One of the 21st century’s most admired leaders, Jack Welch once said: “Before you are a leader success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader success is all about growing others”. As such, leadership is a career in itself; one that can span years. It's not a case of an overnight flick of fairy dust and out pops a great leader. The best leaders know they need to learn to lead every day. And that they must share this learning with those around them.
And this is the nub of Tacy Byham and Richard Wellins' book. Because while the title aims the book predominantly at those entering or in their first leadership role (and at times I was reading very basic leadership learnings) I found their advice useful and relevant even for those long into leadership careers. It was a great reminder of what it's like to be a first-time manager and how, as organisational role models, leaders have the responsibility to support, nurture and develop others starting out on their leadership journeys.
The book itself is not overly academic or scientifically mind-blowing. It does exactly what it says on the tin; it's a practical tool that can be dipped in and out of when the need arises. As such it's the ideal book for millennials entering the workforce who aspire to be leaders.
The ethos behind the book is that adopting a catalytic style of leadership should ignite flames in those around you. Which then may kickstart the change of an inefficient process, spawn a new idea for a product or, most importantly, bring on change in others.
One of my favourite takeaways was that leadership isn't a task or a role, it's an ongoing conversation where very few of the actions are done in isolation. The secret of leadership is human connection, and so as HR professionals we are excellently placed to be, or create, the leaders of the future.
My interest was thoroughly captured by this title and I can't stop recommending it. So much so that I've just bought my 56 supervisory graduates a copy each and tasked them to read and learn from its approaches.
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Your First Leadership Job: How Catalyst Leaders Bring Out the Best in Others, by Tacy Byham and Richard Wellins, is available for £16.99 from eu.wiley.com
