Between the Lines of Leadership · A Headhunter's Picks (1)
"Twelve and a Half" by Gary Vaynerchuk
After my latest talk at the Murcia Chamber of Commerce, where among other things I gave a few book recommendations, plenty of people told me I should write these recommendations down somewhere, a blog or some other platform, so they don't get lost. I'm thrilled to kick off a series of reading picks. Let me start with one of my all-time favorites, a book I've mentioned in earlier posts and that I've decided to feature here for good.
"Twelve and a Half" by Gary Vaynerchuk is all about the emotional skills that really drive success in business and in life. The 13 key traits he covers in the book are:
- Gratitude: The quality of being thankful and a readiness to show appreciation and return kindness.
- Self-Awareness: Conscious knowledge of your own character, feelings, motives and desires.
- Accountability: The fact or condition of being responsible.
- Optimism: Hope and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
- Empathy: The ability to understand and share other people's feelings.
- Kindness: The quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.
- Tenacity: The quality or fact of being very determined.
- Curiosity: A strong desire to know or learn something.
- Patience: The ability to accept or tolerate delays, problems or suffering without getting angry or upset.
- Conviction: A firmly held belief or opinion.
- Humility: A modest or humble view of your own importance.
- Ambition: A strong desire to do or achieve something, usually requiring determination and hard work.
- Kind Candor: The ability to be direct and honest, but in a kind way.
In the book, Gary Vaynerchuk frames these as the essential emotional ingredients, the foundation for both success and personal and professional happiness. One of the core ideas of the book, "Being a good person is very profitable", lands right at the heart of our philosophy at W Executive España, where we value people who chase excellence without losing their human edge.
We firmly believe that taking care of people is fully compatible with sustaining a high-performance dynamic. At W Executive España, we work hard to strike the right balance between the numbers and the softer, more human side of the team. That balance between performance and personal well-being is the key to building a team that succeeds and lasts.
Bottom line: success and happiness in leadership come down to cultivating the essential emotional skills, gratitude, empathy, accountability, balancing kindness with directness and fueling well-rounded personal and professional growth. A must-read if you want to lead a high-performance team where talent runs free and stays incredibly dynamic.
