On my bookshelf: Sportsmen, businessmen, politicians — and a gangster

"As famous as I was, I wasn't a selfish boss. I coulda' been a billionaire if I wanted. A billionaire! Guys ask me, 'How come you never built a mansion?' Well, two reasons. One, I couldn't show it, because, you know, on paper I was only making eighty, ninety balloons a year. Two, I didn't need it. What do I need a mansion for?"

Several years ago, a trusted mentor suggested that biographies and autobiographies are often a source of inspiration, in terms of life lessons on leadership. In this context, I thought it might be interesting to take a look on my bookshelf, at some of the famous — and infamous — people that have captivated my imagination since then. From the selection at the bottom of this article, see if you can guess who the quote above is attributed to!

In this post, I've consciously focused on the masculine. I'm a huge advocate for the merits of diversity in business. That everyone has something positive to contribute and learn from, no matter their gender, personality, culture, ethnicity, or orientation. I'll cover those female "leaders" that bestow my bookshelf in a future post, to bring a different perspective. Watch this space!

It was quite an interesting exercise, standing back and taking stock of the books I've bought over recent years, in particular the individuals whose life stories I've been attracted to. And influenced by. Whilst individually they are each unique and make for good reading in their own right, there are 3 aspects in particular that are common to them all:

1. Authenticity. The quotes I've chosen for each leader below seek to demonstrate the strength of conviction each of these individuals had/has, in their own leadership style. This comes from a deep understanding of their personal values and beliefs, of being comfortable in their own skin, and a strong guiding north star that provided a solid anchor when facing difficult decisions and dilemmas. Authenticity also comes from a place where one is prepared to give up something of value, rather than bend to the opinion of others. Most if not all the leaders below have had times in their career where they faced being removed from their position in the spotlight. Some, indeed, have actually experienced being replaced, directly. But in the face of that pressure, they were true to themselves, to their own conviction, to their own leadership style. Sure, all leaders have to be prepared to bend and listen to others' and interact in different ways, but ultimately it’s easy to spot a fake. Someone who does not really know their own values, their inner purpose, what they stand for as an individual.
2. Courage. Every leader faces criticism. It comes with the territory. And the higher profile the leadership role, the greater the burden and pressure. Courage is the ability to confront fear and anxiety, rather than avoid it, to take risks and be bold. To jump off the cliff. That's an essential leadership trait. We can debate amongst the list below who are/were the really great leaders, and those who may even have had questionable morals. But something I do admire in them all, is their tenacity and resilience in the face of (often) incredible pressure and personal stress. One leveller, is the fact we're all human. So, despite the seemingly confident exterior, I've no doubt that all of these individuals have gone through periods of intense inner turmoil, doubt, and even insecurity. One's ability as a leader to find untapped reserves of energy, outlets to release that unbelievable stress, is crucial. For some it may come more naturally, but I certainly don't think it’s automatic. Resilience and self-confidence is something to be worked at, to constantly seek to expand one's personal support structure, to experiment and try new things. Adversity and crisis can hit anytime. The best leaders are well prepared and have the strength and resolve to bounce back. 
3. Influence. If leadership is about getting others to do things that they would not ordinarily do, then one's ability to exert influence is critical. Influence, though, can be achieved in different ways. In years gone by, the swashbuckling table thumping alpha male personality was often touted as the most successful leadership style, and if this didn't fit your character, then you had little hope to climb the leadership ladder to the top. But someone like Carlo Ancelotti (see below), for example, influences people in a very different way, with extremely successful results. And with increasing acceptance that leadership isn't a one size fits all, it’s clear that no style is automatically better than another. That said, even an introvert — or a quiet leader like Ancelotti — needs to have the gravitas, respect, and profile, to be able to exert influence beyond those immediately surrounding them. One's impact is limited by one's reach, hence to be a successful leader of a global organisation, for example, it’s critical to be willing and able to communicate through multiple channels — including digital — in order to truly make a difference. Playing small, or playing quiet in a literal sense, is not a good recipe for successful leadership.   

What do you think? Which famous people adorn your bookshelf and why? Do the common attributes of successful leaders described above resonate with you?

Jim's bookshelf — selected reading

1. Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Louis Gerstner Nine years at the helm of IBM, as CEO, a warts and all story of how he transformed the company in a major turnaround.

"If employees don't believe a crisis exists, they won't make the sacrifices necessary to change. Nobody likes change. Whether you're a senior executive or an entry level employee, change represents uncertainty, and potentially, pain. So there must be a crisis, and it’s the job of the CFO to define and communicate that crisis — its magnitude, its severity, and its impact."

2. Decision Points, George Bush The 43rd president of the United States focuses on the really big decisions that shaped his term in office between 2001—2009.

"Instead of covering every issue, I've tried to give the reader a sense of the most consequential decisions that reached my desk. As I hope I've made clear, I believe I got some of those decisions right, and I got some wrong. But on every one, I did what I believed was in the best interests of our country."

3. Gotti, Rise and Fall, Jerry Capeci The Teflon Don, the Dapper Don, famous godfather of the Gambino mafia crime family, Gotti (unlike his son Junior) would never have written an autobiography. He was an old school mafioso, and like many "running on the streets", often cited Macchioveli for leadership advice.

"People loved me. I coulda been f***** president if I wasn't having so much fun doin' what I was doin'. You think I'm kiddin'. What's that Bill Clinton got? A forty three approval ratin' in the polls. Stop any two people in the f **** street, one of 'em would like me. That puts me seven points ahead right there." 

4. Screw it, Let’s Do It, Richard Branson Sir Richard Branson is an icon in the business world as a serial entrepreneur who lives life to the full in every sense of the word.

"When I first discovered that my nickname among some members of staff at Virgin was 'Dr Yes', I was amused. Obviously it had come about because my automatic response to a question, a request, or a problem is more likely to be positive than negative. I have always tried to find reasons to do something if it seems like a good idea, than not to do it."

5. A Journey, Tony Blair British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, Blair has the 9th longest time served amongst PM's in the UK.

"I won three general elections. Up to then, Labour had never even won two successive full terms. The longest Labour government had lasted six years. This lasted thirteen. It could have.gone on longer, had it not abandoned New Labour".

6. Jose, Farewell to the King, Harry Harris Jose Mourinho is a football coach in the English premier league with an illustrious career in management, dubbed by some (including himself) as 'The Special One' or 'The Chosen One'. Most famous perhaps for his 2 terms at Chelsea, he currently is the manager at Manchester United.

"My happiness is when I compare myself to other managers, I see just a few that are with me in terms of success. In the others I see a huge difference, a huge distance. In England I am in a league of my own. No other premier league manager can compare. What makes me feel special is that I am above all [the criticism]. You think I care with some bulls**t I read? Do you think I care? I don't care."

7. Winning Matters, Sean FitzPatrick FitzPatrick captained the All Blacks (New Zealand) rugby team 51 times. The whole pretext of this book is about the importance of winning, and wanting to win more than anything.

"In the game of rugby you do need to have a hard streak in you....I think the ruthless streak is something that I see [in New Zealand] but sense that people [in England] are a bit more uncomfortable with it. It doesn't sit naturally with the culture there, and I don't see it being encouraged and applauded or developed as much as I think it ought to be. The telling phrase for me is this notion of being a 'good loser'."

8. Quiet Leadership, Carlo Ancelotti Similar to Mourinho (above), Ancelotti is regarded by some as one of the best and most successful football managers of all time. He also, like Mourinho, was fired by Chelsea at one stage of his career.

"A quiet approach to leadership might sound soft or perhaps weak to some, but that is not what it means to me, and it is definitely not what it means to anyone who has ever played with me or for me. The kind of quiet I am talking about is a strength. There is power and authority in being calm and measured, in building trust and making decisions coolly, in using influence and persuasion and in being professional in your approach. When you watch Vito Corleone in The Godfather, do you see a weak, quiet man or do you see a calm, powerful man in charge of the situation?"

9. Think Big, Donald Trump An apt title, perhaps, written before his election as President of the USA. That, in itself, is testament to the following excerpt.

"The readers of BusinessWeek magazine voted me the world's most competitive business leader. I don't know whether it’s true as I know many fierce competitors. I'm honoured all the same, because I pride myself on my competitiveness and my drive to transcend the ordinary. You have to constantly challenge yourself to achieve greater and greater accomplishments. To do that, you have to leave your comfort zone."

10. Inside Steve's Brain, Leander Kahney A legend in his lifetime and beyond, Jobs will forever be remembered for disrupting the world as we know it — as well as his unique leadership style.

"Jobs is the kind of person who wants the best — the best car, the best private jet, the best pen, and the best employees. He does tend to polarise things. People are either geniuses, or bozos. There was a pen that was his favourite — all the others were 'crap'. When working on the Mac, everyone not on the Mac team were Bozos."

11. My Life, Bill Clinton Preceded Bush, as the 42nd president of the US between 1993 to 2001.

"I'm still working on that life list of goals I made as a young man. Becoming a good person is a lifelong effort that requires letting go of anger at others and holding on to responsibility for the mistakes I've made...I've tried to explain the difference between my view of the world, and that held by those on the Far Right with whom I did battle. In essence they honestly believe they know the whole truth. I see things differently."

12. Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela Anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader, Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years until his release in 1990, and then was president of South Africa from 1994 — 1999, staying true to his beliefs throughout his life despite incredible hardship.

"I was often asked how I could accept the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Mr Klerk, after I'd criticised him so severely. Although I wouldn't take back my criticisms, I could say that he'd make a genuine and indispensable contribution to the peace process. I never sought to undermine him, as the weaker he was the weaker the negotiations process would be. To make peace with an enemy, one must work with that enemy, and that enemy becomes your partner."

13. The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama 44th and first African American president of the USA.

"It is to say that after all the trappings of office — the titles, the staff, the security details — are stripped away, I find the President and those who surround him to be pretty much like everyone else, possessed of the same mix of virtues and vices, insecurities and long-buried injuries, as the rest of us. No matter how wrong-headed I find their policies to be... I still find it possible to understand their motives, and to recognise in them values that I share."

14. Winning, Jack Welch Renowned for his incredible 20 year tenure as CEO at General Electric, during which the stock value increased 4,000%.

"Winning in business is great because when companies win, people thrive and grow. There are more jobs and more opportunities everywhere and for everyone. People feel upbeat about the future; they have the resources to send their kids to college, get better health care, buy vacation homes, and secure a comfortable retirement."

15. Interventions, Kofi Annan Secretary General of the UN from 1997 to 2006, Annan received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, jointly with the UN.

"A Swahali proverb holds that ' You cannot turn the wind, so turn the sail'. Turning the sail — from conflict prevention to economic development, peacekeeping, human rights and climate change — is now more than ever in the hands of each and every one of us. The wind will follow its own unsettled course, but men and women in every society today have the ability to determine their destiny in ways unimaginable in past eras."

16. The Art of Happiness, HH Dalai Lama Born Tenzin Gyatso, and living in exile in India, the 14th Dalai Lama exudes his own brand of leadership.

"I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. To enjoy a happy and fulfilled life, your state of mind is key. If we utilise our favourable circumstances, such as our good health or wealth, in positive ways, in helping others, they can be contributory factors in achieving a happier life."

17. Winners, Alastair Campbell Campbell is best known for the period he was press secretary to Tony Blair (above), as an articulate and cunning spin doctor.

"So here is another key lesson: either winners are a great team, or they have a great team. Nobody in this book — from the Queen and Mandela down — has done it alone. What winners do is get the right people, motivate them in the right way, and maximise their potential to the benefit of the individual on the team."