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🧑‍💼 Quick Leadership Takeaway

“What we need for leaders are [people] of heart who are so helpful that they, in effect, do away with the need of their jobs. But leaders like that are never out of a job, never out of followers. 

Strange as it sounds, great leaders gain authority by giving it away.”
-Admiral James B. Stockdale

I've been on vacation this past week in New Orleans & New York. Have you ever noticed that people generally have one of two opinions about vacation?

1. They hope their co-workers struggle without them because it shows how valuable of an employee they are.
2. They hope everything goes smoothly without them because it shows how well they've set up the system around them.

I'm firmly in the second camp, and I hope you are too. Here's why...

Great leaders (and employees) don't:

• Hoard information
• Build a silo of knowledge around themselves
• Hope that everything blows up when they're OOO

Instead, they do the following:

• Share knowledge freely
• Build a sustainable process
• Give away power (empower others)

So the next time you're OOO, don't cross your fingers and hope everything blows up. Gauge your success by how sustainable of a system you build around you and your team.

⛽ Articles to Fuel Lifelong Learning

​The Complete Guide to Delegating Work Like a Pro​ Nearly every leader I've trained has struggled with the same thing: delegation. Here's how to delegate work effectively.

​Trying to Manage Your Manager? Use the “BOSS” Acronym​ Here are 4 tips to help you with “managing up”: creating a strong partnership with your boss while respectfully challenging them.

📚 Books That Are Worth Your Time

​The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins​ Robbins offers a simple but helpful formula for not worrying about what others think. Her book is a helpful kick in the pants for anyone looking to live a life of no regrets and no compromises.

​The Art Thief by Michael Finkel​ The most successful art thief in history never sold a single piece. He simply hoarded, savored, and admired all of the works in his attic bedroom—in his mom's house. Yep, true story. In this page-turner, Finkel explores the exciting yet sad life of art criminal Stéphane Bréitwieser.

🔥 Inspiring Quotes

🤓 A Personal Tidbit

As I've mentioned, whenever I travel, I seek out local independent bookstores. Here are my favorites I found in New Orleans this week:

1. Octavia Books - amazing selection, feels like a school library
2. Garden District Books - lots of signed books, picturesque
3. Baldwin & Co - well-curated selection, cool art (picture below)
4. Faulkner House Books - nice owner, been around 30+ years
5. Frenchmen Art & Books - small but has some unique editions

👇 Helpful Resources

Visit me at BobbyPowers.com for more articles and book reviews about leadership, self-improvement, and productivity.

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