Have you ever thought, “I can’t wait until I get promoted so I can be in charge.”, or, “when I am the leader, I will do things differently”. Well, Robin Sharma’s excellent book, “The Leader Who Had No Title” is a book you should read. In a relatively short amount of time Sharma’s engaging story will have you understanding why it is imperative that each of us pursues a level of personal leadership regardless of titles or position. What I liked most about the book was that it went past just being a fun story to read, it actually provided actions that each of us can take to increase our ability to lead without a title. And by the way, if you do have a title, you should read this too. The first step in being an effective leader is to lead yourself exceptionally well. This book captures what it means to lead yourself exceptionally well.
As the story begins we find Blake Davis, a 30-ish, Iraq war veteran, who had struggled for years to find his place in this world, telling us his story of how he was able to turn his life around just be adopting the LWT (Lead Without a Title) philosophy. As Blake is languishing in his day to day chores working at a local bookstore he meets Tommy, a man that will change Blake’s life for ever. As they begin their relationship, Tommy walks Blake through what the LWT philosophy is all about. Then, for the remainder of the book Tommy takes Blake on a journey of personal discovery that will help Blake apply the LWT philosophy to his own life. This is where you will want to have a pad and pencil available to capture the truths that Tommy shares for your own life.
Sharma, via Tommy, tells us early on that the basic underlying truth of Lead Without a Title is that there is only one way a business will win in the new world of business today. That one way is to grow and develop the leadership talent of every single person throughout the organization faster than their competition. We cannot afford to only develop the leadership skills of those that have leader titles in the organization (like most organizations do). We need to have every person in the organization demonstrating leadership. Everyone must see themselves as part of the leadership team.
As the story progresses, Tommy takes Blake to meet four other LWT leaders. Each of these leaders take Blake through one of the four pillars of the LWT philosophy. At each stop Blake becomes more and more enamored with the philosophy and in thinking of ways to apply this to his day-to-day life. Again, this is where you and I should be taking notes.
Before Tommy can introduce Blake to the four teachers, Tommy must first make sure that Blake understands the what and the why of LWT before they get to the how. Tommy introduces Blake to “The 10 Human Regrets” and “The 10 Human Victories”. These are top 10 lists that reflect what a mediocre life and an exceptional life, respectively, means. Once they have set this ground work Blake begins his journey to meet the four teachers. During his journey Blake meets:
- Anna – a member of the housekeeping staff at a high-end luxury hotel. Anna teaches Blake about personal responsibility and the fact that you need no title to be a leader. Anna (as well as all the other teachers) gives Blake an acronym to help him remember what she has told him and help him apply it to his life. Her acronym is IMAGE.
◦Innovation
◦Mastery
◦Authenticity
◦Guts
◦Ethics
- Ty Boyd – a 5-time world slalom skiing champion. Ty talks with Blake about how turbulent times build great leaders and how many people resist the opportunity to show personal leadership because of the fear they have about exceeding their abilities. Ty’s acronym is SPARK.
◦Speak with Candor
◦Prioritize
◦Adversity Breeds Opportunity
◦Respond versus React
◦Kudo’s for Everyone
- Jackson Chan – ex-CEO of a multibillion dollar technology company turned gardener. Jackson’s message to Blake is that the deeper your relationships the stronger your leadership. Jackson’s acronym for Blake is HUMAN.
◦Helpfulness
◦Understanding
◦Mingle
◦Amuse
◦Nurture
- Jet Brisley – massage therapist to the rich and famous. Jet’s lesson for Blake is to be a great leader you must first become a great person. Jet’s acronym is SHINE.
◦See Clearly
◦Health is Wealth
◦Inspiration Matters
◦Neglect Not Your Family
◦Elevate Your Lifestyle
The book is full of great tips and ideas for growing your personal leadership. Many people are waiting until they get a leadership position complete with the power and the title. Their thought is that people will follow me when I have the title. The truth is that people follow people that show strong personal leadership in their own life. The message of “The Leader Who Had No Title” is for each and every one of us, regardless of position or title, to develop how we lead ourselves so that we positively influence as many people as possible in our day to day life.
Great book. I highly recommend it for everyone – new leader, old leader, aspiring leader.
As the story begins we find Blake Davis, a 30-ish, Iraq war veteran, who had struggled for years to find his place in this world, telling us his story of how he was able to turn his life around just be adopting the LWT (Lead Without a Title) philosophy. As Blake is languishing in his day to day chores working at a local bookstore he meets Tommy, a man that will change Blake’s life for ever. As they begin their relationship, Tommy walks Blake through what the LWT philosophy is all about. Then, for the remainder of the book Tommy takes Blake on a journey of personal discovery that will help Blake apply the LWT philosophy to his own life. This is where you will want to have a pad and pencil available to capture the truths that Tommy shares for your own life.
Sharma, via Tommy, tells us early on that the basic underlying truth of Lead Without a Title is that there is only one way a business will win in the new world of business today. That one way is to grow and develop the leadership talent of every single person throughout the organization faster than their competition. We cannot afford to only develop the leadership skills of those that have leader titles in the organization (like most organizations do). We need to have every person in the organization demonstrating leadership. Everyone must see themselves as part of the leadership team.
As the story progresses, Tommy takes Blake to meet four other LWT leaders. Each of these leaders take Blake through one of the four pillars of the LWT philosophy. At each stop Blake becomes more and more enamored with the philosophy and in thinking of ways to apply this to his day-to-day life. Again, this is where you and I should be taking notes.
Before Tommy can introduce Blake to the four teachers, Tommy must first make sure that Blake understands the what and the why of LWT before they get to the how. Tommy introduces Blake to “The 10 Human Regrets” and “The 10 Human Victories”. These are top 10 lists that reflect what a mediocre life and an exceptional life, respectively, means. Once they have set this ground work Blake begins his journey to meet the four teachers. During his journey Blake meets:
- Anna – a member of the housekeeping staff at a high-end luxury hotel. Anna teaches Blake about personal responsibility and the fact that you need no title to be a leader. Anna (as well as all the other teachers) gives Blake an acronym to help him remember what she has told him and help him apply it to his life. Her acronym is IMAGE.
◦Innovation
◦Mastery
◦Authenticity
◦Guts
◦Ethics
- Ty Boyd – a 5-time world slalom skiing champion. Ty talks with Blake about how turbulent times build great leaders and how many people resist the opportunity to show personal leadership because of the fear they have about exceeding their abilities. Ty’s acronym is SPARK.
◦Speak with Candor
◦Prioritize
◦Adversity Breeds Opportunity
◦Respond versus React
◦Kudo’s for Everyone
- Jackson Chan – ex-CEO of a multibillion dollar technology company turned gardener. Jackson’s message to Blake is that the deeper your relationships the stronger your leadership. Jackson’s acronym for Blake is HUMAN.
◦Helpfulness
◦Understanding
◦Mingle
◦Amuse
◦Nurture
- Jet Brisley – massage therapist to the rich and famous. Jet’s lesson for Blake is to be a great leader you must first become a great person. Jet’s acronym is SHINE.
◦See Clearly
◦Health is Wealth
◦Inspiration Matters
◦Neglect Not Your Family
◦Elevate Your Lifestyle
The book is full of great tips and ideas for growing your personal leadership. Many people are waiting until they get a leadership position complete with the power and the title. Their thought is that people will follow me when I have the title. The truth is that people follow people that show strong personal leadership in their own life. The message of “The Leader Who Had No Title” is for each and every one of us, regardless of position or title, to develop how we lead ourselves so that we positively influence as many people as possible in our day to day life.
Great book. I highly recommend it for everyone – new leader, old leader, aspiring leader.
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