Last month, or should we say last year, we started a new blog series, introducing you to some of our leaders and revealing what books they’ve read that have had a lasting impact on how they approach their roles and lead their teams here at Meet. 

So, here we are again, back on your screens with three more from our lovely leadership team…

**Psst! If you missed part one of this series, find it here!**

Mike Newman, West Coast's Senior Vice President on The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way To Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team by Patrick Lencioni 

A Bit About Mike:

Mike is brilliantly witty, incredibly considerate, exceptionally wise, and an integral part of Meet’s fabric, being one of our very first hires back in 2011.

Mike’s market knowledge is unparalleled, and over the last 11 years, he’s recruited into almost every market we cover, for both Direct Hire & Retained and Contract & Interim, making his skillset one of the best in the business!

His fruitful career and organic leadership style led him to the US, where he launched our two Californian offices. Nowadays, he heads up our West Coast business, focusing on operational and strategic responsibility and ensuring our California-based teams are best supported in all aspects of their roles. 

Today, under Mike’s supervision, our West Coast teams have grown to a strong 73 (and counting!), with leaders developing at every level. 

Want to learn a little more about Mike’s role here at Meet? Pop over to his bio.

A Synopsis of Mike’s Chosen Book:

The 6 Types of Working Genius recognises two undeniable truths: that people who utilise their natural talents are much more fulfilled and successful than those who don’t, and that teams and organisations that help individuals tap into their inborn gifts are much more successful and productive than those who don’t. 

Split up into two parts, Lencioni first presents his findings in a fictional yet realistic story around Working Genius and its application. In the second half, he analyses and unpacks the model itself. 

This incredibly relatable yet compelling page-turner provides personal discovery and a simple and practical framework for maximising one another’s natural gifts, which increases productivity, reduces unnecessary judgement, and improves overall happiness. 

As soon as you begin reading this book, you can start applying it to every kind of ‘work’ in your life, from running a business to managing a family. The experience this book provides will transform your work, your team, and your life. Plus, if you’re not a big reader, you can listen to Lencioni’s concepts on the Working Genius podcast!

Mike’s Thoughts on The 6 Types of Working Genius:

“With an easy-to-read business narrative, this book recognises that while we all may be good at different parts of our job, we may not actually enjoy doing those parts of the job. 

As a leadership team, we’re encouraged to assess who enjoys particular tasks just as much as who is strong at certain tasks. Playing to our own ‘geniuses’ can go a long way, resulting in a much more positive and collaborative approach to leadership where the team experience is a much lighter working environment.

Bringing this process into our approach on the West Coast will only continue to drive the positive reinforcement and celebratory culture that we foster. After all, when my leaders are their happiest, they’re at their best.”

Russell Smith, Division Director for the DACH Region on Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders by David Marquet

A Bit About Russell:

Russell first joined Meet back in 2014 as a Junior Consultant. Nowadays, he’s known as one of the hardest-working members of the team! 

His drive is one to be envied, his focus inspiring, and his reliability for his clients and candidates led him to quickly climb the ranks in our London office, achieving multiple promotions over a two-year time period. 

After covering Clinical Operations in the DACH region for a couple of years, in 2019, Russell made the life-changing decision to head across Europe and launch our Berlin office. Once again, he proved himself an invaluable asset to the business and continues to be a major driving force behind our European success. 

As Division Director, Russell’s proudly gone on to grow and shape our diverse Berlin team to be quality oriented and highly attentive in supporting some of the most innovative organisations in the DACH Life Sciences sector. 

To find out more about Russell’s Meet journey, head over to his bio.

A Synopsis of Russell’s Chosen Book:

Author of Turn This Ship Around!, David Marquet, is a former US Navy Captain who’s used to giving orders atop the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine. Of course, in that high-stress environment, it was absolutely essential that his men did their job well, but the ship was plagued with poor morale, meagre performance, and the worst retention in the fleet.

One day, when Marquet gave his crew an impossible order, he found his men trying to follow it anyway and realised he was leading in a culture of followers who were in grave danger unless they changed their ways. With that in mind, Marquet pushed for leadership at every level, and soon enough, his crew began working like never before, with USS Santa Fe rising from the worst in the fleet to the very best. 

The essence of Marquet’s writing and the basis of his leadership approach can really be applied to any business. It encourages each team member to take responsibility for their actions and apply their total intellectual capacity. 

As a leader, the key takeaway from this read is that if you invest in your people and their leadership development and focus on achieving excellence, consistent improvement, goals, and outcomes, you and your team should collectively become happier, healthier, and more successful.

Russell’s Thoughts on Turn The Ship Around!:

“Turn The Ship Around! focuses on the ways in which we can create autonomy and leaders within a team by using a ‘Leader – Leader’ model, as opposed to the traditional ‘Leader – Follower’ model of management. It encourages you to think about how you can empower individuals to take responsibility for their actions and bring ideas to the table. 

This book really resonated with me as managing a junior team out here in Berlin without an established management hierarchy means I must be able to develop leaders from within this group if we wish to continue our growth. That’s probably my most important objective at the moment, and this book helps me remain focused on developing individuals and empowering them to make decisions rather than slipping back into a directive management style.”

George Carroll, Division Director for New York Partnerships on Amp It Up: Leading For Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity by Frank Slootman

A Bit About George:

Some would say George is a go-getter: a man with his eyes on the prize who has only seen his career go from strength to strength. 

So how did George end up here at Meet?

Well, residing in NYC had been a lifelong dream of George’s, so after graduating college in 2017, he made that dream a reality, making his move to the Big Apple and joining the Meet family.  

Over the last five years, his growth has been phenomenal. George’s intrigue in cutting-edge science and his dedication to self-improvement and supreme service has seen him work his way up to Division Director. 

Today, he leads a team of 16 who are dedicated to our North American Life Sciences Partners.  

George’s primary goals are to continue to grow and support his team and to develop Meet’s key accounts – identifying additional solutions for Pharma and Biotech businesses and supporting the world of Life Sciences. 

For more on George’s career and his thoughts on Life Sciences, head over to his bio.

A Synopsis of George’s Chosen Book:

Snowflake’s Frank Slootman is one of tech’s most remarkable and accomplished CEOs, and in Amp It Up, he shares terrific insight into his leadership approach for the first time ever!

Through his ideas, Slootman demonstrates that the majority of leaders don’t need to make expensive adjustments to their talent, structure, or business model in order to improve their business performance and growth. Instead, they need to align their people with what matters, sharpen their focus, raise their standards, and execute with urgency and intensity each and every day.  

Throughout the pages of Amp It Up, Slootman sincerely offers the reader his fundamental principles to guide change and break through the status quo, as well as supplying tactical advice for organising a business around those principles. 

With flawless business acumen, if you were to take leadership advice from anyone, Slootman is the real deal – specifically if you’re in a high-growth environment!

George’s Thoughts on Amp It Up:

"Given the growth of Meet and my team, in particular, there is a lot I can relate to in Amp It Up. Although Slootman looks at things on a much larger scale, his theories and notions can still be applied and are relatable to anyone in a leadership position.  

For me, this book only reinforces the importance of not allowing expectations or standards to drop during the business’s growth – something that can easily fall to the wayside when things become so busy.”

Missed the first part of this series? Find it here. 

If you’re up to date, make sure you pop back to the blog next month when three more from our leadership team offer up their top book recommendations!