Elites: Understanding Power Without Losing Your Soul

by Douglas Board

Douglas Board was hot-housed from an early age to be a member of the elite: the tiny coterie of people who run organizations, professions, interest groups, communities, and, at the highest level, countries. The training worked, and he has been chair of a household-name charity, treasurer of another, and deputy chair of a board-level consultancy. Elites are also his specialist subject: he has a doctorate in selection for senior roles and, as a head-hunter and executive coach, he has spent three decades recruiting and mentoring new members of the top tier. In this revelatory book – part how-to guide, part detective story of ideas – he analyses 10 traps which hold back those on the upper rungs of the ladder from making it to the top and undermine their self-esteem. He also asks whether that final push to the top is worth it. Writing passionately from his own experience, Board argues that success in the fullest sense isn’t about winning the most glittering material prizes. For him, true fulfillment demands an adventure into the unknown inside ourselves: why do we seek what we seek? The answers can be surprising. 

Genres: Business

240 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2021

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Douglas Board was fortunate. From an early age, he had been coached and schooled to be one of those that are selected to run large organisations and companies. His achievements are the chair of a household-name charity, treasurer of another, and deputy chair of a board-level consultancy. He was fully one of the elite.

Not only did he achieve these lofty positions, but he helped others reach those lucrative senior roles in his position as a head-hunter and mentor to those that wanted to reach the top of the greasy pole. This book is about helping others reach that level should they wish to do so. He takes us through ten lessons, from Reality is Simple, to Take Responsibility and Learn stuff that he says will help people of all levels reach the top, should they wish too.

Wizards who leave top jobs don’t automatically stop becoming wizards, because wizardry is about personal connection and a shared mindset.

Overall this is quite a good read, he is a good writer and the prose is chatty without being too full of business acronyms. I liked parts of this book and there were other parts that I thought less of. I get why he has used the phrases muggles, muggle crust and wizards to denote the levels that people are working at in a business or organisation, but it did come across as slightly patronising. He does go to some effort to suggest the ways that the system can change, and perhaps the disruption that the pandemic has added to the system will help in that, but only time will tell. I don’t think that he has all the answers though, I think that some of the ways that top levels of organisations are structured need to be enforced through wholesale revision to business legislation and the principles by which they operate.

[Karen Calhoun · Rating 2 out of 5]

An odd book. The author makes an extended allegory of true elites being Harry Potter-style wizards, as opposed to the near-wizard class of Muggles. I think what he is saying is that the near-wizards sell their accomplishments and talents short, and allow their energy and work to be used by the wizards, instead of believing and demanding that they, too, can be Wizards. Not easy to follow. I am sure it represents a deeply personal spiritual journey, but I found it too confusing to actually take away any meaning from it.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finished this book feeling like I had just read a bunch of misinformed excuses. Not many books have made me so angry in the first 10 pages.

[Tim Ewins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elites is a fascinating insight into the world of the 'elite', and what it takes to become an elite. Board categorises the career stages into Wizards, Muggle-crust, Muggles and Artisans. He examines the differences between these stages, and then what needs to be done to move up through them. This alone is mind-blowing, incredibly insightful and makes the reader feel like we're being invited behind some kind of magic curtain. Amazingly though, Board does this in the most entertaining and humble way, so it feels like we're being shown around the workings of a meritocracy by a friend rather than by an author or by a wizard (Board has himself spent some time as a Wizard).

I think what makes this book stand out above the others that I've read around power and success, is that Elites goes beyond the how, but also examines the why, and what it all actually means. Board champions the 'muggle-crust.' He respects the Wizard, but ultimately questions whether Wizardom is the end-game, or whether we all just feel like that's what we should be working towards, rather than really want. I found this book to be feel-good, warm and funny, as well as eye-opening and interesting, which is really quite impressive considering the subject! 100% recommended.

[Andi Atherton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, Entertaining and Thought Provoking
Have you ever wondered why some people make it to the top and others don’t? The top tier consists of a group called ‘Elites’ and its members are ‘Wizards’. The ‘Muggle Crust’ are the tier below the wizards and are separated by an invisible ‘Glass Ceiling’. The muggle crust make up some of the best leaders, managers and professionals and are often the ones who help wizards maintain their powerful positions and accomplish their organisation’s objectives. Some wizards deserve their titles but others don’t. Those that don’t may lack competence but have managed to get to the top through their powerful elite connections and possibly the gift of the gab. Let’s suppose you are one of those that makes it to the top. Do you believe this will give your life meaning and happiness or is there a better fulfilling passion awaiting you? If you want to know more, you’ll have to read this highly recommended, well written, informative and entertaining book. Enjoy the read.

[Andrew Hill]

My review for the Financial Times

FT business books: March edition https://on.ft.com/30dhpuO

[Sinni · Rating 4 out of 5]

super interesting and insightful book, I just feel like the author went overboard with all the harry potter metaphors

[James Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that anyone with a day job/career needs to read to better understand how the rules change as you progress through your career.