Humility Is the New Smart

Rethinking Human Excellence in the Smart Machine Age

By: Edward D. Hess, Katherine Ludwig

Narrated by: Anna Crowe

Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

In nearly every industry, smart machines are replacing human labor. It's not just factory jobs - automated technologies are handling people's investments, diagnosing illnesses, and analyzing written documents. If we humans are going to endure, Edward Hess and Katherine Ludwig say we're going to need a dose of humility.

We need to be humble enough to let go of the idea that "smart" means knowing the most, using that information quickest, and making the fewest mistakes. Smart machines will always be better than we are at those things. Instead, we need to cultivate important abilities that smart machines don't have (yet): thinking critically, creatively, and innovatively, and building close relationships with others so we can collaborate effectively. Hess and Ludwig call this being NewSmart.

To develop these abilities, we need to practice four specific behaviors: keeping our egos out of our way, managing our thoughts and emotions to curb any biases or defensiveness, listening to others with an open mind, and connecting with others socially and emotionally. What all these behaviors have in common is, again, humility - avoiding self-centeredness so we can learn from and work with other humans. Hess and Ludwig offer a guide to developing these NewSmart abilities and to creating organizations where these qualities are encouraged and rewarded.

©2017 Edward D. Hess and Katherine Ludwig (P)2017 Edward D. Hess and Katherine Ludwig

Less Smart Machine More HUMILITY Please!!

What did you love best about Humility Is the New Smart?

I learned so much about the study of learning and how some perceive humility traits such as critical thinking and active listening more important skills than test taking for instance. Super glad for this focus.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Humility Is the New Smart?

I read it a while back, and I think it was a very consistent book, with a strong thesis, but nothing is jumping out. Perhaps stories of Hess his youth?

Have you listened to any of Anna Crowe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never before, but it was lovely.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Devices can't feel.

Any additional comments?

:)

Amazing information. Will inspire any reader!

What did you love best about Humility Is the New Smart?

The concept and the delivery & organization of the information.

Any additional comments?

I think it would be a great to have a companion PDF included to help the reader navigate the exercises.

Humility a new skill

The book and authors lay out a great purpose for humility in the future business environment! A most read for managers in the new business world!

Excellent advice and content!

This is a timely book that is well presented and written. I thought the action items were particularly well conceived.

Our New, Healthier Work

I believe this book is forward-looking and the future of how we will lead our subordinates and create more efficient and healthy work environments. the narration on this book was engaging and throughout the book you had many opportunities to stop and reflect on what these concepts mean to you.

Feels accurate to me

The world is changing faster than ever. The smart machine age changes what skills are valuable in organizational leaders and workers in general. Nobody knows everything and continually improving machine learning products will make it more and more apparent. No ego, No fear, embrace humility.

Thought Provoking

Great book, I really enjoyed how it continuously encouraged thought and creativity through identification of key shortfalls in typical companies and managerial roles. In all highly recommended for new and old leaders alike!

Old Material

This is old material piecemealed together with a futuristic name slapped on the front. It's not a bad book; there is just nothing new. Also, it takes on a "New Age" vibe at times which is a large turn off for me.

To preachy and worships google to much!

The book makes a lot of good or agreeable points but derails into this weird, dark be like google and adopt a “take one for the team” life philosophy. That in the grand scheme of things, wanting something for yourself including credit for YOUR ideas or work is wrong and selfish. That you should suppress the urge to ask “what’s in it for me” and let your ego dissolve away for the good of the company or the team. Humble yourself for the bigger picture because wanting to stand out is bad simply because it means you must stand in the way of others or (to those who wrote this book) worse, that you must obviously be standing on their necks?

Well, one has to lead, someone has to be CEO, be in charge and you cannot sell me a story that this kind person does not have ego, is not above “the rest of us” or would not fire you at the drop of a hat for not marching lock step to the company beat. So to me, if the guy at the top is not humble to the level this book claims we should be, then it kinda destroys the narrative and the point its trying to make. Either that or its predicting the fall of 99% of the worlds companies, not from machines but arrogance, ego and self importance?