Unlikely Leader

ABDURAHMAN AFIA is the CEO of Afia Partners, bringing over 20 years of progressively demanding leadership experience across senior roles in complex and high-pressure environments. Having led teams, faced failure, and made critical decisions at senior levels, he now serves as a leadership consultant, facilitator, and executive coach to leaders around the world. He specialises in working with multicultural teams, team building and bridging cultural differences to harness diverse backgrounds for shared success.

• About This Book xixPart I— The Mindset of an Unlikely Leader xixPart II— Leadership in Action xxWhy Two Parts? xxWhat You Will Gain xxiA Final Promise xxiiIntroduction xxiiiEvery Superhero Has an Origin Story, Even the Unlikely Ones xxiiiThe Unlikely Ones Are Usually the Game Changers xxivA Playbook, Not an Autobiography xxvWhat’s Inside xxviWho This Book Is For xxviiYou Might Not Feel Like a Leader Right Now. And That’s Exactly Why You’re Ready xxviiTime to Get Started xxviiiPart I The Mindset of an Unlikely Leader 1Chapter 1 Thrown in the Deep End 3Don’t Believe the Hype 3A Real-Life Movie Screenplay 4Our Shared Narrative 5Fake It ’Til You Make It 6The Biggest Myth New Leaders Believe 8Three Key Strategies to Help You Succeed in Your First Leadership Role 9OK, So Now What? 11Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 12Chapter 2 The Five Mistakes to Avoid on Your Leadership Journey 15Vision 15Mistake 1: The Power Trip 16Mistake 2: Making Leadership a Popularity Contest 18Mistake 3: When You Want It Done Right, Do It Yourself 21Mistake 4: Faking It Will Lead to Breaking It 23Mistake 5: Not Eating the Frog 26Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 28Final Thoughts 29Chapter 3 Mind over Matter—The Way You Think Will Make You or Break You 31Mindset 32So What Is Mindset, Really? 32The OMG Mindset Model 34The LEAD Mindset Model 36The Confidence Equation 39Mindset Mastery in Action 41Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 43Final Thought 43Chapter 4 Leadership Behaviour—Because What You Do Matters 45How to Lose Trust Instantly 45Actions Speak Louder Than Words 47Leaders Lead by Example—All the Time 48O.M.G.—Look at How You’re Behaving 49B.E.H.A.V.E.—Act Like a Leader 50W.W.W.—Because Real Viral Leadership Behaviour Matters 52Five Steps to Building Your Leadership Behaviour 53Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 55Final Thought 56Chapter 5 Goal Setting—Let’s Get Locked In to Lead 57Why S.M.A.R.T. Goals Aren’t So Smart 59Fast > S.M.A.R.T. 59OKRs: FAST at Scale 61Lead with CLEAR Vision 61Putting It All Together 64Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 66Bibliography 66Chapter 6 The Playbook—10 Leadership Plays That Win in the Real World 67Play 1: Resolving Personal Conflicts Between Team Members 68Play 2: Time Management When Everything Is Urgent 69Play 3: Leading Cross-Cultural Teams 70Play 4: Bridging Cross-Generational Gaps 71Play 5: Coaching Poor Performance Without Being Critical 71Play 6: Delegating Without Micromanaging 72Play 7: Managing Through Unexpected Change 73Play 8: Navigating Conflicting Instructions 73Play 9: Delivering Bad News 74Play 10: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 75Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 76Chapter 7 You Got Here, But How Will You Get There? 771. Formal Learning—Courses, Programmes and Certificates 782. Coaching—Fast Track Your Growth 793. Mentorship—Learning from Someone Who’s Been There Before 804. Peer Networks—Learning Together 815. Self-Study—Books, Podcasts and Deep Reflection 81The Payoff 82Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 83Chapter 8 Your Leadership Roadmap 2.0 85The CLEAR Framework as a Roadmap 86Your 12-Month Leadership Roadmap 86The Unlikely Leader Challenge 89Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 89Part II Introduction: Leadership in Action—where Theory Meets Life 91Chapter 9 Leading Through Crisis: The Real Test of Leadership DNA 93Retail Off the Rails 94The First Anchor: Pause 95The Second Anchor: Perceive 96The Third Anchor: Position 96Applying the CLEAR Response 97The Turning Point 98Retail Reflection 99Fitness Failings 100A Leadership Crisis in Disguise 100The Three Conversations 101Step 1: Clarity Before Correction 102Step 2: Empathy in Action 102Step 3: Action with Alignment 103The Conversation with the Owner 104From Crisis to Catalyst 104The Human Pattern of Crisis 105What Crisis Really Reveals 106The Four Questions That Change Everything 107Clarity: Seeing Through the Noise 107Learning: Turning Pain into Curriculum 108Empathy: The Invisible Strength 108Action: Progress over Perfection 109Reflection: The Leader’s Quiet Superpower 109The Myth of the Hero Leader 110The Unlikely Leader’s Advantage 110A Personal Reminder 110Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 111Closing Thoughts 112Author’s Note 113Chapter 10 Building a Culture of Ownership 115Consulting at a Crossroads 116The Crisis of Comfort 116Seeing the Gap 118The Mirror Moment 118The Experiment 119Small Wins, Big Shifts 120Resistance and Renewal 120The Purpose Loop 121The Shift 122From Compliance to Commitment 122Ownership in the Small Moments 123The Micromanager’s Revelation 124Momentum Becomes Meaning 125The Ripple Effect 126The CLEAR Feedback Loop 126The Turning Point 127Scaling Ownership 128The Five Habits of High-Ownership Cultures 128From Rules to Rituals 130Psychological Safety and Accountability 130The Purpose Loop in Motion 131Leadership at Every Level 132Embedding Ownership in Systems 132The Power of Visible Progress 132Reflection as Fuel 133Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 133Closing Thoughts 135Author’s Note 135Chapter 11 The Courage to Coach—Leading Through Conversation 137Karim’s Story—From Commander to Coach 138The Breakdown 138The Experiment 139From Control to Curiosity 140The Turning Point Conversation 140The Ripple Effect 141The LIFT Framework 141Why Coaching Takes Courage 142A Quiet Victory 143Coaching as Culture 143The Hidden Power of Listening 144From Coach to Multiplier 144The Cost of Convenience 145The Mirror Question 146A Culture of Courageous Questions 146The Coach’s Paradox 147When to Coach, When to Direct 148Coaching Under Pressure 148Coaching’s Quiet Rewards 149Why Coaching Feels So Rare 149LIFT in Motion 149Embedding Coaching into Systems 150From Transaction to Transformation 151Coaching the Coach 152The Listening Audit 152Coaching as a Leadership Legacy 153Coaching in the Classroom 153The Emotional Discipline of Coaching 153Turning Coaching into a Daily Habit 154The Quiet Revolution 154Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 155Closing Thoughts 157Author’s Note 157Chapter 12 Leading with Emotional Intelligence: The Heart Behind High Performance 159The Story of Maha—The Temperature in the Room 160What Is Emotional Intelligence, Anyway? 162The Leadership Thermometer 163First Lesson: Self-Awareness 164Second Lesson: Self-Regulation 164Third Lesson: Empathy 165Fourth Lesson: Social Skill 166The HEART of Leadership 166The HEART Framework in Motion 167The Ripple Effect 170Why Emotional Intelligence Scales Faster than Strategy 170The Science Behind the Heart 171The Emotional Equation 171The Power of Naming Emotions 172The Balance Between Empathy and Accountability 172Emotional Intelligence as a Strategic Advantage 173Emotional Maturity: The New Leadership Metric 173The Cultural Shift 174The Ripple of Emotion 174Emotional Contagion in Teams 175The Science of Emotional Safety 175EQ in Conflict 176The Calm Leader Effect 176Resilience Under Pressure 177Emotional Literacy: Naming to Navigate 178The Myth of Professional Detachment 178The Role of EQ in Diversity and Inclusion 179Emotionally Intelligent Feedback 179The Strength in Sensitivity 180The Emotionally Intelligent Leader’s Creed 180Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 181Closing Reflection 182Author’s Note 183Chapter 13 The Future of Leadership: Adapting in an Age of AI and Uncertainty 185The Story of Faisal—The Algorithm and the Apprentice 185The Leadership Shift 186Redefining Intelligence 187The Paradox of Uncertainty 188From Prediction to Presence 189When Logic Meets Life 189The R3 Model—Recognize, Relearn, Reinvent 189Ethical Leadership in the Age of Algorithms 191The Ethics Equation 191From Control to Consciousness 192The New Competency: Adaptability with Integrity 192AI Won’t Replace Leaders—But It Will Expose Them 192From Data-Driven to Meaning Driven 193The Merge: EQ + IQ + AI 193Rethinking “Human Resources” 194The Human Advantage 194The Leadership Flywheel 195The Return of Humanity 197The Soul of the Future 197Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 198Closing Reflection 199Author’s Note—The Unlikely Future 200The New Definition of Leadership 200Your Turn 201The Unlikely Leader Isn’t a Title 201Epilogue: The Unlikely Leader’s Promise 203About the Author 205Back Cover Copy 207Inside, You’ll Learn How To 207Index 209