Book Review: The Leap to Leader

The transition to leadership involves a realization “that you are fully accountable, that you must grapple with the hardest decisions, and that you need to let go of doing the work that earned you promotion after promotion earlier in your career.” Such is how Adam Bryant introduces his newest book ‘The Leap to Leader’ (2023, Harvard Business Review Press). Bryant is an author I very much respect and enjoy his regular contributions to PWCs digital newsletter Strategy+Business. His experience as a managing director, leader, leadership coach, and author means he brings a wealth of practical experiences and insights, not to mention the hundreds of CEOs and other senior leaders he has interviewed for his books. This latest book is written for managers wanting to move into a leadership role, irrespective of where they are in their career journey, drawing on the experience of many who have gone before.

There is much to like about this book, including that he challenges the reader to understand the important of knowing why they want to be a leader. I also appreciate that the is sympathetic to the role of managers, and the part this stage plays in preparing people for leadership, especially when management is done well. There are numerous tips on how to maximise promotion opportunities that are really just examples of best practices for managers. The book concludes with a brief introduction for new leaders, which is also a good reminder for existing leaders of what we should be doing and doing well.

This is an excellent book and is highly recommended.