The Leadership Star: A Practical Guide to Building Engagement

by Brian Hartzer

Discover how to unlock your team's potential

The Leadership A Practical Guide to Building Engagement provides readers with a step-by-step guide to developing engagement within their teams. Experienced executive, management consultant, and author Brian Hartzer walks readers through the "Leadership Star", a foundational framework for developing high performing professional teams. He shows readers how

Care about individuals as human beings, rather than as means to an end Provide context to people to help them understand why what they do matters Give clarity by telling people what outcomes and behaviors are expected of them Help clear the barriers that stand in the way of people doing a great job Celebrate individual contributions and success Perfect for current and aspiring managers and executives who need to know exactly what they should personally do to bring out the best from their teams and build the highest levels of engagement, the book also belongs on the shelves of anyone with direct reports and anyone who hopes to enhance their own performance in the professional sphere.

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2021

Reviews

[Vivian Luo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book mostly felt like a review / summary of Westpac's existing approach on leadership and culture. As a former employee, I feel there was no additional insight gained as the content of the books had all been communicated before, though I do feel this book would be refreshing / insightful to external readers.

During my time at Westpac, I really admired Brian's leadership approach and his emphasis on servant leadership. I think he's a great leader and one of the most personable, authentic and empathetic leaders I've seen in my career. I would've liked to see anecdotally, more specific stories and examples on how Brian dealt with situations and challenges during his banking career.

Key points I enjoyed from the book:
- Engagement is a measure of the emotional commitment of your people. Most business would recognise that you're competing for talent / people who are really good at what they do and these people have choices. You want to create an environment where they feel emotionally connected and excited to be there.
- Care is an action verb, you need to demonstrate this in what you do and say
- Tough love is an essential part of leadership, you aren't caring for someone when you hold bac negative feedback
- Show respect for everyone you come across in life
- In a highly engaged working environment, people want to feel that they are being challenged, growing in their skills and experience and their career has a bright future
- Action, Impact, Differently
- What by When for providing Context
- What 'Good' and 'Great' looks like for performance reviews
- Stretch goals are ones that no-one in the team - including the leader - is sure that it can actually be accomplished, much less how to accomplish it. It's the warm glow and aspiration about how immensely proud you will be when you accomplish it.
- Ask the stupid questions
- If people believe that you see their potential, and if you are willing to push them and take risks to help them development, you will build great loyalty and their personal engagement will soar
- As a leader, you adopt several hats including being a consultant, psychiatrist, cheerleader and coach. You also bring experience and a broader perspective to what happens in the organisation that can add value to your people
- Your capacity to reduce misery is much larger than you think
- Insecurity, fear, anxiety, anger, ambition, resentment, jealousy, pride are almost always underneath how people act at work and how people act at work and how engaged they feel at work
- Self-awareness, empathy and energy are critcal
- Genuine willingness to hear and learn from your people
- Be curious, open-minded and willing to feel uncomfortable
- Lots of sleep, exercise, nutrition and giving yourself mental and emotional space are all important
- Being emotionally balanced is important to be able to think clearly in a crisis
- Learn to switch off because when you're tired, all you do is react
- People are people, they all love their families and come to work hoping to do a good job and be recognised for their contribution
- Emotionally impactful recognition is seldom about financial rewards

[Lyn Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hartzer brings his leadership experience warts and all to the learnings espoused in this book. Its often said you learn more from your mistakes than your triumphs. Hartzer is authentic about his background and with whom he has combined his own knowledge with that of experts and research.

This is a truly inspiring and easy to follow book with an amazing array of good advice to engage with those around you at work more (both up and down). His leadership star of care, context, clarity, clear the way and celebrate.

I found it inspiring to learn of Hartzer's actions carried out when he outlined he took full responsibility for something that went pear shaped. Not many leaders would have done the same.

Some of the advice and example described in this book are wonderful and extremely inspiring about how to get engagement from others even at times when you have to deliver the worst news possible as a leader.

I enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book. The gaps in my journey were perfect pauses for me to contemplate the latest learnings from Hartzer. For me, I know when I have read a good book because I find myself explaining the learnings to others. With this book, I found myself doing this quite a lot.

Thank you Mr Hartzer for a brilliant and educative read.

[Alireza Hejazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about teams and how to operate in them. It provides a leadership paradigm comprised of five essential principles: caring, providing context, clarity, clearing the way, and celebration. It is predicated on the idea that developing a highly engaged workforce is important to company performance. It is molded by the author’s advocacy for the idea of “engagement,” as well as lessons acquired via trial and error and by observing outstanding leaders in action. The book emphasizes the significance of understanding human motivations, purpose, and values, as well as ideas for how to successfully communicate around each of the five principles. It includes advice on how to establish and sustain engagement during times of crisis. The book may be useful to leaders at all levels, from newly minted team leaders to experienced CEOs, in building and maintaining highly engaged teams.

[Steve Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely does what it say on the tin

This is indeed a practical guide and well summarised insight into the elements that really need focus to build engagement in teams. Brian is a genuine heartfelt person and this comes through in his book where he gives both personal and story led insights into each of the elements he summarises in the star. If you are looking for a well thought out summary of the key things to get right in leading a team then you have found it.

[Martin Hanaka · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is the definition of cliche. Not one original thought. Repackaged ideas from our collective past. Don’t waste your time or hard earned $

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A practical guide with some extra padding to reinforce the messages.