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This Is Not How Leadership Should Feel

For the person at the top who built something real — and now carries it alone. 

This book is written for the leaders inside South African SMEs — founders who've become managers, business owners who became employers, and the person everyone else turns to when things go sideways. If you're holding the vision, managing the people, navigating the culture, and still somehow trying to grow — this is for you. Not theory. Not Harvard frameworks. Just honest, direct talk about what leadership actually feels like when the stakes are yours.

If this is your reality… this book is for you. 

68%

of SME leaders say they feel isolated in their role — with no one to talk to who truly understands the pressure 

3 in 5

small business owners promote their best performer into a leadership role — and watch them struggle within 6 months

79%

of employees who quit don't leave the company — they leave the leader

Less than 20%

of SME owners have ever received any formal leadership development — yet they lead teams every single day 

What's inside

The book is built around two honest realities of leading a small business:

  • Part 1 – Lead Yourself First Before you can lead anyone else, you need to stop running on adrenaline and assumption. This part deals with the weight you carry alone, the identity shift from operator to leader, how to make decisions when you're exhausted, and why your business behaves exactly like you do — whether you're aware of it or not. You'll build the self-awareness and daily discipline that stable leadership actually requires.
  • Part 2 – Lead the People Around You People don't need a perfect boss. They need a present, clear, and honest one. This part gives you practical tools for hiring with your eyes open, having the conversations you've been avoiding, building a culture that doesn't depend on your mood, and developing the people around you so the business can breathe without you in the room. No HR jargon. No corporate performance-review templates. Just the kind of leadership that works in the real world of small business.

Throughout, you'll find stories from real leadership moments — the ones that feel uncomfortable to read because they mirror your own — alongside plain-language tools and reflection exercises you can work through with nothing more than a notebook and 20 honest minutes.

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This Is Not How Leadership Should Feel

What the book will help you do This is not a leadership philosophy book. It's a mirror and a manual. By the time you're done, you'll know how to: Stop being the bottleneck — build the clarity and trust that lets your team move without waiting for you Have the hard conversations — address performance, culture and conflict before they quietly wreck everything Lead without losing yourself — recover your identity, your boundaries and your energy as the person at the top Build a team that actually functions — move from a group of individuals to people who pull in the same direction Make leadership decisions with confidence — use values, not just gut feel, to navigate the moments that define your culture * Please note the ebook is sold at $9.99, so the actual ZAR price may vary due to the R/$ exchange rate. Physical copies are sent via your preferred delivery method within 5-7 days of order received, as books are printed on-demand by our printing partner.

Starting at 199.00 ZAR
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This Is Not How A Business Should Feel

What the book will help you do:  This is not a theory book; it's a workshop in print. By the time you're done, you'll know how to: Get paid faster – tighten quotes, deposits and follow-ups so month-end isn't a cliff. Stop doing everything yourself – put simple structure and handovers around you so work doesn't live in your head. Build systems that fit a real SME – no corporate jargon, just a few repeatable routines you and your team can actually run. Calm the chaos – bring order to WhatsApps, email, scope creep and "quick favours" so you can breathe again. Make decisions with numbers, not panic – use basic, honest data to see what's working and what's draining you. * Please note the ebook is sold at $9.99, so the actual ZAR price may vary due to the R/$ exchange rate. Physical copies are sent via your preferred delivery method within 5-7 days of order received, as books are printed on-demand by our printing partner.

Starting at 199.00 ZAR
See details

    Formats & where to get it

    • E-book – buy it directly here on the site, or on Apple Books, Barns & Noble or Amazon Kindle and also through Takealot soon, so you can read it on whatever device you already have.

    • Print edition – a softcover you can scribble in and dog-ear, through print-on-demand.

    • Free sample (Chapter 4) – if you want to taste it first, you can download Chapter 4 for free from this site at the top of this page.