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The Unlikely Leader
How to Succeed, Even When the Odds Are Against You
Abdurahman Afia (Author)
9781394369126, Wiley
Hardback, published 19 March 2026
256 pages
23.1 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm, 0.431 kg
From Privilege to Purpose: Unlock Resilient, High-Impact Leadership Your ability to lead with courage and clarity in uncertain times depends on mastering both your inner journey and the external challenges you face. The Unlikely Leader shows you exactly how. In this powerful new work, Abdurahman Afia draws from a deeply personal narrative of privilege, hardship, and hard-won leadership breakthroughs to offer a roadmap for mid to senior-level leaders seeking resilience, confidence, and high-performance teams. Abdurahman, CEO of Afia Partners, anchors his writing in decades of progressive leadership experience and leadership development facilitation. He has guided multicultural teams across continents, transforming cultural complexity into collective strength. This book weaves vivid case studies - real stories of executives navigating disruption - with his custom-designed coaching frameworks and interactive tools. You’ll gain actionable insights on building resilience, managing ambiguity with grace, and cultivating leadership presence that drives results. His engaging facilitation style, grounded in analytical rigor and psychological insight, ensures that each chapter equips you with practical, immediately applicable strategies - not abstract theory. The Unlikely Leader: How to Succeed, Even When the Odds Are Against You empowers you to transform adversity into leadership advantage. Inside, you will find:
Equipping readers to lead with intention, clarity, and empathy, The Unlikely Leader is ideal for mid- to senior-level managers, C-suite executives, HR and L&D professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners aiming to elevate their leadership in dynamic environments. It is particularly well-suited for courses in leadership development, executive coaching, or organisational behaviour, as part of MBA, Executive MBA, or professional development curricula.
About This Book xix Part I— The Mindset of an Unlikely Leader xix Part II— Leadership in Action xx Why Two Parts? xx What You Will Gain xxi A Final Promise xxii Introduction xxiii Every Superhero Has an Origin Story, Even the Unlikely Ones xxiii The Unlikely Ones Are Usually the Game Changers xxiv A Playbook, Not an Autobiography xxv What’s Inside xxvi Who This Book Is For xxvii You Might Not Feel Like a Leader Right Now. And That’s Exactly Why You’re Ready xxvii Time to Get Started xxviii Part I The Mindset of an Unlikely Leader 1 Chapter 1 Thrown in the Deep End 3 Don’t Believe the Hype 3 A Real-Life Movie Screenplay 4 Our Shared Narrative 5 Fake It ’Til You Make It 6 The Biggest Myth New Leaders Believe 8 Three Key Strategies to Help You Succeed in Your First Leadership Role 9 OK, So Now What? 11 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 12 Chapter 2 The Five Mistakes to Avoid on Your Leadership Journey 15 Vision 15 Mistake 1: The Power Trip 16 Mistake 2: Making Leadership a Popularity Contest 18 Mistake 3: When You Want It Done Right, Do It Yourself 21 Mistake 4: Faking It Will Lead to Breaking It 23 Mistake 5: Not Eating the Frog 26 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 28 Final Thoughts 29 Chapter 3 Mind over Matter—The Way You Think Will Make You or Break You 31 Mindset 32 So What Is Mindset, Really? 32 The OMG Mindset Model 34 The LEAD Mindset Model 36 The Confidence Equation 39 Mindset Mastery in Action 41 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 43 Final Thought 43 Chapter 4 Leadership Behaviour—Because What You Do Matters 45 How to Lose Trust Instantly 45 Actions Speak Louder Than Words 47 Leaders Lead by Example—All the Time 48 O.M.G.—Look at How You’re Behaving 49 B.E.H.A.V.E.—Act Like a Leader 50 W.W.W.—Because Real Viral Leadership Behaviour Matters 52 Five Steps to Building Your Leadership Behaviour 53 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 55 Final Thought 56 Chapter 5 Goal Setting—Let’s Get Locked In to Lead 57 Why S.M.A.R.T. Goals Aren’t So Smart 59 Fast > S.M.A.R.T. 59 OKRs: FAST at Scale 61 Lead with CLEAR Vision 61 Putting It All Together 64 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 66 Bibliography 66 Chapter 6 The Playbook—10 Leadership Plays That Win in the Real World 67 Play 1: Resolving Personal Conflicts Between Team Members 68 Play 2: Time Management When Everything Is Urgent 69 Play 3: Leading Cross-Cultural Teams 70 Play 4: Bridging Cross-Generational Gaps 71 Play 5: Coaching Poor Performance Without Being Critical 71 Play 6: Delegating Without Micromanaging 72 Play 7: Managing Through Unexpected Change 73 Play 8: Navigating Conflicting Instructions 73 Play 9: Delivering Bad News 74 Play 10: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 75 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 76 Chapter 7 You Got Here, But How Will You Get There? 77 1. Formal Learning—Courses, Programmes and Certificates 78 2. Coaching—Fast Track Your Growth 79 3. Mentorship—Learning from Someone Who’s Been There Before 80 4. Peer Networks—Learning Together 81 5. Self-Study—Books, Podcasts and Deep Reflection 81 The Payoff 82 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 83 Chapter 8 Your Leadership Roadmap 2.0 85 The CLEAR Framework as a Roadmap 86 Your 12-Month Leadership Roadmap 86 The Unlikely Leader Challenge 89 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Application 89 Part II Introduction: Leadership in Action—where Theory Meets Life 91 Chapter 9 Leading Through Crisis: The Real Test of Leadership DNA 93 Retail Off the Rails 94 The First Anchor: Pause 95 The Second Anchor: Perceive 96 The Third Anchor: Position 96 Applying the CLEAR Response 97 The Turning Point 98 Retail Reflection 99 Fitness Failings 100 A Leadership Crisis in Disguise 100 The Three Conversations 101 Step 1: Clarity Before Correction 102 Step 2: Empathy in Action 102 Step 3: Action with Alignment 103 The Conversation with the Owner 104 From Crisis to Catalyst 104 The Human Pattern of Crisis 105 What Crisis Really Reveals 106 The Four Questions That Change Everything 107 Clarity: Seeing Through the Noise 107 Learning: Turning Pain into Curriculum 108 Empathy: The Invisible Strength 108 Action: Progress over Perfection 109 Reflection: The Leader’s Quiet Superpower 109 The Myth of the Hero Leader 110 The Unlikely Leader’s Advantage 110 A Personal Reminder 110 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 111 Closing Thoughts 112 Author’s Note 113 Chapter 10 Building a Culture of Ownership 115 Consulting at a Crossroads 116 The Crisis of Comfort 116 Seeing the Gap 118 The Mirror Moment 118 The Experiment 119 Small Wins, Big Shifts 120 Resistance and Renewal 120 The Purpose Loop 121 The Shift 122 From Compliance to Commitment 122 Ownership in the Small Moments 123 The Micromanager’s Revelation 124 Momentum Becomes Meaning 125 The Ripple Effect 126 The CLEAR Feedback Loop 126 The Turning Point 127 Scaling Ownership 128 The Five Habits of High-Ownership Cultures 128 From Rules to Rituals 130 Psychological Safety and Accountability 130 The Purpose Loop in Motion 131 Leadership at Every Level 132 Embedding Ownership in Systems 132 The Power of Visible Progress 132 Reflection as Fuel 133 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 133 Closing Thoughts 135 Author’s Note 135 Chapter 11 The Courage to Coach—Leading Through Conversation 137 Karim’s Story—From Commander to Coach 138 The Breakdown 138 The Experiment 139 From Control to Curiosity 140 The Turning Point Conversation 140 The Ripple Effect 141 The LIFT Framework 141 Why Coaching Takes Courage 142 A Quiet Victory 143 Coaching as Culture 143 The Hidden Power of Listening 144 From Coach to Multiplier 144 The Cost of Convenience 145 The Mirror Question 146 A Culture of Courageous Questions 146 The Coach’s Paradox 147 When to Coach, When to Direct 148 Coaching Under Pressure 148 Coaching’s Quiet Rewards 149 Why Coaching Feels So Rare 149 LIFT in Motion 149 Embedding Coaching into Systems 150 From Transaction to Transformation 151 Coaching the Coach 152 The Listening Audit 152 Coaching as a Leadership Legacy 153 Coaching in the Classroom 153 The Emotional Discipline of Coaching 153 Turning Coaching into a Daily Habit 154 The Quiet Revolution 154 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 155 Closing Thoughts 157 Author’s Note 157 Chapter 12 Leading with Emotional Intelligence: The Heart Behind High Performance 159 The Story of Maha—The Temperature in the Room 160 What Is Emotional Intelligence, Anyway? 162 The Leadership Thermometer 163 First Lesson: Self-Awareness 164 Second Lesson: Self-Regulation 164 Third Lesson: Empathy 165 Fourth Lesson: Social Skill 166 The HEART of Leadership 166 The HEART Framework in Motion 167 The Ripple Effect 170 Why Emotional Intelligence Scales Faster than Strategy 170 The Science Behind the Heart 171 The Emotional Equation 171 The Power of Naming Emotions 172 The Balance Between Empathy and Accountability 172 Emotional Intelligence as a Strategic Advantage 173 Emotional Maturity: The New Leadership Metric 173 The Cultural Shift 174 The Ripple of Emotion 174 Emotional Contagion in Teams 175 The Science of Emotional Safety 175 EQ in Conflict 176 The Calm Leader Effect 176 Resilience Under Pressure 177 Emotional Literacy: Naming to Navigate 178 The Myth of Professional Detachment 178 The Role of EQ in Diversity and Inclusion 179 Emotionally Intelligent Feedback 179 The Strength in Sensitivity 180 The Emotionally Intelligent Leader’s Creed 180 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 181 Closing Reflection 182 Author’s Note 183 Chapter 13 The Future of Leadership: Adapting in an Age of AI and Uncertainty 185 The Story of Faisal—The Algorithm and the Apprentice 185 The Leadership Shift 186 Redefining Intelligence 187 The Paradox of Uncertainty 188 From Prediction to Presence 189 When Logic Meets Life 189 The R3 Model—Recognize, Relearn, Reinvent 189 Ethical Leadership in the Age of Algorithms 191 The Ethics Equation 191 From Control to Consciousness 192 The New Competency: Adaptability with Integrity 192 AI Won’t Replace Leaders—But It Will Expose Them 192 From Data-Driven to Meaning Driven 193 The Merge: EQ + IQ + AI 193 Rethinking “Human Resources” 194 The Human Advantage 194 The Leadership Flywheel 195 The Return of Humanity 197 The Soul of the Future 197 Unlikely Leadership Moments: Reflection and Action 198 Closing Reflection 199 Author’s Note—The Unlikely Future 200 The New Definition of Leadership 200 Your Turn 201 The Unlikely Leader Isn’t a Title 201 Epilogue: The Unlikely Leader’s Promise 203 About the Author 205 Back Cover Copy 207 Inside, You’ll Learn How To 207 Index 209
Subject Areas: Business & management [KJ]
