Most people never ask. And that’s what separates sometimes the people that do things from the people that just dream about them. — Liz Wiseman
Each year there are hundreds…no, thousands of books written on leadership. In 2015, there were approx. 4 books published every day with the word leadership in the title (Larocci, 2015). A search on Amazon results in over 60,000 possible options for leadership books. While many of these books can offer value to readers regardless of their current status, there are not many that focus on being valuable to your supervisor and employer. One standout book that should be read by leaders, future leaders, sometime leaders, and almost anyone else is Liz Wiseman’s Impact Player.
Wiseman hits on topics that really are relevant to all employees that want to increase their potential within their organization. In her previous works, she has described leaders that can amplify their teams and the value of learning in the workplace. Now, she provides a path to understanding what an organization needs and putting yourself in a place to meet and exceed those needs.
The first section focuses on describing impact players as those “who make a significant contribution individually but who also have an enormously positive effect on the entire team.” For example, high impact players see what needs to be done. They are not limited by the “it’s not my job” mindset – they see what needs to be done now. Or, as Wiseman calls it, the WIN mentality: What’s Important Now? Impact players are learners with the ability to adapt to the current situation. Impact players also make other members of the team feel good – they help in creating a positive environment.
For many of us reading this book, we are already impact players – we are already the team members adjusting and adapting as needed. In response, Wiseman focuses several chapters on building and developing high impact teams. From hiring to training to providing feedback, readers will gain insight into developing teams that will have a long-term impact on the organization.
Each of us is responsible for the development of our careers. Wiseman provides insight into being the team player that can help make that happen.