Effectiveness can be learned. Effectiveness must be learned. —Peter Drucker
This quote affirms the late Peter Drucker’s belief that leaders are made not born. Mark Miller cites Drucker in the Introduction to Smart Leadership to affirm that leadership can be learned and is based on making appropriate choices. I must disagree with one word in the subtitle, however. These are not “simple” choices but decisions that a leader practices until they become second nature. With practice, they become part of one’s lifestyle.
Miller, a VP at Chick-fil-A, has become a leadership guru in his own right. Most of his leadership books have been written in the popular “fable” style, telling a story that embodies the principles he wishes to teach. This is a more traditional approach that shares the insights of research, personal experiences about leadership, and practical suggestions for implementation.
There is much here that will be familiar to students of leadership, but Miller builds on these concepts, providing effective ideas for application. Several parts stood out for me.
First, he challenges readers to confront reality with fresh eyes and provides helpful insights into those who can help provide this—a personal board of directors, mentors, coaches, consultants, and peer groups. He explains what each can bring to clarify a leader’s perspective.
Second, he gets the coaching thing and the importance of asking rather than telling. He has been coached and knows how to coach. He understands that the best questions are open rather than closed, single barrel rather than multibarrel, and not designed to lead the other person to a pre-determined answer. These are basic approaches in good coaching technique.
Third, he understands the importance of talking with strangers to broaden your understanding. He suggests the types of people you should engage in conversation—those who do what you do better than you do, those who will stretch your thinking, those who work in other disciplines, those with different worldviews, and smart people—and how you can do this.
Fourth, he provides practical insights about vision by suggesting questions that you should ask yourself (or someone else) to craft a vision for your organization.
This is a great book on leadership that will cause to reassess how you go about the practice of leadership. What are the “four simple choices”? Buy the book to find out!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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