BOOK REVIEW
It’s Not Always Right to Be Right and Other Hard-Won Leadership Lessons By Hamish Thomson
T
he author Hamish Thomson is a well-regarded senior manager in private industry. He has been a senior manager at several companies both overseas and in Australia. It is interesting to note that overwhelmingly management books are written by private business managers. Very few books on the topic venture into the public administration field. So, is there anything in this book that turns it into a must read? Thomson’s starts by asking the question ‘what do you want to get out of this book?”. He goes on to explain that if the reader gets just one or two ideas that resonate with you – claim them as your own and even stamp your leadership style on them. The central thesis of the book is that leaders aren’t always right, mistakes will be made and that’s how you learn to be a better leader. A similar analogy could be applied to learning at school or university. You learn from what you don’t know but discover in the journey through life. To be a better manager you need to learn that you will make mistakes and poor decisions. That is the pathway to being a better leader.
A browse at a bookshop in the management section reveals a grand selection of books devoted to the topic of management and leadership. It leaves the browser non-plus as to what is the difference between all these books and the message being delivered. After all isn’t the theory of management and leadership the same. Is this book just another in the management genres of how to be a better manager destined to sit on the bookshelf with all the others so they can be seen at the next zoom workplace meeting to show some authority that you know what you are talking about. REVIEWED BY PHILIP TAYLOR
10 | iQ March 2022
The book explores a number of themes including relationships, how to build them, nurture them and if necessary if they become destructive get out of them if you can. Be authentic and try not to be something you aren’t. Get results but forget about looking for awards. Does experience matter? As you move through life we collect a lot of experiences – some good, some bad but mostly forgotten. As a leader we recognise those experiences and use them to better ourselves and thus learn. How to deal with the bad boss – recognise that you can learn from them. Each chapter sets out the central message that Thomson is writing about. He has a chatty manner and uses his experiences and insight well to illustrate his central points. At the conclusion of his message, he incorporates some practical issues to assist the reader with the theory before the reader is given practical examples to support the learning. Each chapter concludes with a critique from a senior private enterprise manager on their experiences.
“... LEADERS AREN’T ALWAYS RIGHT, MISTAKES WILL BE MADE AND THAT’S HOW YOU LEARN TO BE A BETTER LEADER.” The book is an interesting read, full of practical tips and insights on how to become a better leader by learning it’s not always right to be right. The outtake from this book is when a manager is concerned about many issues such as what are the risks to continuing business, having the best people to do the work, have good compliance and quality systems, high level of IT security and perhaps the most important good records management systems mistakes will be made. Treat those mistakes as learnings and you will be a better manager. One for the library.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Philip Taylor MRIM (Life).He commenced his career in the records management industry in 1970 and joined the former RMAA in 1974. Graduating from RMIT and Monash University he worked in various Victorian Government agencies. In 1992 he relocated to Queensland and joined the Queensland Branch Councillor in 1993 and in 2001 became Branch President, a position held until 2007. Philip is currently a member of the Editorial Committee of iQ. With a career in records management spanning both state government and higher education. Now retired, he still maintains an interest in records management especially in the area of public policy interaction with records management. He was awarded Life Membership of the RIMPA in 2006.
