Forward by Herb Sargent

As of this writing, there are 57,136 books on Amazon with the word “leadership” in the title.  It’s fair to ask the question: why do we need one more?

In my opinion, because too few leadership books rest on humility and humanity as the building blocks of solid leadership.

In this book, Mikel Bowman tells the story of two situations of enormous gravity he found himself immersed in – neither of them at his choosing.

In one situation, a living soul hangs in the balance – a son, a brother, perhaps a father; in the other, an entire construction project.

Having known Bowman for some time now, the fact he navigated both of these situations to much-desired results is in no a way a surprise to me.  Mike is uniquely and naturally gifted to zoom in and then zoom out – context is important in evaluating situations, and with that context Mike sees inside the problem through a deeply empathic lens.  His life and his life’s work have molded a man of love, honor, and deep respect for others.  Mike synthesizes his observations through a prism of faith and humanity while humbly attending to sometimes horrific circumstances for which success seems hardly a consideration, much less a guarantee.

In Lead From the Middle, Bowman debunks the notion that only those of high station can affect outcomes.  While leadership titan, John Maxwell, de-mystifies leadership in a way that makes every human being a leader in some way (start where you are; use what you have; do what you can), Bowman’s practical application in this book provides not only examples of this leadership simplicity, but also a framework to screen one’s responses to challenges big and small.

Having witnessed Mike’s impact firsthand with our crew, these stories and their delivery represent so much of what is missing in leadership today.  His presentations with our crews typically end with red, watery eyes – the good tears – and when you read this book you’ll know why.

Mike stitches together teamwork, camaraderie, humility, and respect for others with a work ethic and examples of leadership that create the backbone of successful group effort.  His posture is from a place of love – heartfelt, but direct – and it’s from this position he gains incredible traction in Leading From the Middle.

One of our core values at Sargent is Winning in the Field.

Bowman shows you how.

Herb R Sargent
President/CEO
Sargent Corp