Latest Book Review: Small Acts of Leadership, by G. Shawn Hunter

This is it! This is the book every leader - or would be leader - should get their hands on.

A relatively unknown leadership book in the grand scheme - the first from the pen of author Shawn Hunter - it was gifted to me by a client last month and I ploughed through it in a single weekend it was that moreish.

Centred on the small things leaders can and should do to be at their most effective, the 12 principles Hunter puts forward are bang on. He seamlessly weaves together his own perspective on effective leadership with a vast array of gold-star references that bring each principle to life.

I lost count of the times I emphatically said "Yes!" out loud while reading this. My copy now littered with asterisks, underlining and the more than occasional "OOF!" when a point really landed.

The 12 small acts are: 

1. Believe in yourself

2. Build your confidence

3. Introduce challenge

4. Express gratitude

5. Fuel curiosity

6. Grant autonomy

7. Strive for authenticity

8. Be fully present

9. Inspire others

10. Clarify roles

11. Defy convention

12. Take a break

This book reads like a journey through leadership.

From its opening pages - exploring how to discover your potential, truly believe in your worthiness as a leader and develop the competence to back it up - to the leader’s role in challenging the status quo and fuelling curiosity in themselves and others.

From the need to be fully present - something that is so, so difficult to achieve in the modern, always on culture we've created - to the importance of looking after self to best lead others.

As Hunter explains, its not the big acts that count but the myriad of tiny little acts that make a leader effective. One who stands out from the pack.

I wish I could share more of the specifics here, but there simply aren’t enough characters in a LinkedIn post to do them justice. So, for now, you’ll have to trust me and take my word for it.

Having devoured this book in 48 hours, I was so enamoured by it that I emailed the author and asked for a call. He graciously accepted - and my word, he is every bit as impressive over Zoom as he is on the page.

I'm bringing him to the UK next year as I have to get him in front of a few people that would just eat up his message and the words this book offers up.

As Shawn speaks to throughout the book, leaders have a duty to adopt a learning mindset - embracing curiosity, accepting mistakes, asking questions, seeking feedback, reflecting regularly.

This book embodies that mindset. It was genuinely enlightening, and I implore anyone interested in becoming a better leader to pick up a copy. I promise you won’t be sorry.

The person who gifted me the book left inside it a printed sleeve she had received when it was first gifted to her by a former CEO:

“In the spirit of learning and development, we hope you enjoy this book and the tips and tools it provides in leading our teams.”

I can’t think of a better way to end this post - or a better reason to pass the book on.