“Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion”
by Anne Chow
2024
Simon & Schuster
$28.99
272 pages
When Anne Chow started working at AT&T years ago, she was often the only woman in the room, the only woman in the department and the only Asian American in the building. Because of that, as she moved up the ladder to a better position, she decided that old ways of leadership in business just didn’t work anymore.
She began to expand her outlook into what she calls “leading bigger,” which is “really about inclusive leadership.” The first step to leading bigger is to know your company’s purpose and identify those who have a stake in its success. Bring your team together and be curious about their viewpoints. Define the values you want your company to reflect.
Knowing that you may lead several generations of workers, be aware of the differences you’ll face. Know that inclusive support goes beyond sexual identity and race to those needing child care and eldercare. Connect with your employees often and ask for feedback. Remember that we all have unconscious bias. Give employees room to
be authentic.
“Lead Bigger” is quite wordy, there’s considerable repetition, and a lot of what it offers is commonsense. However, being inclusive may feel like a minefield these days, and Chow offers useful, usable guidelines. Her ideas are carefully curated and may surprise readers who aren’t used to thinking in a bigger circle.
If an old-school style of management isn’t working, or if you’re struggling with inclusion or being included, you may find the solutions you seek here.
