I just read “It’s Not about You”

 

“And the moment you begin thinking that it’s all about you, that you’re the deal, is the moment you begin losing your capacity to positively influence others’ lives. In a word, to lead. “

Bob Burg and John David Mann

I picked up the book, It’s not about You, at my local library. It’s a business leadership book the size of an iPad mini with only 127 pages. The authors, Bob Burg and John David Mann, present their case in the form of a parable. I was hesitant at first but was pleasantly surprised with this book.

The book’s description written on Amazon,

In this inspirational parable, we meet Ben, a young manager charged with persuading five hundred employees of a struggling chair manufacturer to agree to a merger as a way out of their financial woes. Facing what seems like an impossible uphill climb, Ben seeks the advice of Claire, an old friend, who introduces him to an eccentric elderly lady known simply as Aunt Elle.

Over the course of the week leading up to the crucial vote, Aunt Elle teaches Ben about the power of influence and positive persuasion. Ben also meets with each of the manufacturer's four top executives in an effort to sway them to his side, and instead comes away from each meeting with a different leadership lesson. But it's not until Ben reflects on his own experiences that he learns the critical principle so many people in positions of power fail to grasp: it's not about me, it's about you.

Ben learns the following 5 keys to leadership:

• Key #1 Hold the vision
• Key #2 Build your people
• Key #3 Do the work
• Key #4 Stand for something
• Key #5 Share the mantle

Key #5 struck an accord with me. I took “Share the mantle” to mean, let others lead. Being the leader isn’t about being the center of attention. The book states that “the best way to increase your influence is to give it away”. This is a powerful concept when confronted with leading an organizational change. Employing new Business Intelligence tools takes leadership to overcome the pushback from letting go of the existing the technology.