Nick HutchisonFounder and CEO, BookThinkers

Are you a leader people have to follow… or want to follow? #Leadership #LeadershipBooks #Nonfiction

17 Feb 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:17

In this concise YouTube monologue, Nick Hutchinson explains that there are two kinds of leaders – those you have to follow and those you want to follow – and argues that in the age of AI, effective leadership depends more on soft skills than on hard, technical abilities that AI can automate. He highlights Benjamin Grainger’s 2026 book A Leader Worth Following, noting Grainger’s background as an organizational psychologist and his research‑based set of leadership practices. Hutchinson emphasizes emotional intelligence, empathy, purposeful one‑on‑one meetings, proper handshakes, and the willingness to have difficult conversations as core competencies that differentiate a leader worth following. He frames these recommendations as both leadership and general life advice, urging viewers to read the book to unlock their full potential.

Chapters

But why? Be a leader worth following. I'm about to tell you why. Inside of this book, I learned there are 2 types of leaders: leaders that you have to follow and leaders that you want to follow. And one of the big differences in the age of AI is that we need to lean a little bit less on hard skills like computer science degrees and graphic design degrees, because AI is automating a lot of those. And we need to lean into the soft skills, things like emotional intelligence, and empathy, because those are what differentiate us as leaders and help us become leaders worth following. This is one of the best leadership books of 2026. Benjamin Grainger has spent a long time as an organizational psychologist studying human behavior within businesses, and he has found a certain set of skills that you can adopt as a leader that will make you more effective in 2026. Revamping your one-on-one meetings, learning how to properly do a handshake, have more difficult conversations with people that you disagree with. That's not just leadership advice. That's just great advice in general. And if you want to truly live up to your potential like this penguin, then read A Leader Worth Following.