Rise to Lead: A Guide to Unleashing Your Inner Hero and Stop Being Taken Advantage Of

It left me feeling hopeful and capable rather than guilty about where I’m starting. What stood out to me was how honest the author was about the messy middle of change, not just the happy ending.

The reflection questions at the end of each section forced me to slow down and ask whether I’m leading from fear or from clarity. The tone of the whole book felt like a conversation rather than a lecture, which made it easy to keep turning pages. Even after I finished, a couple of ideas from the book stayed in the back of my mind during the week. I kept catching myself nodding along because so many examples felt like they were pulled from my own life. I ended up highlighting more lines than I expected, and I don’t do that often.

It left me feeling like leadership is a skill I can grow into instead of a personality I either have or don’t have. The practical steps are small enough that I didn’t feel overwhelmed trying to apply them.

The tone of the whole book felt like a conversation rather than a lecture, which made it easy to keep turning pages. I especially loved the way the author tied big concepts back to everyday conversations and conflicts. Even after I finished, a couple of ideas from the book stayed in the back of my mind during the week.

This didn’t read like a dry leadership manual—more like sitting with a mentor who has actually lived through hard decisions. I especially loved the way the author tied big concepts back to everyday conversations and conflicts. I started applying just one idea per week at work, and the change in my confidence has been noticeable.

What stood out to me was how honest the author was about the messy middle of change, not just the happy ending. I could feel small shifts in how I was thinking and behaving almost immediately. I kept catching myself nodding along because so many examples felt like they were pulled from my own life.

It left me feeling hopeful and capable rather than guilty about where I’m starting. I started applying just one idea per week at work, and the change in my confidence has been noticeable. This didn’t read like a dry leadership manual—more like sitting with a mentor who has actually lived through hard decisions.

The practical steps are small enough that I didn’t feel overwhelmed trying to apply them. I dog-eared more sections than I expected, and I’ve already gone back to re-read a few favourite bits. Even after I finished, a couple of ideas from the book stayed in the back of my mind during the week. I could feel small shifts in how I was thinking and behaving almost immediately.

The reflection questions at the end of each section forced me to slow down and ask whether I’m leading from fear or from clarity. It left me feeling like leadership is a skill I can grow into instead of a personality I either have or don’t have.

The practical steps are small enough that I didn’t feel overwhelmed trying to apply them. I could feel small shifts in how I was thinking and behaving almost immediately. I kept catching myself nodding along because so many examples felt like they were pulled from my own life. It never talked down to me, which I really value in a book like this.