What They Didn’t Tell Me

About the Author

Jawad Ahsan, at the age of 29, set a goal to ascend to the C-suite, defining his career trajectory with a clear vision. Just a year later, he achieved this by becoming a divisional CFO at GE Healthcare, and soon after, a GE executive. By the age of 34, he was the CFO of a private-equity backed SaaS company. At 37, he became the CFO of Axon, a publicly traded company. As CFO, Ahsan leads the company's global finance, corporate strategy, legal, and IT organizations, as well as Axon's consumer-facing business. During his tenure, Axon's market cap increased from $1 billion to over $6 billion. His unique background as a Pakistani American, the son of two immigrants, and a practicing Muslim provides a distinctive perspective on leadership, team building, and cultural development.

Main Idea

In "What They Didn’t Tell Me: How to Be a Resilient Leader and Build Teams You Can Trust," Jawad Ahsan shares his journey and the valuable lessons he learned along the way. The book's main focus is on becoming a resilient leader and forming trustworthy teams capable of weathering any storm. Ahsan emphasizes the importance of integrity, accountability, collaboration, and positivity—traits he identifies as uncoachable but essential for building resilient teams.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Four Uncoachable Traits
3. Building Trust within Your Team
4. The Importance of Integrity
5. Accountability and Its Impact
6. Fostering Collaboration
7. The Power of Positivity
8. Feedback and Its Role in Leadership
9. Empowering Your Team
10. Maintaining Focus and Avoiding Distractions
11. The Responsibility of Shaping Culture
12. Dealing with Mediocrity
13. Projecting Confidence and Handling Criticism
14. Recognition and Appreciation
15. Conclusion

Introduction

A common thread among new leaders today is their focus on task completion. They often view leadership as merely filling roles and ensuring tasks are performed. However, Ahsan argues that true leadership goes beyond this—it requires understanding the individuals on your team and recognizing why they are a good fit. He stresses the importance of focusing on the person, not just their role.

The Four Uncoachable Traits

According to Ahsan, there are four traits that are crucial for team members but cannot be coached:

• Integrity: Always doing what's right and holding others to the same standard.
• Accountability: Fostering trust, executing with urgency, and taking pride in the quality of your work.
• Collaboration: Being a team player and prioritizing the well-being of the team above individual achievements.
• Positivity: Breaking through barriers with positive thinking and avoiding gossip or negative talk.

These traits form the foundation of a resilient team. Ahsan emphasizes that if someone lacks these traits, they cannot be coached to develop them. Therefore, identifying and hiring individuals who naturally possess these qualities is crucial.