Game Changer: How to Be 10x in the Talent Economy

Michael Solomon and Rishon Blumberg

HarperCollins Leadership, 272 pp., $28.99

What is 10x? It is an individual's ability to leverage intelligence and emotional intelligence to repeatedly deliver excellence. However, being 10x is not just about delivery; it's about mindset, motivation, willingness, and the ability to adapt in changing environments.

Game Changer is a personal and professional development book that provides readers with accessible strategies to identify behaviors, self-analyze, and create new habits that enable them to develop into 10x talent. Relevant to any role, it is geared toward individuals looking to create a company culture focused on developing continued excellence.

Solomon and Blumberg provide various scenarios exemplifying different levels of 10x capabilities. From those scenarios, readers can use a tiered ranking system to identify how they and their company rate on the 10x scale. By understanding their own actions and behaviors and their rating, readers can then identify areas of opportunity. The authors note that organizations that support individual growth are frequently ones that develop a 10x culture.

One of my biggest takeaways from this book is that a 10x manager must be willing to adapt to up to five different generations of individuals. A company striving for 10x cannot just push demands; rather, it must work with employees to meet everyone's values. Smart managers will learn to communicate with all employees and build an adaptable workplace. Further, Solomon and Blumberg suggest that a person's willingness to be a 360-degree leader is what will separate them from the pack. That same leader will be able to be a 10xer.

The authors emphasize the importance of a proactive approach to leadership, regardless of a person's role, and being willing to take a proactive approach to driving 10x communication within the organization. When I reflect on past work, I have found the greatest satisfaction when I was in a company that supported the 10x mindset—it adapted to individuals' needs and supported growth. In that experience, the job became more than a job because it became meaningful, rewarding work.

Game Changer is a must read for leaders of all levels who want clear strategies and action plans to level up their skills to support company growth. This book provides a complete framework and detailed strategies to further enhance leadership development.