Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits That Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest

William Vanderbloemen’s latest book, “Be the Unicorn: Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest,” is a goldmine of information. He gets right at what the best leaders do and how they think. With a plethora of examples from business, non-profits and church life, he illustrates twelve traits and habits.What turns my crank is that his observations are based on 30,000 interviews with leaders. This gives the book a razor-sharp edge on seeing things that effective leaders do well. William’s quotes and short case studies illustrate his twelve points with great clarity.Here is how I applied two of the habits and traits. Read the book to get the other ten.The Authentic—17% of the Unicorns identified most with being Authentic. That is about double from any of the other categories. It is also a blow to me. That means that 17% of the people are strong in Authenticity, while I have to work all the time just to get an average grade. This fact underscores one of William’s tenets, that you won’t be strong at everything but good habits can help you become stronger. “The Unicorns hold a skill set that can be learned. What we’ve discovered in our research is that people have skills that can be developed by anyone” (p. xviii). There is hope for me to continue to grow in this area!In working on this area, my wife and I began to change one small thing. A server in a restaurant, for example, might ask, “How are you?” We would each reply but then ask, “And how are you?” I asked this of an older Hispanic woman who was an assistant to the waiter. She stopped pouring the water. She looked around the room and replied, “Of all the people here, you are the only one to ask me that!” That made working on this trait all the sweeter.The Solver—1% of the Unicorns identified most with being a Solver. That is my sweet spot and I enjoyed how William talked about my strengths! We all like it when someone speaks into what we do well. However, I also had to realize that there are not many Solvers out there. So my approach needs to be gentle, not going straight to solutions, but helping people get there at their own speed. “The ability to keep your head in a panicked, rushed situation will set you apart from the crowd” (p. 56) and “Solving problems in a group can be threatening, exhausting, and frustrating, but … lead to innovation that wouldn’t otherwise have happened” (p. 59).“Be the Unicorn” is a helpful and practical book for all leaders. William provides action-oriented steps along the way to grow in areas of strength and lassitude. This book is a blockbuster for all who want to be the best that they can be.David Fletcher

I loved reading this book! It all started with the Bible app and a plan on being the best version of yourself.Vanderbloemen is giving such amazing advice and it is your choice to follow. For me it was simply one of my best and favourite books of all time.

Good read, thought it would be more leadership focused but still good for improving yourself and setting better goals.

As a people leader, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Be the Unicorn'. Firstly, from a perspective of looking at which of the 12 attributes I had strength in and the ones where I could further improve. Very insightful. I also like the inserts talking from a hiring managers perspective. Some good tips for assessing candidates, or if you are applying for a role, some things to think about to help you standout above the rest.

I enjoyed the book and in my professional career I agree that the traits listed in the book are certainly desirable in any candidate. My main issue though is the book says the habits are data driven but the book doesn’t really provide data to support its claims. The only data point is the same survey of leaders who identify with one of the 12 traits. I thought the data would be more specific and helpful in showing why these 12 traits are helpful.

A MUST-HAVE BOOK! If you’ve ever been a hiring manager or recruiting professional, you know how hard it is to find the most exceptional individuals amongst the masses of candidates and job-seekers. In fact, every year, some of the best companies in the world spend tremendous resources, time and money trying to recruit and develop the most exceptional, high potential leaders who will help them take their organization to the next level - The Unicorns. Most are unaware of the actual DNA code of what makes someone a mystical unicorn - and many are guessing, at best, how to hunt and land them. And if lucky enough to find them, these same companies have no idea how best to leverage, develop and retain these top hires for the organization’s long-term success.William Vanderbloemen is one of the world’s best executive search and succession planning experts and for the first time, he’s sharing ‘the tea’ from thousands of successful searches, analyzing over 30,000 candidates from 15 years at the Vanderbloemen Firm to bring us the perfect DNA profile of 12 leader attributes we need to know (and be) ….The Unicorn – for hunting, for hiring, for growing and retaining the top 1% of leaders.In an age of emerging AI, how can the human population stand out and be counted as the best of the best? He’ll show you how. This is a must-have manual for any HR professional, any hiring manager, and any business leader looking to up-level their workforce or professional looking to upgrade their personal brand to be more marketable and sought-after in this highly-competitive job market. It's a roadmap to help you find the treasure.