What do a little engine, an insurance executive, and a Boy Scout troop leader have in common? They’re all reflected in the text of the book “Born2Lead” by Michael Koscielny Jr.
Mike is a “retired” insurance executive. That may be an exaggeration, since after retirement he started his own company, wrote two books, taught insurance classes, was president of SITE (Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators), and represented the university where he earned his MBA. Whatever you call this act of Mike’s life, you have to call him a writer. His book has been sitting on my desk for a long time, and now that I’ve finished it, I thought I’d share my thoughts about it.
In the interest of full transparency, Mike is also an instructor at the Insurance Academy and will be teaching a session based on his book on June 27th. You can register for that class. hereI consider him a mentor and a friend, and while I intend to give his book a fair review, I must be open about our connection.
There are a lot of books on leadership. Search your favorite bookstore (online or in store) and you’ll find more leadership books than you can handle. But none are as personal and relatable as this one. Mike tells the story of his life, from his immigrant grandfather to his own failures and mistakes, to the people who helped him get to where he is today.
13 Stories, 13 Principles
Throughout the book, we meet the many people in Mike’s life, including his grandfather, his father, and his elementary school teachers, each of whom taught Mike life lessons that would guide him for years to come.
One story that really resonated with me was when my son sneaked a radio into school to listen to the Cubs World Series games (we don’t blame him) and the lesson he learned was about taking responsibility and owning his actions.
Were you born to be a leader?
His basic premise is that leadership is a combined effort of personality traits that people are born with and begin to exhibit early in life, and the training and development of specific talents and skills along the way. No one is born a leader, but anyone who wants to be a leader can be one.
I agree. I have seen many times people who seem not to be natural leaders become leaders who fulfill their mission and inspire others to action. I have also seen people who seem to be natural leaders crumble in difficult situations that leaders are meant to handle. Leadership is like any skill that can be learned.
Worth a read
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone in or outside of the insurance industry. It’s not a book for insurance people, but if you’re an insurance professional, I would encourage you to help one of us who are insurance people. It’s an easy read, and if you have 10-15 minutes a day, you could finish it in two weeks. If you’re an avid reader, you could probably finish it in an afternoon.
It’s a relatable story about a man who made mistakes and learned from them. He worked hard and made the wrong sacrifices at times. In the end, he learned that leadership is simple and really hard work. You can find more of my notes on LinkedIn.
We’ll deliver the most important insurance news to you via email every business day.
Get trusted insurance industry newsletters
