Winning Leadership: Lessons from 50 Years in Business is a business book with a difference. It is written by an author who can claim that old adage, “been there, done that”, and I suspect he has got the tee-shirt!

The author, Ralph Pickles, has half a century of experience in business and has picked up a wealth of knowledge along the way. He is a chemical engineer by profession and has a background starting with a degree at King’s College, Cambridge, and a summer on the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD Business School in France.

The courses gave a deep understanding of theory, which was the foundation for a career with major organisations in the UK and international travel, including a few years based in Singapore and then the USA.

Post retirement Pickles has been an active non-executive director for a number of early-stage mid-tech companies and is a trustee at a large multi-academy trust, an organisation governing several state-funded schools.

Pickles is a member of the NE Development Committee of the Kings Trust (formerly the Princes Trust) and is the Vice-Chair of the Yorkshire and North East Region of the IoD (Institute of Directors).

The author characterises his book as a guide rather than a comprehensive read. It’s a short reference book, extending to just 60 or so pages, much shorter than most business books, and none the worse for it.

This work is a collection of observations, suggestions, and aphorisms. It is a collection of expressions that illustrate general truths, principles, and wise reflections about business leadership in particular.

This assortment of almost three hundred ideas is curated by Pickles into groups for ease of browsing and to allow for a pick-and-mix approach to this potpourri of leadership delights.

The book is illustrated by several cartoons, which display some of the ideas in visual form and add an interesting and humorous element to the publication.

I ignored the author’s suggestion and read the entire book in one session. Its diminutive length lends itself to first reading on a long train or aircraft journey and is interesting enough to hold your attention throughout. You can follow up at a later date to the dip-in approach to target particular concepts or thoughts.

I enjoyed reading this book; it reminded me of things I had seen in the past and also introduced me to new ideas and concepts.

I recommend this interesting book, and you would also be contributing to this worthwhile cause.

The book is published by Helmsway and is available on www.helmsway.co.uk. The book is free if you make a donation to The King’s Trust Achieve Programme. The Achieve programme helps young people to develop skills and experience for life, whilst building their confidence to realise their potential.