containing its story

analogy serves as a reminder to managers, and an eye opener for youngsters like me. The Way of The
Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak takes its readers from the perspective of a green and
inexperienced cub reporter to the CEO of General Technologies himself, reliving the vivid experience of
the days when the seven ancient principles of management was tranquilized slowly into his fresh and pure
mind by one of his college professors, Dr. Jack Neumann. Through detailed images of the behaviors of his
flock, the flock of irresponsible shepherds, and the environment of a work place, he was able to instill in
Ted’s mind how to make people want to work for you and think of their work as something more than a
task they have to do, but something that they want to do. It is those same principles that helped Theodore
McBride to lead General Technologies in its unprecedented success for seventeen years to the top of the
food chain during his reign as the CEO.

The story starts off from the perspective of Mr. Pentak who was called by Christina Nickel, Theodore
McBride’s secretary to let him know that the “most respected business leader in America” has agreed to
do the interview with him. From the very moment he stepped into the front doors of the General
Technologies Headquarters, he couldn’t help but notice the zeal emitting in the air as the employees went
about their business, he could see that the employees are highly valued, making him want to work there.
More proof of this are the words written on the flat screen monitors in the elevator: “Our People Are Our
Greatest Competitive Advantage”.

While Christina is leading Mr. Pentak to Theodore McBride’s office, she answers his question of why Mr.
McBride is the best person she’s ever worked for, to which her answer gives some sort of clue as to what
he was about hear from the mouth of Theodore McBride himself. As he entered his office, he felt small,
like he was back to his nine year old self in short pants but later on easing his nervousness all thanks to
the welcoming and outgoing personality of Mr. McBride. Out of his curiosity, he asks why Mr. McBride
chose him to do the interview when there are dozens of more experienced reporters out there to which
he replied that he was still “green and inexperienced and haven’t yet been tainted with arrogance”.
McBride wanted to use his inexperience and rawness to his advantage to write an honest and clear article
about the seven principles of management that he wants to pass down to those who are willing to pay
the price.

Ted McBride takes both the readers and Mr. Pentak to forty five years earlier, when he was in his last year
of being an MBA program student. He was hired by General Technologies as a manager in the finance
department to which he was real apprehensive about. He ran to his mentor and meekly asked him for
advices on how to manage people, the idea of managing nine people terrified him and he didn’t know
where to start. His willingness was tested by Dr. Jack Neumann, how? He gave him a choice, he was to
give up his Saturdays for the management lessons but he would still have to maintain his course lessons.
Ted willingly sacrificed his Saturdays for more relaxing Saturdays in the future.

On the first Saturday, Dr. Jack Neumann took Ted to his scenic and well taken care of ranch where he
would go at least twice a day to check on his flock individually. Ted was clearly not pleased about this,
thinking that visiting his professor’s “smelly sheep” was a waste of his precious Saturday morning, and
was initially even more irritated when he found out that checking on the sheep was the lesson. The first
principle introduced is entitled “Knowing the Condition of Your Flock” which made everything clearer as
to why Dr. Jack Neumann brought Ted to his ranch. “You can’t manage what you don’t know”, it is
emphasized during this whole chapter that in order to manage your people, you have to first genuinely
get to know them, get to know what goes on in their life, and sincerely care about them.

Ted was slowly and surely being enlightened during the following several Saturdays through the graphical
representations that his professor provided and also the analogies of the relationship between a sheep
and its shepherd relating to how a manager should shepherd his people.

One thing concerns me though, I am afraid that some readers will conclude the fact that the sheep in the
book are described as stupid and entirely dependent on the shepherd which reflects on the employees or
the people of the desired manager. But once we look past this, we will be able to recognize and
comprehend the solid core values and lifestyle a great shepherd must have. Other than this and the reality
that the author forcefully and awkwardly tried to inject some humor here and there, The Way of The
Shepherd is a book I highly recommend to people of all ages.

Even before reading the book, it’s obvious that the intended readers of the authors were adults. With the
unappealing white background cover of the book and with the long title, it’s not really something that
teenagers would voluntarily pick up and read in a bookstore. As teenagers, we’re still stuck in the stage of
reading fantasy, science fiction, romance novels with artsy and aesthetic colorful covers that appeal to
our senses. The Way of The Shepherd is a good book that will help us transition from reading fiction to
reading helpful books containing life skills that are effective once we act on them. It uses simple words
and sentences that makes it easier for us, youngsters, to comprehend. While fiction novels gives us a taste
of adventure that our favorite characters face that makes life more exciting, it’s important to read both
types of books as it helps us to be well-balanced.

Reading this book made me realize the divine qualities that I should have and continue developing now
in order to be a good shepherd to my people and my children in the future. This book is also a testimony
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was humble enough to come down on Earth and sacrifice himself for
all of us, to open the possibility of our souls once again living with them in the heavens, and the sole
reason he did that is because he loves us from the bottom of his heart, proving once more that he is the
finest example of a great shepherd. From the beginning to the end, the book has constantly emphasized
in its own unique way, hidden between the lines, that in order to be a great shepherd, one must be sincere
and genuine about thy people, and one must humble thyself; that is indeed, The Way of The Shepherd.