The Leadership Lab by Chris Lewis Summary
Overview of The Leadership Lab
In "The Leadership Lab," Chris Lewis and Dr. Pippa Malmgren revolutionize leadership for our chaotic century. This Business Book of the Year 2019 winner reveals why traditional rules fail today. What shocking global trend makes empathy more valuable than authority? Top executives already know.
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Key takeaways
Leadership for a World in Flux
Our world has turned upside down. Traditional leadership principles that remained stable for centuries have been dramatically inverted. What was once predominantly male, hierarchical, and Western-oriented has rapidly evolved into something more fluid, impatient, and bottom-up. This transformation has exposed leadership failures across nearly every sector-from corporate tax avoidance to political scandals to the #MeToo movement. The collapse of institutions like Lehman Brothers and scandals at companies like Enron highlight how traditional leadership models have become inadequate for modern challenges. What makes today's leadership environment uniquely challenging is the speed of change. Social media, artificial intelligence, and technological advancement have created a landscape where leaders are constantly pulled between opposing forces. Imagine trying to navigate a ship through a storm where the compass spins wildly between eight different poles-that's the reality for today's leaders. They must balance being globally minded while maintaining local relevance, innovating without alienating stakeholders, and processing vast information while maintaining strategic perspective. The fundamental problem? Our tendency to rely on narrow logic, data, and quantitative metrics has created dangerous blind spots. While this analytical approach serves scientific progress well, it misses insights from more inclusive thinking that encompasses belief, community values, and longer-term vision. As one CEO noted, "When change isn't allowed to be a process, it becomes an event"-and often a catastrophic one.
Drowning in Information, Starving for Wisdom
The Hidden Economic Reality
The Impatience Epidemic
Leading Beyond Anger and Division
The New Leadership Imperative
Lighting the Path Forward
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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