The Gumbo Coalition walks the reader through ten lessons that every great leader should know in order to be successful; Speed means nothing without direction, A wise man changes, a fool never, With one canoe, we can avoid the waterfall, They’re not refugees, Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, Get ready for the big payback, Ants versus crabs, Working the room, Persistence is always a winning formula, and Innovation requires seeing new paths. While some of these lessons seem self explanatory, Marc Morial brings these lessons back to his core belief in the Gumbo Coalition; everyone having a seat at the table.
The author presents great leadership lessons for beginning leaders. I am occasionally pushed into a leadership role and learned from most of them. I question how much a seasoned leader might learn. While the book was enjoyable, Morial frequently brags about his accomplishments, only occasionally admitting his defeats. Though I expect it is typical of a politician to be a boastful self-promoter.