Leadership and Self-deception
Getting Out of The Box

Leadership and self-deception is a book written by the Arbinger Institute that explains to us how we as people can get stuck in a place or problem known as being “Inside the Box”. We can be stuck “Inside the Box” whether it is in our personal lives toward family members and friends or whether it is at work toward our Boss and other co-workers. Through a cleverly concocted story the author explains how we are either “Inside the Box” or “Outside the Box” and how to stay out of the box once we enter it.
The story starts out telling us of a man named Ted who is impressed with a company called Zagrum and he would love to work for them and after multiple interviews and weeks of waiting he finally hears back and finds out that he gets the job. One of Teds first major meetings is with his soon to be boss Bud who asks him to meet him for a meeting that is seemingly so secret that nobody talks to him about it or gives any hints to what it is even about. Everyone seems to know what is going on except Ted. With much anticipation and waiting Ted is led to Buds office and waits nervously for his arrival. When Bud finally gets there he then informs Ted that “He has a problem” and while Ted wonders what that is Bud will soon enthusiastically explain the meaning of his problem and go into more specifics and detail that I’m sure Ted would care for or even expect.
As Bud and Ted talk Bud is asking all sorts of seemingly strange and at times rather difficult questions which Ted doesn’t think are leading anywhere. Through the questioning Ted is caught off guard many times and much that Bud is asking and is at a lost for words and doesn’t know how to respond throws him off. Ted is forced to look back at his old work life such as employees, bosses and he is even able to reflect on his family life with his wife and kid. After hours of conversation Ted is able to start seeing that he really does have a problem but he still has not much of a clue to what exactly it is or what to do about it.
Kate who is the head of the company comes in to visit in order to help out Bud and to meet Ted whom they both have respect for and have hopes that he will be a good asset to the company. Kate sides with Bud and for the next few hours she is grilling Ted with questions along with Bud which helps Ted become more mindful of his actions whether for good or bad. The concepts of being inside the box and self-betrayal are covered and explained in great detail through the questions and answers given. As the time goes on Ted finds that throughout his and most everyone else’s lives they are inside the box, which tends to not accomplish much of anything since while in the box there is much bickering and disagreement and it leaves little time or space for cooperation and working together affectively. Ted soon realizes that he has an issue not only in his workplace but also in his marriage and with his child whom both he is having major problems with. The final part talks about how you can be “Out of the Box”. Being out of the box brings better feelings towards one another for everyone involved in the situation and the work environment becomes a more unified and driven happy place to work at and the product coming out is of good quality and everyone is able to work to the best of their abilities. Once it is brought to the attention of Ted that he has been “Out of the Box” with his wife and kid he is able to start and understand what the whole meeting was about and how he can not only be “Out of the Box” at work but also at home. In the end Ted is visited by a veteran retiree of the company named Lou who is able to hit everything home for Ted and the book ends with the group of people happy and ready and willing to work.
The book goes very nicely with the class in the fact that Public Health involves us to be involved with many different types of people and personalities that we may not always get along with but we need things to work out. The chapters in the Public Health book have so much to do with relations with others such as Co-workers, the communities that we work in and also other business people and we must be able to make and keep them happy in order for anything to get done well and the right way. I think that the book goes very well with the article that we read which talked about counseling employees and the role-plays that we did in class as well. You have to try and communicate and respond to people in a positive manner so that both parties and the company come out feeling good and motivated to keep working and make improvements if necessary.
Overall I feel that the book was good and it got me to think much about myself and the way that I treat and interact with people. How do I treat them; am I In or Outside the Box and if I am inside, how do I get out. The whole concept of the book and the main message came across very well all the way up until mostly the end where they talked about being outside of the box and about how to stay there. I don’t think that it is possible to always deal with people in the correct manner and be outside the box all the time. Taking into consideration other peoples personalities and temperaments some people you will not always be able to handle or control in a way that these concepts can work. The only person you can control which was made very clear in the book is you and you can’t control the reactions of others that may be able to benefit both parties.