I had the opportunity to obtain a free e-book in exchange for writing an honest review.  Making the offer even more desirable to me, it was a new book about leadership.  I love to read and study leadership, so I signed up.

That book is Catapulted by Dave Jennings.  I’m going to “live” comment on it as I’m reading.  I’m currently on Chapter 10, and so far, I have these observations:

• The book is very easy to read.  The chapters are short, and the authorial voice is conversational.
• Remembering from my working days, much of what he writes about is familiar — you’re just figuring out your current job, and you get tapped for a different one that’s even more challenging.
• He introduces a bit of mystery, and I think, so far, anyway, the example he uses is a fascinating and  solid parable.
• In Chapter 10, Alfred provides questions for our managerial Stan which, if you’re a fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done but don’t know how to capture your next action will help.

That’s where I am so far.  Back to reading.

On page 61, still in Chapter 10:  “If you knew everything you needed to
know, your situation would not require leadership.”

This statement is key.  It’s useful to remember when looking to your leaders for guidance and useful to remember that your leaders are looking for how you handle situations where all the data is not available.  If everything you need to know is available, you’re just doing your job.  If you’re able to decide upon an appropriate course of action without knowing everything there is to know, you’re leading.  How can you do that?  Catapulted offers a path.

• Chapter 11 begins to discuss how to make time for the big questions and how not to get bogged down in the details.  Chapter 12 augments what we learned in Chapter 11 by focusing on our values and how they tie into what we do.  Knowing your values should help you direct your decision-making process.

• Chapter 13 teaches us about relationships, and what it has to say will benefit us far beyond the business world if we should choose to apply the lessons.  And Chapter 14 will enlighten us how to find the time to work on those relationships.

• With relationships and job assignment, come expectations.  I don’t know about you, but this was an area where I struggled.  Chapter 16 should help smooth the way for creating clearer expectations.  And even better, it shows you how to get clearer expectations from your boss.  Yes, you can lead your boss, and, especially when it comes to expectations, if your boss isn’t leading you, you need to lead your boss.

• In Chapter 21, we learn how to work with “the other guy.”  You know, the one who doesn’t deliver on his or her promises and messes up your smooth operation?  Yeah.  That’s the one.  Clue:  It has something to do with expectations and relationships.

I would have liked this book several years ago, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find value in it today.  I do know I plan to personally recommend it to several people I know who I believe are already successful but would appreciate knowing about ways they can “up their game.”  But even if I don’t send a personal suggestion your way, you can’t go wrong getting and applying the principles espoused in Catapulted.  I highly recommend it.