Give the Gift of Leadership

Local authors Drs. Marisa and Simon Cleveland have taken their combined 40 years of experience in corporate, government and higher education leadership to bring “There Is No Box: A Practical Guide for the Relatable Leader.”

“There Is No Box” is for leaders who recognize how critical it is to draw outside the lines of typical guidance in order to rethink leadership development and gain competencies that make them more inclusive, culturally aware, and empowered to facilitate collaboration. “There Is No Box” answers the age-old question of “how do lauded leaders live?” Through anecdotes and interviews paired with actionable takeaways, the book investigates where leaders start, how they become boxed in upon entering the workforce and, finally, how they can break through those boundaries to become a culturally agile leader and a meaningful contributor to our global society.

“Relatability is what holds a leader accountable for their actions,” says Marisa, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and “40 Under 40” honoree from Gulfshore Business in 2014. “Relatability also improves a leader’s sense of common ground with others and makes it easier for others to get along with and follow the leader. For us, this leadership style is unique because it places ethics and professional conduct at the center of the decision-making process of any leader.”

“A Gallup study showed that large organizations typically have one manager to 10 employees,” said Simon, who received the Tropaia Award for Outstanding Faculty at Georgetown University and was honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award from Johns Hopkins University. “This means that one individual has a chance to influence the lives of at least 10 people on a daily basis. For us, this is important because this power can result in a positive impact only if the individual cares about these people. A leader’s desire to have a positive impact on the lives of others is the key to embracing relatability as the leadership competency in today’s workforce.”

“There Is No Box” provides established and emerging leaders everywhere with comprehensive tools to prove that leading isn’t just something you do – it’s a lifestyle. 

“In the book, we stress the importance that you, the reader, are the CEO of your own life,” said Simon. “This means you own the decisions you make, the responsibility of your actions and the impact you have as a leader on people around you. Understanding this is a process, which takes learning and acceptance of the positionality of others and then making a conscious choice to accept relatability as a key trait to your behavior.”

“The message in this book will benefit not only leaders and managers in organizations but anyone who is aspiring to become a leader in their community,” Marisa adds. “This is because we believe that learning how to become a relatable leader will help you focus on how you can be beneficial to others rather than wonder how others can benefit you – and this will bring value to the lives of others.”

“There Is No Box: A Practical Guide for the Relatable Leader” is available at all major booksellers.