The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership

Name: The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership
Brand: Tantor Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Steven B. Sample
ISBN: 9781705261101

Author: Steven B. Sample

Series: J-B Warren Bennis Series #14

Narrator: John H. Mayer

Unabridged: 7 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/20/2020

Categories: Nonfiction, Business & Economics, Management & Leadership

Synopsis

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.

About Steven B. Sample

Steven B. Sample-an electrical engineer, musician, outdoorsman, professor, and inventor-is the tenth president of the University of Southern California. Under Sample's leadership, USC has become world-renowned in the fields of communication and multimedia technologies, has received national recognition for its innovative community partnerships, and has solidified its status as one of the nation's leading research universities. USC was selected as College of the Year 2000 by TIME and the Princeton Review, was named a "hot school" by Newsweek/Kaplan Review, and has been widely acclaimed in recent years for the excellence of its highly selective undergraduate programs.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Chris on January 07, 2025

This is a terrific book for wouldbe college presidents, executive pastors and general managers. following are some of the memorable quotes from The Contrary ends Guide to Leadership: "Leadership is highly situational and contingent; the leader who succeeds in one context at one point in time won't ne......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on September 07, 2017

My favorite principles from this book: 1. Think grey - put off forming opinions until you have to. 2. Think free - move several steps beyond traditional brainstorming 3. Listen first, talk later - practice artful listening 4. Don't read everything. Focus on mining gold from the super-texts. 5. Delegate,......more

Goodreads review by Jeff on May 25, 2009

I enjoyed this one. Very down-to-Earth advice. As implied by the title, the contrarian leader would be found "contrary" by the traditionally-trained leader. With such advice as "If a decision can be made tomorrow, don't make it today" and "Work for those that work for you", the contrarian leader alw......more

Goodreads review by Lauren on August 07, 2007

This is a good book on leadership. It really makes you think and the author encourages the reader to question the principles and ideas set down in the book (which is refreshing). It gives a different take on leadership (at least in format) than John Maxwell usually takes. Also it includes a list of......more

Goodreads review by Nicole on July 31, 2008

Out of all the books/journals I have read on leadership, this one seems to have the most practical and logical advice on how to be a better leader. President Sample writes a book that is easy to read and incredibly applicable. Not to mention the fact that he has managed to breathe new life into the......more