How to be Second: Being Second is a Destination, not a Stepping Stone

Chief Operating Officer. Chief of Staff. General Manager. Second in Command. The job title can vary. But there is something that unifies these roles when you see them performed well. It's a particular kind of person with a particular kind of wiring, and a particular kind of person whose strengths are amplified when working in a leadership duo.

Who is this person, you might ask? They're called Seconds. And this book is dedicated to them.

In How to be Second, Nathan Young and David Hartman explore all sorts of questions about Seconds:

Who is a Second?

How do you know if you're a Second?

What are some strengths and challenges of Seconds?

Why does my organization need a Second (or multiple Seconds)?

How do I best work with or for a Second?

How do I hire a great Second?

Seconds, at their core, are valuable leaders. But their leadership shows up best and is activated by working for another leader.

If you are a Second, a person who might need a Second, or if you're neither... leadership won't look the same to you after reading this book.

Hey there! I'm an Integrator, a problem solver, a Dad, a leader, a marketer...I wear a lot of hats and enjoy wrangling chaos. What I do best is bring order to disorder. I bring a deep love of being "2nd in command" and want to encourage other people just like me that being Second is something to be celebrated.

I am a designer that specializes in solutions to education and social innovation challenges. A born facilitator and storyteller, I love collaborating with people from diverse educational and employment backgrounds to synthesize viewpoints and to create solutions. I have worked in higher education, training, and program design for over a decade.