1% Leadership

Master the Small, Daily Improvements that Set Great Leaders Apart

By: Andy Ellis

Narrated by: Andy Ellis

One of the most well-known and experienced cybersecurity leaders shares dozens of lessons and observations that anyone, at any stage of their career, can use to create a work culture of continuous improvement and strong leadership.

Leadership development speaker & consultant Andy Ellis is the former CSO of Akamai, where he contributed to the creation of Akamai's billion‑dollar cybersecurity business. He now brings his speaking, consulting, and business knowledge to readers with 1% Leadership—based on the reality that real-world leadership is messy and complicated; it rarely fits into an acronym or a dogmatic overarching philosophy. Ellis says that there are no “irrefutable laws” of leadership or power; there is no secret. As a result, 1% Leadership does not provide one path to leadership—it provides dozens of practical lessons that anyone, at any stage of their career, can use continuously make tiny “1% at a time” improvements. 1% Leadership is a handy guidebook that business readers can regularly apply to identify blind spots, boost morale (both personal and among teams and organizations), and solve problems at work.

Readers can spend a few minutes each Monday morning to focus on one lesson for their leadership development—perhaps that lesson only improves their performance by 1%; but it’s those accumulated 1% improvements that separate the best leaders from everyone else. Lessons include:

• To engage in the present, be of two minds about the future. Worrying about failure will make success even more unlikely. Only by engaging in the present with that worry set aside can we find the path to success.
• Four days of great work now are rarely more important than four months of good work down the road. Show that long-term wellness matters.
• Performance development should be applied to every person on your team. Rather than treating the performance process as a way to identify and document poor performers, create a process that aims to improve and develop every person on your team.

Critic reviews

“Andy has a knack for actionable storytelling, for distilling core advice from complicated topics with relatable anecdotes. And as one of the most well-known and experienced leaders in the cybersecurity arena, his lessons on leadership have real and lasting value for organizations and leaders across the globe.”—Bruce Schneier, bestselling author of Data and Goliath

“Andy has a gift for presenting ideas and examples that can go far beyond typical leadership books. His lessons on leadership and decision-making, drawing on both his own experience and the best of academic research, have applicability for leaders and organizations around the world.”—Dr. Gary Klein, cognitive psychologist and author of Seeing What Others Don’t

"An upbeat, wise, and value-based approach to leadership that can truly make a difference."—Rabbi David Wolpe, Senior Rabbi at Sinai Temple and author of Making Loss Matter

"1% Leadership doesn't romanticize leadership. It paints a very real picture of leadership, highlights your challenges, and holds you accountable. It's a mentorship masterclass."—Chris Cochran, co-founder and CEO, Hacker Valley Media

"To address the difficulties of self-awareness and the need to develop personally and professionally at the same time, Ellis compellingly urges us to aspire to lead with kindness, grace, and humility." —Jonathan Zittrain, George Bemis Professor of International Law and Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University

“There is nothing comparable to advice from the trenches. Andy has been there, modeled it, and can communicate about it. I wish I had this book 20 years ago and am happy to have it now.”—Gadi Evron, CISO-in-Residence, Team8

"Andy has clearly and comprehensively described the lessons of leadership effectively through storytelling guiding continuous improvements on the journey to great leadership. It is not a book to be read once, but is a reference book that should be on everyone's desk."—Jim Noga, former CIO, Mass General Brigham

"Why is common sense in such short supply when it’s supposed to be, well, common? Andy Ellis takes his years in the trenches of business, across many industries, to fill that void with advice and perspective that any aspiring entrepreneur or executive should use to grow, profit and inspire their teams not just 1%, but 99.99% of the time."—Paul Sagan, senior advisor, General Catalyst

Be Fantastic not a nematoad!

It’s no Terry Pratchett novel but Andy has written a management book that I actually want to put on my desk and reference regularly. The wisdom and anecdotes he imparts are useful and based on lived experience in the field, in this case in Tech. I’ve read my fair share of management books and they are good but they are case studies in bygone industries, 1% Leadership is relevant today.

What really struck me was how he worked in DE&I material that was beneficial, consumable, and relatable regardless of your self identified in and out groups.

This is one of those few books that I have a hardcopy and audible because listening to Andy tell his own story makes it even more enjoyable.

Actionable Advice!

a book to pick up again and again to review advice for hard situations or new opportunities.

Practical Leadership Guide: Accessible, Engaging,

In a world saturated with leadership books, Andy's latest offering stands out by acknowledging the abundance of available resources and providing a truly accessible, practical framework for leadership. The book is organized into three distinct areas of focus, supported by 54 insightful leadership lessons that cater to various development needs and challenges.

While I was engaged with the book from beginning to end, readers have the flexibility to navigate the chapters and find guidance on specific topics, making the learning experience both timely and accessible. This approach ensures that the insights provided are relevant to individual growth and development.

On a personal note, having worked at Akamai for almost five years and having met Andy and several of the individuals behind the stories (George the penguin) on numerous occasions, I can easily imagine the situations that informed many of the lessons. Andy has a unique ability to grasp the complexities of working in challenging environments and distil these intricacies into enlightening and easy-to-understand lessons and stories.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book for its balance of practical guidance and inspiration. It serves as both an engaging read and a valuable reference for those seeking to become better versions of themselves and support others on their personal journey. I plan to gift it to my leadership team and recommend it to my industry colleagues.