Review of "The Leadership Mind Switch: Rethinking How We Lead in the New World of Work," by D. A. Benton and Kylie Wright-Ford

Review of

The Leadership Mind Switch: Rethinking How We Lead in the New World of Work, by D. A. Benton and Kylie Wright-Ford ISBN 9781259836046

Five out of five stars

 While everyone understands that the rate of change in business is very high, not everyone is able to adapt. Most of the time the emphasis in written material about this issue focuses on the workers that have been displaced by automation, globalization and other factors. The commentators talk about the need for retraining programs designed to teach the skills needed in the “new world.”

 Generally lacking is an emphasis on the leaders of these companies and how they often react to the new economy in old economy ways. They also need to be retrained. Modern workers do not have the expectation that their predecessors counted on, work for decades in the same job, accrue a pension and then have a retirement party with gifts. Which is sensible, for such a system simply does not exist.

 In the new economy the marginal value of employees varies far more than it ever has. Acquiring and keeping the high achievers is now essential and it is up to the leaders of the organization to keep them engaged. That of course means that the nebulous term “leadership” is now far more important than ever before.

 Many people throw the term around with ease without ever attempting to explain the characteristics that define leadership. That is not the case here, the authors make it very clear what they consider to be the definition of leadership in the modern world and they nail it in ways that surpass anything that I have ever read on the topic.

 A lot of people could save and make a lot of money if they would read this book and take the message very seriously. The only other thing that they will need will be the courage to follow the advice. As is stated on page 240, “To be able to do your job, you need to be willing to lose your job.”