Book review: Rise by Royston Guest

Rise is a fabulous guide to unlocking one’s potential as a leader. Whilst Royston Guest provides many practical, real-world examples throughout the book, it’s clearly intended to act as a blueprint for individuals to adopt a positive mindset and challenge their negativity.

The reader is encouraged to take control of their life and overcome any limiting beliefs that may be stopping them from setting and achieving meaningful goals. The practical and accessible writing style makes it easier for the reader to plan the steps they need to take to master success in their life.

Personal growth is a key theme in the book. In addition to changing one’s mindset, the book equips the reader with a series of tools and skills to challenge their thinking and provide the practical advice required to put that advice into action.

This book isn’t a one-and-done read; it’s a useful guide that leaders should keep with them and use as one of their regular ‘go-to’ publications for keeping goals on track, maximising their potential, and achieving success, whether in their personal or business lives.

Having attended both the ‘Leading Growth’ and ‘Scaling Up’ programmes that Royston runs, I find myself continually dipping into Rise for inspiration and practical advice.

In Rise, Royston talks about having ‘the end in mind’ – thinking about where you want to be at a pre-determined time.

What do you want to achieve? What will have gone well? What will have been a challenge between now and that point in the future?

This turns the concept of challenging yourself and setting ambitious goals on its head. Identifying where you want to be in the future is a great first step in helping you think about how you’ll get there in the first place, rather than blindly trying to set objectives without a clear vision of what the future holds.

Royston also introduces the concept of the 100-foot bar. Instead of only trying to leap over a 6-foot bar, why not raise the bar all the way up to 100 feet? This idea pushes the reader to think more creatively and imaginatively, which, in turn, creates an opportunity to think more broadly and come up with a greater range of ideas and solutions to overcoming a challenge. Royston also includes a great quote from Michelangelo:

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”

So, whether you want to expand your mind, develop your leadership skills at work, or want the opportunity to be pushed into thinking more creatively, Rise is an excellent resource. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll keep it as a frequently-used reference tool to develop your ‘mindset, skillset, and toolset’.