9 Leader Touchstones
By: Jes DeShields, PhD
Reflection by: Shannon Dougherty
Why I read it?
One of the many things I value about working at Foster Victor is our focus on and investment in professional development. It’s practiced every day as we encourage and challenge each other to become better coworkers, teammates, and leaders. Jes DeShields, the author of 9 Leader Touchstones, is local to Greenville and offers a unique perspective on leadership.
What is it all about?
To enact change within an organization, leaders must first examine, understand, and intentionally cultivate their own behaviors, habits, and even quirks. Doing so allows them to develop culture by walking the walk – and culture is impacted by how you show up, even (especially) when it’s not for the better. Jes presents nine touchstones for leaders to reflect on in order to grow and impact their team: Curiosity, Emotional Intelligence, Courage, Integrity, Authenticity, Empathy, Inclusivity, Gratitude, and Resilience. She groups certain touchstones together and discusses how they influence each other – for example, authenticity without integrity can create fundamental issues.
What caused me to pause?
Jes repeatedly brings up the way that our physical and mental health are intertwined. In the past several months I have let my physical health take a backseat, and this was a valuable reminder to prioritize it so that I can show up better for my team and my family. Beyond that, her section on how gratitude impacts mental health and sleep really resonated with me as well. From my perspective, a gratitude practice is the easiest concept from the book to implement and it can create momentum toward working on the other touchstones. There’s more to the Gratitude touchstone, but it’s a great place to start!
How will this book change my habits or influence me?
The content of the book is very densely packed with research-backed information. This makes it a bit harder to “get” everything on the first read, so I’m looking forward to revisiting each section to continue developing the touchstones. The Emotional Intelligence section stood out to me because it makes the distinction between self-awareness and the commitment to improve. Being self-aware can read as “well, that’s just the way I am” if not approached with the right intention.
Add this to your reading list if…
You are interested in doing the work to become a stronger leader. This is not a quick read, and because it’s so research-based, it’s a very different experience from some of the “lighter” books I’ve read on leadership in the past. If you’re willing to get into it, this book can help you take ownership and shift the way you approach your professional and personal life.
Pickle Rating: I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5!
