Live Lead Learn: My Stories of Life and Leadership

by Gail Kelly

Gail Kelly's presence reaches far beyond her own profession. The first female CEO of one of Australia's big four banks, listed by Forbes in 2010 as the 8th most powerful woman in the world, and mother of four (including triplets), Gail is celebrated as one of our finest, most innovative thinkers on leadership and workplace culture.

In these personal, practical chapters, Gail Kelly shares what she's learned over her remarkable career, drawing from her personal and professional life.

As a leader, she argues passionately for the importance of putting people and customers at the heart of a business; of leading with courage and generosity of spirit; and of resilience. Some of those lessons were learnt at times of high pressure, and Gail takes us into her thinking as she led Westpac through the global financial crisis and the merger with St. George.

But Gail's voice speaks to each of us, whatever our role in life. She explores the absolute importance of loving what you do; learning to learn; backing yourself; and most importantly, placing your family above all things.

At the heart of Gail's refreshing, authentic, integrated approach is how both individuals and companies thrive when they openly address the meaning of what they do, and understand the need to live a whole life.

Live, Lead, Learn is the inspiring story of one of the world's most prominent business people, who started as a Latin teacher and became mother of four and CEO of Westpac - and everything she has learned along the way.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Leadership, Business

336 pages, Trade Paperback

First published July 31, 2017

About the author

Gail Kelly (née: Currer) (born 25 April 1956) is a South African-born Australian businesswoman. She is the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Westpac, stepping down from the role on 1 February 2015. She was replaced by Brian Hartzer, previously Westpac's financial services chief executive.[2] In 2002, she became the first female CEO of a major Australian bank or top 15 company and, as of 2005, was the highest paid woman in an Australian corporation. She assumed the position of CEO at Westpac in 2008.[3] As of 2014, she is listed as the 56th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[OliviaF · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that charts the staggering career of Gail Kelly, the first female CEO of a major Australian Bank. Kelly lays out extremely useful and practical advice for being an effective leader, and freely admits the mistakes she made during her career. More importantly, she also talks about her achievements - something women don't do enough of and tend to shy away from. Kelly is a huge advocate of backing oneself and it shows that that has been the key to her amazing success.
Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in leadership or advancing their career in general.

[Cherrie Liang]

This is written by the previous Westpac CEO, who retired in 2018. i like this book because it explains difficult management situations using really simple words. As an English a a second language speaker, i only need to check the dictionary once every 4-5 pages.

I learnt a lot from this book. The questions that she asks her team should be the ones that i ask myself when i review my performance. If I will be a manager one day, this should be my guidance.

The questions are:
- What are you most proud of over the past period?
- What were the lowlights of the period?
- What would you do differently?
- What have you learned?
- For the period ahead, what are your four or five key priorities?
- What are the biggest challenges you face?
- Do you have a robust plan?
- How can I help?
- Is there any specific development or support that you may need?

I also learnt that it is easier to find the right people on the bus, then steer the bus to the right direction. It is something i have heard for the first time. On the chapter 'Deliver Results' she also listed down a list of things management should do to ensure positive outcomes. These are:

1. Short-termism is a damaging drug
2. Inculcate a both and philosophy, we can have both productivity and quality, sales and service
3. Drive a high-performance culture without losing integrity
4. The power of a bold goal
5. Resource allocation
6. One team
7. Decision making, that it should be fast and clear, then stand behind the decisions
8. Relentless focus, operate with a strong results orientation

This book also mentioned a few very interesting books that Gail Kelly reads, such as 'Goo to Great' by Jim Collins, 'What I know for sure' by Oprah Winfrey, 'Lean in' by Sharyl Sandburg etc. It is just amazing how well read Gail is with her super busy CEO schedule. This also gives a natural suggestion of the next books i should read.

[David Maywald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, feeling that it resonated with many of my values/approaches/aspirations. Kelly was the first female CEO of one of Australia’s big four banks, and mother of four (including triplets). She has exceptional people skills and perception, and is also humble.

She admits to many failures, as a mother, as a daughter, and as an executive. This is a hallmark of her vulnerability and honesty. Her partnership with husband Allan is particularly inspiring…

Reflecting on her professional achievements, she emphasises the importance of having a positive can-do attitude, resilience, transparency, and communication. Kelly was occasionally frustrated by organisational politics, but instead of being drawn into it she focused on customer outcomes as well as treating employees/colleagues with fairness (sometimes being tough/frank when it was needed).

The stories and narrative will appeal to aspirational women, in particular. But I had no trouble connecting with it.

At 230 pages and a joy to read, I can certainly recommend this book.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Gail Kelly's book. This is not a memoir. It is a journey through Gail's career. She shares credit with her colleagues for successes achieved and is frank about what did not work and the lesson's she learned from failure. She maintains the privacy of her personal life and her family and shares limited information about her husband and children. Gail's philosophy mirrored the style we adopted in the (South African) company where I built my career. This made the book very valid for me. Although I am long-time retired I still enjoy reading about the thrust and parry of modern business.

[Juanita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book 2.5 stars. Some places I really didn’t like and found it hard to figure out why she had put them in. Other places were tough to get through while other parts flowed really well and I enjoyed her openness about all areas of her life. I found she went a bit overboard in extolling her own virtues throughout the book. I do think she has done amazing being a Mum to 4 and triplets would have been very full on. To achieve highly in business and all the various boards she is on. Glad I read it but not a book I’ll keep on my bookshelf.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part memoir, part collection of advice, Kelly traverses the challenges of succeeding in banking and management, drawing on her significant breadth of experience. Don't expect a 'Lean In'-style book - Kelly is more interested in unpacking what worked and what didn't in her career. The most compelling sections are those where she shares these lessons, rather than the parts that read like she's trying to set the historical record straight about her choices.

[Libby Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read if you are a woman in leadership

I read this after the banking royal commission in Australia and was curious to find many of the key players mentioned in the book. Also as a woman in the finance industry had been curious to know more about Gail’s journey. Writing style was very factual.

[Rebecca Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

This book is full of fairly predictable comments, written as if it was a business paper- full of dot points and indented paragraphs. No doubt she has learned much in her stellar career, but I really didn't feel I knew the person much better at the end of the book.

[Katherine Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved reading about Gail personal growth and lessons she learned through her career. Very interesting book. The book is easy to follow and understand even if you are not in the banking industry or management position.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leading by example

This book confirmed the importance of value-added based decisions for me. As a mother and professional it was gratifying to see that Gail is able to prioritise her schedule, that she puts people first and seems to have a collaborative approach.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read - lessons on leadership and the importance of leading by example. Gail highlights the importance of prioritisation, delegation and having a strong team beside you.
This was more than a book on leadership and there are so many little takeaways we can all benefit from.

[Jessica Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an inspirational lady, so proud to be working for a company where she has left a legacy.

Many many quotes I could share here but if you want a story about how to remain dedicated and be highly successful then this is it.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone advancing my career into the FS sector I wanted to understand more about women in the industry and the challenges they face. Gail Kelly provides a strong overview of her time in roles from South Africa to Australia, touching on personal memories and political turmoil of note but always retaining a main focus on financial services and the improvement of banking overall.

Kelly argues strongly for the advancement of women and minorities within the sector, as well as providing the support mechanisms that are required to enable this. Conversely many of the shining examples she provides are white men, somewhat tarnishing her credentials. It is her strength of conviction in the primacy of teams to build a company that shines through most clearly. A fair number of pages are dedicated to leadership styles, empowering teams and individuals, and moving swiftly when market and legal factors change.

I wanted more commentary on the GFC fallout and its implications in a local context, which was touched upon several times but to no great depth. Overall a good read, but fewer stand-out insights than hoped.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authentic, insightful and enjoyable

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to read Gail’s perspective on a company I currently work for and her trailblazing that she did for women in the banking industry.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely straightforward - I actually really enjoy seeing her journey and development within the field.

[Blessing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great leadership anecdotes by Gail Kelly, as she reminisces on her career path and shares what I consider some of the most powerful and practical leadership advise. Easy read that definitely requires time for digestion. It's worth the time.

[Asawari · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Amir · Rating 3 out of 5]

She completely destroyed the bank and failed to understanding technology. All the cronies she promoted turned out to be pretty trashy including George Frazis. Yuck

[H435 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using a mixture of top tips and stories she gives great advice without being preachy. A good read for anyone working with other people, regardless of your position in the structure.