Cocktails with Carl

Written by Carl Monty, Director + Partner at June Co.

A 2020 Book Review

Of all the things that 2020 has not been, it’s certainly been an ideal year to catch up on some reading. I took advantage of that extra time and achieved one of my main goals for the year, to read more. I focused specifically on books written about leadership. These are the 4 I enjoyed most.

The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger

A fantastic story about a man’s 45 year rise through the brutal world of media. How exactly did Bob Iger work his way from tiny Ithaca College to the head of Disney? The answer is relatively straightforward, by being relatable. 

The book chronicles Igers journey in detail with the most significant achievements coming as the CEO of Disney. At Disney, his first challenge was to win over an ornery and skeptical board of directors, many of whom didn’t want to see him as CEO. After clearing that hurdle, Iger takes Disney on a remarkable ascendancy, personally overseeing and executing the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox. In his tenure, Disney quintuples its value, becoming the largest and most respected media company in the world, while Iger is recognized as one of the most innovative and successful CEOs of our time.

Throughout the book, Igers unique talent for deeply connecting with people is on display, and that’s the ultimate difference maker. In a world where the hard work of developing genuine relationships and building trust is being replaced by the instant gratification of social media “follows” and “likes”, Igers old school approach feels new again, and it’s definitely time for us to get back to class.

"Over the past fourteen years, I think I've learned so much about what real leadership is," Iger writes. "But I couldn't have articulated all of this until I lived it. You can't fake it--and that's one of the key lessons in this book."

Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual, Jocko Willink

Jocko Willink is a retired naval officer who served in the Navy Seals. His military service saw combat actions in the war in Iraq, where he eventually commanded Seal Team 3's Task Unit Bruiser that fought in the battle against the Iraqi insurgents in Ramadi. He earned both the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his service and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander. 

It’s only natural then that in Leadership Strategy and Tactics, Willink takes a traditional military field manual, a manual that provides instructions in simple, clear, step-by-step language to help soldiers complete their mission, and rewrites it specifically for leaders in the civilian world.  

We already know that leading is difficult. It’s fraught with all sorts of complex scenarios and sometimes we need a guide to navigate us through. Leadership Strategy and Tactics cuts through those complexities and provides that simple, clear, practical “how to” manual that leaders can refer to for answers immediately. 

I know what you are thinking….it can’t be that easy, can it? Of course not, and that’s where Willink provides the added value. Throughout the book he describes real life situations where there are leadership voids than explains in detail how to take basic leadership theory, translate that theory into applicable strategy, and then execute at a tactical level. 

This book is a fantastic solution for leaders at every level-not only to improve your leadership skills but to ultimately become the great leader you strive to be.

Leadership is Language, L. David Marquet

In Leadership is Language, L. David Marquet uses the term “Industrial Age Thinking” to describe an outdated methodology of communication where leaders tell their subordinates what to do. Unfortunately, many of us still default to this flawed position of command and control when workers worked with their hands and managers worked with their heads. In today’s dynamic economy, your people/teams won’t react well to this style of leadership, resulting in dysfunction and ultimate failure. To avoid that, Marquet suggests changing communication styles from doling out orders to actually engaging your team in the work of strategic thinking and problem solving. 

Leadership is Language is a detailed script to help make this shift. You’ll learn that by simply changing your language you’ll empower your people to bring their best selves to work, improve their decision making, and take greater ownership of their responsibilities. It’s a plan that helps you find the right balance between debate and action, take risks without threatening your objective, and put your team on a continuous path to improvement. 

Marquet uses a number of different examples to illustrate how his theories can be applied in certain situations. As a retired Navy Captain, his best case study is the tragic sinking of the SS El Faro, a container ship that sank off the coast of the Bahamas during a hurricane. Using recordings of the actual words spoken, Marquet dissects the failed process piece by piece, focusing on the captain, his leadership style, and how he engaged his team. He then reconstructs the process applying his ideas in detail, demonstrating how a change in language could have empowered his team to help make better decisions at the most critical moments, avoiding the wreck, and guiding the ship safely to its destination.

Leadership is Language is an outstanding book. It challenges us to rethink how we communicate with our teams, abandoning outdated Industrial Age philosophies. As leaders, we don’t have a monopoly on good ideas. What we do have is a talented team of people yearning to contribute. Our job is to engage and empower them to collaborate-with the ultimate goal of winning together!

Entrepreneurial Leadership, Joel Peterson

The first chapter in Joel Peterson’s book, Entrepreneurial Leadership, is titled “The World Needs More Entrepreneurial Leaders”. It’s a good place to start and an emphatic calling for leaders to diversify their skill sets beyond the expected. As Peterson describes, too many leaders end up settling in specific roles exclusively. He defines these roles in 5 buckets; Presiders, Managers, Administrators, Pure Entrepreneurs, and Politicians. Each of these kinds of leaders make important contributions but rarely leave a mark on the companies they serve. For those desiring to make a permanent impact, new skills are required. They need to learn to build and inspire teams, launch new projects, and champion innovative approaches. Peterson calls these dynamic leaders “entrepreneurial leaders,” and they create durable businesses that consistently execute on their goals and objectives. I couldn’t agree more. 

I loved this book for its directness and practicality. Peterson breaks down the essential skills needed to be a successful “entrepreneurial leader” with remarkable brevity. He does this effectively by highlighting 4 core philosophies to focus on; building trust, creating a sense of mission, building a cohesive team, and executing and delivering results. Each of these philosophies represent a section in the book where Peterson delves into the specifics, citing real life experiences to support his ideas. The added value is in the recap of each chapter. These bullet pointed summaries keep you focused on what’s most important, and in some cases there is a specific call to action for the reader. For example, after reading a chapter on establishing your personal brand you are asked to choose 5 separate attributes that you would like associated with your brand. I found these recaps to be quite helpful. 

It’s now time to mention that Joel Peterson has been on the faculty at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University since 1992 (he’s also the chairman of JetBlue Airways). I bring this up because reading Entrepreneurial Leadership feels like it might be similar to taking one of Peterson’s classes (it sounds like the title of an actual class too). He has a real knack for keeping things simple and understandable where others might attempt to intimidate with complexity.