Product reviews for The Unexpected Leader

This is a book of hope, revelation and encouragement. However you define yourself as a leader, and especially if you feel that you don't quite fit the mould, The Unexpected Leader will make you realise that strength is gained through our vulnerabilities.

What I value most about Iesha's book is that it encourages the reader to accept and own who they are, and be unapologetically and uniquely themselves. It does this by presenting great leadership role models who share their “gifts of imperfection” to offer a guiding light for “unexpected” leaders.

Iesha intertwines her personal experiences and learning points with the honest accounts of nine diverse school leaders who recognise what they have to offer and make a positive difference to the young people they serve. Having struggled within a leadership role myself, many of the accounts shared within this book resonate deeply with me - especially Karen's, as I was particularly struck by her unusual career pathway of becoming a head teacher having not been a deputy first, and how she has succeeded in spite of this. It's great to read the key messages elicited from each story and consider what they mean for what we ourselves can go on to do. They all provide vital points of reflection.



The Unexpected Leader will now form part of my leadership collection, and I will strongly recommend it to others.