Leaders Read#123

👋 Hello everyone,

Stephen R. Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

Here are a few resources you might have missed:

• Book notes: Getting Innovation Right by Seth Kahan

• Book notes: The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking by Micheal D. Watkins

• All 207 Book notes for your enjoyment

• Catch-up: #1 - #122 Leaders Read Newsletters

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📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is "Influence is Your Superpower" by Zoe Chance.

Drawing on her work as a Yale professor, Zoe Chance presents influence as a human skill grounded in empathy and understanding. It’s a practical and thoughtful read for leaders who want to persuade with integrity.

One of my favorite takeaways from the book is this:

"You're not a therapist, and you don't have decades of practice at this, but you don't have to be right; you just have to try. After you have listened to someone with a specific goal in mind—understand their thoughts, or feelings, or what's been left unsaid, or their values, or all of these—and you reflect back your best guess without judgment, they'll appreciate that you're trying to understand them. This is not a test of your abilities; it's a conversation."

✅ Actionable advice:

Ryan Holiday puts it this way: “How can you lead if you haven’t listened to the people you’ll be leading? What information are you crowding out with all your chatter?” Don’t approach your next important conversation like a tennis match, where the goal is to return every point. Instead, open with a simple “how” or “what” question, such as, “What are our customers asking for right now that we’re not yet equipped to deliver?” Then listen. The most important move comes next: reflect back what you heard, without judgment, and give the other person space to add or clarify. When you do choose to speak, be intentional—share what you think is most useful for that person to hear in that moment. That’s how conversations move forward.

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Have a great week!