Leading What Matters Most: A Business Parable on Unlocking Human Potential

by Phil Geldart

Almost six weeks into the implementation of new strategies based on the consulting report, Bridget’s leadership team continued to hear rumblings from their direct reports. Sales continued to push back saying the way they were doing things was working fine, the company just needed to figure out how to fill their orders faster. Operations complained that they didn’t have time to implement these new procedures and keep up their current production levels. Customer service grumbled about customer complaints taking up too much of their time. And everyone wanted to know why leadership wasn’t fixing these problems. Bridget was beyond frustrated.

They had been following the recommendations they had received from a highly recommended consultant group—but everything they were doing seemed to exacerbate rather than solve the issues.

Bridget pulled up Talon Tech’s latest earnings report and groaned. Until just a few months ago, Talon Tech’s success had seemed unstoppable, and her leadership as CEO had been key to that success. But they had hit a wall, and if they didn’t learn how to scale that wall quickly, Talon Tech’s success would slip away.

The review process had forced Bridget to acknowledge that weak leadership and a poor people-centric culture were the root cause of the issues they were a litany of customer service issues, churning through top talent, and challenges from remote work. The board wanted and deserved answers.

Bridget knew she could no longer stay in her comfort zone—developing the next technological feat. She needed to balance her technology-centric mindset with a people-centric mindset, and she knew she couldn’t do that alone.

“The moment of truth,” Bridget thought as she stepped out into reception. “Good morning, Ray. Welcome to Talon Tech,” she said with a smile.

“Good morning, Bridget,” he said shaking her hand warmly, “I’m glad to be here and look forward to working with you and your team.”

Genres: Nonfiction

158 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2024

Reviews

[Píaras Cíonnaoíth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Parable of People-Centric Leadership...

"Leading What Matters Most" by Phil Geldart is a captivating business tale that addresses the critical subject of maximizing human potential in corporate settings. Geldart masterfully highlights the problems of balancing technology innovation with people-centric management by telling the narrative of Bridget, a tech CEO confronting a leadership crisis. The story provides a realistic mirror for business leaders dealing with comparable difficulties.

Geldart's understanding of company culture and experiential learning is clear as he gives practical solutions to common leadership challenges. The book's style, which includes Bridget's "Transformation Notebook," offers readers actionable insights. While business parables are not new, Geldart's method feels fresh and relevant in today's fast-changing business scene. "Leading What Matters Most" provides useful insights for leaders at all levels, making it a must-read for anybody looking to improve their leadership abilities and corporate culture. Highly recommended.

[AMR CAMI · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it!

Wonderful, helpful, compelling, and interesting are some of the many words that I would use to describe this book. The author did an incredible job when writing this insightful guide for a change in your organization. For me, this book was a great resource for starting my leadership journey and taught me many useful tips and advice. This engaging book made complicated to understand terms, very clear and accessible for anyone. Also, I loved this book's practical approach, giving steps and tools for us as readers to implement immediately. On another hand, one of the main things that makes this book outstanding from others is the way in which it focuses on the human side of leadership, focusing on empathy, communication, and integrity. Overall, this book, which balances theory and practical application, makes it suitable for any type of leader, from beginners, such as me, to more advanced ones.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read a business book, I want to walk away from it knowing I've taken at least a couple of solid pieces of knowledge that I can apply in my job. This book just didn't do that for me.

I did like the approach of the book, which was a bit different than most business books. It was basically written as one long case study of a fictional business called Talon Tech, that is doing a great job on the tech side of their business, but a horrible job on the people side. The CEO, Bridget, brings in Ray, who is a consultant that specializes in helping companies transform by bringing in his people and leadership development program.

There is lots of talk of "changing behaviors" and of some unorthodox training programs, but not any clear direction. And while I get that the author doesn't want to give away his secrets in a book, and would rather you hire him to implement his program, I expect a little bit of solid business advice or learning something substantive that I didn't know.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Darya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this book about Bridget (imaginary character) playing a role of CEO in the stories which teach leaders who receive great advice about what to do but not how to do it, and knowing the “what” without the “how” is not helpful. This book has the "how" to "what" and shows practical applications of leadership recommendations. This moments of moving from what to how are challenging and you can really walk and feel how CEO goes through these challenges proposed by consultants. Having action plan outlined and execute the plan are two different motions where readers oftentimes left in solo with expectations from others at the backstage. There are multiple challenges coming up from motivation to required tools for implementation, change management, support and team work required to be orchestrated. Leaders who found selves in these situations will definitely understand. Good book.

[Chico's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept and delivery of this book are really creative; the author did a great job telling a story about a company and the journey of its management team to better leadership. The book gives a retro instructional video for HR feel, where the story of Ray and Bridget is told of their challenges or opportunities to show better leadership in their company, Talon Tech. The way the author wrote this story makes the lessons easier to remember as you can relate it to a simple but highly effective story. The book not only creates better leaders but also helps improve workplace environments. It is the people that drive a company and its leaders, the conductors; having the right people in your company matters, and fostering a healthy environment for all your employees and yourself will help in the company's success.

[Steven Finkelstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that explains how to implement organizational change in your company. It’s incredibly detailed, laying out a step-by-step strategy you can follow that can create a positive impact across all teams and sectors. It doesn’t matter what niche or industry you’re in. You will find out how to talk to people, whether they’re above or below you in the hierarchy chain, in a way that makes it clear you both respect them and value their input.

The results if you can use the techniques in this book will be immediate, and undoubtedly positive. Virtually any business entity can expect to have newfound success quickly and to be competitive with any other companies competing for their clients or customers.

[Lina Perea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Story

Due to the constant changes and innovations in technology, companies today are devoting much time and capital to this item which, while recognizing that it is important, is not the most important, and are leaving aside the most important capital that companies have today, which is human talent. In this book, Phil Geldart, its author, through a parable, shows us the importance of human potential, the way in which it should lead, based on trust and respect and the consequences that this leadership brings to companies, being reflected in a better working environment, increased sales and better development in different areas of a business.
I think this book is totally useful and thought provoking.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good leadership book

I have read many books on leadership and organizations and I was really surprised by this book, especially the fact that the book is told as a story.
I am an entrepreneur and one of the things that I struggle with the most is managing my staff, leadership and motivating my employees. This book talks about that and many other things that will help you as it has helped me. The author writes about the importance of empathy, communication and genuine commitment to the welfare of employees. Personally, this book helped me to see beyond and focus on fostering a positive work environment for better results.
I highly recommend it to everyone, especially to those who are going through a time of crisis in their work life.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book I enjoyed reading, mainly because both the premise and the narrative are extremely engaging.
The characters, their internal motives, and the language they use to communicate between them are well-rounded and feel authentic. It’s imperative to say that the reader can’t rush through the story because there are some parts that require more attention. All in all, there is nothing to worry about since the dialogues and the plot itself are easy to follow, agile, interesting and very well developed.
This title is transformative and inspirational from start to finish, encouraging people to step out of their comfort zone and face problems. This is the main reason why I recommend it.

[Gianfranco · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great way to end my reading week

After reading this book, we confirm that corporate culture definitely does not usually have the best approach, too much effort in technological and systemic matters to end up with discouraging results.
That is why the author stresses the importance of a system focused on people and their personal and professional development to finally find success stories.
A book endowed with a judicious and careful analysis of how cultures and organizations should really work in order to function and generate productivity and confidence in both executives and employees. But nothing works on its own or independently, in short, everything has to look well integrated for it to work. Excellent.

[CarlitasFox · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting outlook.
“Leading What Matters Most” is an interesting book penned by Phil Geldart. Along these pages, he explains to people the importance of human potential in the business field and leadership.
Through the CEO Bridget’s ideas and active role in her tech company, readers will learn about how leaders work, their failures, successes and also the way they build up a motivational atmosphere for employees.
It gives a practical and deep outlook of how leadership and the human factor interact in any company; if they work together, they can make great changes.
It’s a well-written, concise and engaging read that explains the nitty-gritty of leadership in companies. I found it interesting and I recommend it to those people who are involved in the business world.

[Sofi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Leading What Matters Most" by Phil Geldart is an exceptional read that masterfully blends storytelling with practical leadership insights. Through an engaging business parable, Geldart uncovers the secrets to unlocking human potential, making it a must-read for anyone seeking to inspire and lead with purpose. The book's relatable characters and actionable advice resonate deeply, offering valuable lessons on creating a thriving work environment. It's a powerful reminder that true leadership goes beyond profits—it's about nurturing people and fostering growth. A truly enlightening and inspiring book!

[Marina Lujan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite having read a number of books on organizational change, I have to admit that this one truly sticks out for its thorough and useful methodology. "Leading What Matters Most" provides a methodical approach to bringing about changes inside an organization that will benefit every team and department. The quantity of important material that I hadn't found in other books amazed me the most.

This guide has given me specific tools and techniques that I’ve already started using in my company, and I’ve seen a noticeable improvement in how we handle change. I am very glad to have acquired this unique book, which has undoubtedly enriched my approach to change.

[Daniel Moreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

highly recommended

One of the main focuses I have in my work life is to have good leadership and have a solid and growing organization. This book is full of history and valuable advice on how to complete or achieve it. Although it is a term that handles terms that are complicated to understand, the author takes his time to make them understandable to anyone. I highly recommend it mainly because it focuses on human leadership and the special focus on communication and integrity. For this reason, I believe that it is a very valuable book for whoever buys and reads this book carefully in each of the advice that is being given. This book is highly recommended.

[Almiria · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this business management book, we are introduced to Bridget, the highly frustrated CEO of Talon Tech. This is not an ordinary, run-of-the-mill business book, but rather a story that shows how to make full use of a company’s most valuable resource. This resource is human skills and talent. The author, Phil Geldart, demonstrates the principles of creating a good environment that fosters this human potential. His story is succinct and thought-provoking.

While it is aimed at business people, there is so much that the general reader can learn from this book. Many of the strategies can be applied to one’s day-to-day life, as it is always vital to value individuals and their talents.

[Karli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This good place to start if you are learning to improve yourself as a leader of an organization. This self-help book was cleverly done in a way that the author wrote it like fiction. In return, it gives so many real-life scenarios and even lessons that can be applied to all areas of leadership. I love the journey of Bridget here and how she became intentional with her objectives and goals all throughout the process. This made her successful and a lot more productive, which definitely inspired me. If you want to improve yourself even if you're not leading people or an organization, I recommend this book. It is motivating in so many ways.

[Saya Jacaranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grabs you from the first instant on

A fictional yet educational book. This is just fascinating. Bridget is a bomb character. I love her. She is a tough nut to crack for sure. She’s brilliant at what she does and has kind of become an idol for me for sure. This is the kind of book that grabs you from the first instant on and makes you want to keep reading until the last page is over. I literally couldn’t put the book down. I forgot where and who I was for a good while. So if you want to escape from your little world for a while, this book is definitely the right one to read.

[Aneley Sánchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good.

I found it insightful in addressing the common challenges leaders face when trying to implement change, especially in people-focused areas. The main character, Bridget, is easy to connect with and I liked that.
I think many readers will appreciate the practical wisdom woven into the story, making it easier to apply in real-life situations. I finished the book feeling more motivated to look at leadership in a holistic way. So I recommend it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Leading What Matters Most….” by Phil Geldart is a business parable regarding leadership, teamwork, and employee empowerment. To me, the story format is a great way to explain the concepts and show the impacts in a memorable way.

I received this e-book as a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to the author and publisher for the chance to read this book. I recommend this book to others, especially those interested in Leadership.

[Matt Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story highlights an issue I feel a lot of executives face but aren’t sure how to tackle: how do we release the full potential of our workforce, for their good and our collective benefit? Bridget’s journey helps codify how to do exactly that! Definitely worth the read whether you’re a C suite exec, in HR, or anywhere else in an organization.

[paul goyette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read with GREAT insight on driving culture in an organization. Loved the way Phil summarized the process and approach to culture creation through the journaling of the CEO. Almost a recipe for success.

[Jess Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an informative and good book. As someone who worked in retail for 20+ years, I didn't really want to read all of the stories in between, I thought they brought the book down. It may just be that I'm tired of office politics and have a bit of PTSD.

[William G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, fast-paced business fiction with practical leadership lessons and advice.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads giveaway winner. This was an interesting story.

[Christina Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s basically a sales book wrapped in a story to push the writer’s training programs.