Most leadership books open with a hero’s story, but Carry
the Weight opens with a manager who became the boss he used to hate.
Joshua Teixidor is a top sales rep promoted for hitting numbers, but he nearly loses
his best people by confusing pressure with leadership. That is, until a rep
named Melissa tells him he is not coaching anyone. That moment becomes an epiphany
for him: you don't become a leader when you get the title. You become one when
you decide to carry the weight of other people’s growth and development. From
there, Teixidor builds a field kit, a framework that helps leaders diagnose
before they coach. It is called the EKS framework, which explores the gap between
Effort, Knowledge, and Strategy. Leaders will learn how to handle difficult
conversations by running them through OIRC: Observation, Impact,
Recommendation, Commitment. This book underlines why it is important to meet
each team member on their rung of the Growth Ladder and why leaders must
protect their standards, because what you allow, you teach.
This book does not give readers the promise that leadership
can be easier. It offers tools that leaders need to lead with clarity. What I loved
the most about Carry the Weight is that ideas hold up because they
are earned. The author writes from his own experience as a leader and delivers
insights seasoned with practice. I underlined many key takeaways in this book,
including the fact that trust is an asset we build with small kept promises;
belief comes from evidence and never from pep talks; and early accountability
is not cruelty. Joshua Teixidor’s book is packed with wisdom that helps readers
understand that the race is one day while the training happens every day. The
real-life stories make the book not only enjoyable but also easy to digest: a
manager the author had to let go, a new leader he nurtured, and a rep he nearly
broke. The delivery is impeccable: plain language, a blunt and occasionally
profane voice, and each chapter ending with a drill for your next one-on-one. You
have in your hand a memoir and a leadership manual from a leader who makes you
feel as though you're seated across a coffee table with a trusted mentor,
listening as he distills years of lessons—some learned the hard way. One of the
best leadership books I have read in a long time.