Extraordinary: How to lead a bigger, braver, more meaningful life

by Elke Edwards

These are the skills you’ll wish you had learned years ago.

We are at a turning point in history. Our old ideas of a successful life or career no longer fit. Pursuing money at all costs, working all hours, never admitting vulnerability or being our authentic selves… these are the exact behaviours that have led us to a global leadership crisis and record levels of anxiety and depression.

What if there was a different way?

We all know there’s a difference between living a life where things look good on the outside, and one where we feel incredible on the inside. We want careers we love, relationships that work and lives that are right for us. But to get there, we need to choose a different path.

In this game-changing book, top leadership coach Elke Edwards draws on decades of experience to share the seven transformative skills that enable anyone to build a life that feels as good as it looks.

Her down-to-earth guidance and tried-and-tested exercises will help you find the life that is right for you, and crucially, make it happen. Because whether you’re a school leaver or a CEO, 15 or 55, you can live an extraordinary life and become an extraordinary leader.

Are you ready to find your extraordinary?

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2020

Reviews

[P.D. Crumbaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sort of "how to become a human leader" guide written in clear, informative manner. Edwards' book adds a fresh perspective to developing as an individual and as a leader, beginning with the need to bring core values into balance and moving through helpful ways of exploring just how to do that and, ultimately, how to use the results of the exploration to make yourself a better individual, leader, or team participant. I'm way past seeking a coach for the corporate world, but I did find the points made applied to post-retirement transitions as well. Can be quickly skimmed for a nice jumpstart, but there's much to be explored if one takes the time.

[Sue Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book to develop & understand yourself at a deep level to then become an extraordinary person and leader. Highly recommend

[Piers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buried in here are occasionally useful nuggets of pop psychology which I've found better expressed elsewhere. However, my main problem is that there is a word for people who can switch emotions on and off at will, and that word in sociopath.

This book is chock full of unverified testimonials which vary from belittling the thought process of an abuse victim, through rich and successful people whining about not being satisfied with what they have, through to actual psychopaths. I presume the author did not make these up, but I also do not no why they chose to share so many of them.

This is absolute apex toxic positivity, completely detached from the real world. Guess what Elke, it is not possible for most of us to leave whatever shitty job we have and suddenly uproot our family to travel the world pursuing a hobby. Any of us working for a company that goes bust in the current environment will not have the means or opportunity to go to university for two years and make an entire career gear shift. Lots of us do jobs we hate because, and this might come as news to you, living costs actual money and we have to get that somehow.

This is like Walden all over again. It'll be lapped up by corporate zombies incapable of original thought. Go ahead and lead entirely different lives, fine, just don't tell us we can have things that we clearly cannot.

[Lynn Fraser · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few thought provoking terms in this book like a “thought spiral” and the concept of letting negative thoughts pass through us rather than letting them fester but generally I found this book fairly repetitive and a difficult read. A colleague summarised perfectly by saying “it’s mostly vibes”.

[Rachael Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing wishy-washy about this book. Elke explores a practical set of skills that will create a big shift in the way you think. Although I finished it a few weeks ago, I've been coming back to it ever since.

[Mohammed Raja · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read book on developing oneself based on the authors considerable experience.

I enjoyed the formulaic approach to development. That was nice and easy to remember. Another good book in the self help category.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be careful with this

If you’ve read other - lead a better life - books, you’ll find nothing really new in this. It’s got much the same as other books.

However, if you want to ignore all the others and read just one, this is a good book to read.