The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership

Sample, Steven B.

ISBN 10: 1491552441 ISBN 13: 9781491552445

Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2014

In this offbeat approach to leadership, college president Steven B. Sample&;the man who turned the University of Southern California into one of the most respected and highly rated universities in the country&;challenges many conventional teachings on the subject. Here, Sample outlines an iconoclastic style of leadership that flies in the face of current leadership thought, but a style that unquestionably works, nevertheless. Sample urges leaders and aspiring leaders to focus on some key counterintuitive truths. He offers his own down-to-earth, homespun, and often provocative advice on some complex and thoughtful issues. And he provides many practical, if controversial, tactics for successful leadership, suggesting, among other things, that leaders should sometimes compromise their principles, not read everything that comes across their desks, and always put off decisions.

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Review

"Real thought and leadership run everywhere in this distillation from Steve Sample′s rich experience as a leader. He writes easily and well, but the points he makes run deep and help you reflect on your own experience. Read this book at your own risk: you just might learn
something startling." George P. Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State

"Every leader or anyone who hopes to be one should read what Steven Sample says about leadership. No one could possibly say it better than he has in The Contrarian′s Guide to Leadership. This gem of focused wisdom is presented with such amazing originality, clarity, and artful eloquence that
it often holds the reader spellbound. It is sure to become the classic leadership text." Simon Ramo, cofounder, TRW Inc.

"This is an intoxicating read, a bushwacker′s delight. With swift, sure strokes, Steve Sample cuts down a lot of bad ideas about leadership and opens up a new path for the next generation to follow. No wonder he has turned around not one but two major universities." David Gergen, noted commentator, bestselling author, and adviser to four United States Presidents

"The Contrarian′s Guide to Leadership is a unique guide to effective management because it′s written by someone who practices what he preaches. Steven Sample isn′t someone who just writes about leadership; he leads. As a result, he offers us fascinating reading, illuminating a way that others may follow." Michael Eisner, chairman and chief executive officer, the Walt Disney Company

"I loved this book attributing the huge recent gains at USC to a learnable, determined rationality that especially values correct decisions that are contrary to conventional wisdom." Charles Munger, vice chairman, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

"This splendid work, unlike other recent textbooks and cookbooks on leadership, explores the issues and values that are the essential foundation of leadership. Enlivened with practical examples and enriched by personal experience, this is a book off major stature and enduring significance." Frank Rhodes, president emeritus, Cornell University

"In this era of hype and simplistic how–to lists, Steven Sample′s refreshing book stands out for its depth and unusual personal insight. Lessons from great leaders of history blend with his experience as university president to illustrate the many roles leaders play, from artful listener to entertaining storyteller, as they struggle with circumstances en route to significant accomplishments. Reading this provocative book will help all leaders better understand themselves and their choices. Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, and bestselling author of Evolve: Succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow

"Steven Sample goes well beyond conventional wisdom about the art of leadership and brings a totally new dimension to the rich body of literature on the topic, dotting this lively narrative with pearls of wisdom and insight based on his wealth of experience. What emerges is a stimulating and provocative 21st century vision for how leadership can be taught, learned, and practiced." Ray Irani, chairman and chief executive officer, Occidental Petroleum Corp.

"The Contrarian′s Guide to Leadership is not only a helpful guide to effective leadership, it is a thoughtful guide to successful living. One main point that come through is that ′big time′ leadership is only possible after answering tough and probing questions about one′s own skills and values. In this, there are no failsafe equations for leadership. For a big time leader, character carries the day." Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator