Smarter, Faster, Better: Strategies for Effective, Enduring, and Fulfilled Leadership

by Karlin Sloan

Book Overview

In this groundbreaking book, acclaimed executive coach Karlin Sloan offers leaders a variety of self-assessments, habits, strategies, and sustainable practices that they can use to become what today's marketplace demands; smarter, faster, and better. Karlin Sloan shows what it takes to make the move to the next level to become a leader who both grows the bottom line and contributes to stakeholders and the world in a positive way. Based on research,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787982687
• ISBN13: 9780787982683
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Author Karlin Sloan draws upon her many years of experience and expertise

In "Smarter, Faster, Better: Strategies For Effective, Enduring, And Fulfilled Leadership", author Karlin Sloan draws upon her many years of experience and expertise as an executive coach and leadership consultant to reveal what she calls the 'paradoxical truths' of leadership in the 21st Century. These can be summed as: 'To be smarter you, you must ask more questions.'; 'To be faster, you must slow down.'; 'To be better, you must focus less on personal gain and more on cooperating with others.' Karlin offers the reader time-tested strategies, self-assessments, case examples, exercises, and an impressively practical variety of tips and techniques to enable anyone charged with leadership responsibilities to gain perspective and self-knowledge, to seize new opportunities, to resolve difficult issues, to boost their organization's sense of purpose and social responsibility, and to improve the quality and success of their own performance as a leader. Very strongly recommended and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Smarter, Faster, Better" will teach aspiring leaders to ask questions that will make them smarter; gain hours of spare work time by slowing way down; manage their energy and keep healthier both on and off the job; tap into multiple intelligence (their own and their employees); energize their work teams; benefit from dynamic, creative, highly charged people; 'Get better with your competition instead of getting better than your competition'; and adding to the bottom line through establishing business practices that contribute to the world in a positive way.

A way to implement your strivings to be smarter, faster and better

Watching the recent news, one can get the impression that the American corporate world is a corrupt one. Almost every night there is a new story about another executive being accused, arrested or tried for some crime. This alternates with other stories about the incredible compensations that many executives are receiving. Interspersed with this are stories of how many jobs are being outsourced from the United States and the soaring trade deficit. The combination of all these things could lead you to believe that the American business community is in a globally relative decline. That is not necessarily the case because the American business community is still the most innovative in the world. Most of the success companies in other countries are benefiting from are due to their importing the consequences of American innovation and expertise. Therefore, the title of this book aptly describes how to be successful in the modern economy. Do you think you're smart, fast and better than others are? If true, and you may simply be deluding yourself, that condition is transient, so you better come up with ways to be even smarter, faster and better. Sloan is right on in her advice on how to advance your qualities to remain competitive. The first and always the most important points are to understand that you cannot remain where you are, not now, not ever. Striving for a better level of achievement is not only profitable but also necessary. By following her advice you can become a bigger and faster rat and maybe morph into a greyhound or even a quarter horse.

Practical guidebook

Smarter, Faster, Better... is a very practical guide for both developing and established leaders. The anecdotes are true-to-life and raise "everyman" types of issues that almost anyone in a business setting has experienced for themselves or seen in the people around them. The checklists and exercises can be used individually or in teambuilding. And it's an easy read -- great for busy people. End of chapter summaries and call-outs for the exercises and checklists make it a great reference book once the first read-through is complete.

Smarter, Faster, Better...REALLY!!

There are good business books out there on the topic of effective leadership, and then there are those "GREAT" books that come along - books that are easy to read, make sense in the real world and give ideas and tips to put into practice immediately that really do make us better. This is one of those GREAT books! Ms. Sloan has a knack for speaking directly to the reader, as if we are in a coaching session with her, listening intently and using skillful inquiry to allow us to come to know both our good and not-so-good behaviors that prevent us from leading with greater ease and skill, and ultimately getting the outcome we want. In fact, that's the key piece - Ms. Sloan's modeling of the ideas and skills she is sharing throughout her book. Often, offering ideas and solutions are the preferred "currency" in the business world because they are equated with taking action. Listening and inquiry, while desperately needed, are not often valued because they don't appear to produce immediate, observable "results." The pressure to "do" is overwhelming the need to "listen, ask, then do well." Sloan offers strategies to help us use listening and inquiry to lead to actions that make business sense. I have underlined many items and used several of her suggestions immediately in my own work, as well as shared a couple of hints with others, particularly around the myth of multi-tasking. I highly recommend this book, whether you are a first-time leader, more seasoned or work in the leadership development arena, the wise and extremely useful guidance in Ms. Sloan's work is in perfect timing to aid leaders in becoming truly smarter, faster and better.

every leader needs this book

Smarter, Faster, Better is a breath of fresh air. Although leadership has been written about in so many ways -- Sloan has managed to share many new insights that are not only innovative but are inspirational. The ideas in this book are practical and powerful for leaders at any level.