It's Not Always Right to Be Right

IntroductionGood, but not Great

Well, how does one start off a book when that particular someone has seldom passed chapter 3 of the thousand leadership books he’s started reading over the years? With a degree of difficulty, I’d say. Let’s go.

Before we start, let’s be clear on a few things.

Firstly, I reckon I am good, but not great. I have been successful in the corporate world, yet I believe success is relative. I have worked in many different roles, functions, companies and geographies, yet I am no NYSE Top 10 CEO. I have reasonable intelligence and have been told I am strategic, and I have successfully motivated teams across all levels of an organisation.

I also have an insatiable drive for results. Sometimes too much drive, but we’ll talk about that later. Above all, though, I love new. New ideas, new concepts, new ways of working. Anything that is different and anything that forces me out of my comfort zone. This works for some people, and it drives others crazy.

I cannot stand books (or people, for that matter) that talk endlessly about what we should do. Why we need to do this and why we must do that. Ones that list the reasons why we need to change, the problems we face, the struggles we encounter and the dilemmas in front of us — essentially, a hundred‐plus reasons as to why we need to change — yet give no plan for action.

It drives me crazy. I am not against creating a compelling reason or vision for change, as that stuff is critically important as a catalyst for ...