LEAD LAST

A family man and U.S. Marine Corps officer discusses his personal philosophy for successful leadership.

Using examples as diverse as Microsoft CEOs, Shaquille O’Neal, and SpongeBob SquarePants, Ogunyemi offers a set of “counterintuitive” principles for leaders. The central idea is that successful leadership demands “learning, observing, and prioritizing others’ needs over your own” rather than conventional, ego-driven, top-down exercises of power. The author begins by emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence, noting that the conventional corporate leadership model is essentially based on assuaging the boss’s insecurity. Ogunyemi uses the metaphor of the “emotional bank account” when describing relationships between leaders and their teams: It’s important to make deposits, not just withdrawals, and maintain a healthy balance over the long term. This idea comes through in more complex facets of leadership, like a model of “encouragement” drawn from the journalist Susan Page that counsels leaders to actually identify key skills, create plans to nourish and deploy those skills, and then provide feedback and praise on measurable progress in lieu of merely offering a few perfunctory words after a task is complete. Ogunyemi also advocates principles like a “closed-door policy,” which holds that communication should not be unplanned and haphazard, but a structured and intentional part of managing emotional bank accounts. Ultimately, the author asserts that a leader’s job is to build a positive company culture, which requires reflection, self-criticism, and leading by example. All the guidance the author offers is both useful and reflective of the book’s principles. At times, the advice can veer into the obvious (use a calendar; maintain a tidy workspace) or overly fundamental (“don’t micromanage” is leadership 101), but that might reflect the appalling state of contemporary corporate leadership more than it does any weakness in the text or the author’s argument. Ogunyemi’s Everyman persona, evident and diverse life experience, and focus on leadership built on emotional intelligence and personal responsibility make for a valuable addition to any leader’s library.

A well-organized and clearly envisioned primer on successful leadership.