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BOOK REVIEWS Our EA members tell you whether these top titles are worth a read
BOOK REVIEWER BOOK REVIEWER
NAOMI SPINKS BRONWEN CLARK
Bad Boss by Michelle Gibbings
Self-awareness , self-reflection , clarity , consistency , hope and above all , courage … the vital fundamentals required to avoid ‘ being ’ or ‘ working for ’ a bad boss . Michelle Gibbings ’ s book ‘ Bad Boss ’ provides a candid , insightful and organised approach to identifying and managing the traits of the ‘ great ’ and the ‘ notso-great ’ managers and leaders of the world . We optimistically like to reason that people don ’ t deliberately set out to be a bad boss , but occasionally they just don ’ t know any better , and are often shocked when their team thinks otherwise .
So , whether it ’ s that your boss ’ s tough or toxic work environment is making your life a living hell and pushing you to compromise your integrity and ethics , and you ’ re seeking to strategically influence their behaviour before you cash out . Or perhaps you ’ re striving to better understand your impact on others and elevate your ‘ unconscious ’ self to your ‘ conscious ’ self ... this book is for you ! Michelle has succeeded in breaking down the jargon and provides real-life examples on how to get match-fit with your authenticity and priorities in your work life . She offers systematic time-out and self-reflection ‘ sanity ’ assessments that make it easy to identify the traps so you can continue to reflect , reinvent , influence and self-guide yourself and / or boss .
Naomi Spinks is an EA at Inland Rail
Unhindered : The Seven Essential Practices for Overcoming Insecurity
by Jaemin Frazer
As a subject I wasn ’ t expecting to review , I found ’ Unhindered ’, as a read , quite confronting — which speaks volumes for the insecurities I obviously navigate daily , weekly , yearly .
With the range of insecurities that can plague our lives , I believe the reader needs to be ready to take the step Jaemin asks . And with someone skilful enough to walk the path with them , the benefits could well be found within his framework .
While any work on personal growth can benefit our lives , personally and professionally , I am not sure this text is as relevant to all Executive PA members as other training or professional development resources could or have been . However , this book and Jaemin ’ s strategies certainly explore deeply and could be a hidden gem among some personal confrontation .
Personally , in the right time and place I may be brave enough to take a closer and slower look at Jaemin ’ s Seven Essential Practices for Overcoming Insecurity . It is easy to see why Jaemin has made this a focus of his work as a life coach .
Bronwen is an EA at Anglicare Southern Queensland
64 Chief of Staff | Issue 1 2021