Leaders Read#109

👋 Hello everyone,

Abraham Lincoln said, “Have I not destroyed my enemy when I have made him into my friend?”

Here are a few resources you might have missed:

• Book notes: The Power of Regret by Daniel H. Pink

• Book notes: How to Know a Person by David Brooks

• All 199 Book notes for your enjoyment

• Catch-up: #1 - #108 Leaders Read Newsletters

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📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is "Ego, Authority, Failure" by Derek Gaunt.

The author is part of the same organization founded by Chris Voss, author of Never Split the Difference. While Voss focused on negotiation, this book applies the same tactical empathy tools to business conversations.

One of my favorite takeaways from the book is this:

"The moment you forget the person on the other side of a difficult conversation is human—with all that entails, including negative emotions—is the moment you lose your advantage."

✅ Actionable advice:

Lincoln assembled a cabinet of rivals, not allies—men who had opposed him politically. Lincoln chose competence over comfort. That’s tactical empathy. In tough conversations, don’t start with your objective; begin by understanding the other person’s perspective. That might mean asking, “What’s most important to you in this decision?”. The moment you forget the person across from you is human, you’ve already lost your edge.

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Have a great week!