Book title: Unlock the hidden leader: become the leader you were destined to be
Author: Gifford Thomas
Rating: ***** Category: Easy to read
What’s it about?
Unlock the Hidden Leader: become the leader you were destined to be explores what it takes to be a great leader. At the heart of this book is the belief that great leaders create an environment for their people to thrive; a leader has the influence to lead people to greatness or lead them to despair.
The detail
The author describes great leaders as those who inspire great performance in others. He argues that to be a great (rather than a good) leader, by the very nature of the role, needs a specific set of beliefs and characteristics.
Each of these characteristics are well-defined in three distinct parts; the author brings them to life in a way which enables the reader to confidently comprehend the practical application of his musings.
‘Humble leaders understand that they are not the smartest person in every room, they are dedicated to helping others become great.’ Part one focuses on the essence of great leadership, described by the author as humility. Great leaders pay more attention to listening to their people for both the obvious and the hidden messages, allowing their teams to speak up and disagree with them.
‘Leading change requires using diverse communication techniques to deliver appropriate messages, solicit feedback, assure understanding, create readiness, provide a sense of urgency and motivate people to act.’ The second part is devoted to how leaders need to communicate to inspire change with their teams. The author pays tribute to Simon Sinek’s work – communicating the why of change. The first question people want an answer to is, ‘why are we making this change?’ Great leaders need to engage people with a new vision or strategy in a way that is compelling.
‘Great leaders learn from their mistakes, growing from their challenges – they need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable’. The third and final part explores the importance of mindset and finding a purpose. The author emphasises the importance for leaders to develop a growth mindset; seeing challenges as opportunities for themselves and others in their teams to learn, which in turn can be infectious for others. Great leaders need to be calm and upbeat, sometimes reminding their people about the purpose of the change.
Summary
This book is thoughtfully written, drawing on real-life organisational examples of how great leadership leads organisations to be great.
Who would benefit from reading this book?
We highly recommend this book for leaders who may have become a bit ‘stuck’ or disillusioned and need some inspiration. Equally a good read for those new to leadership, or for managers aspiring to the next level.
What we liked about the book
The book is well-structured and easy to dip in and out of. The key principles of unlocking the hidden leader within, while initially appearing quite obvious are a useful reminder of what matters to those being led. We liked the way that the author brought key messages to life using examples from organisations and individuals. We also liked how this book drew on other authors work, such as Lencioni’s work on ‘healthy conflict’ (the role of a leader to actively encourage sharing of concerns, ideas and feedback) and Simon Sinek.
What we didn’t like
We felt that the author missed an opportunity to clarify practical tips and advice. The book was more focused on the ‘what’ of being a great leader rather than the ‘how’. A lot of the ‘how’ is included in the text, but we felt that the author could have made more explicit reference to this at the end of each section.
More about the author, Gifford Thomas
Gifford Thomas is the founder of Leadership First and one of the leading voices on inspirational leadership. At Leadership First they publish inspirational leadership quotes and articles from the best leadership minds in the world. They are dedicated to helping every leader create an excellent organisation and to provide a daily cup of inspiration for all leaders.
Additionally, he is a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, a Council member with GLG, an advisor with visaQ Inc out of Japan, and one of the leading writers on Quora for Leadership Development. He is the holder of an MBA from Henley Business School, University of Reading and B.A. (HONS) Business Management degree from Anglia Ruskin University.
Other books by Gifford Thomas
The Inspirational Leader
Inspire Your Team To Believe In The Impossible and Unlock The Hidden Leader
Become The Leader You Were Destined To Be
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