I received a review copy of this from the publisher Greenleaf Book Group Press through NetGalley. I requested it because the premise resonates with my leadership style and the authors confirmed this as I read through it. If you've actually tried to learn more about leadership, and worked to apply what you've learned to yourself, most of this won't be new. To be fair, there aren’t many paradigm shifters anymore. Daniel Pink’s Drive probably nudged many when it was published, but now? Intuitively obvious. Good teachers know that it takes three (or more) times saying something for it to stick, and you'll see that here. Lots of repetitions - say, rather, reinforcement - of the basic concepts of authentic leadership, which can be distilled down to a few bullets:
- people first ... you serve them ("The authentic leaders we served with over the course of our lives shared some important qualities. Chief among these was a deeply held passion to serve others."),
- commit to the mission ("One of the ways authentic leaders influence their teammates is through their own level of personal commitment to the team’s mission."),
- but balance the mission (task) with serving your people,
- continually improve yourself by taking responsibility for your development and being accountable ("Leading is not about you (in that you are at the center); it is about your teammates and about the mission. Learning how to lead, however, is about you; you must take personal responsibility for your growth.")

There are sub points, which the authors go into in detail, many of which cross over to other elements of leadership. The read is easy, with sidebars, graphics, and other reinforecements. And the authors present personal examples to help illustrate their points (and show that they don't pretend to know everything, unlike some of the management/leadership books out there.) More importantly, they embrace "We can also assure you that the quality of your leadership matters." and the title of a subsection: "STRIVE TO BE A LEADER, NOT THE LEADER". Definite articles are dicey. This is spot on.

As I said, you probably know all this already, but it's good to see in a different package and may be the book you recommend to others. I can recommend it.

Highlights - too many. Really, too many to put here, but a selection for a taste:

{The authors each list some quotes from leaders they admire. I highlighted this one:}
Brigadier General Richard Walls, USMC: Get out from behind your desk. Seek the input of those you serve and share your thought process with them. Build relationships and maintain them. Actively raise your next level of leaders.
{The Navy and the Marines know this in their core. Train your replacement. I don't see that thinking as much in the private, or non-military public sector.}

[think about why you want to improve] After you’ve defined, with honesty, your current motivation to develop your leadership capabilities, you can begin to seek answers to some important questions around what leadership is and how you approach it.

[words matter] A few years later, our college found it necessary to hire a new president. What struck me from the beginning was that the new president spoke in the first person, in terms of ownership and shared responsibility. “The enrollment numbers” became “our student enrollment.” “The board of trustees” became “our trustees.” “The faculty, the staff, and the student body” became “us” and “we.” Predictably, our college community began to pull together, and performance improved dramatically. The contrast between these two leaders—in their words and deeds—was stark. When I interacted with the previous president, I felt I was a passenger on his ship, dependent on him to keep the ship afloat. When I interacted with the new president, I felt I was part of a crew, and my captain was counting on me and my teammates to help steer the ship to an exciting destination.
{This is extremely important. Too often, egos take credit for the team, and the team doesn't get credit for their work.}

[leadership quality] Here are some practical suggestions to help you evaluate the quality of your leadership decision: Pay attention to whether and how your decision affected individual and team performance. Observe the short- and long-term impacts on attitude, behavior, and performance. Seek targeted feedback from your teammates. Determine whether your decision added to or detracted from the capabilities of the people you lead. Determine whether your decision served the team in advancing toward its mission.
{Self evaluation is hard sometimes, but necessary.}

[people first, always] One of an authentic leader’s primary responsibilities is to care for their people: the human beings who do the lion’s share of the work required to accomplish the team’s mission. Ineffective leaders fail to comprehend how important it is to create a supportive culture and build human relationships that align and drive individual and team performance.
{I would respectfully submit that "ineffective leaders" are not leaders.}

[And this] James O’Toole, in Leadership A to Z, may have said it best: “All groups and organizations are capable of getting by without leadership. But all high-performing organizations have leadership.”
{This. Simply this.}

A solid overview of various aspects of leadership, ideal for those new to leadership or simply curious about it. Covers such elements as remembering why you’re leading, elements of imposter syndrome that can get in your way or cause self-doubt, and how to get started as a leader, even without a formal position of authority. While this isn’t all that different than other leadership books on the market, and so might not offer much new if you’ve already read others, if this is your first foray into leadership books, then this is a good book to start out with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

With so many leadership books on the market today it's hard to find the very best. Fortunately, the authors of this book have done the work for readers in this easy to read and understand book. Read it and reap.

I just love how basic and necessary this book is!

I love how easy to read the writing is. A book which can be picked up by anyone who are looking for basic leadership skills.

Twenty two short chapters under five parts, the book explains well who a leader is, how a leader becomes one and what someone can do when someone needs to become a leader.

The highlights would be the section on how to be an authentic leader and the essential concepts to understand in order to become a leader.

A really good read. Needed it.

Thank you, Greenleaf Book Group, for the advance reading copy.