So who is Making Remarkable for? I’d say there are three key groups that can benefit from it.
The first is the new leader. When I took on the role of President and CEO for the first time there was no instruction manual. I had read lots of biographies of people like Richard Branson, Jack Welch and other people who had successful careers as leaders, as well as books that talked about the first 100 days. But I often found they lacked a true perspective as to what it is like to sit in that chair for the first time, and they were often very technical in terms of getting to work. What they didn’t tell you was what people would think of you. How to tackle some of the major obstacles. Where to turn. What to focus on. What it will feel like. They didn’t seem to give permission to people to feel scared, or nervous or uncertain. Making Remarkable is an attempt to change all that by providing insight as to what those first few days, weeks or months in a top leadership job will feel like. How people will treat you and what you need to be thinking of. It makes it clear that being excited but nervous or intimidated is to be expected. It provides insight into a host of realities and practices that any new leader can cultivate in order to be the most impactful in this role and to get their feet firmly under them as quickly as possible.
Making Remarkable is also for the experienced leader that wants to make a change or transformation to their organization, or wants to understand how to become a more modern and dynamic leader among the shifting sands of change and new power networks. Regardless of your tenure, the world is changing and being disrupted at an ever increasing rate. Sitting on the sidelines hoping it will pass you by is not an option. You feel like your organization has become stale—either in its offering, brand, impact, value, team or strategy. You know that in order to survive and thrive you need to make change. Making Remarkable lays out what the modern, remarkable organization looks like and provides you with the end state that you need to achieve. It provides you with tools and templates in order to assess your current state, and then provides that plan and guidebook necessary to make the changes that will get you to remarkable. Or you may be a leader facing a major challenge or decision like a new brand, new business model, a struggling relationship with your board, or what to do to improve the culture. Any and all of those are addressed in Making Remarkable—it is your one-stop resource for taking your organization to the next level and ensuring that it rises above the crowd.
Finally, every board of directors can find something of value in Making Remarkable. Whether they are looking for a new leader or want to assess the performance of their current one, the book lays out exactly what every board and leader should be doing and thinking these days. The book also details the modern high-performance board that is tasked with more than just checking boxes and getting a free lunch. It lays out what I call the three F’s of a high-performing board: the focus, form and frame of modern governance to ensure that the board is working to create sustainability, culture, performance and longevity of the organization. Any board looking to up its game and take on a new and more modern role of governance will find exactly the recipe they need in Making Remarkable.
So why bother? What are the benefits of being remarkable? There are tons. Remember a few weeks ago, I touched on some of the high-level benefits such as greater impact, better revenues and growth, increased relevance, legacy, better staff retention and recruitment, greater engagement, more satisfied customers and members, bigger fans, enhanced profile and reputation, improved morale and more high-fives around the office. This is just the beginning.
Having led a transformation into a remarkable organization I can tell you that the benefits are worth the effort. The struggle is hard while you are in the thick of it. But the constant struggle of the alternative is so much greater than the limited struggle of getting to remarkable. Once there, it is a whole new level of performance and operations. If done right, you will have a whole new team spirit. There will be a level of trust and comradery that aligns perfectly towards a common purpose. Discussions are focused on the right things. People say great things about the work of the organization. Your results improve. That saying about a “well-oiled machine.” Well that is what it feels like. No matter how your organization is struggling—people, team, culture, brand, finances, value, growth—all of these challenges are dealt with by getting to remarkable.
I can’t wait for you to be able to get your copy of Making Remarkable when it is released on August 8. It has been a year in the making and the feedback I am getting from advance readers is fantastic. To learn more about the book, what people are saying about it, and for some “extras” head to www.makingremarkable.com
Feel free to email me at adam@adamlegge.com or leave a comment. I would love to hear what your journey to remarkability is like. If you are curious to learn more, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or sign up for my newsletter to get inside tips and tools to transform your organization into one that is remarkable.
