51 THINGS SUCCESSFUL LEADERS DO: SMALL LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

When you think of a successful leader, who comes to mind?
Perhaps it’s those in very visible, formal and often very large leadership roles such as Sir Richard Branson or Donald Trump. Perhaps you’re inspired by those in smaller but still crucial roles such as your boss, former headteacher, head of your local council, your MP or congresswoman, your business partner or spouse. The 100 lessons in this book are designed to turn you into the type of leader that others will admire and want to learn from too.
I’ve coached hundreds of leaders working in organizations as diverse as the United Nations, World Bank Group, global banks and multinationals through to local tech start-ups, governments, schools and NGOs such as Teach for India. I’ve heard every leadership aspiration and dream you can imagine. I’ve listened to all the challenges and difficulties you’ll likely face when taking on a leadership role.
The main lesson I have picked up is a simple one - too many people fail to work on all aspects of their leadership toolbox leaving them with underutilized skills and strengths, while hanging onto weaknesses which hold them back. Not you… working through this book is your opportunity to sit down and think about yourself, giving you time to ask yourself how you want to develop and grow as a leader, to create followers and future leaders, and to explore how you want to remembered by those you have led.
Treat this book as your trusted companion. Through 100 short chapters, you’ll learn to make sense of the pieces you need to slot together to achieve your leadership ambitions. You’ll explore what leadership means to you through topics including:

•Self-leadership
•Your motivations
•Leadership styles
•Leadership mindsets and behaviours
•Thinking and communicating as a leader
•Motivating and inspiring followers
•Dealing with leadership challenges
•Leading through change
•Creating leaders and handing over.

How to use this book
Every chapter in this book features a new idea that will help you get closer to your goals. In each chapter, the ideas are introduced and explained on the first page and the second page features exercises and activities, some small and some large, for you to start doing today.
Don’t overlook the activities. The tasks you’ve been set have been specifically designed to give you the optimal mindset, habits, skills, relationships and behaviours needed to maximize your chances of leadership success. Some of them will surprise you, some will challenge you, others will seem simple and obvious. All of them are important in building the portfolio of skills you need to become a talented leader. Completing them will set you on the path to developing a leadership mindset and a leader-focused ’to do’ list. These things aren’t easy to achieve and few people are willing to invest the required time and effort. Successful leaders do.

Who am I to talk about successful leaders?
This book draws on the wisdom I have gained from coaching and mentoring leaders from all over the world for the past 20 years. From global CEOs to struggling entrepreneurs, through to leaders in the public sector and charities to first-time managers just starting out on their leadership careers, all of them have something to share about the journey of becoming an outstanding leader. Their experiences combine with my own wisdom gained through some incredibly personal leadership highs and lows.