How to Be a Leader

by Martin Bjergegaard, Cosmina Popa

What does it really mean to take a leadership role? In this book, learn how true leaders are made and how you can be one too

No one is born to lead. This is the idea at the heart of this thoughtful book on true leadership. While popular culture feeds us images of the stereotypical leader—charismatic, powerful, decisive—the truth is, with the right amount of self-knowledge and authenticity, anyone can be a good leader.

There are countless courses and books available on leadership technique, decision-making and public speaking, but How to Be a Leader by Martin Bjergegaard and Cosmina Popa aims to give you the tools to understand and bring out your own individual leadership style. With an in-depth look at what it really means to lead, and the differences between being a manager and being a leader, this book invites you to explore and learn about the unique leader in you.

Genres: Business

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 2016

About the author

Martin Bjergegaard, started his first business on his 18th birthday, and co-founded in 2006 the successful "start up factory" Rainmaking together with 3 friends. Martin has always felt something was wrong with the traditional paradigm claiming that being a successful entrepreneur requires you to sacrifice most other aspects of life. When he was just a teenager he got a bit sad every time he read another autobiography about a famous entrepreneur who proudly revealed that in his life family and friends had been restricted to Sundays and Christmas holidays. He promised himself someday to write a book with a different set of role models. Well, here it is.

To learn from different angles Martin also spent some time in school and working for the big guys. A Masters in Strategy and Management, and a 15-month long (too long!) experience as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. being the most notable. Martin learned to do market research and PowerPoint presentations, two skills he has successfully unlearned again. He learned something more useful when he spent another 15 months as a business developer for a famous Danish entrepreneur, Claus Meyer: that it can be extremely fun to be an entrepreneur, and to always keep your running shoes and a towel on hand so you can squeeze in some cardio exercise between meetings, no matter where you are or what time it is.

Martin insists that each day should be a fantastic one, and he loves to travel the world with his loved ones 8 weeks a year - recharging his batteries, playing sports and having fun. Back home he rarely works more than 45 hours per week. However, somehow, at the age of 38 he and his Rainmaking co-founders have managed to achieve 3 successful exits, have built a portfolio of 10 successful start ups with a total of 50 million dollars in annual revenues, 200 employees, and offices in London, Copenhagen and Berlin.

Alongside their business activities Rainmaking hosts huge charity dinners, have co-founded a charity, and established a school in India. Rainmaking is also behind the leading European accelerator program, Startupbootcamp, which is now each year supporting and investing in 100 start ups globally via permanent programmes in 10 cities. Their newest venture is co-working spaces, Rainmaking Loft, which are the home of hundreds of entrepreneurs in London, Copenhagen and Berlin.

Reviews

[Timothy Wee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read!

[Georgina Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Anecdotes are exceptional.