Praise poured in for this book
Preface I thought I was a good leader.

Part 1: When You Become a Leader, Everything Changes
Chapter 1: Now You Are a Leader
Chapter 2: The Fatal Mistakes Leaders Can't Avoid
Chapter 3: Power Blinds You
Chapter 4: Pressure Shakes Your Mentality

Part 2: A Leader's Mentality Must Be Different
Chapter 5: Basic Tools for Facing Change 3

Part 3: The Traps of Power That Blind Leaders
Chapter 6: You're Falling into the "I'm Always Right" Trap
Chapter 7: A Leader Has a Megaphone in His Mouth
Chapter 8: The Illusion That There's a Reason for My "But"

Part 4: Protect Your Mind from Pressure
Chapter 9: Finding Your Emotional Triggers
Chapter 10: Unmet Psychological Needs Make Bad Bosses
Chapter 11: Escape the Trap of Being the Only One
Chapter 12: Break Free from the Details That Bind You
Chapter 13: Superhero Syndrome Threatens the Mind
Chapter 14: Practical Tools for Regaining Your Passion and Purpose

Part 5: How to Stay on Track in a Storm
Chapter 15: Self-Assessment Tools for Moving Forward in Your Own Way

Conclusion: Leadership is ultimately about "the power to lead one's own life."
Acknowledgements
References

■ “Why Competent Employees Become Incompetent Leaders”
A Silicon Valley leadership coach with 25 years of experience uncovers the psychological distortions that undermine leaders.

There are two people who were quickly promoted to team leader in recognition of their abilities.
One grew into a key leader leading the organization, while the other failed in both performance and relationships.
What accounts for the stark differences between these individuals, who started at the same starting line? Sabina Nawaz, a leadership mentor to top executives at Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, for 25 years, discovered that the common trait shared by the top 1% of successful leaders in their organizations is an unwavering mentality.
Furthermore, after interviewing thousands of leaders and analyzing over 12,000 pages of data, we confirmed that the key factor in determining a leader's performance is not differences in ability, but how free they are from the "psychological distortions" that the position of leadership creates.
If a leader fails to master his or her inner self, even with the best of intentions, the resulting power gap can lead to "bad outcomes" for team members. This can lead to repeating mistakes like clinging to old ways of working, or to a growing belief that only he or she is right.


This book dissects these invisible, inner workings in detail and offers ways for leaders to break free from self-destructive patterns.
It delves into how to identify the "emotional triggers" that are unique to each individual, such as situations and people that cause stress, and how unmet personal needs can ruin leadership.
As CEO Shin Soo-jung said, "It vividly shows why leaders, even with good intentions, end up doing bad things," this book clearly points out the mistakes and misconceptions that any leader can easily fall into, and guides them on the path to breaking free from them and leading their organizations in a more objective and healthy manner.


■ “Only when you can handle the pressure of high positions do you become a leader.”
Pressure and Power Gap: How to Fix the "Inner Malfunctions" That Threaten Leaders and Organizations

The moment a leader rises to a high position in an organization, the environment surrounding him or her changes dramatically.
However, many people do not fully recognize this change and try to communicate and work in the same way as before.
The problem is that the ability to rise to a high position and the ability to maintain that position are two entirely different abilities.
The author emphasizes that the ability to handle the 'pressure' and 'power' that automatically follow a leadership position is an essential quality for a leader.
When pressure builds, the amygdala becomes overactive, triggering a "fight or flight" mode, which in turn clouds judgment and easily undermines team productivity and performance.

Problems also arise when people do not properly recognize their own power.
The gap between leaders and team members leads to misunderstandings in feedback, distortions of intentions, and deterioration in relationships.
In particular, we must be careful not to overlook the fact that 'a leader has a megaphone in his mouth.'
Even minor advice can be perceived as pressure on team members, and simple sharing of plans can be perceived as a signal of increased workload.
When self-justifications like “My situation is an exception,” “There’s a reason for my ‘but,’” and “I’m right” are added to this, leaders run the risk of becoming the “worst boss” who unknowingly shakes up the organization.
This book uncovers unconscious mechanisms and helps you build unwavering leadership even under pressure and the weight of power.


■ “When the leader becomes the ‘only problem solver,’ the team stops.”
Perfectionism, obsession with detail, superhero syndrome… Leaders need to fix their bad habits first.

One of the most common challenges leaders face in the field is the inability to delegate work effectively.
Even if you delegate work, you end up not liking it and end up doing it again, and eventually all the work ends up being yours.
The author explains that behind this vicious cycle are hidden 'superhero syndrome' and 'perfectionism'.
The moment the belief that you have to solve every problem yourself and the desire to "do it yourself" rather than being honest about your team members' incompetence kicks in, the team grinds to a halt and the leader is left feeling overwhelmed.
The author likens this to a game of whack-a-mole, noting that solving one problem only leads to another, draining the leader's energy.


As a solution for leaders caught in this dilemma, the author introduces the 'delegation dial.'
Delegation is not an on/off switch, but rather a dial that must be adjusted based on the capabilities and readiness of the employee.
He also emphasizes that “subordinates are not mind readers,” and advises that rather than vaguely directing the desired outcome and then leaving it to them, the delegation process should be systematized in stages, such as showing, explaining, teaching, asking questions, and acting as a safety net.


Meanwhile, for leaders who obsess over details, wasting time on things like "screen height" and the condition of meeting pens, the book provides guidance on "creating blank time." For leaders who are constantly pressed for time due to perfectionism, the book offers guidance on reallocating workloads through "time portfolio analysis." As Oh Seung-min, head of talent development at LG Chem, puts it, "This book is packed with powerful tools to help leaders manage and maintain their composure under pressure."

■ “Leadership is ultimately the force that guides me.”
Inner Leadership: Transcending Burnout and Revitalizing Yourself and Your Organization

Excessive workload, constant problem solving, and even people problems.
Leaders are vulnerable to burnout because they fight lonely battles behind the scenes.
This book vividly portrays the stories of leaders who reached turning points in the midst of various crises, including a corporate executive who fell into a slump after receiving negative feedback for the first time, and a team leader who was a legendary game developer but failed to prevent a series of team defections after taking over.


Above all, the significance of this book lies in the fact that the author began his own experience of falling from being the 'best boss' to being the 'worst boss.'
As an executive in charge of career development for 90,000 people at Microsoft, she too realized belatedly that she was changing under stress and pressure.
That painful realization actually became the impetus for me to study leadership properly and become a coach who teaches leaders.
As Park So-ryeong, author of "Overcoming Failure" and founder of Publy, said, "I found comfort in the fact that I was not the only one," this book provides leaders with both empathy and room for recovery through its diverse examples.
Ultimately, leadership is not a skill, but the power to govern oneself.
Only when I correct my mentality can I, the organization, and our performance all grow together.