Leading with Guts, Grace, and a Whole Lot of Grit

Dr. Karissa Thomas doesn’t just talk about leadership—she rebuilds it from the soul out, and The Mosaic Way gave me goosebumps, aha moments, and about five new favorite highlighter colors!

Copy from my review, posted on GoodReads

This book claims to introduce a new management method based on emotional intelligence (the Mosaic Intelligence Method). I found it pleasant to read, with some entertaining anecdotes that were never out of place.

And yet, I struggled to find anything truly novel in it.
It was mostly a repetition of concepts that I was taught during management training at work:

* be aware of cultural differences, but do not reduce people to stereotypes
* listen before you speak
* give feedback with context
* don't forget yourself and burn out for the sake of your team (something I definitely struggle with)
* learn how you react to stress (your body and your mind) and learn how to not transfer your anxiety to your team (I am not the best at that TBH, and it is a work in progress for me)
* accept that silence is part of communication
* apologize often and genuinely
* in general, do not be an asshole

As for many things, the concepts are not that hard. They can be learned pretty fast, if you are curious about management (or if you company signed you up for Leadership Training). Walking the path IS hard though. I find myself having to constantly reminding myself of the obvious. Especially when the team is under pressure / we have tight deadlines / we are dealing with a crisis. It is very hard to have empathy when you operate in crisis mode, and I felt like this book had some good points about empathy during a crisis.

So, why 3 stars? I tend to reserve 4 stars to genuinely novel management books. And I fail to find the method from the book genuinely novel... But it is a good manual. It could be given to MBA students as homework. There are lots of good, healthy points in this book. It is easy to read. Nothing is truly out of scope. Bonus points for the length - there is no unnecessary tangent that does not serve the general purpose. I suspect that the editor is especially good, or the author is very diligent at cutting through the fluff. Or both. Either way, time well spent if you are new to management. If you are not, there are more "advanced" books that will be a better use of your time.

Thank you #NetGalley and Dr. Karissa Thomas for the ARC.

This book should be required reading for every manager, director, or team leader navigating today’s workplace. The Mosaic Way gave me the tools to better understand myself, my team, and the unseen dynamics at play in meetings, hiring decisions, and even conflict resolution. It helped me see how emotional integrity and cultural awareness aren’t “soft skills”—they’re survival skills for modern leadership. I’ve already started using some of the reflection prompts during our weekly debriefs, and the results have been eye-opening. This book is a game-changer at work and surprisingly helpful at home too.