Introduction

Who will benefit from this book?

Everyone will benefit from the book

I firmly believe that everyone is born to lead. Of course, I’m not saying that everyone is born into leadership and becomes a great leader right out of the gate. Becoming a successful leader requires work. One cannot simply assume a leadership role without preparing for it and expect to succeed. Fortunately, everyone has the potential to become a leader, at least in the area of their passion. But we are all expected to release and maximize this potential by developing the right mindset, the necessary skill set, and character.

The 21^st Century workplace and marketplace have changed. Everyone is expected to pay their dues regardless of where they are in the organization’s hierarchy by taking leadership, at least within their job description. In this era, many organizations have become flat, allowing every team member to create, innovate, and take leadership, even if they are at the bottom of the corporate ladder.

That means if you’re reading this book, you’re a leader, even if you do not have a formal leadership title. And if you’re a leader, you will benefit from this book. The antidotes shared here will empower you to succeed wherever you are today, and in the future when you take your first leadership position.

If you already have a team, you’re expected to get along and lead successfully from the get-go. If you stumble right away, your people may complain or even leave your team, and that isn’t good news for a first-timer, or for that matter, for any leader. “A Gallup poll of more than 1 million employed US workers concluded that the No. 1 reason people quit their jobs is a bad boss or immediate supervisor…People leave managers, not companies...in the end, turnover is mostly a manager issue.” You don’t want to have such a reputation, especially right out of the gate.

The main beneficiaries of this book

While it’s true that everyone can benefit from the content of this book, below are the primary beneficiaries:

Recently promoted team leads, supervisors, project managers, and business owners. This book will enable this group to overcome the first-timer syndrome within a reasonable period.
Those who have been in their current first-timer position for a while.This book provides help for this group to succeed in their current position. They will gain the latest empowering nuggets to implement right away to achieve quick results. It will also help them appreciate what they have been doing right and not so right, and the changes they should make to address the latter.
Aspirant first-timers.Even if you are not in a new leadership position right now and don’t belong to one of the above primary beneficiaries, this book will prepare you to take your next leadership position.
Seasoned leaders.This book is also beneficial to senior leaders who are coaching and mentoring first-timers in their organizations.

As you can see, this book is relevant to every leader, regardless of their position and seniority, though its purpose may differ.