This book details the way servant leaders think and act. It emphasizes the role of humility in the work of great leaders. Servant leaders see it as their job to grow their people and to remove obstacles from their paths. The servant leader looks ahead and sets out a path for the rest of the organization to follow. We see that dynamic occur as Thomas (the book’s central character) embraces Total Productive Maintenance, 5S, and later moonshining. A great leader, Thomas doesn’t stand in the limelight himself but pushes his people into it.

This novel is about the transformation of an organization through the leadership style of a new leader -- By introducing the reader to Thomas Harding, the author illustrates the crucial qualities of servant leaders:

1. They operate on a hierarchy of priorities: Morality, Organization, Subordinates, and Self

2. They always complete assignments, but often well beyond expectation.

3. They seek to make people’s lives easier by eliminating bureaucratic obstacles.

4. They listen to their people but also communicate what’s going on.

5. They develop subordinate leaders who mirror their behavior.