[REVIEW] Minority Leader

This Advance Reader Copy of the book is courtesy of NetGalley and the book’s publishers. I am not receiving any financial or additional benefit from either group for posting this review other than the opportunity to read this book before it’s released publicly. 

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tl;dr Review:

A combination of a memoir, a guide on how to lead (even if you don’t particularly feel like a leader), and a beacon of hope in these awful political times.

Full Review:

If you feel dejected every time you open up a newspaper, read a headline, or watch the news, then you should pick up this book. Our current political climate can often leave us feeling like there’s no hope for change. That things will only continue to get worse and there’s not much we can do.

Minority Leader: How to Lead from the Outside and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams will help give you hope and will likely inspire you to go out and create some of the changes you want to see.

I thoroughly loved this book because not only does Stacey Abrams give you a guide on how to take charge and lead, but she also shares stories of her past that prove just how normal and human she is.

I don’t know if the publisher’s description gives her enough credit, but here’s their take:

A personal and empowering blueprint—from one of America’s rising Democratic stars—for outsiders who seek to become the ones in charge.

Leadership is hard. Convincing others—and often yourself—that you possess the answers and are capable of world-affecting change requires confidence, insight, and sheer bravado. Minority Leader is the handbook for outsiders, written with the awareness of the experiences and challenges that hinder anyone who exists beyond the structure of traditional white male power—women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and millennials ready to make a difference.

In Minority Leader, Stacey Abrams argues that knowing your own passion is the key to success, regardless of the scale or target. From launching a company, to starting a day care center for homeless teen moms, to running a successful political campaign, finding what you want to fight for is as critical as knowing how to turn thought into action. Stacey uses her experience and hard-won insights to break down how ambition, fear, money, and failure function in leadership, while offering personal stories that illuminate practical strategies.

Stacey includes exercises to help you hone your skills and realize your aspirations. She discusses candidly what she has learned over the course of her impressive career: that differences in race, gender, and class are surmountable. With direction and dedication, being in the minority actually provides unique and vital strength, which we can employ to rise to the top and make real change.

So much of what I do in my career consulting gig is really coaching. I work to empower people, especially women, to believe in themselves and take ownership of their hard work. This book helps to do something similar by giving people the tools to own their badassery and realize that they too can make a difference.

If you want a memoir that is equal parts affirming and uplifting and will give you a guide on how to live your best life, then this should be your next read!

I give it 5 out of 5 thumbs up!