Leaders Read#116

👋 Hello everyone,

Andy Grove said, "Bad companies are destroyed by crisis, good companies survive them, great companies are improved by them."

Here are a few resources you might have missed:

• Book notes: Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows.

• Book notes: The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner.

• All 204 Book notes for your enjoyment

• Catch-up: #1 - #115 Leaders Read Newsletters

---

📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is "Unreasonable Success and How to Achieve It" by Richard Koch.

Richard Koch is best known for his 1997 classic, The 80/20 Principle, which reshaped how leaders think about leverage and impact. Now, with Unreasonable Success and How to Achieve It, Koch goes further—offering a roadmap for turning ambition into extraordinary results.

One of my favorite takeaways from the book is this:

"Bismarck strategic opportunism—which can be emulated and lead to success—combined two elements usually seen as contradictory: the killer combination is extreme determination coupled with extreme flexibility regarding means and timing. If you are single-minded, yet patient, you will know the perfect time to act. Until then, keep your powder dry."

✅ Actionable advice:

Determination appears when we minimize distractions (Including opportunities) that steal our attention, and patience can only exist when leaders are brave enough to take the long view. Start this week by locking in your team's ultimate objective, then decide where flexibility matters most. Leaders who combine focus, adaptive thinking, and patience can turn setbacks into wins. Pivot when needed, and act decisively when the timing is right.

---

Have a great week!