- LEADERSHIP EXPERT, AUTHOR & COACH
Your team already has an opinion about how you lead
This book tells you what it is
Most leaders were never actually taught how to lead. How Not to Be a Shit Leader gives you the honest, practical behaviours that change how your team feels about coming to work, starting this week.
What's inside:
✓ Lead yourself first: self-awareness before authority. Authenticity, knowing what you stand for, and responding instead of reacting.
✓ Build trust: the foundation everything else sits on. Consistency, keeping your word, and applying the same standards to everyone.
✓ Create safety: where real performance happens. Making it safe to speak up, fail, and be heard, especially for the quiet voices.
✓ Lead the work: execution without the ego. Clarity, decision-making, and getting out of your team's way.
✓ Grow others: leadership beyond you. Developing talent, adapting your style, and shaping what's next for your people.
✓ The leader people remember: not the shitty one. Communicating early, being present, and giving credit where it's due.
50 chapters. No buzzwords.
Just the behaviours that separate leaders people endure from leaders people remember for the right reasons.
paperback - $29 ebook - $21, kindle - $11.95 & audio - $21
paperback, e-book, kindle & audio
short chapters - lived experience - zero fluff
paperback - $29 ebook - $21, kindle - $11.95 & audio - $21
or read the first chapter free
featured on www.mamamia.com.au
As seen on Mamamia - Australia's leading platform for women
sound familiar?
The things your team talks about after the meeting ends
"They mean well, but I never really know where I stand"
Unclear communication destroys trust faster than any mistake.
"I can't make a single decision without them checking"
Micro-managing signals distrust and kills confidence.
"They say the right things, but their behaviour says something else"
Small daily behaviours, shape culture whether you notice it or not
"I used to love this job"
People don't leave organisations, they leave leaders.
This book is written for leaders who care enough to look honestly at their own behaviour. Because your team is already having this conversation, with or without you.
what leaders are saying
Real reviews from real leaders
"This book is practical, honest & genuinely refreshing. The audiobook format makes it easy to absorb in short bursts, but every chapter leaves you thinking about how you can lead differently"
Mary C, Melbourne
An accessible, honest, and practical listen. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a leadership “reset”. Those valuable aha moments that help you realign your approach and stay grounded in why you lead the way you do.
Holly G, Sydney
"Even with many years of leadership, I found this book to be a valuable read. It reinforces key principles in a way that is both accessible and impactful. The authors writing style is authentic, engaging and refreshingly raw making it easy to connect with the message. Definitely recommend"
Liz P, Melbourne
It’s bold, clear and refreshingly honest. The tone is consistent all the way through, and it never drifts into corporate fluff or jargon.
It feels grounded in real experience, which makes it credible. You can tell it’s written by someone who has actually lived through poor leadership and decided to do better.
Kristina T, Geelong
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about Melissa
Leadership isn't about getting it right. It's about being willing to do it better
I'm Melissa Boyd, a leadership coach, facilitator, and author of How Not to Be a Shit Leader. I help leaders build the habits, behaviours, and self-awareness that make people genuinely want to follow them.
My work is practical, honest, and built for real workplaces, not business schools. Because your leadership impacts more people than you think.
how we can work together
start where you want
Start with the book. Go deeper from there.
The book is the beginning. Every offering is designed to take your leadership further.
the book
01
The honest, practical guide to the small behaviours that make or break teams.
Short chapters. Real examples.
Start reading this week for $29.
02
7-day leadership reset
Seven focused days to break the habits that are quietly costing you trust and credibility. Real tools, immediate impact.
1:1 coaching & speaking
04
Work directly with Melissa through 1:1 coaching or bring her into your organisation for workshops, keynotes, and team sessions.
03
12-week leadership shift
A deeper behaviour change program for leaders ready to fundamentally shift how they lead and how their teams respond to them.
The book is the beginning. Every offering is designed to take your leadership further.