One of my favorite books from 2018, and one of my top reads for 2019, was The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. There was so many important and essential takeaways that could be readily applied to living both a better and more successful life. As I wrote in my review (linked above), it really helped to connect the dots and codify a lot of personal development concepts that I had been studying over the past few years. The book made such an impact that I made it a point to read Burg and Mann’s follow-up book, The Go-Giver Leader, during this year.

The Go-Giver Leader builds on the concepts of The Go-Giver, but it isn’t really a sequel. The characters and story are quite a bit different. Also, where The Go-Giver is focused more on personal development for individual success, The Go-Giver Leader is more about building consensus and leading a team and/or business to achieve more. While this may sound like Burg and Mann are talking about ways to manipulate people, their concepts are exactly the opposite. Burg and Mann advocate humility, empowering others, and giving away leadership to get it. Doing so requires one to change their behavior from a controlling, manipulative stance to a consultative, servant style. The concept of servant leadership is the foundation upon which Burg and Mann build the rest of the concepts in their book.

Burg and Mann use the same story-telling technique they used in The Go-Giver to get their concepts across. I like that style when it is done well, and Burg and Mann once again do a great job using that style in this book. It makes the book more interesting and much easier to read. I started reading the book on a cross-country flight and crushed it. It only took me three sittings to mow through it, which is much faster than I typically read a book.

The Go-Giver is a Must Read. I expect it to be one of my top recommendations when I publish my 2020 books to read. As with any good book, it will challenge your existing view of leadership, stretch you, and inspire you to change. If approached with an open, learning mind, I am convinced that the concepts of The Go-Giver Leader can make you a better leader and help your team and/or business rise to new levels of success.