Book Reviews

As a companion book, Effective Leaders continues the journey identified within The Emerging Leader by offering numerous narratives, from currently active and experienced leaders, based on the seven core characteristics of effective leadership. However, whilst highlighting the importance of building Trust, Mike Cameron encourages the reader to lead with their own blend of the four key attributes; which are Respect, Courage, Integrity and Agility. There are chapters, containing stories and anecdotes about these important values, from some of the best writers and contributors in their field, that will inspire readers and persuade them to indulge in these life lessons.Martin ToomeyBusiness Owner, Transport Equipment Australia and Chair of ARTSA-i

Effective leadership is radically changing. The dogmatic principles of what worked, how to lead, and why is it important lack efficacy during vast upheavals of business practices, changing consumer demands and a realisation that the Fourth Industrial Revolution has permanently created a leadership phase shift. The Effective Leaders book by Mike Cameron not only recognises these shifts, but also provides solutions that can be used in real life by individuals seeking to leverage disruptive change for consistent growth. Mike’s delivery – grounded in Respect, Courage, Integrity, and Agility – creates a continuous growth slope for effective leaders to adopt and adapt to what is coming, not just what is already known. The Effective Leaders book represents a critical pivot in profiting against an uncertain, risk-filled future.Mark P. DangeloAdjunct Professor Graduate Studies, Innovation and Entrepreneurship | John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Effective Leaders is the follow-on book to Mike Cameron’s original, The Emerging Leader. It is an insightful look into other people’s experiences, showcasing that their leadership stories have lots of common threads, which enables you to grow in confidence as you learn from them. Furthermore, the leadership characteristics are ably demonstrated through a wide variety of more than 30 narratives from individuals at various stages in their leadership journey. While highlighting the importance of trust, Mike also revisits the four guidelines and introduces, in some detail, four attributes which underpin effective leadership, namely: respect, courage, integrity and agility.Anna MaciejewskaSenior Project Manager in health, education, emergency services and local government

After finding Mike Cameron’s first book, The Emerging Leader, not only an excellent guide and reference for inspiring one to better leadership, it has also become an invaluable go-to. When I can’t quite work out the best way to tackle a situation, I think, ‘I’m going to have a look at what Mike has to say’ and dip into my much-thumbed book once again to find ideas that give me a good and useful re-think. The new book, Effective Leaders, offers further inspiration and food for thought in a totally different style. Along with his own narratives, Mike has put together a collection of individual stories, articles, diagrams and professional pieces from experts in the field of leadership. The personal stories, including my own, on how a very diverse range of people see their leadership, either from experience or offering processes that support good leadership. These pieces are presented under the Seven Core Characteristics of Effective Leadership and the Four Attributes that Underpin these Core Characteristics: Respect, Courage, Integrity and Agility. Mike provides a guide to the reader from section to section with explanations and clear, descriptive diagrams. At the end of the book, all websites and books referenced are listed – really helpful. A must have for an effective leader's reference material.Emma TurnerHRT Director, Deloitte, Melbourne

Looking for motivation, guidance, ideas? This compendium of essays by a truly diverse range of leaders from many types of companies gives life to the concepts put forward in Mike’s first book The Emerging Leader and deserves a place on your bookshelf or ebook library. Dip into this excellent companion volume.Les MillerRetired C-suite executive - major global organisation, Santiago, Chile

I watch with interest the publication of your books and wish you every future success. From my experience, when we worked together, you always demonstrated those leadership skills and untiringly led from the front within our performance-led teams. It is great to see your astute thoughts, drawn from your practical experience, now expressed so clearly in the written word.Alastair CampbellRetired colleague from ICI Australia Operations P/L, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This is a fantastic follow-on book to the Emerging Leader with the stories that are included providing real-world examples of the application of Mike's methodology and models. He has provided expertise and guidance to many people over the years while touching the lives of not only those who he has coached but also the businesses in which they are involved. This is evidenced by the volume of high calibre business people who have provided their stories for Effective Leaders, Mike’s second book. Well done. I am looking forward to seeing what is coming next.Trevor McBayDirector at Solvable Pty Ltd

Effective Leaders, Mike Cameron's new book is an outstanding resource and companion to his first book, The Emerging Leader. Mike has gathered insightful and rich lived experiences of Leaders across a range of industry and leadership levels. This coupled with narrative from subject matter experts highlights the various skills sets, attitudes and learnings required of Leaders over the coming decades. With most organisations wrestling with knowns and many more unknowns presenting themselves every day - and underscoring what we can expect into the future – his identified characteristics of RESPECT - COURAGE – INTEGRITY – AGILITY are foundational to effective Leadership. My contribution to the book on Workplace Engagement further highlights the needs for our Leaders to foremost be self-aware, and hold an uncompromising principle of trust which underpins their ability to bring out the very best in their teams, allow space and psychological safety, harness creativity and provide an environment where individuals are provided opportunity, encouraged, involved and a chance to evolve. We all need to learn from others, this book provides an opportunity in one place to enter the Leaders’ world and how they navigated their leadership journey – as well as hear from those who have a wealth of experience it is not often we get to take a sneak peek into this style of narrative.Anne WickingPartner of Pivotlife