Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader

By: Herminia Ibarra

Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck

Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

You aspire to lead with greater impact. The problem is you're busy executing on today's demands. You know you have to carve out time from your day job to build your leadership skills, but it's easy to let immediate problems and old mind-sets get in the way.

Herminia Ibarra - an expert on professional leadership and development and a renowned professor at INSEAD, a leading international business school - shows how managers and executives at all levels can step up to leadership by making small but crucial changes in their jobs, their networks, and themselves. In Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, she offers advice to help you:

• Redefine your job in order to make more strategic contributions
• Diversify your network so that you connect to and learn from a bigger range of stakeholders
• Become more playful with your self-concept, allowing your familiar - and possibly outdated - leadership style to evolve

Ibarra turns the usual "think first and then act" philosophy on its head by arguing that doing these three things will help you learn through action and will increase what she calls your outsight - the valuable external perspective you gain from direct experiences and experimentation. As opposed to insight, outsight will then help change the way you think as a leader: about what kind of work is important; how you should invest your time; why and which relationships matter in informing and supporting your leadership; and, ultimately, who you want to become.

Packed with self-assessments and practical advice to help define your most pressing leadership challenges, this book will help you devise a plan of action to become a better leader and move your career to the next level. It's time to learn by doing.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2015 Herminia Ibarra (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

leadership development

great read lots of ahhh ha moments recommended reading for those in leadership positions or looking to step up.

Good information, but not as an audio book

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, but I would recommend buying the print book instead or at least as a companion.

What did you like best about this story?

Good information about the practices that will set you up for success. As the title indicates, one must do the things a leader does in order to be a leader.

How could the performance have been better?

It was very hard to assimilate the information as it was narrated and this book has a lot of figures that do not come across well in the narration. I would recommend that the narrator speak more naturally or as if giving a lecture and recognize that some portions are anecdotal and should be delivered as a story. Some details are more important that others and should be emphasized, but not every sentence should be spoken with impactful emphasis. Finally, speak just a little faster and with a more natural cadence.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No. This is a learning book, not a story book.

Any additional comments?

This book has a lot of figures that are referenced in the text. It also has questions and assessments that really do not come through well as an audio book. I enjoyed listening to this book, but really wish that I had purchased the print version as well. This would be much better if the audio was available as a kindle companion.

Gets you thinking

Good compilation of things to think about regarding what makes up an effective leader. Reads like a compilation of HBR articles, not going deep in any specific topic. This isn't a bad thing though as it encourages the reader to think differently about their thinking and encourages them to take action without telling them exactly what to do.

Useful information

Information provided is clear and concise. I like the chapter reviews at the end of chapter which quickly summarized the important points. Narration is a little dry, but overall a good book.

Incredibly valuable insights regarding the steps it takes to become a leader

My business reading is usually confined to books about strategy. This book has absolutely changed my philosophy. Leadership is its own work. If that concept intrigues you, or if you don't know what that means, then I recommend starting this book. You'll know within a few pages whether it's relevant to you.

On Audible, I usually listen to The Great Courses, so perhaps my low score on performance for this book is unfair. I'm just not used to listening to audiobooks that sound like somebody's reading.

The book was recommended to me by an executive coach. I am in a position of leadership, and have had much success, but when faced with the challenge of promoting cultural change, am finding that my pacesetting style hasn't helped. This book was an eye-opener. I saw myself in many of the examples, and as a result had no choice but to listen and challenge some of my previously held beliefs about leadership. I will be buying some copies of the book to share with others

Great advice

This book is just what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. It’s perfect for anyone feeling stuck in their careers or paralyzed by overthinking.

For management at large companies

This book isn't necessarily about leadership. It's advice for managed and junior executives at large companies who are interested in advancing their careers.

There's nothing particularly earth-shattering in this book.

The author makes the claim that to change your thinking, you need to change your actions. That thinking is useless. I'm not completely sold on that point. At one point she makes the case that acting more confident and outgoing can cause you to become more confident. Ok, I'll buy that.

Some of the author's advice:
- spend more time working, but specifically on tasks to advance your career
- avoid micromanagement
- aggressively network for your career, but outside the groups you normally think of. Consider other teams, departments, companies or industries
- try not just to attend conferences or networking events, but to actively participate - ideally by presenting
- improve your public speaking skills, particularly storytelling

Nice book

It had a lot of ideas about how to re invent your self and your organisation and to take action. I did enjoy it.

Great points to ponder

...but don’t just ponder, get out and do it. Change won’t happen because you read a book or go to a seminar. Leadership comes with doing. Knowledge helps but you need action.

Robotic

I think the book was great but the narrator’s voice was robotic and hard to listen to after a short while.

truly insightful

This is a very good book for practical advice on leadership but is also well supported by research and case studies.

think like a leader.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook.
I particularly loved chapter 3 on networking.
it gave me ideas on how to network with people effectively and successfully.

I recommend it for any aspiring leader or current leader to have a read.

A wonderful look on leadership

I will definitely implement most of the information from the book. The view on emerging as a leader while acting as a leader is quite fascinating!

A recommended reading!

poor, unstimulated.

struggled to take much from this and didn't enjoy the delivery or the content. was expecting a lot more!

Not for me - no inspiration

Some good points, but very boring the example stories, it doesn't engage me as leadership is more than the board room. Leadership to me is a bout inspiring others, and this book doesn't do it for me.

Very inspiring

A very useful book for a new leader. Well written and narrated.
Looking forward to listening through again.

unconventional

extremely interesting and unconventional. requires focus as some concepts can be difficult to grasp straightway. worth it.

useful insights. a bit short 😀

would have been great to get some tips and tricks. still a very decent book.

Great book on understanding how to lead.

Absolutely great story and approach towards stepping to the leadership roles. Like the act like one approach.

What got you here won't get you there !

practical advice for managers looking for the next step up to leadership . Listen , inspect and adapt !