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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Infinite Leader summary
Chris Lewis
Pippa Malmgren
Balancing the Demands of Modern Business Leadership
18 mins
Brief summary
The Infinite Leader by Chris Lewis and Pippa Malmgren is a thought-provoking book that explores the qualities and mindset required for effective leadership in today's rapidly changing world. It offers practical advice for leaders to navigate uncertainty and inspire their teams to achieve success.
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The Infinite Leader
Summary of 6 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 6
The problem with imbalance
At the height of its value, WeWork was worth a theoretical $47 billion. Whenever its co-founder Adam Neumann spoke, the media lapped it up. His charisma matched his company’s promise of creative co-working spaces.
So what brought down this seeming luminary who had the height, the hair and the brains to match? Or rather, why did investors pick Neumann over 30 million other businesses that employ close to 50 percent of the American workforce?
The answer lies in the imbalance in the way leadership is perceived and chosen. In prioritizing deductive skills, people tend to overlook ethical values that are the best predictors of a leader’s vision and team-building ability.
Of course you want your leaders to think, but if that’s all they do, their teams miss out on empathy and the role it can play in upholding a common purpose. It later emerged Adam Neumann was a hypocrite who denied his employees proverbial meals while he feasted. That small quirk was manifested in the way he mismanaged the company.
Another imbalance, perhaps the most challenging of the modern age, is the relentless pace of change. In a rush to solve problems before the next quarter or election, there’s simply not enough time to process the past, relate it to the present and plan for the long-term.
Rapid change is exacerbated by just how much information leadership has to process. Knowledge now doubles every few minutes, distractions are endless and our emotional reaction to events has created a minefield leadership is too eager to bypass. This creates even more tension.
To navigate the imbalance, people simply choose their sides and sources. They stop listening and conversations become impossible. Faith in one argument trumps logic in another at a time when the world needs both.
Data is gold, sure. But there’s just too much you can’t read on a balance sheet. There’s a bias towards quantitative analysis and little effort to observe qualities like the morale of a team or the non-verbal clues of a colleague.
Most leaders are specialists who lack the capacity to bring different people and ideas together to find a lasting solution. This is a result of how leadership is currently viewed and taught. Leaders are seen as special, mostly male, tall and confident.
But confidence can sometimes be a good disguise for incompetence.
A male-oriented approach to leadership excludes women, minorities and even people in the majority who have the ability but not necessarily the required certificate. Only one third of Americans have a college degree. There are millions running successful businesses who didn’t attend business school.
The current system rewards risk, and few leaders win prizes for being supportive. Cavalier bankers who commit crimes or priests who abuse their followers haven’t had to deal with the balancing and restorative power of justice.
Choose any criteria, observe the opposite, and you can judge if there’s an imbalance. That’s the foundation that leads you to the concept of Zero. Let’s find out what that means.
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What is The Infinite Leader about?
The Infinite Leader (2020) presents the crisis afflicting modern leadership as a problem of balance, and proposes solutions to keeping the wholesome leader centered. Working from this position opens up boundless opportunities and restores people’s faith in leadership.
The Infinite Leader Review
The Infinite Leader (2020) by Chris Lewis and Pippa Malmgren explores the evolving role of leaders in the modern world and offers insights on how to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It provides a fresh perspective on leadership, presenting innovative ideas and strategies that empower leaders to navigate complexity and uncertainty.
- With its rich blend of research, case studies, and interviews, the book offers practical examples and actionable advice that can be immediately applied in different professional contexts.
- The authors create a compelling narrative that captures readers' attention, ensuring that the exploration of leadership is engaging and far from boring.
Who should read The Infinite Leader?
- Anyone leading a team, business, organization or community
- People learning how to choose and follow their leaders
- Anyone trying to live a more balanced and fulfilling life
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The Infinite Leader FAQs
What is the main message of The Infinite Leader?
The main message of The Infinite Leader is that leaders must adapt and embrace change to thrive in today's rapidly evolving world.
How long does it take to read The Infinite Leader?
The reading time for The Infinite Leader varies, but on average it takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Infinite Leader a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Infinite Leader is an insightful read that provides valuable perspectives on leadership. It is definitely worth reading for anyone interested in enhancing their leadership skills.
Who is the author of The Infinite Leader?
The authors of The Infinite Leader are Chris Lewis and Pippa Malmgren.
What to read after The Infinite Leader?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Infinite Leader, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times by Tom Ziglar
- The Leader's Guide to Managing Risk by K. Scott Griffith
- The Making of a Leader by Tom Young
- Learning Leadership by James Kouzes and Barry Posner
- The Essential Drucker by Peter F. Drucker
- 5 Levels of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
- Stress Resets by Jennifer L. Taitz
- Everybody Matters by Bob Chapman & Raj Sisodia
- Agile Selling by Jill Konrath
- Serve Up, Coach Down by Nathan Jamail