There are literally hundreds of different types of leader - let's simplify - here are three that cover the vast majority.

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Sometimes it is easier to understand a new concept using a example - leadership types on an aircraft

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The art of delegation; it's more than just getting someone to do the stuff you don't like doing!

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BOOK REVIEWS

THE CHARGE by Brendon Burchard

You may remember a good few weeks ago I reviewed a book called Unfair Fight, my first ever business personal development book that led me to sitting on Sam Hazledine’s, Board of Directors, which introduced me Brendon Burchard and to his book; The Charge.

The concept behind The Charge is that if we take hold of our lives through 10 different charge points, in doing so, we can move from a ’Caged’ or ‘Comfortable’ life to a ‘Charged’ life. A life where we are in control of all aspects of what we want; to really live through our 80 Summers.

The Charge led me to develop my own mantra to really work through my own values having spent a career living the values of the British Army. While those values have changed over time, they still hold true to moving from a caged or comfortable life into a life where I am charging forward.

The book is well worth the read or listen to. Each chapter provides valuable points to take forward and practice in life. And even if you only take one chapter of them forward, you will see changes in the way you live your life. Other people will see changes in you and, if you have the bravery, tenacity and enthusiasm to take on all of the charge points then you will truly lead charged life.

A book that has changed the way I live, it has changed the way my family live, and it can do the same for you. A book well worth reading and a man well worth following www.brendon.com.

THE FOUR AGREEMENTS by Don Miguel Ruiz

I must admit I only picked this book up because it was on the top five reading list of Meghan Markle. As released to the UK press the week before she married Prince Harry but I read it and I enjoyed it.

There are many books you read. And as you're reading, you learn something from and you then put the book down. The Four Agreements is a book that caused me not to write a book review straightaway. It powerfully caused me to decide to take the Four Agreements out to play to see if you can change your life by just making small changes, by making small agreements with yourself.

The Four Agreements are:

Be impeccable with your word;

Do not take anything personally;

Do not make assumptions; and,

Always do your best.

I'm not going to say it's easy to live with these four agreements, but it's certainly an enjoyable challenge. Don Muguel Ruiz has written a very enjoyable and quick read. It is also a read that, if you take it seriously, can change your life.

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT by Gretchen Rubin,

The fact that The Happiness Project is a #1 New York Times bestseller, and over a million copies have been sold suggests that it's a book worth a read. However, as folks involved in personal development, we may sniff about a book that tells us about being happy, because surely, we should already be well down the happiness road.

The Happiness Project is so much more than just a project about being happy. It is a 12-month examination of how we can lead better lives; of how we can become more fulfilled. As we share the year long journey with the author through months of; boosting energy, making time for friends and, keeping a contented heart for example, we realise that there is so much more to happiness than just the word happy.

The book is a project about leading a more fulfilled life. It's a book about scheduling time to ensure that we lead happier lives. Too often we schedule time for work, we schedule time for family, but do we schedule time to become fulfilled

The author, throughout The Happiness Project empowers us to move in that direction either alongside her through the book or using the tools on the associated the website.

Well worth the read as, let’s face it, who has happiness completely ‘nailed’. This book is a great reminder not only to keep learning but also to be humble in our learning journey as we Lead through Life.

RICH DAD POOR DAD by Robert Kiyosaki

Rich Dad Poor Dad is over 20 years old now but the main tenet of the lesson still stands true. Today, we must be careful to take the lessons of over 20 years ago in the United States, with regards to building a property investment portfolio. As dependent on the country and region you live things will change and things you need to understand your market but the teachings of the difference between a liability and an asset the means by which your cash should flow in order to create wealth still hold true today.

The 20th anniversary edition of the books comes with some added bonuses that allow you to think through the case studies that are provided. Kiyosaki’s explanation of an employee, what being self-employed means, what an investor is and what makes a businessman remains extant and, while there'll be a few home truths uncomfortable to most, this book is well worth reading.

Yet again, we do not teach our children correctly at school. The school model is outdated, which means that we put more emphasis on algebra and trigonometry than understanding cash flow and understanding money. And in doing so we remain trapped in the industrial age.

Reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Poor Dad or one of the versions for teenagers or playing Kiyoski’s aptly named game, CashFlow, is a great way to accelerate learning and allow you to Lead through Life.

MORE THAN THIS – Rebecca Elvy

It is too easy to say that all personal development/leadership books just spout the same stuff. More Than This by Rebecca Elvy is breath of fresh air and offers an up-to-date canter through the maze of leadership. Rebecca deftly leads us through the journey ably assisted by Nigel and the sabre-tooth tiger.

Using; inspiration, Intent, Impact and Insight as the framework to guide us, More Than This points to our part in a Heroic Quest to save this broken World.

This world is full of big, big problems that seem too huge to solve. Following the framework and concepts in More That This, the author shows us that, while we live in a broken world, there is no problem to big for us to take on and, with tenacity, we can make a difference.

Easy to read, this is a Leadership book for everyone and, if we all took, even just a part of it to heart and acted, we could indeed change the world.

THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON - George S. Clason

What a great book. At 80 Summers we talk about self-leadership and this book, written back in the 1920s, is a great insight into the self-leadership we all require when dealing with money.

The book is written as a number of short stories all building on the last. Each one discussing how to grow and protect our wealth, how to look after our money and, if we are very diligent, become the richest people in Babylon.

The Richest Man in Babylon is a really easy read and a book with content that is far more important than any Maths class your children will ever attend because this book tells us not only how to look after money but how not to lose money and in not losing money, create wealth. Far more valuable and relevant than A+B=C……….never got Algebra!!

MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING – Vicktor E Frankl

Any book about the holocaust is unlikely to be a joyous read and Viktor E Frankl’s account of life in Auschwitz and other concentration camps is no exception. What is especially disturbing about Man’s Search for Meaning is that the book is not about the widely reported horrors of the camps but instead a study of the mundane. It is a study, by a highly educated and empathetic human being about what it took to survive the day-to-day torment.

This is not an easy read as it reflects, throughout and directly at the close:

‘Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord’s Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on this lips’.

That said, it is a must read for any one who recognises that there are lessons in our collective past that could shape a better future for mankind.

It is a must read for everyone.

THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US – Charles Martin

There are very few occasions when I will read a novel, and even fewer when I will review them so this one must be special.

There is no need for this to be a long read – took me a couple of evenings – but I was told:

‘Don’t read the last page until you get there ………….’

I was intrigued!!

The Mountain between us (now also a film of the same name) is no more than a love story – but is so much more. As leaders we need tenacity, we need intellect, motivation and courage; to name but a few qualities. We also need humility and an understanding that leadership is service.

When Ben Payne, a gifted surgeon, and Ashley Knox, a writer, are involved in a small plane crash high in the Utah wilderness and Ashley is badly injured. It takes all of Payne’s skills as a surgeon and initiative to get them both back to civilisation. There is obviously a deeper story, which I won’t spoil here, but if you are looking for an easy read to reflect on what a leader is; this is a good book.

Remembering back to my boyhood books of ‘The Hardy Boys’ and the great classics of Jack London or more recent books like Jon Krakauer’s ‘Into the Wild’; it is important, especially in the 21st century when the outdoors is too often kept to short afternoons or in frequent holidays, to transport ourselves back to a more primitive world where courage and initiative are necessary for survival.

Charles Martin achieves this in ‘The mountain between us’ and hints at the adventure we all know exist just beyond our front door.

UNFAIR FIGHT – Sam Hazledine

When I first arrived in New Zealand and started with a small consulting company, I needed to get some business knowledge fast. Fortunately, Sam’s book was in the ‘top five’ at the time and as it was written by a Kiwi, I thought it might be a good place to start. It was!!

Unfair Fight is all about the advantages that small businesses have over larger ones. The book was born out of the author’s personal experiences building his own company Med Recruit and in very simple language leads the reader on a journey that will assist any budding entrepreneur or existing business owner to up their game.

The book is based on twelve rounds of a boxing match, each chapter adding to the last and reviewing a different aspect of business. I have recommended this book to many colleagues and, as a result of the positive changes I saw in my business as a result of applying the lessons, Sam became my mentor during my first year in business.

This is more than a book about business, it begins with the need to understand and lead ourselves. In doing so we gain focus on our personal vision and from there we can implement strategies that will make ourselves and our businesses flourish. Head over to Sam’s website – www.samhazledine.com – to see what else he is up to.

EXTREME OWNERSHIP – Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

On first pass this looks like a gnarly ‘CEO only’ leadership book – its not.

Both authors were members of US Navy SEAL Taskforce BRUISER who fought in Ramadi, Iraq who went on to launch Echelon Front, a company that teaches military leadership principles to businesses. This book very cleverly provides an overview of that deployment while weaving a number of military leadership principles into the narrative. Each chapter focuses on a specific principle, Extreme Ownership only being one; provides an explanation, military context and delivers an example from the corporate world.

While the corporate examples may not reflect every day life for the majority, the explanation of why SEAL Teams use these principles, and the military context delivers clear guidance that would enable any reader to utilise the principles to improve their personal leadership style.

The book is very careful not to divulge Tactics used by the SEAL Team but keeps a good momentum throughout. Whether you read this book as a CEO seeking to improve your leadership skills or someone with an interest in how high performing Military teams operate; this is a good read.

As we are all leaders in some aspects of life, this book is a worthwhile easy read with some great concepts to try out as you Lead through Life. After all, surely, we all want to Lead and Win.

THE BOY WHO SPROUTED ANTLERS - John Yeoman

Without knowing it, this was my first ever Personal Development book!!

It is a children book by John Yeoman about the adventures of Billy Dexter. Billy is not achieving much and is challenges by his friend Melanie to ‘grow some horns’. The beautifully written (and illustrated by Quentin Blake) story takes us on the journey with Billy as he realises his goal.

The morning after he agrees to the challenge and fully commits to sprouting antlers, Billy awakens with two bumps on his head. Within a week he has the most impressive set of antlers ever. I won’t ruin the end of the the story but it seems that growing anters is just the first in many goal setting adventures.

The boy who sprouted antlers is a great, homorous way to introduce children to the power of the mind and goal setting.

Billy Dexter really did ‘Lead through Life’.

TAMING TOXIC PEOPLE – David Gillespie (2017)

We’ve all met them – psychopaths – and there are many psychology books about them. I picked up this book specifically because it was not by a psychologist. This book is accessible for all who are interested in how to manage those individuals who seem impossible to manage.

Gillespie manages in only nine chapters to define the psychology, understand (as best we can) the psychopath and offer ways to manage the individual; whether they are in the home in the office or even if they live next door.

The seriousness of the subject matter is very clear by the author writes with a wit, humour and vulnerability that enables the reader to realise that we are not alone – everyone has a psychopath in their lives.

The book only takes a few hours to get through but the lessons it offers are simple and easily ingrained. For those who do not have those few hours to learn how deal with the energy, joy sapping individual who causes daily angst, I offer this; it all starts with you. In fact, you are the only solution; never call a psychopath, a psychopath. As they have a different operating system to the majority, they cannot compute that anything they do is wrong.

As with everything else in life, we can only change ourselves; in Taming Toxic People, David Gillespie eloquently proves that dealing with psychopaths is no different.

WILDBOY – Brando Yelavich

I was given this book for my birthday; only four days ago. To be honest, I didn’t really warm to it at first; a wee bit too much of ‘I did this, then I went there’. That is in no way to take away from Brando’s achievement; in his words:

‘I’d gone from being an angry, weed-smoking kid on the dole to being considered for such a huge honour (Young New Zealander of the Year) in less than a year. On top of that, I also found out that I’d already raised the $10,000 I’d set myself as a target for Ronald McDonald House’.

This is not just a book about the first person to walk the coast of New Zealand, over 8,000 km in 600 days. It is a rite of passage from boy to man, one accelerated due to the harshness of the terrain and a simple decision that he did not want the life that was shaping ahead.

It is an awesome travel guide as Brando takes us from city to beach, beach to rocks and often (very often) into the water. A guide to the flora and fauna of our beautiful and the abundance that our shores offer. A reminder that the human soul is good and of the kindness of strangers.

It is a book that should remind all of us that destiny is in our own hands and that, if you ask and believe, it will be given.

Having started, not thinking I would finish, I ended the book with a tear in my eye. A tear of respect for an awesome challenge and the Bravery, Tenacity and Enthusiasm that enabled ‘the wayward boy’ to grow, over 600 days, into ‘a wonderful, confident, personable and articulate young man’. A tear of regret for all those that will dream but never try.

This is a book we should all read and hand to our teenage children. Or, at least, visit www.wildboy.co.nz – he’s off to Greenland next.

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