FinanceGlossy

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership
by James Comey

Many will assume that this book is about politics. It’s not. It is about management and the skillsets required to become and remain a leader driven by perspective, purpose and truth. Comey’s philosophy on deceit, loyalty and transparency will help you navigate today’s complex corporate world.

Here is a passage that will help managers who want to help their teams learn faster: “Before I became FBI director, I worked at Bridgewater Associates—which aspires to build a culture of complete transparency and honesty. I learned there that I could sometimes be a selfish and poor leader. Most often, that was because I was hesitant to tell people who worked for me when I thought they needed to improve. The best leaders are both kind and tough. Without both, people don’t thrive. Bridgewater’s founder, Ray Dalio, believes there is no such thing as negative feedback or positive feedback: there is only accurate feedback, and we should care enough about each other to be accurate”.

Regardless of your political affiliation, you’ll have to acknowledge James Comey’s outstanding professional achievements: he became the United States’ Deputy Attorney General at age 43 and worked under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama before he was dismissed in May 2017.

Comey’s writing style is engaging and the precision of his storytelling makes the book a real pleasure to read and re-read.