The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership

By: Steven B. Sample

Narrated by: John H. Mayer

Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2003 Steven B. Sample (P)2009 Tantor Audio

a fascinating approach to leadership.

although the book was written 22 years ago and doesn't meet his own test of a book still being read 50 or 400 years ago, this is still pretty poignant. there are many themes that are noted in other leadership books about servant, leadership, or multipliers, but this approach is really been pretty interesting. in my own career I have seen numerous examples of people in love with the idea of being in charge without actually in love with the idea that the work is amazing.

Outstanding Leadership Guide

A well written academic approach to teaching and illustrating affective ways at being or becoming a good leader.

Fantastic read!

I've listened to this book a handful of times and each time I find a new area in which I'm still learning. It's an amazing listen!

nothing new

pompous writing read in a pompous time. none of the ideas are particularly contrarian

Nothing contrarian, lots of chest thumping

The leadership principles espoused in this book are far from contrarian...perhaps in 2000 they were. The author does a good bit of tooting his own horn and focusing on higher education.

There are far better leadership titles out there.