Author: Amir Ghannad
Review by: Soumaya Khalifa, president, Khalifa Consulting and founder of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta
This year, I picked up The Transformative Leader and found it to be a very engaging and practical book on leadership that I’m already applying to my life. Author Amir Ghannad believes that each and every person has latent leadership abilities waiting to be brought out with the right perspective and commitment.
Rich in stories that provide real-life context, the book contains 20 quick, single-point lessons that compel the reader to change their thoughts and actions to drive achievement in work and life. Closing each lesson is a set of discovery questions and recommended actions that will guide application.
Those who already find themselves in formal leadership roles will find the book to be a great help in cultivating desirable leadership attributes. The book also introduces the characteristics of a High Commitment Culture, where leaders are able get everyone on the team excited about making extraordinary things happen, no matter where they are on the organizational chart.
On a personal note, I invited Mr. Ghannad to conduct a workshop on his work to the Institute for Muslim Civic Leadership here in Georgia, where he covered many of the 20 lessons. He is an excellent and very engaging facilitator with great insight and practical pointers.
One of my favorite segments was the one on commitment. All of us, Mr. Ghannad says, have three potential levels of commitment: 0 percent, 100 percent and somewhere in between. He believes that as much as possible, we should remove anything that is not at either of the two extremes. Doing so means you will either be fully committed to anything you decide to take up — or that you can live with the consequences of letting it go. I started applying this in my own professional and personal life and love it.
In a conversation with Mr. Ghannad, he shared with me that transformational leadership is not rocket science. It is awareness and the willingness to make change happen, along with surrounding oneself with talent.
View Ms. Khalifa’s previous reviews below:
Books 2017: A Gold Star Family’s ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ Living the American Dream
Books 2016: Accommodating All Faiths in the Workplace
Books 2015: Helping English Speakers Interpret the Quran
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Editor’s note: This review is part of Global Atlanta’s annual project asking influential readers and community leaders to review the most impactful book they read during the course of the year. This endeavor has continued each year since 2011. Purchases through the Amazon affiliate links at top will provide a commission to Global Atlanta. All reviews were written independently with only mild editing from our staff.