A radical, refreshing, and practical anti-leadership book that addresses the open secret we all know to be true: our current approach to leadership identification, recruitment, onboarding, and development (IROD) isn’t working.

Cover PageTitle PageCopyright PageContentsAcknowledgementsForewordPart I| Leadership is broken 1| Introduction Don’t shoot the messengerTallying the failure of leadershipDon’t ignore your saviorsF.I.R.E.D. LeadershipWhy I wrote this bookEgo-based leadership landminesSparks from this chapter 2| The cost of leadership dysfunction What ‘normal’ looks likeIt’s ‘normal’. That doesn’t make it rightPerpetuating the vicious cycleThe price of toxicityWhat we’re missingSparks from this chapter 3| Today’s failure to develop tomorrow’s leaders Drowning out the voices you need to hearA glimpse of the skills your leaders need… and aren’t gettingThings need to change – especially when they don’t workNew organizational structures = new leadership needsSparks from this chapter 4| The 13 unlucky steps to leadership identification, recruitment, onboarding, and development 1. Introductions2. Informal 1:1s3. Formal interviews4. New hire processes5. Onboarding Orientation6. The honeymoon period7. Prescribed learning pathway8. Formalized 1:1 coaching9. Learning and development checklist10. Performance metrics11. Performance coaching and mentoring12. Annual performance review13. To promote or not to promoteSparks from this chapter Part II| F.I.R.E.D. leadership 5| F is for fresh thinking Fresh thinking in actionFresh thinking in absentiaRefusing to listen to the prophets of doomSeeing Fresh Thinkers for who they really areIdentifiers of fresh thinking 6| I is for inquisitive nature Suppressing inquisitive naturesWhy curiosity is crucialThe hypocrisy of valuing curiosityEncouraging your inquisitivesIdentifiers of being inquisitive 7| R is for real and accountable The masks we wearThe art of authenticityThe art of accountability and responsibilityIdentifiers of being real and accountable 8| E is for expressive and challenging Seeing your challengers in a different lightExpressive and challenging in the real worldListening and inviting challenge: The other side of the coinIdentifiers of being expressive and challenging 9| D is for direct and transparent The games we’re forced to playThe high stakes at the tableReview of Test Data Indicates Conservatism for Tile PenetrationIdentifiers of being direct and transparent Part III| Continue the conversationNotesIndex

To survive disruption, organizations need disruptive leaders.So they hire them. And then they fire them.It’s the open secret everyone in the leadership industry knows but nobody is addressing: leadership culture is toxic, and leadership systems have failed. Publicly, organizations say they want leaders to be innovative thinkers who challenge the status quo. Privately, conventional leadership culture wants nothing of the sort. Leaders deemed as ‘a bad culture fit’ quickly find themselves marginalized, ostracized, and even exorcised. The qualities that get them hired are the ones that get them fired. Yet, these rebels and nonconformists often embody the very leadership qualities that organizations so desperately need to navigate disruption and adapt to the “new normal” of constant change.Radically refreshing and practical, this book identifies five leadership qualities (F.I.R.E.D. Leadership™) that are key to tomorrow’s leadership success and offers a step-by-step blueprint to show organizations how to integrate these five crucial qualities into their current leadership identification, recruitment, onboarding, and development processes.'Exactly what we need to fix our broken leaders.’- Whitney Johnson‘A necessary read for anyone wanting to lead bravely.’ John SpenceLeadership maverick Paul McCarthy shows organizations how to reframe how they view their troublemakers, agitators, rebels, oddballs and shit-stirrers – to see the hidden leadership qualities driving those behaviors, and why they need them so desperately.

A critical resource for anyone seeking to understand and apply the principles of nonlinear leadership in today's rapidly evolving landscape. It's a testament to the power of fresh thinking and the endless possibilities that await those brave enough to embrace it. Perry Knoppert, Founder @ The Octopus Movement, LinkedInA wake up call to organizations who are stagnant in their way of thinking - LinkedIn

It is challenging to write in just a few sentences how important and impactful this book is. Leadership is broken and we must find a way to fix it. Fortunately, Paul McCarthy has the answer. His F.I.R.E.D. framework is precisely what is required to create the new generation of leaders our world so desperately needs. If you want to be successful as a leader, you must read this book. - John Spence, one of the top business and leadership experts in the worldThe F.I.R.E.D. Leader is a refreshing departure from the usual leadership rhetoric. In a landscape cluttered with complex theories, this book offers a straightforward yet profound approach to leadership. Rather than drowning readers in buzzwords and jargon, it presents five fundamental qualities that should underpin leadership. Paul’s emphasis on authenticity, lateral thinking, and accountability aligns perfectly with what effective leadership truly means. The book's insights on challenging the status quo, fostering collaboration, and promoting open dialogue within teams are invaluable. If you're looking for a practical guide to leadership that resonates with authenticity, this is a must read. - Marshall Goldsmith. Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author of The Earned Life, Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You ThereI’ve met few people who are as bold as Paul McCarthy in shining a light on the systemic failures of what currently passes for “leadership development". McCarthy outlines these failures in stark detail and goes further to propose a radically different and yet simple way of finding and growing the sort of leaders that are needed in a world of accelerating change, demanding customers, and skeptical employees. Anyone who cares about the future of leadership should read this book. - Professor Gary Hamel, London Business SchoolFor anyone who has felt the sting of dismissal, Paul McCarthy's The F.I.R.E.D. Leader poses a thought-provoking question–––What if you were let go because you were doing your job well? This book challenges us to reframe firing not as a failure, but a possible sign of disruptive leadership potential. For anyone wanting to lead bravely, F.I.R.E.D. is a necessary read. - Whitney Johnson, CEO of Disruption Advisors, a Thinkers50 Top 10 Management Thinker, and Wall Street Journal bestselling authorIn The F.I.R.E.D Leader Paul McCarthy challenges some of the embedded behaviours that are practiced in leadership. You will identify many “learning moments” in this book that will challenge your leadership thinking - good stuff! - Gary Ridge, The Culture Coach - Chairman Emeritus WD-40 CompanyEmbark on an intriguing journey with The F.I.R.E.D. Leader by Paul McCarthy. This unique book reshapes our perception of leadership, offering a fresh perspective on the essence of leadership, its ideals, and how it's perceived by others. McCarthy's bold assertion asks a very core question: What if being let go from a job doesn't equate to failure, but rather signals your potential to drive change? This novel perspective encourages us to view job transitions as steppingstones toward becoming more robust leaders and better humans. This principle of resilience following apparent setbacks resonates beyond the realm of work, challenging conventional notions of success and failure. It highlights the power of defying societal norms to attain greatness. As such, it widely applies to other venues of life making this book uniquely useful in our quest for bettering not only our careers but developing a new, better self. - Maja Zelihic, Ph.D., Dean – Forbes School of Business and Technology, University of Arizona Global CampusI believe this book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to reinvent their leadership style. The practical guidance and thought-provoking ideas inspire leaders to develop their teams effectively and foster a positive organizational culture. I wholeheartedly endorse The F.I.R.E.D. Leader for leaders, aspiring leaders, and HR professionals seeking to create a meaningful impact on their teams and organizations. With its fresh perspective and transformative approach, this book is a must-read for anyone passionate about unlocking the true potential of leadership. - Kyle Roed, Host, Rebel HR Podcast and VP HRThe F.I.R.E.D. Leader is a great book to read if you want to examine your core beliefs about what leadership should look like today and what it needs to look like tomorrow. It’s not a book trying to sell you a methodology, it’s trying to persuade you that your philosophy around leadership needs a nudge sideways into a different paradigm. - Andy Prince, Chief Innovation OfficerThe F.I.R.E.D Leader is not for the faint-hearted. It's for leaders who are unafraid to challenge the status quo, to question and evolve their approach, and to lead with courage and conviction. If you're ready to redefine your leadership for the challenges of the future, this provocative book is your indispensable guide on this transformative journey. - Obi James Author of Let Go Leadership - How Inclusive Leaders Share Power to Drive High PerformanceLeadership is constantly changing. What worked in the past won’t always work in the future. As leaders we need to be constantly learning about what’s next. This book will help you do exactly that! McCarthy’s compelling narrative, that is research based, helps us all understand what we can learn from the past and how to prepare for the future. Invest in your leadership skills with this book. It is time well spent! - Chester Elton, bestselling author of The Carrot Principle and Leading With Gratitude