"I wrote this book because most of the executives and organizations I know are suffering in some way, said Karlin Sloan of her just released work, Smarter, Faster, Better. "There is a trap in business today — that you have to keep getting smarter, faster and better. I wanted to write something that would help people get off that treadmill."
While this may seem in conflict with the book's title, what the author proposes is in sync, but in a unique way: to be smarter, faster and better, you need to stop trying to be those things.
At a time when customers and shareholders are demanding more accountability, Sloan's challenge is to develop more than end-of-the-quarter returns. It is to build an enduring legacy. She argues that the typical frenzied pace of the workplace ultimately hurts the bottom line, as well as the people involved. It is time for a new type of leader, she said, one who is smarter, faster and better.
How does a leader do this? If you want to be smarter, stop trying to be an expert. Instead, learn how to ask the right questions, manage the information you collect and surround yourself with smart people.
To be faster, the author suggests, slow down. Take time to focus and reflect. Creativity and innovation take place when you put your brain into a different state. Instead of this being a contradiction, slowing down to focus is one of the best tools a leader can develop to become faster.
If you want to grow the bottom line, Sloan urges leaders to stop focusing solely on gaining competitive edge. Instead, energy must be equally focused on your own self-development, as well as improving their teams, organization, industry and community.
The paradoxes of Smarter, Faster, Better are necessary, said the author, in order to achieve the transformational work that will be the future of business. This change will be based upon recognizing four basic principles:
The meaning of leadership must shift to a more enduring, effective and fulfilling responsibility. While a leader's responsibility is to grow the bottom line and to contribute to stakeholders, it is also to contribute to the world in a positive way.
The most effective way to improve performance is to focus on what happens when you are at your best. Build on your success, not on the negative. Become a master of successes, not a master of problems.
Acknowledge the real. Bad stuff happens. You may not always like the truth, but as a leader, you must always be willing to acknowledge it.
People have a genuine desire to contribute in a positive way to something larger than themselves. There is a tendency that people are motivated by greed, but that is generally not the case.
Leadership, Sloan stated, is no longer about "me." The only way to work smarter, faster and better, is to focus on "we."
"As an effective, enduring, and fulfilled leader, part of your success will be based on helping others become more effective, enduring and fulfilled," Sloan said.
The airline JetBlue is one of numerous examples given in the book of companies that have been successful using the principles Sloan describes. JetBlue is described as a casual, friendly brand, characterized by how its CEO, David Neeleman, interacts with employees and customers. He often travels on the airline, talking to customers and asking questions. JetBlue, said the author, has an energy created in a culture of slowing down, really listening, engaging with values and focusing on people.
The intersection of personal and organizational values is a major theme of the book. In order to work smarter, faster and better, employees must be able to live their own values in the context of the organization. Sloan gives a variety of ideas for anyone's leadership tool kit to accomplish this. Her exercises on such topics as appreciative inquiry, listening skills and physical and mental centering are easy to use, both for individuals and teams. At a time of increasing complexity and stress overload, this new book is a valuable asset for providing practical strategies for both companies and individuals.
Sloan summarizes her book best in quoting Gandhi. He wrote that we must "be the change we wish to see in the world." Sloane gives us the tools to make this a daily practice. In doing so, she shows us how to become smarter, faster, better — and to enjoy it more.
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