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The Upstander Leader: How to develop a speak-up culture
An inspiring and informative guide for a new generation of leaders who are ready to speak up against toxic behaviour and bullying in the workplace.
2023 Australian Business Book Awards Finalist - Management and HR 2023 Business Book Awards Finalist - People, Culture and Management 2023 Australian Career Book Awards Finalist We’ve all heard of the Bystander Effect, where people see bad behaviour and they walk on by. Bystanders have been called out by the #MeToo Movement, Black Lives Matter and March4Justice, to name just three. It’s not OK to ignore bad behaviour and it never has been. In the workplace (even in the highest levels of Government) bullying and bad behaviour take place, causing toxic cultures and awful places to work. But with 35% of the workforce now from the Millennial generation, it is essential that workplaces change. The Millennials are the Upstander generation — and they are the ones who are driving the future of business – you need them on your team. It’s time to empower our leaders to be Upstander Leaders to attract the best talent and make their working lives safe and enjoyable places where they can thrive. This practical book offers a 5-step model to help them do just that. Award-winning thought leader Jessica Hickman was a victim of workplace bullying over a three-year period when she saw first-hand the Bystander Effect. It motivated her to write The Upstander Leader to encourage leaders to develop a speak-up culture in their organisations. The strategies explained in this book have been road-tested in a number of organisations where bullying is not tolerated, and it’s not just OK to call it out – it is encouraged.
2023 Australian Business Book Awards Finalist - Management and HR 2023 Business Book Awards Finalist - People, Culture and Management 2023 Australian Career Book Awards Finalist We’ve all heard of the Bystander Effect, where people see bad behaviour and they walk on by. Bystanders have been called out by the #MeToo Movement, Black Lives Matter and March4Justice, to name just three. It’s not OK to ignore bad behaviour and it never has been. In the workplace (even in the highest levels of Government) bullying and bad behaviour take place, causing toxic cultures and awful places to work. But with 35% of the workforce now from the Millennial generation, it is essential that workplaces change. The Millennials are the Upstander generation — and they are the ones who are driving the future of business – you need them on your team. It’s time to empower our leaders to be Upstander Leaders to attract the best talent and make their working lives safe and enjoyable places where they can thrive. This practical book offers a 5-step model to help them do just that. Award-winning thought leader Jessica Hickman was a victim of workplace bullying over a three-year period when she saw first-hand the Bystander Effect. It motivated her to write The Upstander Leader to encourage leaders to develop a speak-up culture in their organisations. The strategies explained in this book have been road-tested in a number of organisations where bullying is not tolerated, and it’s not just OK to call it out – it is encouraged.
240 pages, Paperback
Published September 27, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 20, 2024
Provides some valuable insights into effective leadership. However, it feels somewhat lacking in depth. The book offers practical advice but leaves you wishing for a more comprehensive exploration of its themes. Overall, a decent read with useful takeaways, though it could benefit from more detailed content
March 6, 2023
The Upstander Leader by Jessica Hickman is a beautifully written book on a topic I am very passionate about.Sadly, the content sometimes became a little too familiar.
That said, it’s just one of the many reasons I could find for every (wo)man and her/his team members to grab a copy of this book. Here’s a few more:
The book opens with a brief history of Jessica’s intimate experience in the area of bullying and psychological wellbeing. If you’re lucky enough to have dodged bullying yourself, or secretly relish the opportunity to put someone else down for your own gain, then this introduction is written for you. You need to understand the impact of this behaviour if not for the individual (for those lacking empathy), then for the wide ranging impacts to your business.
Bystanders of poor culture are not all the same. The outcome of being a bystander is the same. Toxic culture. Learn more about bystander archetypes, their motivations and identifiers so you can work to evolve them to upstanders.
Your actions as a leader have consequences and not all leaders are aware of the effect they have on people. Jessica breaks down nine key traits of upstander leaders which, when demonstrated, have material impacts to your business.
The uncomfortable zone is all around us. It’s in every workplace I’ve worked and also where every other person I know works. There is a fine line between bullying and banter. In an upstander culture this behaviour can be openly discussed and worked through in a ‘speak-up’ culture.
The only part missing for me was when people are listening to people complain about seeing or being bullied but are expressly told not to act upon it. That’s a tough pickle to find yourself in, and it happens (in my experience far too often). But when considering this review, I didn’t mind that aspect without focus as it means we can look forward to more writing from Jessica which I’m sure will be equally valuable.
I’ll end this review with a quote which resonated with me in the context of changing your culture. ‘As a leader, it’s important that you support the courageous humans who speak up and seek support.’ ‘Self-awareness means exploring whether you are a problem or a solution.’
That said, it’s just one of the many reasons I could find for every (wo)man and her/his team members to grab a copy of this book. Here’s a few more:
The book opens with a brief history of Jessica’s intimate experience in the area of bullying and psychological wellbeing. If you’re lucky enough to have dodged bullying yourself, or secretly relish the opportunity to put someone else down for your own gain, then this introduction is written for you. You need to understand the impact of this behaviour if not for the individual (for those lacking empathy), then for the wide ranging impacts to your business.
Bystanders of poor culture are not all the same. The outcome of being a bystander is the same. Toxic culture. Learn more about bystander archetypes, their motivations and identifiers so you can work to evolve them to upstanders.
Your actions as a leader have consequences and not all leaders are aware of the effect they have on people. Jessica breaks down nine key traits of upstander leaders which, when demonstrated, have material impacts to your business.
The uncomfortable zone is all around us. It’s in every workplace I’ve worked and also where every other person I know works. There is a fine line between bullying and banter. In an upstander culture this behaviour can be openly discussed and worked through in a ‘speak-up’ culture.
The only part missing for me was when people are listening to people complain about seeing or being bullied but are expressly told not to act upon it. That’s a tough pickle to find yourself in, and it happens (in my experience far too often). But when considering this review, I didn’t mind that aspect without focus as it means we can look forward to more writing from Jessica which I’m sure will be equally valuable.
I’ll end this review with a quote which resonated with me in the context of changing your culture. ‘As a leader, it’s important that you support the courageous humans who speak up and seek support.’ ‘Self-awareness means exploring whether you are a problem or a solution.’
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews