When I finished college in civil engineering and land surveying technology, there was one tool I couldn’t live without: The Pocket Reference by Thomas J. Glover.
This little book was thick, but small enough to carry everywhere, about the size of a phone. It had everything: math formulas, surveying and mapping tips, concrete specs, equations, even Morse code and the rankings of the military. If I had a question, I could flip it open and find what I needed. Over time, the pages started to get worn, where I went back again and again.
The other day I found it on my bookshelf, cracked it open, and felt that same joy. It wasn’t just a book. It was a lifeline.
And that’s exactly what leadership requires, especially for different thinkers.
Leadership Needs a Playbook
As leaders, we’re constantly asked to make quick decisions, solve problems, and guide others. For different thinker leaders, this comes with additional layers; we process information differently, connect ideas in nonlinear ways, and sometimes need extra tools to translate our brilliance into action.
Just like my pocket reference, we need a playbook: something to hold the wisdom, strategies, and reminders that help us lead effectively when the pressure is on.
Why a Playbook Matters for Different Thinkers
- Quick Access: when challenges come fast, you don’t have time to reinvent the wheel. A playbook lets you quickly reference the strategies that work best for your leadership style.
- Confidence Booster: Leadership can feel uncertain. Having proven tools at your fingertips reinforces that you’re equipped, even in tough moments.
- Unexpected Learning: Just like I’d flip open my pocket guide and discover something new, a playbook isn’t just about emergencies. It’s about expanding your leadership in ways you didn’t expect.
In the digital age this playbook can be available at any time.
Beyond Technology
As much as I love AI, Google, and all our modern resources, they can’t replace the experience of something personal, curated, and expandable. Leadership isn’t just about access to infinite information, it’s about having the right resources, compiled in a way that works for you.
The Different Thinker Advantage
Different thinker leaders don’t thrive by copying someone else’s manual. We thrive when we build our own playbook; one that keeps our tools accessible, flexible, and customizable.
That’s exactly what my new guide, The Unconventional Leader’s Playbook, is designed to help you start to build out the foundation of your playbook.
Don’t leave leadership to chance. Start building your playbook. Subscribe to my newsletter here, to be one of the first to get the The Unconventional Leader’s Playbook: 7 Essential Strategies for Future Focused, Strong, Win-Win Leaders when it drops in the coming weeks.
How much easier could leadership be if you had a playbook to use?
Video transcription:
By the time I had finished college for civil engineering and land surveying, was out working in that world, there was one book I could not live without. It was called The Pocket Reference by Thomas J. Glover, and it had everything I needed to reference back to. Math formulas, surveying reference information, concrete information, water tables, even Morse code.
It was about the size of a phone, and I carried it everywhere. So, the other day, when I pulled it off the bookshelf—by the way, this is my second one, the first one I used so much that baby just started to fall out—this one is still worn and marked. I opened it, and it brought me so much joy, if you cannot tell, because it reminded me of something important I have been working on so hard right now.
And that is: leadership works the same way. As a leader, especially as a different thinker leader, a strong, confident, win-win kind of leader, you need a playbook. You need tools you can quickly reference. Something that you can carry with you. Something that holds the wisdom you’ll come back to again and again. And it does not need to be a book that would take too long.
So, here’s why leadership requires quick decisions. We know it—you do not have time to reinvent the wheel. Once you figure something out, you need to be able to find it again. A playbook gives you the confidence because you know you are prepared. You learned it once, you can find it again.
I just love this little reference, and I’m discovering something new that expands how you lead. So the truth is, leadership for different thinkers requires more. More tools, more reminders, more resources. And we like it that way. It works for us—not scattered across 10 devices, multiple tabs—but organized in one place, easy to grab when you need it most.
That’s exactly why I’m creating The Unconventional Leaders Playbook. It’s designed to help you start to build your reference guide. It is seven strategies that you can build on, so when your leadership, when leading, gets tough, you’ve got the tools to lead with confidence.
Prepare to get your copy in the coming weeks by signing up for my newsletter. That way, you will get a copy when it first comes out, and you can start building your leadership playbook right away. And you’ll love it.
Thank you so much for your time. I’m JoyGenea, International Neurodiversity Leadership Coach for different thinkers and professionals with ADHD, dyslexia, and autism. Have an awesome day.