Book Review: The Elephant at the Dinner Table by Amit Nagpal

MY THOUGHTS

There are essentially three types of leaders namely team players (Visionaries), Visionaries (Mid-level Leaders) and role models (Senior Leaders) at a point of time in the structure of any management or company. They are those key multi taskers , who not only educate and enlighten at every level but also share their experiences and wisdom in a manner which is best suited to both the growth of the subordinates as well as the organisation.

FIRST IMPRESSION IS THE LAST IMPRESSION, OR IS IT?

A true leader is not only a contributor but an empowering personality as well.

As a leader it is not only pivotal to be sharing a feeling of oneness and mutual understanding with your subordinates but it is equally important that you are powerful enough to inspire them to keep moving ahead in the right direction.

MY SURMISES

This amazing book enamouring real life anecdotes and experiences in the form of stories by the author is a gift especially for those who want to learn about leadership skills and qualities but don’t know where to begin. It is an out of the box, analytics and research book covering not only the key concepts but doing so in a manner which is very effective. The author’s experiences over the journey of his life’s course in his professional struggles and the resultant takeaways have been encapsulated in the form of 33 real life short stories. It is more like a management reference guide but with a real life personal , relatable kind of aspect attached to it. It is commendable to not here that Amit has actually shared analysis of over 300 interviews with leaders worldwide through these 33 short stories. He has attempted to put across the complete analytics and observations he has made across the span of his career in a concise yet informatively packed way.

LANGUAGE AND GENRE

The narrative being lucid, the stories and exercises are put across in a manner which will not only appeal to readers in a strong manner but will remain with them in the form of vital takeaways even after they have finished with the book.

THE CORE IDEA

Chronicling the journey of the author as a small boy who came with limited resources, this book takes it to the point right until he became the Head of Infosys BPM in 2010. Focusing on curiosity, risk taking, strengths, the attitude of a team player as well as lifelong learning, this title will help not only management students but also anyone who wishes to strive and get to the top of his profession in life.

I LIKED…

The stories are written in a simple yet realistic, relatable manner. The author being a Leadership facilitator, an ATD Master trainer, Global speaker as well as a Performance consultant has now forayed into writing as well to impart the gems of his learnings and experiences to others.

MUSINGS AND TAKEAWAYS

What stood out for me here was the method in which he had charted out the course of the 3 types of leaders namely Team players, Visionaries and Role models by means of a complete breakdown as regards their goals and desires, their pains and frustrations as well as their learning aspirations. Amit has surely given this piece of writing his complete experience journalling in the BPM sector and managed to create a learn worthy model of his inferences.

My personal favourite narrative was the one which was an ode to Raman Roy where procuring the elephant at a short notice was the crux of the entire episode taking place. The message Nothing is Impossible, is given through this narrative and it only shows that if need be resourcefulness is surely a habit which leads to desired results.

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CONCLUSION

Amit endeavour is a priceless one. In his words, a better leader is one who not only focuses and works on their inner self , but also gives importance to their outer self. In other words they continue to invest in learning and reinventing.

PICK THE BOOK IF

• Do read the book if you want to grab some great leadership skills advice and life lessons.

Skip the book if

• If you don’t like to read books on great leadership skills advice and life lessons.

How did you like the book review of The Elephant at the Dinner Table by Amit Nagpal. Let me know in the comment section…

Book Review of The Elephant at the Dinner Table by Amit Nagpal