I don't normally select business books from Netgalley, but this book caught my eye and the title resonated with me for a number of reasons. As a fairly new director in a small charity (not-for-profit), I couldn't understand why there was such a huge sense of privilege and ego within the organisation, especially when the organisation was set up to serve people who are marginalised and in need of support.

Through reading this book I have come to understand how the self-worth and ego of individual leaders can influence the ethos and working environment of an organisation, and ultimately affect performance levels and productivity. I also thought that this book would help me look at my own leadership and help me to develop my own self awareness and understand the context in which I am working. And it did. This is an excellent book for anybody who wants to develop a sense of self awareness in the business place and who wants to find ways of developing constructive communication and clarity of purpose in their work.

One of the things that I believe that I should do as a leader, is to lead by example. I think the stories in this book and the case studies showing different situations and how they were addressed, are a phenomenal example of how we can improve the way we work and our work place environment by leading through example.

I think for me this book is also about how we can empower ourselves and empower others to address the challenges of the 21st century workplace. The book shows that it is profitable for business leaders to become more self-aware in the workplace because they then set the example and the context for others. This then builds up trust in the workplace, strengthens team relationships and also encourages creativity and collaboration. I think this is vital for businesses, charities and other organisations because it encourages innovation.

I particularly liked the section which illustrates the benefits of 'making others good' and the parts of the book that recognise that there is often more than one way of seeing things and that a certain situation can have more than one interpretation. The book illustrated this principle with a helpful diagram which I think cleverly and clearly illustrated the point in a helpful way.

The book engages with the many different challenges of leadership and the need to lead people effectively, honestly and in a way that enables human flourishing. The book doesn't underplay the complexity of the issues and shows that there are no easy answers to these questions but the one thing that we do need to model is an enquiring and learning disposition. We need to be willing to be open to new ideas and find ways of listening even when we feel uncomfortable and this is a challenge.

The need for active listening and reflection was also emphasised but not in an obvious way. The case studies show how vital it is to listen without being defensive and also how valuable constructive mentoring and peer to peer support can be.

Another key point of learning is the need for our workplaces to be places of safety. They should be places where people feel that they can make constructive criticism and suggestions and how such a workplace can help leaders overcome our blindspots because we don't know everything and we don't see everything.

There were just so many points of learning for me which I have gained from reading this book and it is a source of real wisdom and something that I can turn to for practical guidance.

I think this is a valuable book and it was also very engaging and easy to read. It is written in such a way that you feel as if you're actually participating in the dialogue and in this way the book actually becomes a very valid and very valuable conversation partner. It is a must read for anyone who wants to improve their leadership, both in the workplace and in the home.

Copy Provided by Greenleaf Book Group Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ego Free Leadership explored the stages of professional growth for a chief executive officer(CEO of a debt collection agency). Written by a CEO, Brandon Black, and his professional coach, Shayne Hughes, Ego Free Leadership shows how the ego of a leader can impact his or her effectiveness. I appreciated the transparency presented in this text. I've read many books on leadership, which focus specifically on the positives and exclude their trials and tribulations.


I enjoyed reading Ego Free Leadership for several reasons. First, the authors presented numerous scenarios, which explained what was occurring, how ego played a negative or positive role, and what to do as a corrective measure. Before reading this book, I never really considered how much my ego can impact my ability to be an effective and efficient leader of an organization. Also, the authors, especially the CEO, shared their personal struggles with their desire to be viewed as a leader and maintaining their own egos. Lastly, Ego Free Leadership includes both success stories and stories about their failures. The anecdotal evidence demonstrates how their egos contributed to either failure or success. Using this method to share leadership strategies, the authors assist the reader in enhancing his or her ability to be a leader.

I think this book is ideal for leaders, who are new to their leadership roles. After reading this book, new leaders can begin to identify their strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Also, new leaders can implement the strategies to improve their leadership styles. I believe that Ego Free Leadership can assist seasoned leaders in their self-assessment of current leadership capabilities. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.

Disclaimer: I reviewed the ARC.

At several points in our careers, we have experienced the damaging effects of ego. This could have been your boss or co-worker affecting you or you affecting others. These individual effects cumulate to reduce the organization's potential and become part of the culture; which perpetuates more ego driven decisions. How do we stop this? "Ego Free Leadership" attempts to explain and solve this insidious problem.

People who have read Patrick Lencioni's "fables" will find this style of writing familiar. It takes that formula and amps it to 11. Each chapter is a step in the real life transformation of Brandon Black and his organization, Encore. This provides us the emotional connect. At the end of every chapter, Shayne Hughes, the coach, provides an analysis and gives us the concepts. This unique dual perspective helps us appreciate the transformations better.

Many of us will relate to the circumstances and personalities in this book since this is an open and exact depiction of organizational politics and motivations. I could relate with the coaching aspects as I have been part of such initiatives. The portrayal is authentic in its description of the resistance, aha moment, acceptance and the willingness to develop, which most people go through in such Leadership Development courses. There is no magic bullet to self development as this book is quick to remind us. Self development happens when we learn to recognize and break destructive patterns.

The only stumble that occurs here is in the "flip" of the mind-set. How do we change a skeptical mind to one receptive to self development? Unfortunately, like other self-help books, the "flip" moment described is not reproducible. Brandon Black undergoes an aha moment, but this is unique to him. If organizational transformation has to succeed, the "flip" is the crucial component. Otherwise such transformations are still-born or die a slow death.

"Ego Free Leadership", despite this singular flaw, is a worthy addition to any bookshelf. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in a leadership position. It will be available on 14-Mar.