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• Become more playful with your self-concept, allowing your familiar - and possibly outdated - leadership style to evolve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.

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.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

leadership development

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

not the best book ive listened 2 so far

very high level - no real compleling stories - more of the same - struggled to get through it

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.

Good Advice for Aspiring Leaders

This book contains some simple and straightforward tips for positioning yourself to grow into a leadership position.
Such information is essential to people at all levels in an organization. The key issue is to grow your network and use it properly.

Great content but not a fan of the performance

I thought the content was very insightful and helpful but the reader sounded like William Shatner reading the nightly news. It was just distracting. I would recommend listening to the clip before you buy, but if you decide against the audiobook, the physical book is definitely worth it.

Flips traditional leadership training in its head

Excellent book for creating change in your career or role. Ibarra's primary lesson is that changing your behaviour will be far more impactful in helping you change your thinking, than trying to change your behaviour based on thinking differently. Our actions are more often driven by our experiences, not our knowledge, so the best way to grow is to get new experiences, not by reading books (besides this one I guess).

The book has some great examples, stories and some actionable steps to help you on this new journey.

Thought provoking!

This book gave me much insight into the change processes or transformations we undergo and the appropriate activities to encourage these transformations to occur. This book was of value not only for my own professional growth but also in my work with transformational change. I'd highly recommend this book!

Outstanding book

This book was written beautifully, it recommends how to become an effective leader. Its not the typical self self-help book that tells you to focus only on yourself but instead focus new experiences then reflect on those new experiences. Great but looking to step into leadership and for those looking to expand the leadership capabilities.

Sly Gittens

Clearly defines that old wont bring you new

In a social skills there is no other way then to fake it until you make it. The difference is that when you are joung, they say that you are searching your self, but when you ard older, they say that this is no you. Well if you want to advance you need to learn and the only way to do that is to fall a few times.

Also if somebody needs more on this social stuff and step-by-step guides, check out some David DeAngello or RSD pickup artist groups. They are masters of how to learn new behavior. And as bussiness and pua material have 70% same material there is a lot for business people in there too.
For example, I was wussy 10 years ago tgat I started with upgrading my self, now I have my company and I'm a proudly standing on my feed. So print and put this on your wall: "Change is good!" and don't be scared of falling.

truly insightful

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

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Great book on understanding how to lead.

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

Horrible reader

It’s hard to listen to this book because I didn’t like the voice of the reader.

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 !

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.

Awesome book.

Awesome book. Very helpful in validating your thinking if you're already stepping up into a leadership role, or to set your expectations for the journey to becoming a leader. My favourite part is chapter 4 where it helps you understand your new possible personalities and how to tackle the imposter feelings you get while exploring new parts of yourself. The practical steps and evaluations are also easy to follow and very useful.

poor, unstimulated.

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

Excellent book for growing leadership capability

This is a must for anyone like me who has struggled not only to build networks but to understand why they matter and how to break down the barriers that prevent you from acting. it also helps develop wider skills by putting across the idea of trying out new behaviours to develop more effective leadership styles through test and learn rather than starting with the desired end state as that only becomes clear later in the journey.