What do you think?
Rate this book
1% Leadership: Master the Small, Daily Improvements that Set Great Leaders Apart
One of the most well-known and experienced leaders in cybersecurity shares dozens of lessons that anyone, at any stage of their career, can use to create a work culture of continual improvement, by studying and learning from the choices that other leaders around them make.
Leadership development speaker & consultant Andy Ellis is the former CSO of Akamai, where he contributed to the creation of Akamai's billion‑dollar cybersecurity business. He now brings his speaking, consulting, and business knowledge to readers with 1% Leadership—based on the reality that real-world leadership is messy and complicated; it rarely fits into an acronym or a dogmatic overarching philosophy. Ellis says that there are no “irrefutable laws” of leadership or power; there is no secret. As a result, 1% Leadership does not provide one path to leadership—it provides dozens of practical lessons that anyone, at any stage of their career, can use continuously make tiny “1% at a time” improvements. 1% Leadership is a handy guidebook that business readers can regularly apply to identify blind spots, boost morale (both personal and among teams and organizations), and solve problems at work.
Readers can spend a few minutes each Monday morning to focus on one lesson for their leadership development—perhaps that lesson only improves their performance by 1%; but it’s those accumulated 1% improvements that separate the best leaders from everyone else. Lessons include:
To engage in the present, be of two minds about the future. Worrying about failure will make success even more unlikely. Only by engaging in the present with that worry set aside can we find the path to success.
Four days of great work now are rarely more important than four months of good work down the road. Show that long-term wellness matters.
Performance development should be applied to every person on your team. Rather than treating the performance process as a way to identify and document poor performers, create a process that aims to improve and develop every person on your team.
Leadership development speaker & consultant Andy Ellis is the former CSO of Akamai, where he contributed to the creation of Akamai's billion‑dollar cybersecurity business. He now brings his speaking, consulting, and business knowledge to readers with 1% Leadership—based on the reality that real-world leadership is messy and complicated; it rarely fits into an acronym or a dogmatic overarching philosophy. Ellis says that there are no “irrefutable laws” of leadership or power; there is no secret. As a result, 1% Leadership does not provide one path to leadership—it provides dozens of practical lessons that anyone, at any stage of their career, can use continuously make tiny “1% at a time” improvements. 1% Leadership is a handy guidebook that business readers can regularly apply to identify blind spots, boost morale (both personal and among teams and organizations), and solve problems at work.
Readers can spend a few minutes each Monday morning to focus on one lesson for their leadership development—perhaps that lesson only improves their performance by 1%; but it’s those accumulated 1% improvements that separate the best leaders from everyone else. Lessons include:
To engage in the present, be of two minds about the future. Worrying about failure will make success even more unlikely. Only by engaging in the present with that worry set aside can we find the path to success.
Four days of great work now are rarely more important than four months of good work down the road. Show that long-term wellness matters.
Performance development should be applied to every person on your team. Rather than treating the performance process as a way to identify and document poor performers, create a process that aims to improve and develop every person on your team.
Audiobook
Published April 18, 2023
38 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 28, 2023
Practical Leadership Guide: Accessible, Engaging, and Insightful
In a world saturated with leadership books, Andy's latest offering stands out by acknowledging the abundance of available resources and providing a truly accessible, practical framework for leadership. The book is organized into three distinct areas of focus, supported by 54 insightful leadership lessons that cater to various development needs and challenges.
While I was engaged with the book from beginning to end, readers have the flexibility to navigate the chapters and find guidance on specific topics, making the learning experience both timely and accessible. This approach ensures that the insights provided are relevant to individual growth and development.
On a personal note, having worked at Akamai for almost five years and having met Andy and several of the individuals behind the stories (George the penguin) on numerous occasions, I can easily imagine the situations that informed many of the lessons. Andy has a unique ability to grasp the complexities of working in challenging environments and distil these intricacies into enlightening and easy-to-understand lessons and stories.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book for its balance of practical guidance and inspiration. It serves as both an engaging read and a valuable reference for those seeking to become better versions of themselves and support others on their personal journey. I plan to gift it to my leadership team and recommend it to my industry colleagues.
In a world saturated with leadership books, Andy's latest offering stands out by acknowledging the abundance of available resources and providing a truly accessible, practical framework for leadership. The book is organized into three distinct areas of focus, supported by 54 insightful leadership lessons that cater to various development needs and challenges.
While I was engaged with the book from beginning to end, readers have the flexibility to navigate the chapters and find guidance on specific topics, making the learning experience both timely and accessible. This approach ensures that the insights provided are relevant to individual growth and development.
On a personal note, having worked at Akamai for almost five years and having met Andy and several of the individuals behind the stories (George the penguin) on numerous occasions, I can easily imagine the situations that informed many of the lessons. Andy has a unique ability to grasp the complexities of working in challenging environments and distil these intricacies into enlightening and easy-to-understand lessons and stories.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book for its balance of practical guidance and inspiration. It serves as both an engaging read and a valuable reference for those seeking to become better versions of themselves and support others on their personal journey. I plan to gift it to my leadership team and recommend it to my industry colleagues.
December 13, 2023
Equinox, the luxury fitness club, made headlines at the start of 2023 when they launched their “We Don’t Speak January” campaign. Equinox said they wouldn’t be accepting new memberships for the first day of the year. Their website said that “January is a fantasy, delivered to your door in a pastel-colored box. You are not a New Year’s resolution. Your life doesn’t start at the beginning of the year. And that’s not what being part of Equinox is about”.
Whether you agree with Equinox or not, the reality is the vast majority of people fail in their New Year’s resolutions. The massive behavior and lifestyle goals they try to change are simply too overwhelming and demanding. If they would only try to make smaller, more realistic changes, their chances of success would be much greater.
When it comes to corporate America, management often tries to motivate their employees by bringing in an expensive motivational speaker on an annual basis. As to their efficacy, Matt Foley might be the best example of how effective they are.
In 1% Leadership: Master the Small, Daily Improvements that Set Great Leaders Apart, author Andy Ellis takes a very different approach. Call it a kindler, gentler approach to motivational change. Ellis takes the attitude that real cultural change in an organization is in fact, a complex endeavor. And firms that try to use a large, cookie-cutter approach will inevitably fail.
Since we know that New Year’s resolutions fail, what is the solution? Ellis’s 1% approach is about making small, consistent changes, rather than changes so huge they are bound to fail. And rather than trying to make that 100% change on New Year’s Day, those small 1% improvements, done day after day, week after week, can, in fact, create real change. Those 1% improvements, accumulated over time, can indeed transform an organization and its people.
The book has 54 chapters, each about 2-3 pages, that detail different aspects of personal, team, and organizational leadership. None of the ideas in these 54 chapters are those massive, groundbreaking ideas, that are bound to fail after the excitement wears off. Rather they are pragmatic suggestions for real change.
Far too many corporate leaders focus on a picture-day approach, where everyone is expected to look good one day a year. Ellis takes an approach to making everyday picture day. And that approach, in the long run, will ensure that everyone works at their peak, every day. Real leaders will use such an approach. And those leaders will find a great resource in this valuable and insightful book.
Whether you agree with Equinox or not, the reality is the vast majority of people fail in their New Year’s resolutions. The massive behavior and lifestyle goals they try to change are simply too overwhelming and demanding. If they would only try to make smaller, more realistic changes, their chances of success would be much greater.
When it comes to corporate America, management often tries to motivate their employees by bringing in an expensive motivational speaker on an annual basis. As to their efficacy, Matt Foley might be the best example of how effective they are.
In 1% Leadership: Master the Small, Daily Improvements that Set Great Leaders Apart, author Andy Ellis takes a very different approach. Call it a kindler, gentler approach to motivational change. Ellis takes the attitude that real cultural change in an organization is in fact, a complex endeavor. And firms that try to use a large, cookie-cutter approach will inevitably fail.
Since we know that New Year’s resolutions fail, what is the solution? Ellis’s 1% approach is about making small, consistent changes, rather than changes so huge they are bound to fail. And rather than trying to make that 100% change on New Year’s Day, those small 1% improvements, done day after day, week after week, can, in fact, create real change. Those 1% improvements, accumulated over time, can indeed transform an organization and its people.
The book has 54 chapters, each about 2-3 pages, that detail different aspects of personal, team, and organizational leadership. None of the ideas in these 54 chapters are those massive, groundbreaking ideas, that are bound to fail after the excitement wears off. Rather they are pragmatic suggestions for real change.
Far too many corporate leaders focus on a picture-day approach, where everyone is expected to look good one day a year. Ellis takes an approach to making everyday picture day. And that approach, in the long run, will ensure that everyone works at their peak, every day. Real leaders will use such an approach. And those leaders will find a great resource in this valuable and insightful book.
October 26, 2025
Concise, practical, and straightforward, this book delivers bite-sized leadership lessons rooted in real experience. Unlike many management books that expand a few ideas into lengthy reads, Andy keeps it clear, clever, and actionable with each tip supported by relatable stories and practical next steps. The laid-back, down-to-earth tone makes it feel like advice from a trusted friend rather than a lecture.
If you're after an easy-to-access collection of common-sense wisdom that turns familiar ideas into real habits, this is a great choice. Highly recommended.
If you're after an easy-to-access collection of common-sense wisdom that turns familiar ideas into real habits, this is a great choice. Highly recommended.
August 14, 2023
I was a little skeptical at first, but this is a pretty decent catch-all advice book. It's not one of those books that is groundbreaking or fully transformational, but it's got a bunch of solid, practical advice broken up into super-short chapters.
I'd say it works best as a daily read rather than a book to read cover-to-cover, just grab a chapter each day to mentally reset for a couple minutes.
I'd say it works best as a daily read rather than a book to read cover-to-cover, just grab a chapter each day to mentally reset for a couple minutes.
April 29, 2023
Great antidotes, examples, and stories to inspire leaders in any organization.
May 5, 2023
Good, quick read that summarizes a lot of solid practical advice without getting too in the weeds.
September 22, 2023
LOVED IT. By now you probably know that I almost never give a book 5 stars, but somehow this one was different....
January 6, 2024
Lots of fluff.
January 24, 2024
Some good items in short snippets that leaders everywhere can apply quickly in their organization no matter the sector. With the time investment.
January 30, 2024
Good book ! Short and to the point. Trying to apply it to my AAPLE leadership class
March 21, 2025
Great format: Easy to follow, good for referencing and catchy, quotable chapter titles. Love the idea of 1% improvements to specific areas over time.
December 17, 2024
should have started here
Perhaps I’m at a more receptive stage of my career, or perhaps this book broke down concepts into bite size chunks I can apply to my leadership.
Andy keeps the chapter topic concise which gives a simple focus to the chapter and gave me something to consider focusing on for the next few days.
I think I learnt most of the lessons the hard way, but Andy put things in writing where I often found myself recalling a situation and thought either, this is hot I should have handled it, or sometimes, this is how I did handle it.
Perhaps I’m at a more receptive stage of my career, or perhaps this book broke down concepts into bite size chunks I can apply to my leadership.
Andy keeps the chapter topic concise which gives a simple focus to the chapter and gave me something to consider focusing on for the next few days.
I think I learnt most of the lessons the hard way, but Andy put things in writing where I often found myself recalling a situation and thought either, this is hot I should have handled it, or sometimes, this is how I did handle it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews