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A Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership

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A Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership

Jossey-Bass,

15 Minuten Lesezeit
10 Take-aways
Text verfügbar

Was ist drin?

Think of conventional management wisdom – and then do the opposite.

Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Leading a group of academics can be like trying to herd cats. Given that – since Steven B. Sample succeeded as president of a major university – you would expect that he acquired some expertise on leadership, if only as a matter of survival. Sample borrows from an array of classical thinkers, from Shakespeare to Machiavelli to Lincoln, to advance his proposition that the most important attribute for any leader is the ability to think independently. He says that leadership demands suspending judgment, listening passionately to those with conflicting opinions and seeing all the shades of gray that exist between black and white alternatives. If his somewhat academic perspective doesn’t always apply directly to the business world, it certainly supplies this book with intelligence and insight at every turn. getAbstract strongly recommends this guidebook to those who take these rare human attributes seriously.

Summary

Contrary to Popular Opinion

The contrarian leader thinks differently. While others see black and white, contrarians maintain intellectual independence and see many different shades between the extremes. Leaders who can conceptualize a range of ideas are more creative and intellectually open. What is the essence of ‘‘thinking gray?’’ Avoid forming an opinion until you’ve heard all pertinent facts and views, or until circumstances force you to form an opinion to move forward. Binary thinking, which is ‘‘black and white,’’ can lead to disaster because:

  • You want to stay open-minded – Once leaders form opinions, their minds often close to new facts and information.
  • You want to be decisive – The leader who forms an opinion yet remains open-minded will flip-flop, believing whatever case has been presented most recently.
  • You want to think for yourself – People tend to believe whatever is strongly believed by other people.

‘‘Thinking gray’’ is the best defense against this herd instinct. So, should you employ ‘‘gray-think’’ as a leader in all situations? Of course not. In fact, in most circumstances...

About the Author

In the early 1980s, when he was president of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Steve B. Sample helped engineer its rise into the top ranks of universities, according to the Association of American Universities. Now president of the University of Southern California, he co-teaches a course titled, ‘‘The Art and Adventure of Leadership.’’

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