Its hard to say no. Call it people pleasing or a fear of being left out, many of us find it difficult to decline an invitation. Dr. Henry Cloud has written a series of books that help individuals say no. His latest work, Boundaries for Leaders, describes the process by which those in leadership can focus on the most important things and take responsibility for their own time.

Many of us find it difficult to decline an invitation.

The big idea behind the book is that you, the leader, are ridiculously in charge. There is no greater influence than the actions you make and the value placed on your own time. Recognizing the responsibility that you have, and the secondary role of others, help leaders focus on the most important tasks and say no when it is helps them accomplish their goals.

I would recommend reading this book; but you can skim it. Cloud presents some good ideas and backs them up with a series of studies. However, the read is a bit laborious at times and the big idea lacks synthesis in later chapters. The idea of being ridiculously in charge fails to evolve and leaves the reader wanting less information and more meaning from the book.