The leader who had no title

‘The leader who had no title’ is a great book written by Robin Sharma which is about bringing out the leader in each of us. It is highly inspirational, perfectly written and is a great read. 

There are four major themes in the book

1. You need no title to be a leader
2. Turbulent times build great leaders
3.  The deeper your relationships, the stronger your leadership
4. To be a great leader, first become a great person

The foundation principle of the book is Self-leadership. According to Sharma anyone can be a leader, and to be a leader you don’t need to work your way up the company ladder or get a title. There are many leadership principles in the book that makes the book worth reading and engaging. It is centered on Blake Davis who gets his leadership tips from his mentor Tommy Flinn, both of whom are fictional characters. 

For those who don’t have the time or the patience to read the whole book, here is a collection of quotes from the book.

 “What the society thinks is of no interest to me. All that’s important is how I see myself. I know who I am. I know the value of my work.”

“Sometimes success isn’t’ about making the right decision, it’s more about making some decision.”

“Other people’s opinion of you are none of your business.”

“Victims recite problems, leaders provide solutions.”

“Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle and best at the end.”

“Life’s had to bread you down so you could be rebuilt.”

“Getting lost along your path is a part of finding the path you are meant to be on.”

“My love of books was all that saved me.”

“Victim fall in love with excuses.”

“The farmer has patience and trust the process. He just has the faith and deep understanding that through his daily efforts, the harvest will come. And then one day almost out of nowhere it does.”

“I’ve heard that the best way to help poor people is to make sure you don’t become one of them.”

“Sustained change only happens when we shift at an emotional rather than logical level.”

“Knowing what to do and not doing it is the same as not knowing what to do.”

“Give away what you most wish to receive.”

“The antidote to stagnation is innovation.”

“The conversations you are most resisting are the conversations you most need to be having.”

“Leadership is no longer about position – but passion. It’s no longer about image but impact. This is leadership 2.0.”

“The bigger the dream, the more important the team.”

“To double your net worth, double your self-worth. Because you will never exceed the height of your self-image.”

“The secret to genius is not genetics but daily practice married with rent less perseverance.”

“The best leader lift people up versus tear people down.”

“The most precious resources for businesspeople is not their time. It’s their energy. Manage it well.”

“The fears you run from run to you.”

“The most dangerous place is in your safety zone.”

“The more you go to your limits, the more your limits will expand.”

“Be so good at what you do that no one else in the world can do what you do.”

“It generally takes about 10 years to become an overnight sensation.”

“Saying “I’ll try” really means “I’m not really committed.”

“The secret of passion is purpose.”

 “The best leaders blend courage with compassion.”

“The less you are like others, the less others will like you.”

“Stand for something. Or else you’ll fall for anything.”

“Say ‘thank you’ when you’re grateful and ‘sorry’ when you’re wrong.”

“Make the work you are doing today better than the work you did yesterday.”

“Doing the difficult things that you’ve never done awakens the talents you never knew you had.”

“As we each express our natural genius, we all elevate our world.”