HBR DAILY LEADER

There’s certainly nothing new about the concept of a “daily devotion,” but there’s something about Harvard Business Review’s (HBR) take on it that I find really nifty.

HBR Daily Leader: Everyday Wisdom for Exceptional Leadership is exactly as the title suggests: excerpts, each less than a page long, from various pieces that have come out on Harvard Business publications. There’s a note in the introduction to remind readers that the book is best experienced on a “one-insight-a-day” basis, as if to warn off the precocious from consuming the book in one go. Since I make it a point to read every book I write about from cover to cover (or try to), I had to ignore this one piece of advice. But I must aver that a page a day would probably give the you the most mileage.

The book’s design makes it so. Other than the fact that there was obvious care to keep each excerpt to under a page long, the topics and themes appear to be randomly arranged throughout the book. Hence, on any given day you will get a different take on business, management, and leadership than whatever it is you may have happened to read the day before, which I find is a useful way to “shake the tree”. If the topic du jour syncs up with what you happen to be going through at work, you’ll find it a welcome dose of perspective. But even if it doesn’t, it’s bound to make you think more about some aspect of leadership that you’ve maybe compartmentalized for the moment and should perhaps attend to when appropriate.

(It's maybe worth mentioning that there are only 365 entries in the book. So I guess to take at least one break during a leap year!)

Personally, the topics that have appealed to me the most were those that deal with purpose, communication, and strategy. The one that appealed to me the least was an ongoing series confoundingly titled “How to Make Your Employees Quit.” Really a set of missives focusing on pitfalls to avoid as a leader, I found the presentation just downright offputting in an otherwise positively framed book. Big misstep, that, when it would have been so easy to just frame it as the opposite. Naturally there were more than a few articles that I felt didn’t really apply to my situation, but in keeping with the conceit of the book I still read them and felt they were good to know.

To my mind, the perfect use-case for the book is the newly promoted leader. One of the great things about HBR Daily Leader is that the spread of topics it covers is useful to leaders at all levels of an organization, but I feel it will resonate the most with people starting to assume leadership roles and are therefore in search of a template for their new responsibilities (more experienced people in such roles will get a kick out of being reminded of this phase when they read the book).

Leadership is arguably one of those things for which there is no manual. The HBR Daily Leader isn’t meant to be one—but there’s no doubt in my mind it would help.

I read this as an ebook and think it would be better as a hard copy; something to keep by your bed or another easy place to open up and read an entry every day.
Basically, this is almost a calendar of information to use to become "an exceptional leader." Each of the daily snippets come from a longer article (that you can read online.
An interesting concept with bite-sized information. May also drive traffic to their website when people would like to know more.

Four stars
This book comes out December 3, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Harvard Business Review Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Great book filled with tips that are very valuable to read and re-read from time to time. Must read for those that aspire to be leaders for and of the future.

I liked the book. Most of the quotes that are shared in the books are all relevant and I believe are important ingredients for becoming a leader worth following.

I always have loved the HBR books from the emotional health, sales, marketing, persuasion, etc. this book is a must read weather in leadership position or you are aspiring to become a leader in a company. I have always taken to the beliefs that great leaders also see and place other great leaders into positions of leadership. You cannnot manage everyone from the top down. Filled with great thought and ideas you can start to apply today.

The "HBR Daily Reader" by Harvard Business Review is a compilation of articles that provides a broad range of insights for business professionals. This book contains valuable advice and perspectives on various topics, including leadership, strategy, innovation, and personal development.

One of the strengths of this collection is its diversity of viewpoints and ideas. Readers will find inspiration and thought-provoking concepts that can help them reflect on their own experiences and apply new strategies in their daily work.

While some articles may feel familiar or cover similar ground, this can also be viewed as an opportunity to reinforce important concepts and lessons. Readers can benefit from revisiting key ideas and gaining fresh insights through different perspectives.

Overall, the "HBR Daily Reader" offers a valuable resource for business professionals seeking to broaden their knowledge and stay up-to-date with current trends and ideas in the business world. It serves as a helpful tool for personal and professional growth and is a worthwhile addition to any business book collection.

I loved this book. Thank you HBR. 365 tips based on articles from experts to strengthen your leadership, team building, life balance and more. Great resource. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.