Dr Tim Hawkes Former Headmaster, The King’s School, Paramatta; Author, Educator and Leadership Consultant, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
“You’re a New Leader So Now What, by Dr Darryl Cross, is compulsory reading for any who are about to take on increased responsibilities. It’s also a handy resource for those already in leadership. I say this because Dr Cross presents advice that is sensible, practical and very necessary. Leadership, as a skill, is in grave risk of extinction. The pantheon of leaders that have failed us is depressing. You’re a New Leader So Now What will go a long way to ensuring the reader becomes a leader who is effective and respected.”
Janice Parviainen Lumina Learning, Global Partner, Canada, USA, France, AU, NZ
“A must read for all leaders, especially emerging leaders. Practical and relevant. Dr Darryl has considered every barrier to becoming an effective leader and he offers you succinct and effective strategies to dismantle these barriers one brick at a time. Well done Dr Darryl.”
Damien Eves Director, The Horton Program, Perth, Western Australia
“There is no doubt that leading people is incredibly hard and is continuing to get harder in an ever-changing, fast paced world. It is also a privilege to lead and get the opportunity to shape and make a difference in people’s lives. Most new leaders get thrown the keys with limited training in what it takes to be a good or even great leader. Dr Darryl’s new book gives new leaders the ‘how to’ in an incredibly practical way using his thirty plus years as an outstanding Leadership Coach throughout Australia and other parts of the world. A great read that should be part of your toolkit on your leadership journey.”
Anne Marie Infilise President, Quadra Chemicals, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada
“You’re a New Leader: So Now What? is an invaluable guide for the first-time manager. It effectively covers the fundamental aspects of leadership as well as the common pitfalls that should be avoided. Dr. Cross’ expertise and his passion for coaching and development give him great perspective to share with leaders at all levels.”
Andrew Leunig Leunig Advisory, Norwood, South Australia
“Great leadership – you know it when you see it – but how do you become a great leader? What is really the difference between managing and leading and how do ‘new leaders’ quickly get up to the mark? This great book enables new leaders to quickly appreciate the leadership role and what practical steps they need to take to succeed. I’ve seen Dr Darryl Cross’ work up close in a number of organisations and situations and he brings that powerful mix of professional expertise and years of ‘in-field’ experience to the table. Buy it. Read it. Give a copy to every aspiring leader that you know.”
Stan Kontos Executive Chairman, Star Pharmacy Group (Aust), Kent Town, South Australia
“It is refreshing to find a book that has in simple effective points, the key to transforming oneself from a technician or manager to a leader. Having been through this process myself many years ago, I only wish I had such a valuable resource like this at the time. Well done Dr Darryl Cross – superb work once again!”
Dean O’Rourke Executive General Manager of Residential Construction, ABN Group WA, Osborne Park, Western Australia
“The quote that has always blown me away is, ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care’. Leadership is all about relationships and your ability to have greater connection and rapport with your people. These connections along with a great strategy achieve great results. It’s not about your technical skill; it’s all about your soft skills which are actually hard skills! This book by Dr Darryl Cross is all about guiding you to be the best you that you can be – a great leader and role model and someone that they all aspire to be.”
Simone Nani General Manager, South West Football League, Western Australia
“So many of us have started our leadership journey with no guidance, tools or instructions. It’s a wonder that often we arrive at a point where we feel overwhelmed and somewhat isolated in our new role. Fortunately, we are never too old to keep learning and Dr Darryl provides all the necessary information, tools, advice and support to help you when you first start out as a leader, or even if you have been in the leadership space for some time. Anyone who is interested in leadership should read this book; any leader who offers an employee a leadership role should give a copy of this book to their employee! Dr Darryl has provided me with the most relevant and up to date leadership advice over a number of years which has helped develop my leadership skills. I continually refer to Dr Darryl’s teachings to ensure continued development. These skills will stay with you for a lifetime.”
Tammie Lord Finance Manager, ABN Group Victoria, Docklands, Victoria, Australia
“You’re a New Leader: So Now What? contains valuable insight on how to successfully graduate from ‘technician’ to ‘leader and coach’. Working with Darryl since 2011, these techniques have been absolute game changers for my leadership and communication development. A must read for anyone on the leadership journey.”
Tim Davies Kitchen Production Manager, IKEA Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
“This book has allowed me to highlight key opportunity areas for my team leaders in developing their leadership skills. The value has been in how they feel they can improve or fine tune their skills in leadership. The workplace examples have been great to relate to as well as creating action plans out of this.
I also discovered some core skills that I have learnt, but not yet implemented, as well as exploring the areas of emotional intelligence and understanding human behaviour. We are all different and we work in a very diverse environment which makes “understanding” and “communication” top priority in our workplace maintaining efficiency and effectiveness.
Loved the read and I feel that both myself and my staff members stepping up into leadership roles will take a lot of value from this book and really strengthen the leadership team creating a great workplace culture.”
Rev Craig Broman City Director Adelaide, City Bible Forum; Business Coach, South Australia
“Dr Darryl has years of experience dealing with and maximising the potential of leaders. At last, a book that condenses those valuable insights into a practical leadership manual. Dr Darryl helped me realise that leadership success comes down to the right skills ratio split. Despite what we think, technical skills are only about 12.5% of the equation towards success, whereas the interpersonal skills are about 87.5%. Darryl’s mantra is that the best leadership posture is one of remaining a learner. If you’re a learner, then this book will never be far from your fingertips.”
Dr Chris Mason Chairman, Mindshop International, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
“One of the key success factors in any organisation is the quality and impact of the leadership. People do not leave organisations, they leave leaders. This means that every leader needs to be more aware of the psychology of people. Who better to receive leadership insights than from a clinical psychologist who has worked extensively with leaders from a wide range of industries and organisational size.
Many of the insights in this book cannot be found in research papers or technical journals, they come from the school of hard knocks. Even more relevant is they have been learned from studying and coaching leaders from an in-depth psychological perspective rather than a study of organisational outcomes. It is the belief systems and resulting behaviours of the exemplary leaders that lead to best practice leadership processes and this is what has largely informed the insights in this book.
As a fellow coach of leaders and business performance, I can attest to the value that any leader will gain from reading this book. Thank you Darryl for sharing your valuable experience.”
Kelly Barns Director, Governance Reform, SA Health, Adelaide, South Australia
“You’re a New Leader: So Now What? is an excellent and valuable resource, providing practical tips that can be readily applied and drawn upon in any leadership context. As a new Executive, I have drawn comfort from the advice it provides, and through application am continuing to build confidence and successes in leading at the next level.”
Jeffrey Hayres Executive General Manager, Retail WA, ABN Group, Osborne Park, Western Australia
“Every new leader MUST READ and will benefit from this complete guide on the critical leadership elements for success. If you find yourself elevated to a position of leadership and are wondering now what, then Dr Darryl Cross takes you through an easy to follow, meaningful and a succinct blueprint for the modern-day leader. Inspiration awaits!”
Toby McDonald ERP Project Manager, Shrieve Chemical Company, Houston, Texas, USA
“As a new leader, my first team was a bit like my first car; it endured a lot of confidence and not a lot of understanding and control. The book very quickly imparts understanding in the areas you need in order to be a valuable leader.”
Dan Murphy Managing Director, Galway Bay Hotel, Galway Bay, Ireland
“I have worked with Darryl throughout my managerial career. Darryl’s skilled coaching has allowed me to manage my time more effectively, delegate effectively and inspire my team daily and has assisted me to future-proof my business through effective planning. The biggest benefit that I have gained from Darryl, is an understanding of how to get the most from my people. I know this book will be a great resource to anyone who finds themselves newly appointed to a leadership or management role. Add the skill for this book to your arsenal and you will be unstoppable!”
Stephen Dowling Founder and Director, ETM, Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia
“I believe that there is a serious shortage of good leadership within society and across most organisations. We desperately need good leaders at ALL levels. If our planet, and our organisations are going to survive, this hugely important competency gap needs to be urgently addressed. Darryl has put together a fantastic simple and practical guide which I think should be read by any aspiring (or even current) leader. I only wish I had done this at the start of my journey, as it would have really helped!”
Nick Psarros Principal, Ray White Real Estate, Port Adelaide, South Australia
“A very informative straightforward easy to read and follow guide on what is required to be a good leader! A must read for anyone starting out on their journey into leadership!”
Dr Nick Hawkes Author of the book, Deep Leadership, Athelstone, South Australia
“This book resources those who have been newly appointed to leadership. Its teaching is relevant, pithy and brilliantly accessible. It is a ‘must have’ for new leaders. Leadership is no easy task. It can be lonely, dispiriting, bewildering, bureaucratically mired, and hazardous to your character. Alternatively, it can also offer hope, transformation, excitement and fulfilment. This book will help you get the right outcome.”
Sue Grosziewicz Strategic Business Coach & Advisor, Accountable for Change, Georgia, USA
“The chapters rang true for me – it’s easy to recall the early days filled with trial and error, occasional head slaps and embarrassing moments. Being a leader means you still learn from your people daily – it also means you develop future leaders. The baby boomer generation focused on building great organisations, now it’s time to develop future leaders. Darryl has compiled practical insights to focus your perspective and avoid pitfalls in this must read. Valuable for tenured leaders as well as future leaders.”
John Stock, OAM Chair, LifeCare; Careers Consulting Professional, Adelaide, South Australia
“A comprehensive set of tools and understandings about leadership and managing people effectively. It can be used in any setting. Darryl Cross provides new managers, supervisors, and leading hands with a sound base for more quickly developing their credibility and confidence as a leader. Recommended reading.”
Timothy Hayes Managing Director, Hodson Bay Group, Ireland
“In a world where people must be centric to the development of your business, this book starts by giving you the tools to look at yourself as a person in a leadership role and how you influence and coach the people that report into you. This publication is an excellent guide for a leader in the business world today. Every possible situation that you are faced with as a leader, is extensively dealt with and very good practical advice and solutions are offered to help you with the challenges that lie ahead. As a leader myself, I find this book to be an excellent ‘go to’ reference guide.”
Ennio Mercuri Managing Director, Ennio International, Holden Hill, South Australia
“This is a comprehensive book that describes the attributes and skills that make a good leader. There are valuable insights and lessons on how to improve your skills with new approaches to leadership that will benefit both business outcomes and personal lives. Thanks Darryl for writing this book that clearly sets out the key issues that face leaders and for offering thought provoking advice that will assist in the never ending journey of self-improvement.
The leadership diagnostic tool is of great assistance and quickly enables a review of self and how one currently operates. The chapter on the coaching of others is insightful and describes how this not only contributes to others, but will assist in growing as a leader through the process of giving to others genuinely and meaningfully.
Of particular note is the chapter in dealing with difficult people. One can review one’s own behaviour and that of others in the organisation and provides assistance in improving these situations. There were some important understandings on how to work on this critical and at times soul destroying issue that all businesses face.
This book is a great asset and guide for those leading others and seeking more effective outcomes, while being happier and more personally fulfilled through the process. Well done.”
Simon Mongan General Manager, Homebuyers Centre, Docklands, Victoria, Australia
“Like most business leaders, I progressed into management positions due to my technical ability, work ethic and passion for the business. Little did I know my technical ability would count for little moving forwards. From there on, it was all about connecting with my staff, keeping everyone accountable, managing their (and my) emotions and creating solution focused environments to enable effective decision making. You’re a New Leader: So Now What? covers many of the challenges I’ve faced throughout my journey and provides simple yet effective advice for those starting out their leadership careers.”
Jason Langford-Brown Head of Europe, Sales Shift, United Kingdom
“This is the book that any new leader, and for that matter, any leader looking to enhance their capability has been waiting for. Having been a leader for over 30 years and developed scores of leaders in that time, I believe Dr.Darryl has really connected with the real challenges leaders face, but more importantly, given them a roadmap and some invaluable tools to help them on them on their journey.
Most leaders arrive having been good at their technical discipline, but with no real leadership pedigree. They are often overwhelmed by the attention they are given and the misguided expectation to be the smartest and be everyone’s friend.
Dr Darryl has expertly busted these myths and offers some great insights into what you really should be doing, how it will enhance your impact and how you can develop your own truly unique leadership style.”
Nick Mayhew Managing Director, Alembic Strategy Ltd, London, United Kingdom
“Dr Darryl Cross’ new book “You’re a New Leader: So Now What?” is the perfect companion for the millions of people out there with lots of leadership responsibility, but little or no actual training in how to lead well.
Can leadership be taught? Absolutely. And Dr Darryl is one of the most inspiring ‘leaders of the leaders’ I have met. A must read for any reader with more challenges than they would like!”
Marilyn Sleath Director, International Education, Department for Education, South Australia
“Throughout this book, Darryl Cross shares unique insights about both the theory and more importantly the practice of leadership that makes a difference. It cracks the code for new leaders to set the culture, empower others, to strategically influence for outcomes while continuously reflecting on the critical importance of communication, especially listening. It’s typical Darryl as it is integrated, inspires you to reflect, and become more self-aware and achieve with and through people. A must read for the new leader who is passionate about influencing both people and outcomes.”
JoAnn Labbie Team Development Strategist, Cory Labbie Oganization, Georgia, USA
“What a great resource for any new leader! There is so much involved that you are not prepared for as you advance in your career. The topics covered touch on areas every new leader experiences. I would recommend companies provide this book along with the promotion.”
