Business Consultant Presents Timeless Leadership Lessons from Curiosity to Collaboration

The 5-Year-Old CEO by Hunter McMahon

Despite this book’s playful title and cover image, it’s not about a child chief executive officer. Instead, author Hunter McMahon pairs short scenarios in the life of Eric, a fictional five-year-old boy, with important lessons in leadership for managers of corporations and professional consultancies. “Childlike,” in this context, doesn’t mean childish. It means curious, empathetic, collaborative, supportive and willing to embrace change.

“Eric is not a prodigy or a CEO in miniature,” McMahon writes. “He’s a normal child who, in the course of everyday kindergarten adventures, demonstrates timeless truths about leadership.”

Where Kindergarten Meets the Boardroom

The book is comprised of a foreword and introduction followed by seven short chapters and a conclusion. Each chapter presents a vignette in which Eric shines as a leader in his kindergarten classroom, a leadership lesson that can be learned from the vignette and research that supports the lesson. Readers will learn how to ask better questions, listen empathetically, challenge assumptions, leverage collaboration, resolve conflicts, mentor others and embrace change, including the challenges of today’s fast-moving, AI-infused business world.

Wisdom Echoing From Playmats to Powerhouses

Sprinkled throughout are examples from major U.S. corporations, including Microsoft, Google, Toyota, Netflix and Starbucks, along with pithy quotes and wise words from Socrates, Stephen Covey, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Alan Alda, Steven Spielberg and Elon Musk, among others. The examples serve as bridges to connect Eric’s activities with everyday workplace experiences.

The Quiet Artistry of Leadership

Among the book’s strengths are McMahon’s comments on the finer points and nuances of each lesson. Good leaders don’t just ask more questions, they ask better questions. Empathetic listening doesn’t mean staying silent. It means allowing others to be speak and be heard. Collaborative decision-making doesn’t mean committees or consensuses rule. It mean decision-makers hear and consider others’ perspectives before they chart a course. Conflict resolution doesn’t mean avoiding disagreements or making everyone happy. It means handling disputes with fairness and respect so teams build trust and move forward together. Mentoring isn’t just sharing knowledge. Good mentors also inspire self-confidence in their mentees.

“Technology will continue to evolve and astound us,” McMahon writes, “but it will be the curious questioner, the compassionate listener, the open-minded challenger, the team collaborator, the conflict peacemaker, the change navigator, and the people builder who ensure those technologies are used to create value and positive impact.”

McMahon is president of iDiscovery Solutions (IDS), a professional services consulting firm that uses digital forensics, e-discovery, structured data, cybersecurity, data privacy and information governance to solve complex legal and data challenges for law firms and corporations worldwide. IDS has more than fifty full-time employees in Washington, D.C., Alpharetta, Georgia, Costa Mesa, California and London, U.K.

The 5-Year-Old CEO is just 106 pages with hardback, paperback and Kindle editions. It’s a quick and easy read, perfect for an airplane flight or client gift and suitable for multiple re-readings to revisit and reinforce the important concepts.

With Eric and his friends, McMahon adds a welcome playfulness and light touch to an important subject that could prove tedious in the wrong hands. Readers will be well-armed with the knowledge they need to become better, more curious leaders today and in the years to come.