Verne Harnish’s 12 Habits of Valuable Employees is a sharp, no-fluff guide aimed at helping individuals become indispensable in today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving workplace. Known for his business strategy expertise in Scaling Up, Harnish shifts focus from company growth to personal development — zeroing in on what makes an employee truly stand out.

Each of the twelve habits is practical, actionable, and rooted in common sense — but that’s precisely what makes the book so effective. Harnish distills years of experience into concise, relatable advice that applies across industries. From taking initiative and mastering communication to owning outcomes and continually upskilling, the habits feel more like principles than tasks — enduring traits that separate average workers from high-value contributors.

What sets this book apart is its accessibility. Whether you’re early in your career or a seasoned professional looking to sharpen your edge, the content is digestible yet meaningful. The layout is also ideal for team discussions or personal reflection — a chapter per habit makes for easy reading in short bursts.

In essence, 12 Habits of Valuable Employees is a modern-day manual for work ethic and career longevity. Verne Harnish doesn't just tell you how to succeed — he lays out a blueprint for becoming the kind of employee no company wants to lose. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

This was a quick, very practical guide on what habits you need to be a great employee. Each habit was described by contrasting an average employee to how they might act to be really valuable. Alongside the explanation of each habit and action steps to take, this provided really concrete ideas for how to implement the habits in your own work. I liked their advice to read through it once and then work on the habits chapter by chapter.

The writing is accessible and the short chapters make this easy to pick up whenever you have a little time. A good book to start for anyone looking to up their work game. Does fit quite neatly into the capitalist view of being an employee - which is to be expected. The part where you decide for yourself whether you want to keep advancing your career and climbing whatever corporate ladder is up to the reader to think about independently. However, I can also see these habits helping me to establish and finetune my own boundaries and requirements.

I thought this was a very interesting book with clear, concise and actionable steps you can take to become more effective to the company as a whole. The habits are really geared toward looking beyond your job to the company beyond and encourages you be more diligent with your actions and thoughts so you can make a stronger and more lasting impact. I think this is a great read that will make you think more about your day to day activities in a positive way.

This short book is a great resource for anyone who wants to increase their value to their employer. Even if you think you're a good employee, this book demonstrates how good can be turned into great. Chapters are easily digestible with numerous examples to follow and habits to cultivate. The earlier in an employee's career he can implement these habits, the greater his value to the company, and his own bottom line, will be.

I gave four stars instead of five, because the examples were about making more money for the employer, and are not as applicable in a non-profit work environment, where the focus is more on serving others rather than making money.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a good book that aims to help readers develop 12 key habits in four essential workplace areas - Will, Values, Results, and Skills. The authors focus on establishing habits that take adequate leaders to valuable leaders. Three action steps are offered for each habit so help readers put the knowledge into practice. It's an easy read, it's informative and the information is practical. I confidently recommend this book to new leaders, seasoned leaders, and aspiring leaders.