In The Leader Who Had No Title, Robin Sharma shows how individuals, regardless of title, have the power to demonstrate leadership wherever they are. The lessons recounted in this book will help individuals rise to a new level of innovation, performance, and customer loyalty. There are strategies to go from just being busy to achieving stunning results, transformational leadership lessons to build a great company, and hard-hitting tactics to become mentally and physically strong enough to lead in times of change

1. Key Impressionistic takes from the book
Robin Sharma’s
“The Leader who had no title”
by Ramki
ramaddster@gmail.com

2. Prelude
The book “ The Leader who had no title” written by Robin Sharma brings out that anyone can
be a leader. Most of us go to work with the mind-set that to be a leader they need to work their
way up the company ladder, get the title or position they seek, and then they can be leaders.
This is the wrong approach according to Sharma.
The story is good and somewhat engaging. The leadership principles that surface in the story
make the book worth reading. The foundation principle is Self-Leadership. Anyone who
understands this can lead regardless of his or her official title in an organization. According to
Sharma, “leaders are those individuals who do the things that failures aren’t willing to do–even
though they might not like doing them either.” Too many people pay the sad costs of mediocrity
and forego the spectacular rewards of being a leader.
Blake Davis, the fictional hero in Robin Sharma’s The Leader Who Had No Title, gets his tips on
leadership from his mentor, Tommy Flinn. Blake enlists in the army and sees action in Iraq,
where many of his friends are killed. But this is not a book on the war in Iraq, so that phase of
Blake’s life is dealt with in just a few paragraphs. The interesting part of the story begins when
the narrator, now working at a bookstore in SoHo, comes across “a most curious stranger.& the
lessons he taught me in our all too brief time together shattered the limitations I’d been clinging
to — exposing me to a whole new way of working and a completely new way of being.” Tommy
engages Blake in four leadership conversations, which among other things, teach him how to
work with and influence people like a superstar, regardless of one’s position

3. Prelude- Contd..
 You need no title to be a leader: Success (business and personal) is
something that’s consciously created. To lead without a title “you will have
to be unrealistically persistent and wildly courageous.”
 Turbulent times build great leaders: Challenging times in both business
and life give us great opportunities to learn and transform ourselves.
“Problems and difficult days are actually good for you.”
 The deeper your relationships, the stronger your leadership: “Leave every
single person who intersects your path better, happier, and more engaged
than you found them.” Time spent forming deep relationships–in all
aspects of life–will pay dividends down the road.
To be a great leader, first become a great person: Training and strengthening
your inner leader will help you perform at extraordinary levels. The key is
learning to lead yourself. In our world we define success by the things we
have, not by the people we’ve become. The more self-awareness we
develop the more likely we are to grow and help others.

4. “ In a gentle way you can shake the World “
By Mahatma Gandhi

5. You need no title to be a leader- Quotes
‘If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should
sweep streets as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven
composed music or Shakespeare poetry. He should
sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and
earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street
sweeper who did his job well’
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

6. You need no title to be a leader- Quotes
‘Success is created through conscious choice. And is
the eventual and inevitable consequence of superior
decision making. Anyone can be successful. Few
choose to be.’
‘Leadership is about having unshakeable faith in your
vision and unrelenting confidence in your power to
make the positive change happen.’

7. You need no title to be a leader- Quotes
‘Simply remember that no matter what your position
within the organisation and no matter how old you are
or where you live …. You have the power to show
leadership. And no one and nothing can ever deny you
that.’

8. Acronyms
Robin Sharma unfolds several acronyms in the book such as
 LWT – Leadership without title,
 SEW –Seriously exceptional work,
 BIW – Best in the world,
 IMAGE – innovation, mastery, authenticity, guts, ethics
 SHINE – See clearly, Health is wealth, Inspiration matters,
Neglect not your family, Elevate your lifestyle,
 HUMAN – Helpfulness, Understanding, Mingle, Amuse and
Nurture,
 KMF - Keep Moving Forward
 SPARK – Speak with Candor, Prioritize, Adversity Breeds
Opportunity, Respond Versus React, Kudos for Everyone.

9. The Four major themes of the book
 You need no title to be a leader
 Turbulent times build great leaders
 The deeper your relationships, the stronger your leadership
 To be a great leader, first become a great

10. 1
You need no title to be a leader
Blake Davis meets Anna – a member of the housekeeping
staff at a high-end luxury hotel. Anna teaches Blake
about personal responsibility and the fact that you need
no title to be a leader. Anna (as well as all the other
teachers) gives Blake an acronym to help him remember
what she has told him and help him apply it to his life.
Her acronym is IMAGE

11. This chapter in the book focuses on the fact that human beings has
choice to act either pro-actively or reactively on situations in life &
the question is how do you take up this leadership role in your life.
The acronym associated with this chapter is IMAGE
 Innovation- we need to create growth daily through innovation.
 Mastery- committing to mastery through constant improvement.
 Authenticity- being trustworthy to yourself and other.
 Guts- having the courage to do things other fear to do.
 Ethics- doing what is right and staying true to your values.
Theme 1- You need no title to be a leader

12. Innovation
 ‘Be all about making this day better than Yesterday”
 ‘Daily ripples of superior performance add up over time to a
tidal wave of outrageous success”
 ‘Dream big but yet start small. That is the key’
 ‘Great careers and great businesses are built by evolution
 ‘The more successful you become, the more hungry you
need to be’
Theme 1- You need no title to be a leader

13. Mastery
 ‘Be so good that people cannot ignore you’
 ‘Focus married with Time produces Mastery
 ‘Nothing less than my very best ’
 ‘Being extraordinary in your work is one of the true secrets
of happiness’
Theme 1- You need no title to be a leader

14. Authenticity
 ‘Your ability to have an impact and make a contribution
comes from who you are as a person than from the
authority you receive by your placement in an org chart’
 ‘To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make
you something else …. Is the greatest accomplishment ’ –
By Ralph Waldo Emerson
 ‘Don’t lose yourself on your way to the top’ – By Jack Welch
 ‘There will never be a better you than you ’ – By Warren
Buffett
Theme 1- You need no title to be a leader

15. Guts
 ‘You will need to dare more than a reasonable person and
risk far more than an ordinary person’
Theme 1- You need no title to be a leader
Ethics
 ‘Leadership success lies at the
intersection where excellence meets
honour’
 ‘Your reputation is all you have’
 ‘Integrity always leads to beautiful
rewards. Be courageous enough to
ensure your deeds reflect your creed ’

16. Summing up- You need no title to be a leader- 5 Rules
I-innovation
M-mastery
A-authenticity
G-guts
E-ethics
Money, influence & position are nothing compared with brains, principles ,
energy & perseverance – by Orison Swett Marden

17. 2
Turbulent times build great
leaders
Next Blake Davis meets - Ty Boyd – a 5-time world slalom
skiing champion. Ty talks with Blake about how turbulent
times build great leaders and how many people resist the
opportunity to show personal leadership because of the fear
they have about exceeding their abilities. Ty’s acronym is
SPARK

18. This part of the book focuses on Chaos & changes and how do
each one take up our role in these turbulent times
The acronym associated with this chapter is SPARK
 Speak the naked truth and rather over communicate.
 Prioritise- Focus on the best and neglect all the rest.
 Adversity creates opportunity.
 Response- do we act or react on events in our life?
 Kudos- stand for recognition for everybody, for doing things
right.
Theme 2- Turbulent times build great Leaders

19. Speak with Candor
 ‘An important part of showing
leadership is to be more committed
to speaking honestly than receiving
the approval of others’
 ‘Your words are really nothing more
than your thoughts made verbal.
Your language broadcasts your
beliefs.’
 ‘…. The only words they try their
best to use everyday are those that
inspire, engage and elevate’
Theme 2- Turbulent times build great leaders

20. Prioritize
 ‘Focus on the best and ignore the
rest’
 ‘…. Become the best at a few things
you focus on. Focus. Focus. Focus.
To the point of obsession.
 ‘The best leaders stay staggeringly
focused on their Biggest To Dos’
 ‘Shift from chaotic complexity to
elegant simplicity’
Theme 2- Turbulent times build great leaders

21. Adversity breeds opportunities
 ‘Adversity unleashes noble
boldness in each of us – if we
allow it to’
 ‘Obstacles show up to measure
how badly you want something’
Respond Vs. React
 ‘Rather than just stand there
paralyzed by fear, they stayed
calm, showed excellence & turned
it all around
Theme 2- Turbulent times build great leaders

22. Kudos ( offering to the team)
 ‘Recognise excellence. Praise good work. Honour mastery’
 ‘Real leadership has so much to do with applauding others
when they are doing things right’
 Recognize excellence , Praise good work, Honor Mastery
Theme 2- Turbulent times build great leaders

23.  ‘I will persist until I succeed. I was not delivered into this
world into defeat, nor does failure course my veins. I am not
a sheep …. I am a lion. I will persist until I succeed’ – Og
Mandino
 ‘Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever’ – Lance Armstrong
 ‘Difficult days never last. But strong people always do’
 ‘If everything is under control, you are going too slow’ –
Mario Andretti
Theme 2- Turbulent times build great leaders- Quotes

24.  Change brings uncertainty and fear. The transition from
caterpillar to butterfly looks messy. But we know something
even more beautiful is being created
 ‘What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the Master
calls the Butterfly’ – Richard Bach
Theme 2- Turbulent times build great leaders-Quotes

25. S-Speak with Candor
P-Prioritize
A-Adversity breeds
opportunity
R-Respond Vs. React
K-Kudos for all
Summing up- Turbulent times build great Leaders
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone – by Neale Donald Walsch

26. 3
The deeper your relationships, the
stronger your leadership
Blake meets - Jackson Chan – ex-CEO of a multibillion
dollar technology company turned gardener. Jackson’s
message to Blake is that the deeper your relationships
the stronger your leadership. Jackson’s acronym for
Blake is HUMAN.

27. This part of the book focuses on relationships & the importance
of surrounding us with strong people to make us leader strong.
The question is also asked how much heart and contribution do
we put into our relationships.
The acronym associated with relationships is, HUMAN
 Helpfulness- What is your contribution and value add?
 Understanding through using your ears to really listen.
 Mingle- Network and engage with people at all levels.
 Amuse people through fun to get engagement.
 Nurture- people that they feel valued after each engagement
.
Theme 3-The Deeper your relationship , the stronger
your leadership

28.  ‘You get the best out of others when you give the best of
yourself’– Harry Firestone
Theme 3-The Deeper your relationship , the
stronger your leadership- Quotes
 ‘The more value you create for all your constituents – from
your teammates to your customers – the more your
organization will see incredible financial success. And the
more you’ll win in your career’

29.  ‘If you want to win, you need to
help others to win. And part of that
is doing all you can do to build a
high performance culture within
your organisation.’
 ‘Leading by example is one of the
most powerful tools for positively
influencing change in other people
Theme 3-The Deeper your relationship , the
stronger your leadership

30. H-Helpfulness
U-Understanding
M-Mingle
A-Amuse
N-Nurture
Theme 3- The Deeper your relationship , the
stronger your leadership
No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or to get all the
credit for doing it – by Andrew Carnegie

31. 4
To be a great leader,
first become a great person
Blake meets- Jet Brisley – massage therapist to the rich and
famous. Jet’s lesson for Blake is to be a great leader you
must first become a great person. Jet’s acronym is SHINE

32. This part of the book brings balance to remind us that we need to
grow as individuals to be able to contribute to other and the world.
The acronym associated with relationships is SHINE
 See clearly- The question that we need to ask frequently is
what our reality is and what is actual reality? The way we look
at the world.
 Health is important to ensure we have energy to create wealth.
 Inspiration- As leader you need to ensure daily interaction with
activities that inspire you, so that you can inspire other.
 Neglect not your family and friends.
 Elevate your lifestyle, meaning that as great leaders we must
also enjoy the journey.

33.  ‘A winner is a winner before he has
become a winner’ – Berry Gordy Jr.
 ‘You can’t craft a superb future by
remaining stuck in your past’
 ‘By becoming a superb thinker and
by believing in yourself you will
virtually create what you are
thinking
See Clearly

34. Health is wealth
 ‘Your health will never be better
than your self image
Inspiration Matters
 ‘A day without feeling inspired is
a day that you have not fully
lived. You need to refill your well
of inspiration every day because
the challenges of life will drain it
every day

35. Neglect not your family
 ‘What is the point in becoming super
successful but ending up all alone? A
huge amount of joy can be found in
cultivating beautiful relationships with
your family & friends’
Elevate your life style
 ‘Contribution is the ultimate purpose of
work & life’
 ‘Success is not about what you
receive. Success is all about what you
return’

36.  ‘Lead yourself first. Only then you
will get to a place as a person
where you can lead others
 ‘Greatness on the outside begins
within ’
 ‘Don’t use your possessions to
define you. Because, if you lose
them you lose yourself ’

37. S-See Clearly
H-Health is wealth
I-Inspiration Matters
N-Neglect not your family
E-Elevate your lifestyle
Theme 4- To be a great leaders, first become a great person
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams & endeavors to live
the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in
common hours– by Henry David Thoreau

38. Key Takeaways
 Leadership is about leveraging hard times and using them to
your advantage.
 Leadership is about correcting and criticizing others when
they are doing things wrong.
 The secret to moving through hard times is to just keep
moving forward.
 Great careers and great businesses are built by evolution.
 It is better to go down in fiery failure because you chased
your loftiest ambitions than to spend your best hours
watching television in some subdivision.
 Initiative and hard work is the warm-up act for a headliner
called success Small daily improvements, over time, lead to
stunning results

39. Key Takeaways
 Being nice isn’t being weak. Please don’t confuse kindness
with weakness.
 Gratitude is the antidote to fear.
 Happy people really do make happy leaders.
 The way you start your day determines how well you will
live your day.
 You can’t craft a superb future by remaining stuck in your
past.
 We are blind to our blind spots. We see the world not as it
is but as we are.
 You are a leader, no matter what you do in your life either
with title or without a title, you are still a leader.

40. Key Takeaways
 You need to have passion to do any job. It is not the title that
gives you respect but the amount of contribution you make to your
work. Title gives you only authority. But the real leadership
involves in walking the talk and leading from front regardless of
the area of activity to pursue.
 State your personal experiences of achieving success and
breaking your mental limitations.
 Relentless learning is one of the main traits of an open and
powerful person.
 The best people always seem to have the biggest libraries.
 Sometimes we need to get off track before we can develop the
clarity to be on track.
 Be master in your own trade whether you are a teacher, tailor or
cobbler.

41. In case you wonder whether Robin Sharma is suggesting
doing away with titles in an organisation, very quickly he points
out …..
‘I am not at all saying an organisation should not have
titles. They should actually. We need the people on the
executive team setting the vision, steering the boat and
holding ultimate responsibility for the results. Titles and
Structure maintain order and keep everything running
smoothly. But …. for any organisation to thrive amid all
the turbulence …. each one of us needs to take personal
responsibility by becoming CEO of our own roles and
leaders within our current positions ‘
‘We all need to lead where we are planted
and shine where we now find ourselves.’

42. ‘The great and glorious legacy of human being
is to live with a purpose’