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Smart Leadership: Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact
Escape the mediocrity that ensnares so many in business and become a better, more effective leader.
Have you ever wondered what it would take to be a better leader, or achieve your wildest dreams, or make a bigger difference in the world? The answer lies in the choices you about everything from how you spend your time to the way you view the world.
Smart Leadership is the latest essential business title from internationally bestselling author of Win the Heart and Chess Not Checkers Mark Miller. In this book, he shares the four research-based “smart choices” the best leaders make to scale their influence and results.
By teaching you how to Confront Reality , Grow Capacity, Fuel Curiosity , and Create Change , Miller will help
With this guide, your leadership—and your life—will be transformed forever.
Have you ever wondered what it would take to be a better leader, or achieve your wildest dreams, or make a bigger difference in the world? The answer lies in the choices you about everything from how you spend your time to the way you view the world.
Smart Leadership is the latest essential business title from internationally bestselling author of Win the Heart and Chess Not Checkers Mark Miller. In this book, he shares the four research-based “smart choices” the best leaders make to scale their influence and results.
By teaching you how to Confront Reality , Grow Capacity, Fuel Curiosity , and Create Change , Miller will help
With this guide, your leadership—and your life—will be transformed forever.
- GenresLeadershipNonfiction
272 pages, Hardcover
Published January 11, 2022
About the author
Mark Miller
25 books129 followersMy career at Chick-fil-A began over forty years ago as an hourly team member in one of the local restaurants. Shortly thereafter, I became the sixteenth corporate employee — my first job: working in the warehouse. Since that day, I have worked all across the business from starting our Corporate Communications group and our Quality & Customer Satisfaction Team to leading in Restaurant Operations, Training & Development, Leadership Development and more!
For the last twenty years, I have focused much of my time on serving leaders, helping them grow themselves, their teams, and their organizations. In addition to my role at Chick-fil-A, I’ve also had the privilege to teach and lead in not-for-profit organizations domestically and globally. Although the context is different in every organization, the problems have common roots and so do the solutions.
Along the way, I have been fortunate to author (and co-author) a few books – eight and counting. Today, more than a million books are in print in 25+ languages. My approach to writing has always been to find what is true in principle and figure out how to make it applicable to the real world.
For the last twenty years, I have focused much of my time on serving leaders, helping them grow themselves, their teams, and their organizations. In addition to my role at Chick-fil-A, I’ve also had the privilege to teach and lead in not-for-profit organizations domestically and globally. Although the context is different in every organization, the problems have common roots and so do the solutions.
Along the way, I have been fortunate to author (and co-author) a few books – eight and counting. Today, more than a million books are in print in 25+ languages. My approach to writing has always been to find what is true in principle and figure out how to make it applicable to the real world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 8, 2021
This book is all about choices - and hindrances we need to overcome while approaching those decisions.
The best thing about this book is the fact that Mark does not simply state anything and has his readers take it at face value. He has done intensive research, which includes interviews with leaders about best practice, but also reading a lot of psychological studies touching his topic.
The book title promises four choices that should help leaders improve their leadership. If you expect something hands on, you're going to be disappointed - these choices are high level. But Mark is going to explore them to the depth for you, including concrete examples.
The writing was easy and allows for fast reading. It's also - typical for this kind of book - pretty optimistic. What was a little unnerving for me was the fact that often, Mark would say the same thing multiple times over the course of a few pages, every time slightly rewording it. Yes, I know repetition is a learning tool. But it should be done by the student, not the teacher. It's not a major problem - it just means a lost opportunity for brevity. Losing those repetitions could have knocked off a few pages.
In the end, it's a good book that delivers on it's promise of providing you with smart questions. But it's keeping the birds view, which makes it hard for me to follow (I'm all about the details).
Leadership is about a lot of things, and for me it's also about efficiency. In that respect, I felt Mark could have honored my time better by skipping the repeats.
Disclaimer: I’ve received a free Advanced Reader’s Copy and are leaving this review voluntarily.
The best thing about this book is the fact that Mark does not simply state anything and has his readers take it at face value. He has done intensive research, which includes interviews with leaders about best practice, but also reading a lot of psychological studies touching his topic.
The book title promises four choices that should help leaders improve their leadership. If you expect something hands on, you're going to be disappointed - these choices are high level. But Mark is going to explore them to the depth for you, including concrete examples.
The writing was easy and allows for fast reading. It's also - typical for this kind of book - pretty optimistic. What was a little unnerving for me was the fact that often, Mark would say the same thing multiple times over the course of a few pages, every time slightly rewording it. Yes, I know repetition is a learning tool. But it should be done by the student, not the teacher. It's not a major problem - it just means a lost opportunity for brevity. Losing those repetitions could have knocked off a few pages.
In the end, it's a good book that delivers on it's promise of providing you with smart questions. But it's keeping the birds view, which makes it hard for me to follow (I'm all about the details).
Leadership is about a lot of things, and for me it's also about efficiency. In that respect, I felt Mark could have honored my time better by skipping the repeats.
Disclaimer: I’ve received a free Advanced Reader’s Copy and are leaving this review voluntarily.
January 8, 2025
Просто добротна книжка про лідерство, нічого зайвого. Хоча, в ній бракує більш складного погляду на природу скерування в цілому (невизначеність, хаос, (не)керованість, управління змінами, управління очікуваннями тощо). Автор пропонує 4 «простих вибори» для покращення вашого лідерства:
1) кидайте виклик наявній реальності та інтерпретаціям реальності. «найважливіша відповідальність лідера - визначати реальність» (Макс Дюпрі).
- ставте важливі запитання;
- шукайте «свіжі» погляди в команді
- оточіть себе менторами
- “check the data”, а не йди просто за відчуттями
2) grow capacity
- ефективна витрата ресурсів
- слідкуй за витратами власної енергії та сил (куди йде?)
- формуй рутину бла бла бла
3) fuel curiosity
- оточи себе людьми з різними поглядами
- take good notes
- слідкуй за неочікуваними можливостями
4) create change
*цитата Стіва Джобса
Непогана загальна книга, але сильно щоб виділялася з і так великого переліку книжок про лідерство, я б не сказав.
1) кидайте виклик наявній реальності та інтерпретаціям реальності. «найважливіша відповідальність лідера - визначати реальність» (Макс Дюпрі).
- ставте важливі запитання;
- шукайте «свіжі» погляди в команді
- оточіть себе менторами
- “check the data”, а не йди просто за відчуттями
2) grow capacity
- ефективна витрата ресурсів
- слідкуй за витратами власної енергії та сил (куди йде?)
- формуй рутину бла бла бла
3) fuel curiosity
- оточи себе людьми з різними поглядами
- take good notes
- слідкуй за неочікуваними можливостями
4) create change
*цитата Стіва Джобса
Непогана загальна книга, але сильно щоб виділялася з і так великого переліку книжок про лідерство, я б не сказав.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2022
“You don’t drift to a better place – you make a decision to go to work.” Smart Leadership by Mark Miller will help you “get to work” once you decide to go to work.
Mark Miller, VP of High Performance Leadership for Chick-fil-A draws from decades of experience as he pours out a heaping portion of leadership insight to help us make four smart choices. Why "smart choices"? "Because," says Miller, “your choices determine your impact." (2)
Miller’s premise is simple: Leaders can make four smart choices to scale their impact:
About the author:
Miller began his Chick-fil-A experience more than forty years ago when he started as an hourly team member. He was the sixteenth corporate employee on CFA's path to becoming a $17 billion-dollar company. Miller has authored nine books, with more than one million total copies in print. His books have been translated into 25 different languages.
The book in a sentence (or two):
Leaders can make four smart choices to scale their impact: #1: Confront Reality, #2: Grow Capacity, #3: Fuel Curiosity, #4: Create Change.
My quick take on Smart Leadership:
Highly practical. Extremely valuable to me role as a college president. Get ready, four choices seems easy enough! But there are myriad applications. The work will be hard and the results will be worth it!
Overview and Analysis:
As noted, Miller’s Smart Leadership has been a big help. The thoroughness and insights reflect his leadership expertise and the power of the team working with him. I have a ton of takeaways from the hours I have spent with this book. I wished he would have provided source documentation for his quotes, but worse things have happened in the publishing industry.
For all his great work--and I truly loved this book-- it was an “under the sun” approach: Give it your best during the few days of this life; build your legacy. There was a passing nod to spiritual disciplines, but that was about it. The totality of anything “spiritual” was contained in one paragraph (page 132-33). For a guy intent on wisdom, he never pointed us to the Source -- and I think he knows the Source (See Proverbs). That left me curiously befuddled.
My Takeaways:
Smart Choice #1: Confront Reality
1. Assess carefully:
Miller quotes one of my favorite maxims, that from the pen of Max De Pree, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” His story about Socrates and “I want air” makes the point very well (pp 36-7). “When you want to know reality as much as you want air, you will find it.” Miller identified ten areas to assess “reality.” His words about Your Team really hit home.
2. Genchi Gembutsu: The Japanese phrase means “Go see for yourself.” “Data is good, reports are helpful, but there are few substitutes for leaders going to see for themselves.” Step out of your office. Visit your sites. Get out on the floor! (45)
3. Find Fresh Eyes: I have used and heard used the concept of receiving input from “people with fresh eyes.” Miller is the first person I have read who described some of the attributes that mark fresh eyes: They have a different worldview. They have no direct stake in the outcome. They work in a different discipline. They are from outside your organization. They did not create the existing system or process in question. They are new to the topic or subject matter being discussed. They are known and trusted truth tellers. They are not intimidated by you, your role, or your organization. (46)
4. Improve annually: Each off-season, John Wooden would study one facet of the game. He would dive in: Watch film, read books, interview coaches and top performers. “He was always willing to reinvent his methods and his thinking for the sake of improvement.” Leadership implications: Study vision, communication, conflict management, team building, etc. (61)
5. Provide Absolute Role Clarity: Regardless of who does what, the leader must be clear and explicit as to who does what. The absence of role clarity is not a team failure—it is a leadership failure. (81) ***TK***
Smart Choice #2: Grow Capacity:
1. Responsibility: It’s never your job to do the team’s job. (90)
2. Eliminate the unnecessary: Drucker: Never met a knowledge worker who could not eliminate 25 percent of the items from his calendar and no one would notice. (91) The Effective Executive
3. The Qualified Yes (to eliminate low or non-value-added activities): When invited to a meeting, ask the person who invited you, “Which portion of the meeting would be most helpful for me to attend?” The answer may be only a portion of the day. If that’s the case, only attend that portion. Evaluation Exercise: 1. Review your calendar of the last month and the coming month based on contribution. 2. Flag each meeting: Red – Stop doing; Yellow: Your unsure about it; Green: Keep doing & do your best to only attend the portion you are needed. (92)
4. Design for scale: Miller borrows from T.D. Jakes here. Jakes noted that if a leader is in a sustained period of stress and pressure, he or she doesn’t have the proper structure. Structure, by design, is supposed to lift and support . A lot of leaders are trying to carry too much; they are shouldering weight beyond what they were intended to carry—they need a different structure. Signs you need a different structure: Hard to get the work done. Flow of information is slow, confusing, or nonexistent. Slipping performance. The mindset that the problem is “over there.” (97) Organizations that scale well are designed to scale. (99)
5. Create margin: In my own work on "margin," I have framed it as, “an intentional decision to create restorative time.” Miller frames it around work: “Margin is simply the practice of allocating enough time to reflect, assess, think, create, and plan. We must create sufficient capacity for this critical work. Without margin in our life, we run the very real risk of unwittingly sacrificing the future on the altar of today.” It is the leader's responsibility to create margin in his or her calendar. (95)
6. Expand Your Energy: Conduct an energy audit. Leaders must pay attention to and adjust their schedules relative to their energy levels: physical energy, mental energy, relational energy, emotional energy. (120-133) Miller does not consider "spiritual energy." The prophet Isaiah writes, "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 NIV
Smart Choice #3: Fuel Curiosity:
1. Maintaining relevancy: Ask these questions: (1) How have your customer’s expectations changed over the last twelve months? (2) How have your employee’s expectations changed since you first became a leader? (3) How have your organizations strategies changed over the last five years? (4) How have your personal goals and aspirations shifted as you’ve progressed in your career? (5) How has technology impacted your business?
2. Capture your thinking with a “commonplace book”: Short-term memories are being eroded by the way we receive and process information. We need to think on paper. This is the place for thoughts, unfinished ideas, a quote, book recommendation, a person you want to follow-up with down the road. Capture your ideas in the moment. Do you have a commonplace book? (148)
3. Questions: The leader’s Swiss Army Knife: See pages 161ff. Miller provides a great list. Use “single-barrel questions” as opposed to multi-layered questions. You can always follow up a single question with another question.
4. Industrial tourism: Always attempt to incorporate something you learned from any visit you make or any interview you conduct. “Failure to incorporate some best practice was thought of as “industrial tourism,” not real bench-marking. Don't be an industrial tourist. Be a learner and take action on what you learn. (181)
Smart Choice #4: Create Change:
1. The heart of true leadership is the ability to create change. (188)
2. Responsibility: Leaders understand to their core that they are ultimately accountable for their ability to channel the resources, activities, hearts, and minds of people to create a better tomorrow.” (189)
3. Remember Your Purpose: If you are going to bring change, you must know your “Why?” See “Discover Your Purpose” at SmartLeadershipBook
4. Share what you learn: Seth Godin says his decision to blog daily is one of his top five career choices. (197) What baby step can YOU take today to share what you are learning?
5. About vision: Vision creates focus, followers, and fall-outs (not everyone will choose not to god). Vision sets the stage for strategy. “If you are a leader, you need a vision. You should always have a preferred picture of what you are trying to create. Obviously, your vision should be scaled accordingly. (206)
6. Can you answer it? What would have to be true in the future for you to have changed the face of biblical higher education ten years from now? (my paraphrase) (207)
7. Vision communication: You will need to convey it in ways that will resonate with a diverse audience. Refuse to focus on your preferred method. (211)
8. Communication: John Kotter says that corporate change efforts he studied (more than 100) were under-communicated by a factor of ten! (225)
Miller piqued my curiosity about these books:
The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains by Nicholas Carr
Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership
Words to ponder:
1. Urgent vs Important: “If I were to let my life be taken over by what is urgent, I might very well never get around to what is essential.” Henri Nouwen
2. Leadership and Titles: “As you know, not everyone with the title fills the role.”
3. You have the power to choose: "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose a response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Viktor Frankl
4. Get outside your box: “What got you here won’t get you there.” Marshall Goldsmith
5. The best consultants: “The best consultants and executive coaches always tell the truth. The second-rate ones will tell you what you want to hear.” 47 Listen carefully. Note: Feedback is about the past, and counsel is about the future. 49
6. On the difference between mentors and coaches: Mentors work for free, and coaches work for cash. 50 Two key questions for potential mentors: “Do they know more than me on the topic at hand? Are they willing to help me grow?” 50
7. On thinking time: “Leaders must invest enough time in the future to ensure their organization has one.” 60 ****TK*****
8. On solving problems: “When leaders begin to apply yesterday’s solutions to today’s problems, the end is inevitable.” Larry Miller, Barbarians to Bureaucrats
9. Stay Curious: “I made a decision years ago I would rather have my students drink from a running stream than a stagnant pool.” Howard Hendricks, professor 152
10. Questions: "Questions are a leader’s Swiss Army knife; there’s a blade for almost everything.” Mark Miller, 160
11. Interviewing: “The most important decision a leader makes is who does what.” Peter Drucker, 165
12. Wisdom: “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have rather talked.” Mark Twain
13. Mindset: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t—you’re right.” Henry Ford
14. A GREAT question: What is your favorite part of leadership? 203
15. Taking the temperature of the organization: “If you want to know the temperature in an organization, stick the thermometer in the leader’s mouth—the rest of the people will be a few degrees below the leader.” 209
16. Do hard things: "All things are difficult before they are easy.” Thomas Fuller 216
Conclusion:
Near the conclusion of the book, Mark Miller relays a powerful incident that illustrates the importance of accountability. Someone approached him asking which part of the kite is most critical for sustained flight. Miller didn’t know and quickly ran out of parts (sticks, paper, tail, structure) to consider. He was told he had it all wrong, it was the string. “Without the tension of being tethered to someone on the ground (accountability), it will quickly crash, if it even gets off the ground in the first place.”
Smart Leadership is a great book full of great ideas. As you can see from reading this lengthy summary review, I think it has SO MUCH to offer, but apart from accountability to act on these insights, it’s just a five-star rating and a breezy ,“Yeah, I read that book; it was really good.” So buy it. Read it. Digest it. And then map and share your plan to put into practice.
Mark Miller, VP of High Performance Leadership for Chick-fil-A draws from decades of experience as he pours out a heaping portion of leadership insight to help us make four smart choices. Why "smart choices"? "Because," says Miller, “your choices determine your impact." (2)
Miller’s premise is simple: Leaders can make four smart choices to scale their impact:
Smart Choice #1: Confront Reality
Smart Choice #2: Grow Capacity
Smart Choice #3: Fuel Curiosity
Smart Choice #4: Create ChangeWhile Miller’s book is titled, Smart Leadership: 4 Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact, these "simple choices" will take effort. Count on it, the number of action steps you will take to apply these principles will far exceed four!
About the author:
Miller began his Chick-fil-A experience more than forty years ago when he started as an hourly team member. He was the sixteenth corporate employee on CFA's path to becoming a $17 billion-dollar company. Miller has authored nine books, with more than one million total copies in print. His books have been translated into 25 different languages.
The book in a sentence (or two):
Leaders can make four smart choices to scale their impact: #1: Confront Reality, #2: Grow Capacity, #3: Fuel Curiosity, #4: Create Change.
My quick take on Smart Leadership:
Highly practical. Extremely valuable to me role as a college president. Get ready, four choices seems easy enough! But there are myriad applications. The work will be hard and the results will be worth it!
Overview and Analysis:
As noted, Miller’s Smart Leadership has been a big help. The thoroughness and insights reflect his leadership expertise and the power of the team working with him. I have a ton of takeaways from the hours I have spent with this book. I wished he would have provided source documentation for his quotes, but worse things have happened in the publishing industry.
For all his great work--and I truly loved this book-- it was an “under the sun” approach: Give it your best during the few days of this life; build your legacy. There was a passing nod to spiritual disciplines, but that was about it. The totality of anything “spiritual” was contained in one paragraph (page 132-33). For a guy intent on wisdom, he never pointed us to the Source -- and I think he knows the Source (See Proverbs). That left me curiously befuddled.
My Takeaways:
Smart Choice #1: Confront Reality
1. Assess carefully:
Miller quotes one of my favorite maxims, that from the pen of Max De Pree, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” His story about Socrates and “I want air” makes the point very well (pp 36-7). “When you want to know reality as much as you want air, you will find it.” Miller identified ten areas to assess “reality.” His words about Your Team really hit home.
I think it would also be helpful if you knew the unvarnished truth about your team. Are they just good enough? Are they exceptional? Does your day crew rock and maybe your night crew is a little bit scary? How about your leadership team? What is true about your leadership team – collectively and the individual members? (41).This resonated as assessment is a high priority item in our organization.
2. Genchi Gembutsu: The Japanese phrase means “Go see for yourself.” “Data is good, reports are helpful, but there are few substitutes for leaders going to see for themselves.” Step out of your office. Visit your sites. Get out on the floor! (45)
3. Find Fresh Eyes: I have used and heard used the concept of receiving input from “people with fresh eyes.” Miller is the first person I have read who described some of the attributes that mark fresh eyes: They have a different worldview. They have no direct stake in the outcome. They work in a different discipline. They are from outside your organization. They did not create the existing system or process in question. They are new to the topic or subject matter being discussed. They are known and trusted truth tellers. They are not intimidated by you, your role, or your organization. (46)
4. Improve annually: Each off-season, John Wooden would study one facet of the game. He would dive in: Watch film, read books, interview coaches and top performers. “He was always willing to reinvent his methods and his thinking for the sake of improvement.” Leadership implications: Study vision, communication, conflict management, team building, etc. (61)
5. Provide Absolute Role Clarity: Regardless of who does what, the leader must be clear and explicit as to who does what. The absence of role clarity is not a team failure—it is a leadership failure. (81) ***TK***
Smart Choice #2: Grow Capacity:
1. Responsibility: It’s never your job to do the team’s job. (90)
2. Eliminate the unnecessary: Drucker: Never met a knowledge worker who could not eliminate 25 percent of the items from his calendar and no one would notice. (91) The Effective Executive
3. The Qualified Yes (to eliminate low or non-value-added activities): When invited to a meeting, ask the person who invited you, “Which portion of the meeting would be most helpful for me to attend?” The answer may be only a portion of the day. If that’s the case, only attend that portion. Evaluation Exercise: 1. Review your calendar of the last month and the coming month based on contribution. 2. Flag each meeting: Red – Stop doing; Yellow: Your unsure about it; Green: Keep doing & do your best to only attend the portion you are needed. (92)
4. Design for scale: Miller borrows from T.D. Jakes here. Jakes noted that if a leader is in a sustained period of stress and pressure, he or she doesn’t have the proper structure. Structure, by design, is supposed to lift and support . A lot of leaders are trying to carry too much; they are shouldering weight beyond what they were intended to carry—they need a different structure. Signs you need a different structure: Hard to get the work done. Flow of information is slow, confusing, or nonexistent. Slipping performance. The mindset that the problem is “over there.” (97) Organizations that scale well are designed to scale. (99)
5. Create margin: In my own work on "margin," I have framed it as, “an intentional decision to create restorative time.” Miller frames it around work: “Margin is simply the practice of allocating enough time to reflect, assess, think, create, and plan. We must create sufficient capacity for this critical work. Without margin in our life, we run the very real risk of unwittingly sacrificing the future on the altar of today.” It is the leader's responsibility to create margin in his or her calendar. (95)
6. Expand Your Energy: Conduct an energy audit. Leaders must pay attention to and adjust their schedules relative to their energy levels: physical energy, mental energy, relational energy, emotional energy. (120-133) Miller does not consider "spiritual energy." The prophet Isaiah writes, "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 NIV
Smart Choice #3: Fuel Curiosity:
1. Maintaining relevancy: Ask these questions: (1) How have your customer’s expectations changed over the last twelve months? (2) How have your employee’s expectations changed since you first became a leader? (3) How have your organizations strategies changed over the last five years? (4) How have your personal goals and aspirations shifted as you’ve progressed in your career? (5) How has technology impacted your business?
2. Capture your thinking with a “commonplace book”: Short-term memories are being eroded by the way we receive and process information. We need to think on paper. This is the place for thoughts, unfinished ideas, a quote, book recommendation, a person you want to follow-up with down the road. Capture your ideas in the moment. Do you have a commonplace book? (148)
3. Questions: The leader’s Swiss Army Knife: See pages 161ff. Miller provides a great list. Use “single-barrel questions” as opposed to multi-layered questions. You can always follow up a single question with another question.
4. Industrial tourism: Always attempt to incorporate something you learned from any visit you make or any interview you conduct. “Failure to incorporate some best practice was thought of as “industrial tourism,” not real bench-marking. Don't be an industrial tourist. Be a learner and take action on what you learn. (181)
Smart Choice #4: Create Change:
1. The heart of true leadership is the ability to create change. (188)
2. Responsibility: Leaders understand to their core that they are ultimately accountable for their ability to channel the resources, activities, hearts, and minds of people to create a better tomorrow.” (189)
3. Remember Your Purpose: If you are going to bring change, you must know your “Why?” See “Discover Your Purpose” at SmartLeadershipBook
4. Share what you learn: Seth Godin says his decision to blog daily is one of his top five career choices. (197) What baby step can YOU take today to share what you are learning?
5. About vision: Vision creates focus, followers, and fall-outs (not everyone will choose not to god). Vision sets the stage for strategy. “If you are a leader, you need a vision. You should always have a preferred picture of what you are trying to create. Obviously, your vision should be scaled accordingly. (206)
6. Can you answer it? What would have to be true in the future for you to have changed the face of biblical higher education ten years from now? (my paraphrase) (207)
7. Vision communication: You will need to convey it in ways that will resonate with a diverse audience. Refuse to focus on your preferred method. (211)
8. Communication: John Kotter says that corporate change efforts he studied (more than 100) were under-communicated by a factor of ten! (225)
Miller piqued my curiosity about these books:
The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains by Nicholas Carr
Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership
Words to ponder:
1. Urgent vs Important: “If I were to let my life be taken over by what is urgent, I might very well never get around to what is essential.” Henri Nouwen
2. Leadership and Titles: “As you know, not everyone with the title fills the role.”
3. You have the power to choose: "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose a response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Viktor Frankl
4. Get outside your box: “What got you here won’t get you there.” Marshall Goldsmith
5. The best consultants: “The best consultants and executive coaches always tell the truth. The second-rate ones will tell you what you want to hear.” 47 Listen carefully. Note: Feedback is about the past, and counsel is about the future. 49
6. On the difference between mentors and coaches: Mentors work for free, and coaches work for cash. 50 Two key questions for potential mentors: “Do they know more than me on the topic at hand? Are they willing to help me grow?” 50
7. On thinking time: “Leaders must invest enough time in the future to ensure their organization has one.” 60 ****TK*****
8. On solving problems: “When leaders begin to apply yesterday’s solutions to today’s problems, the end is inevitable.” Larry Miller, Barbarians to Bureaucrats
9. Stay Curious: “I made a decision years ago I would rather have my students drink from a running stream than a stagnant pool.” Howard Hendricks, professor 152
10. Questions: "Questions are a leader’s Swiss Army knife; there’s a blade for almost everything.” Mark Miller, 160
11. Interviewing: “The most important decision a leader makes is who does what.” Peter Drucker, 165
12. Wisdom: “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have rather talked.” Mark Twain
13. Mindset: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t—you’re right.” Henry Ford
14. A GREAT question: What is your favorite part of leadership? 203
15. Taking the temperature of the organization: “If you want to know the temperature in an organization, stick the thermometer in the leader’s mouth—the rest of the people will be a few degrees below the leader.” 209
16. Do hard things: "All things are difficult before they are easy.” Thomas Fuller 216
Conclusion:
Near the conclusion of the book, Mark Miller relays a powerful incident that illustrates the importance of accountability. Someone approached him asking which part of the kite is most critical for sustained flight. Miller didn’t know and quickly ran out of parts (sticks, paper, tail, structure) to consider. He was told he had it all wrong, it was the string. “Without the tension of being tethered to someone on the ground (accountability), it will quickly crash, if it even gets off the ground in the first place.”
Smart Leadership is a great book full of great ideas. As you can see from reading this lengthy summary review, I think it has SO MUCH to offer, but apart from accountability to act on these insights, it’s just a five-star rating and a breezy ,“Yeah, I read that book; it was really good.” So buy it. Read it. Digest it. And then map and share your plan to put into practice.
August 17, 2023
Learn how to make Smart Choices.
Have you ever seen the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? If so, you’ll no doubt remember the scene where Indy has to choose the Holy Grail from a plethora of cups. Legend has it that whoever drinks from it will gain immortality. He’s struggling to choose when along comes the antihero who’s also after the cup. Indy allows him to pick first. Aided by his assistant, he plumps for a golden chalice and drinks from it. Within seconds the villain experiences an agonizing death. The knight who’s been guarding the cup then says his famous line, “He chose … poorly.”
Indy then picks out a simple cup – one that could have been made by a carpenter. The knight agrees with his choice and says, “You have chosen wisely.”
You’ll doubtless never face that kind of choice, but it illustrates how often choices can be difficult and how devastating the wrong choice can be. You want to make the right choice – the one that will have the most favorable impact, that will be most effective, that will add value After all, your choices affect everyone around you.
In this book, you’ll discover what the author, Mark Miller, calls the four Smart Choices together with some strategies and tactics to help you get started.
Ready to breathe new life into your leadership skills? Then let’s press on with some Smart Choices that will bring out the Smart Leader within you.
-
Smart choices will help you escape from the quicksand.
Do you ever feel like you’re swimming in quicksand? The harder you work, the deeper you sink? Progress and success seem out of reach? Your career and life somehow unfulfilling?
Many leaders have these thoughts, indeed most seem to be facing an ever-increasing list of challenges. Just like quicksand, they don’t see it coming and once they’re in they feel helpless and alone. That quicksand has a tight grip and it’s difficult to get out of. So what do many leaders do? They just find a way to cope – they learn to swim in the quicksand.
Everyone’s quicksand is personal. For some, it’s the endless – often unproductive – meetings; others are swamped with emails, text, and social media posts; some have colleagues interrupting their flow; and many find the complexity of life is simply escalating. Don’t relate to any of those? Well, what is it that’s holding you back? What’s stopping you from being impactful? The story of your own success? Complacency? A lack of inertia? Fatigue? Circumstances beyond your control?
No matter what your personal quicksand is, rest assured there is a way out.
First off, let’s pinpoint exactly what your quicksand is. Take a pen and notepad and jot down your top three impediments. Why not add them to your phone for quick reference, too? As you progress through this book, refer to these constantly. By the end, you should be able to formulate a plan to escape from these.
Viktor Frankl said that there’s a space between a stimulus and your response. In that space, you have the power to choose how you respond. Therein lies your path to growth and freedom. Sure, we may not all have the same degree of access to make choices, but the choices you can make give you both agency and opportunity.
In the next four sections, you’re going to learn about the four Smart Choices. These choices are ones that have a high impact and require you to focus. Individually, they each have their own value, but together, they’ll unleash your real power and multiply your impact.
-
Confront reality regularly and plan for your future reality.
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” So said Max Dupree, the former CEO of the furniture company Herman Miller. Although this may seem obvious, many leaders have difficulty confronting their reality. Why is this? Well, there are several reasons including a fear of failure, living in denial, arrogance, short-term thinking, and even being just too busy.
The thing is that if you want to stay grounded in truth and lead from strength, you must confront reality. The first step in doing that is to define your universe.
Start by examining your leadership. Ask yourself, “How well am I leading? Do I have any blind spots?” Then think about your team. Is everyone in your team exceptional or only “good enough”? What about your leadership team?
Next, think about your organization. Is it performing well against its potential? Are you getting the results you want from your plans and strategies?
You need to look at more personal aspects of your universe, too. Ask yourself, “What is my life like right now? Am I living sustainably? Can I continue doing what I’m doing for the next 10, 20, or 30 years? Am I participating at work, at home, and in the community to the levels I want to?” Next, move on to your relationships. Are they healthy? Who is it that gives you energy and who drains it from you? What about your financial situation? Are you living within your means? Do you have debts? Have you prepared adequately for your future? What about your health? Are you getting enough sleep and exercise? Is your current diet good for you? If you’re a spiritual person, how connected do you feel you to your higher power? What about your role in the community – are you having an impact outside of your family circle? And finally, what kind of legacy will you leave?
Wow, that’s a lot of questions. So what do you do with all the answers? First, remember this reality inventory is only your starting point, your basecamp. Confronting your reality is a continuous process. Keep confronting it and checking where your reality currently lies. Think about where you want your reality to be in the future and where are the gaps that you need to fill. Make plans on how to fill the gaps and reach your desired future reality.
Don’t just look at this by yourself, either. Get some fresh eyes to look at your reality with you. Find someone who might see flaws in your assumptions or see where you’ve been blinded by your biases. They might also be able to give you new ideas. Consider paying a consultant who will tell you the truth – not just what you want to hear. Alternatively, if you don’t already have one, find a mentor to work with or hire a professional coach. All of these people can help you confront your reality.
Are you ready to take action to confront your reality right now? Then grab a notebook and pen. Write down areas where you need to confront reality. What is true of those areas today? What would you like to be true in those areas in the future? Start building your plan to get there.
-
Grow your capacity and create margin for reflection.
In 1913, Henry Ford introduced the assembly line. This brought production time for the Model T down from twelve hours to a mere one hour and 33 minutes. This increased capacity heralded a new era of mobility for people and products.
In our modern world, computers have increased capacity to even higher levels and have allowed amazing feats such as the sequencing of the human genome to be completed with ease. At the time Smart Leadership was written, the fastest computer was in Japan and had 7.3 million cores and a speed of 415.5 petaflops. Baffled? Don’t worry, Miller is and so are we, but one thing we can be sure of is that with the capacity that creates, it’s sure to change the world.
But although that’s the technological side of capacity growth, there’s also the human aspect. We’re all bursting with potential and we have a duty to release it. So let’s take a look at how we can go about doing just that.
First, step back and look at yourself. Start with your calendar. Eliminate anything that’s a low or no value-added activity. For example, if you’re invited to a meeting ask the organizer which part of the meeting you’re needed for and consider attending only that part. Next, chunk activities together by taking similar activities and putting them together in your calendar. Consider using an activity tracking app, too, so you can see exactly where you’re spending your precious time.
Create margin in your calendar. This is time for reflection, assessment, thinking, and planning. It’s time when you get those insights that otherwise you’d have no time for. It isn’t an optional extra, but a necessity. Think about taking a whole day to think and reflect. Can’t afford that? Take half a day, even a few hours, but do it.
Do you want to do something immediate to grow your capacity? Then, grab your calendar and eliminate one or more meetings or activities each week for the coming month. And while you’re there, schedule in that margin, too!
-
Fueling your curiosity will create new opportunites.
Back in 2003, Miller met the CEO of grocery chain Superquinn in Ireland. At that time, Fergal Quinn had around 30 stores. Quinn talked to his customers – almost to the point of obsession. Indeed, you could argue that he was undertaking a weekly customer focus group. He had an insatiable curiosity and love for his customers.
Think for a moment about the last time you spoke to your customers or better, listened to them. If you want to be a leader who can achieve maximum impact, you need to learn to flex your curiosity muscles. Rather than suppress the curiosity beast inside you, fuel it.
A good place to start is to find out how stable your world is. Ask yourself these questions: How have my customers’ expectations changed over the last year? Have my employees’ expectations changed since I first became their leader? How have the company’s strategies changed over the last five years? Have my own goals changed as my career has progressed? What technologies are shaping my business today? Am I facing competition that makes my work more of a challenge?
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey said that we live in a world of perpetual white water. He was right. Even if your water isn’t already choppy, it likely will be soon and that means you need to be even more creative and curious. It’s you who’ll need to navigate the white water ahead! How? By finding the solutions others can’t, by asking questions, by learning from the people around you, and by working for a better tomorrow. All of these things are fueled by your curiosity.
Your curiosity will open up new opportunities, too. Keep asking “What if … ?” while you look for new ideas. Take some immaginary trips into the future and see what it holds for you.
As you fuel your own curiosity, it’ll become contagious as others find their interest piqued. It’ll be great for your organization, too. Research shows that curiosity leads to more creativity in decision-making; more respect for leaders; and more collaboration within teams.
Fueling your capacity is very much dependent on growing your capacity as we outlined in the previous section. So remember that each of these Smart Choices in interlinked with the others.
Wondering how you can spark your curiosity? How about asking more questions? Get out and about more and talk to new people with fresh ideas. And of course, spend more time reading – and perhaps listening – to a wide variety of information.
Curious enough to fuel your curiosity starting now? Then, think of something in your life or in leadership that you’d like to improve. Could you create some kind of low-cost prototype you could test out? Then do it, try it, learn from it, and try again.
-
Create change for a better future.
Management consultant and author Peter Drucker said that “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” And that neatly brings us to the fourth and final Smart Choice: create change for a better tomorrow. Ultimately, that is the role of a leader: to help move people and organizations toward a preferred future.
Like the fictional Luke Skywalker of Star Wars fame, you must learn to “use the Force” within you – your strength, insight, and abilities. Channel those and use them as a force for good in the world. In the end, it will be your thoughts that affect your actions and your actions that shape the outcome.
Imagine a line with “My actions DO impact outcomes” at one end, and “My actions DON’T impact outcomes” at the other. Most people’s worldview lies somewhere on that continuum depending on how much they favor one or other of those statements. Wherever you are on that line right now, you need to shift your mindset to one of influence. After all, you can’t hope yourself to a better future, you have to behave your way there.
So when you select your next project – large or small – focus on what’s actually under your control and apply your energy to that or those areas. Think about what actions you can take and do to make significant progress. Want to run a marathon? Identify the steps you need to take to get there: read a book on how to do it, start running according to a well-defined plan – and that might mean starting by walking. If you make mistakes along the way – and you will – document them, make notes on why things went wrong, and learn from them.
And when it comes to the project after that one? Repeat. Repeat. And repeat again.
To help you see change you need to develop a growth mindset. This means committing to learning and growing throughout your life. You can’t just try. Harking back to Star Wars, you may remember that Luke has difficulty during his training and becomes frustrated. “I’m trying,” he tells Yoda, the Jedi master. But Yoda’s response is exactly what you need to adopt in your approach to your growth mindset: “Try not! Do or do not. There is no try.”
So learn something new every day. Write down at least one thing you’ve learned at the end of each day. At the end of the week, review what you learned. And why not share what you’ve learned, too? As you learn, celebrate your progress. With your growth mindset you’ll find that the Force will also be strong in you. Make sure you use it wisely!
Are you ready to take action? Then, choose a situation in your life or leadership you want to change and begin that change today.
-
There are four fundamental Smart Choices you need to make: confront your reality, grow your capacity, full your curiosity, and create your change. Each of these individually will have a high impact, but together they’ll turbo-boost your power to have an even greater impact.
Although you may make some regrettable choices along the way and sometimes you’ll exhibit some inconsistency, don’t be disheartened. Stand back from those regrets and inconsistencies, learn from them, and make a better choice the next time. Be like Indy, choose wisely.
If you’ve already started by completing the tasks in this book, you’re well on your way to making impactful Smart Choices. Ultimately, your level of success will depend entirely on you.
Have you ever seen the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? If so, you’ll no doubt remember the scene where Indy has to choose the Holy Grail from a plethora of cups. Legend has it that whoever drinks from it will gain immortality. He’s struggling to choose when along comes the antihero who’s also after the cup. Indy allows him to pick first. Aided by his assistant, he plumps for a golden chalice and drinks from it. Within seconds the villain experiences an agonizing death. The knight who’s been guarding the cup then says his famous line, “He chose … poorly.”
Indy then picks out a simple cup – one that could have been made by a carpenter. The knight agrees with his choice and says, “You have chosen wisely.”
You’ll doubtless never face that kind of choice, but it illustrates how often choices can be difficult and how devastating the wrong choice can be. You want to make the right choice – the one that will have the most favorable impact, that will be most effective, that will add value After all, your choices affect everyone around you.
In this book, you’ll discover what the author, Mark Miller, calls the four Smart Choices together with some strategies and tactics to help you get started.
Ready to breathe new life into your leadership skills? Then let’s press on with some Smart Choices that will bring out the Smart Leader within you.
-
Smart choices will help you escape from the quicksand.
Do you ever feel like you’re swimming in quicksand? The harder you work, the deeper you sink? Progress and success seem out of reach? Your career and life somehow unfulfilling?
Many leaders have these thoughts, indeed most seem to be facing an ever-increasing list of challenges. Just like quicksand, they don’t see it coming and once they’re in they feel helpless and alone. That quicksand has a tight grip and it’s difficult to get out of. So what do many leaders do? They just find a way to cope – they learn to swim in the quicksand.
Everyone’s quicksand is personal. For some, it’s the endless – often unproductive – meetings; others are swamped with emails, text, and social media posts; some have colleagues interrupting their flow; and many find the complexity of life is simply escalating. Don’t relate to any of those? Well, what is it that’s holding you back? What’s stopping you from being impactful? The story of your own success? Complacency? A lack of inertia? Fatigue? Circumstances beyond your control?
No matter what your personal quicksand is, rest assured there is a way out.
First off, let’s pinpoint exactly what your quicksand is. Take a pen and notepad and jot down your top three impediments. Why not add them to your phone for quick reference, too? As you progress through this book, refer to these constantly. By the end, you should be able to formulate a plan to escape from these.
Viktor Frankl said that there’s a space between a stimulus and your response. In that space, you have the power to choose how you respond. Therein lies your path to growth and freedom. Sure, we may not all have the same degree of access to make choices, but the choices you can make give you both agency and opportunity.
In the next four sections, you’re going to learn about the four Smart Choices. These choices are ones that have a high impact and require you to focus. Individually, they each have their own value, but together, they’ll unleash your real power and multiply your impact.
-
Confront reality regularly and plan for your future reality.
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” So said Max Dupree, the former CEO of the furniture company Herman Miller. Although this may seem obvious, many leaders have difficulty confronting their reality. Why is this? Well, there are several reasons including a fear of failure, living in denial, arrogance, short-term thinking, and even being just too busy.
The thing is that if you want to stay grounded in truth and lead from strength, you must confront reality. The first step in doing that is to define your universe.
Start by examining your leadership. Ask yourself, “How well am I leading? Do I have any blind spots?” Then think about your team. Is everyone in your team exceptional or only “good enough”? What about your leadership team?
Next, think about your organization. Is it performing well against its potential? Are you getting the results you want from your plans and strategies?
You need to look at more personal aspects of your universe, too. Ask yourself, “What is my life like right now? Am I living sustainably? Can I continue doing what I’m doing for the next 10, 20, or 30 years? Am I participating at work, at home, and in the community to the levels I want to?” Next, move on to your relationships. Are they healthy? Who is it that gives you energy and who drains it from you? What about your financial situation? Are you living within your means? Do you have debts? Have you prepared adequately for your future? What about your health? Are you getting enough sleep and exercise? Is your current diet good for you? If you’re a spiritual person, how connected do you feel you to your higher power? What about your role in the community – are you having an impact outside of your family circle? And finally, what kind of legacy will you leave?
Wow, that’s a lot of questions. So what do you do with all the answers? First, remember this reality inventory is only your starting point, your basecamp. Confronting your reality is a continuous process. Keep confronting it and checking where your reality currently lies. Think about where you want your reality to be in the future and where are the gaps that you need to fill. Make plans on how to fill the gaps and reach your desired future reality.
Don’t just look at this by yourself, either. Get some fresh eyes to look at your reality with you. Find someone who might see flaws in your assumptions or see where you’ve been blinded by your biases. They might also be able to give you new ideas. Consider paying a consultant who will tell you the truth – not just what you want to hear. Alternatively, if you don’t already have one, find a mentor to work with or hire a professional coach. All of these people can help you confront your reality.
Are you ready to take action to confront your reality right now? Then grab a notebook and pen. Write down areas where you need to confront reality. What is true of those areas today? What would you like to be true in those areas in the future? Start building your plan to get there.
-
Grow your capacity and create margin for reflection.
In 1913, Henry Ford introduced the assembly line. This brought production time for the Model T down from twelve hours to a mere one hour and 33 minutes. This increased capacity heralded a new era of mobility for people and products.
In our modern world, computers have increased capacity to even higher levels and have allowed amazing feats such as the sequencing of the human genome to be completed with ease. At the time Smart Leadership was written, the fastest computer was in Japan and had 7.3 million cores and a speed of 415.5 petaflops. Baffled? Don’t worry, Miller is and so are we, but one thing we can be sure of is that with the capacity that creates, it’s sure to change the world.
But although that’s the technological side of capacity growth, there’s also the human aspect. We’re all bursting with potential and we have a duty to release it. So let’s take a look at how we can go about doing just that.
First, step back and look at yourself. Start with your calendar. Eliminate anything that’s a low or no value-added activity. For example, if you’re invited to a meeting ask the organizer which part of the meeting you’re needed for and consider attending only that part. Next, chunk activities together by taking similar activities and putting them together in your calendar. Consider using an activity tracking app, too, so you can see exactly where you’re spending your precious time.
Create margin in your calendar. This is time for reflection, assessment, thinking, and planning. It’s time when you get those insights that otherwise you’d have no time for. It isn’t an optional extra, but a necessity. Think about taking a whole day to think and reflect. Can’t afford that? Take half a day, even a few hours, but do it.
Do you want to do something immediate to grow your capacity? Then, grab your calendar and eliminate one or more meetings or activities each week for the coming month. And while you’re there, schedule in that margin, too!
-
Fueling your curiosity will create new opportunites.
Back in 2003, Miller met the CEO of grocery chain Superquinn in Ireland. At that time, Fergal Quinn had around 30 stores. Quinn talked to his customers – almost to the point of obsession. Indeed, you could argue that he was undertaking a weekly customer focus group. He had an insatiable curiosity and love for his customers.
Think for a moment about the last time you spoke to your customers or better, listened to them. If you want to be a leader who can achieve maximum impact, you need to learn to flex your curiosity muscles. Rather than suppress the curiosity beast inside you, fuel it.
A good place to start is to find out how stable your world is. Ask yourself these questions: How have my customers’ expectations changed over the last year? Have my employees’ expectations changed since I first became their leader? How have the company’s strategies changed over the last five years? Have my own goals changed as my career has progressed? What technologies are shaping my business today? Am I facing competition that makes my work more of a challenge?
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey said that we live in a world of perpetual white water. He was right. Even if your water isn’t already choppy, it likely will be soon and that means you need to be even more creative and curious. It’s you who’ll need to navigate the white water ahead! How? By finding the solutions others can’t, by asking questions, by learning from the people around you, and by working for a better tomorrow. All of these things are fueled by your curiosity.
Your curiosity will open up new opportunities, too. Keep asking “What if … ?” while you look for new ideas. Take some immaginary trips into the future and see what it holds for you.
As you fuel your own curiosity, it’ll become contagious as others find their interest piqued. It’ll be great for your organization, too. Research shows that curiosity leads to more creativity in decision-making; more respect for leaders; and more collaboration within teams.
Fueling your capacity is very much dependent on growing your capacity as we outlined in the previous section. So remember that each of these Smart Choices in interlinked with the others.
Wondering how you can spark your curiosity? How about asking more questions? Get out and about more and talk to new people with fresh ideas. And of course, spend more time reading – and perhaps listening – to a wide variety of information.
Curious enough to fuel your curiosity starting now? Then, think of something in your life or in leadership that you’d like to improve. Could you create some kind of low-cost prototype you could test out? Then do it, try it, learn from it, and try again.
-
Create change for a better future.
Management consultant and author Peter Drucker said that “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” And that neatly brings us to the fourth and final Smart Choice: create change for a better tomorrow. Ultimately, that is the role of a leader: to help move people and organizations toward a preferred future.
Like the fictional Luke Skywalker of Star Wars fame, you must learn to “use the Force” within you – your strength, insight, and abilities. Channel those and use them as a force for good in the world. In the end, it will be your thoughts that affect your actions and your actions that shape the outcome.
Imagine a line with “My actions DO impact outcomes” at one end, and “My actions DON’T impact outcomes” at the other. Most people’s worldview lies somewhere on that continuum depending on how much they favor one or other of those statements. Wherever you are on that line right now, you need to shift your mindset to one of influence. After all, you can’t hope yourself to a better future, you have to behave your way there.
So when you select your next project – large or small – focus on what’s actually under your control and apply your energy to that or those areas. Think about what actions you can take and do to make significant progress. Want to run a marathon? Identify the steps you need to take to get there: read a book on how to do it, start running according to a well-defined plan – and that might mean starting by walking. If you make mistakes along the way – and you will – document them, make notes on why things went wrong, and learn from them.
And when it comes to the project after that one? Repeat. Repeat. And repeat again.
To help you see change you need to develop a growth mindset. This means committing to learning and growing throughout your life. You can’t just try. Harking back to Star Wars, you may remember that Luke has difficulty during his training and becomes frustrated. “I’m trying,” he tells Yoda, the Jedi master. But Yoda’s response is exactly what you need to adopt in your approach to your growth mindset: “Try not! Do or do not. There is no try.”
So learn something new every day. Write down at least one thing you’ve learned at the end of each day. At the end of the week, review what you learned. And why not share what you’ve learned, too? As you learn, celebrate your progress. With your growth mindset you’ll find that the Force will also be strong in you. Make sure you use it wisely!
Are you ready to take action? Then, choose a situation in your life or leadership you want to change and begin that change today.
-
There are four fundamental Smart Choices you need to make: confront your reality, grow your capacity, full your curiosity, and create your change. Each of these individually will have a high impact, but together they’ll turbo-boost your power to have an even greater impact.
Although you may make some regrettable choices along the way and sometimes you’ll exhibit some inconsistency, don’t be disheartened. Stand back from those regrets and inconsistencies, learn from them, and make a better choice the next time. Be like Indy, choose wisely.
If you’ve already started by completing the tasks in this book, you’re well on your way to making impactful Smart Choices. Ultimately, your level of success will depend entirely on you.
February 28, 2022
This is the first book I have ‘read’ by Mark Miller and for this review I was listening to an audio version, read by the author.
I love audiobooks but found that it did take me a little time to get used to the author’s accent and pace, which I found quite slow and a little too repetitive.
The central thrust of the book is that there are 4 ‘choices’ that a leader must make in order to ensure success:
Truth, Growth, Curiosity and Change. There were some interesting points around leadership and I particularly liked the section on asking the right questions, which I thought was well expressed and thought-provoking. I imagine that some of the practical exercises suggested would have real benefits.
My main irritation was with the amount of repetition and if I had been reading a hard copy I would definitely have skimmed some of those sections. Similarly, I honestly don’t want to hear the word ‘quicksand’ again for a long, long time!
With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, RB Media and the author for an arc audiobook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love audiobooks but found that it did take me a little time to get used to the author’s accent and pace, which I found quite slow and a little too repetitive.
The central thrust of the book is that there are 4 ‘choices’ that a leader must make in order to ensure success:
Truth, Growth, Curiosity and Change. There were some interesting points around leadership and I particularly liked the section on asking the right questions, which I thought was well expressed and thought-provoking. I imagine that some of the practical exercises suggested would have real benefits.
My main irritation was with the amount of repetition and if I had been reading a hard copy I would definitely have skimmed some of those sections. Similarly, I honestly don’t want to hear the word ‘quicksand’ again for a long, long time!
With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, RB Media and the author for an arc audiobook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2022
Mark Miller is one of my favorite leadership authors and his latest book doesn’t disappoint. He writes in an easy-to-understand manner and always presents information you can put into practice right away. In Smart Leadership, he explains in detail four choices he thinks smart leaders make. Leaders confront reality, grow capacity, fuel curiosity, and create change. Miller does a great job defining each choice and then offers exercises and practical examples to put them into action. Miller says a leader’s superpower is “the power to make choices.” It’s a solid leadership development tool that should be beneficial for leaders in any business. I received an ARC for review, but the opinions are my own and I do highly recommend this book.
April 25, 2023
Miller did an excellent job portraying leadership challenges in this book. Here are some of my thoughts and key takeaways.
SHORT RECAP:
Miller uses the metaphor of choosing the right cup to emphasize the importance of making good choices as a leader. Like choosing the right cup for a beverage, leaders need to carefully consider their decisions and consequences. He encourages leaders to take responsibility for their choices and to prioritize what matters most to their organization and its stakeholders.
He also emphasizes the importance of leaders being honest about their organization's strengths and weaknesses. He argues that leaders who ignore reality or sugarcoat problems set themselves up for failure. Instead, he encourages leaders to face their challenges head-on and seek feedback and input from others to address them effectively.
Miller also believes that effective leaders always look for ways to build their organization's capabilities and potential. He argues that this involves investing in people, processes, and technology to create a culture of continuous improvement. By doing so, leaders can create an adaptable and resilient organization in the face of change and uncertainty.
Leaders should foster a culture of learning and growth within their organizations. He argues that curiosity is a crucial trait that can drive innovation and problem-solving. Leaders should encourage their teams to question, experiment, and challenge assumptions to drive progress.
Be proactive in creating change within your organizations. Miller argues that leaders who wait for change to happen will always be playing catch-up. Instead, he encourages leaders to take the initiative and drive change that aligns with their organization's vision and values. By doing so, leaders can create a sense of purpose and momentum to drive their organization forward.
TLDR summary:
- Make wise decisions
- Understand your strengths and weaknesses
- Foster a curiosity-culture
- Invest in people, processes, and technology to build the right culture
- Be a proactive leader instead of waiting for change to happen.
SHORT RECAP:
Miller uses the metaphor of choosing the right cup to emphasize the importance of making good choices as a leader. Like choosing the right cup for a beverage, leaders need to carefully consider their decisions and consequences. He encourages leaders to take responsibility for their choices and to prioritize what matters most to their organization and its stakeholders.
He also emphasizes the importance of leaders being honest about their organization's strengths and weaknesses. He argues that leaders who ignore reality or sugarcoat problems set themselves up for failure. Instead, he encourages leaders to face their challenges head-on and seek feedback and input from others to address them effectively.
Miller also believes that effective leaders always look for ways to build their organization's capabilities and potential. He argues that this involves investing in people, processes, and technology to create a culture of continuous improvement. By doing so, leaders can create an adaptable and resilient organization in the face of change and uncertainty.
Leaders should foster a culture of learning and growth within their organizations. He argues that curiosity is a crucial trait that can drive innovation and problem-solving. Leaders should encourage their teams to question, experiment, and challenge assumptions to drive progress.
Be proactive in creating change within your organizations. Miller argues that leaders who wait for change to happen will always be playing catch-up. Instead, he encourages leaders to take the initiative and drive change that aligns with their organization's vision and values. By doing so, leaders can create a sense of purpose and momentum to drive their organization forward.
TLDR summary:
- Make wise decisions
- Understand your strengths and weaknesses
- Foster a curiosity-culture
- Invest in people, processes, and technology to build the right culture
- Be a proactive leader instead of waiting for change to happen.
January 26, 2022
Mark Miller’s new book, Smart Leadership: Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact, is for leaders and those aspiring to be in a leadership role. It is based on his research and real-world leadership experience. I love his books because they focus on making leaders better by improving their leadership skills. Smart Leadership has a chapter dedicated to each of the four Smart Choices—with each chapter followed by a subchapter of strategies and tactics to help you implement the choices.
Is it as simple as following four Smart Choices? It is when the four have risen to the top after years and years of research. The four smart choices are: Confront Reality, Grow Capacity, Fuel Curiosity, and Create Change. What is your reality—your starting point. With that identified, you can move forward. Do you know your capacity, your limits? You need to learn how to expand your capacity to meet the challenges of the future. Has your curiosity been quenched? As a child, we had unlimited curiosity. When and why did we lose it? We need to learn to rebuilt curiosity to grow as leaders. The best leaders realize curiosity is necessary for lifelong learning about leadership. Are you stuck by self-imposed boundaries? Does change scare you, do you think you cannot change, or do you not know what to or how to change? Can you create a picture of your future? Then you can create change.
When I read about the four Smart Choices, I thought of passion and courage. Following the four choices will not always be easy. Passion and courage will motivate you to keep going when the going gets tough. Life is full of choices and when we chose one thing over another—and make Smart Choices, we determine our impact. Who doesn’t want to make a bigger impact by how we lead as leaders? If you answered yes, then you must read Smart Leadership.
Is it as simple as following four Smart Choices? It is when the four have risen to the top after years and years of research. The four smart choices are: Confront Reality, Grow Capacity, Fuel Curiosity, and Create Change. What is your reality—your starting point. With that identified, you can move forward. Do you know your capacity, your limits? You need to learn how to expand your capacity to meet the challenges of the future. Has your curiosity been quenched? As a child, we had unlimited curiosity. When and why did we lose it? We need to learn to rebuilt curiosity to grow as leaders. The best leaders realize curiosity is necessary for lifelong learning about leadership. Are you stuck by self-imposed boundaries? Does change scare you, do you think you cannot change, or do you not know what to or how to change? Can you create a picture of your future? Then you can create change.
When I read about the four Smart Choices, I thought of passion and courage. Following the four choices will not always be easy. Passion and courage will motivate you to keep going when the going gets tough. Life is full of choices and when we chose one thing over another—and make Smart Choices, we determine our impact. Who doesn’t want to make a bigger impact by how we lead as leaders? If you answered yes, then you must read Smart Leadership.
August 17, 2023
Great coverage on both agency and opportunity. Making choices is a huge theme in self-help and business and productivity books, and I get that there is some level of privilege behind choice and opportunity, but this book does an especially good job of integrating psychological studies and research into this guide - it's not another book based on hearsay at face-value for readers.
Notes:
- Make wise decisions
- Write down your three impediments and strategies and create a plan to minimise those barriers
(e.g. anxiety, lack of structure, financial insecurity, high-risk sustainability, health, self-value)
- A good place to start is to work out how stable your world is
- Confront reality regularly - it is a continuous process
- Decide your future reality and fill in the gaps (and get people to see its flaws and biases) "The best way to predict the future is to invent it"
- Your actions do impact outcomes
- Find a mentor or hire a professional coach
- Eliminate low-value activities from your calendar
- Great margin time for reflection, gratitude, and planning
- Fueling your curiosities will create new opportunities
- Find solutions others can't
- Curiosity leads to more creativity and decision making
- To increase your capacity, you need to evaluate your current capacity
Favourite quotes:
- “If I were to let my life be taken over by what is urgent, I might very well never get around to what is essential.”
- “What got you here won’t get you there.”
- "Questions are a leader’s Swiss Army knife; there’s a blade for almost everything.”
- "All things are difficult before they are easy.”
Notes:
- Make wise decisions
- Write down your three impediments and strategies and create a plan to minimise those barriers
(e.g. anxiety, lack of structure, financial insecurity, high-risk sustainability, health, self-value)
- A good place to start is to work out how stable your world is
- Confront reality regularly - it is a continuous process
- Decide your future reality and fill in the gaps (and get people to see its flaws and biases) "The best way to predict the future is to invent it"
- Your actions do impact outcomes
- Find a mentor or hire a professional coach
- Eliminate low-value activities from your calendar
- Great margin time for reflection, gratitude, and planning
- Fueling your curiosities will create new opportunities
- Find solutions others can't
- Curiosity leads to more creativity and decision making
- To increase your capacity, you need to evaluate your current capacity
Favourite quotes:
- “If I were to let my life be taken over by what is urgent, I might very well never get around to what is essential.”
- “What got you here won’t get you there.”
- "Questions are a leader’s Swiss Army knife; there’s a blade for almost everything.”
- "All things are difficult before they are easy.”
August 18, 2023
Do you want to be a leader?
Are you stable in your world?
Are you curious?
Did you read The Seven Habits?
“Smart Leadership” by Mark Miller is an insightful guide that delves into the core principles of effective leadership. Miller’s practical advice and real-world examples provide valuable strategies for aspiring and experienced leaders alike. His emphasis on cultivating character, competence, and collaboration resonates throughout the book, making it a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills and make a positive impact in their professional journey.
ANGENCY
OPPORTUNITY
FOCUS
VALUE
POWER
IMPACT
1. Confront reality regularly and plan for your future reality.
**STAY GROUNDED IN TRUTH**
2. Grow your capacity and create margin for reflection. I’m happy about this one! I got some great advice here- Eliminate anything that’s a low or no value-added activity.
3. Fueling your curiosity will create new opportunites. Look for new ideas. Thing long term… be contagious with your creativity. Make smart choices and they’ll lead to other. Ask questions, read, listen… fuel curiosity… improve your life.
4. Create change for a better future.
That’s what leaders do!
Move people to a better future. Be a force for hood in the world shaping the way. BEHAVE your way to a better future. Hoping isn’t enough. Take action and start by identifying steps. Document your mistakes and learn from them. Learn something new everyday. Review it and share it!
Are you stable in your world?
Are you curious?
Did you read The Seven Habits?
“Smart Leadership” by Mark Miller is an insightful guide that delves into the core principles of effective leadership. Miller’s practical advice and real-world examples provide valuable strategies for aspiring and experienced leaders alike. His emphasis on cultivating character, competence, and collaboration resonates throughout the book, making it a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills and make a positive impact in their professional journey.
ANGENCY
OPPORTUNITY
FOCUS
VALUE
POWER
IMPACT
1. Confront reality regularly and plan for your future reality.
**STAY GROUNDED IN TRUTH**
2. Grow your capacity and create margin for reflection. I’m happy about this one! I got some great advice here- Eliminate anything that’s a low or no value-added activity.
3. Fueling your curiosity will create new opportunites. Look for new ideas. Thing long term… be contagious with your creativity. Make smart choices and they’ll lead to other. Ask questions, read, listen… fuel curiosity… improve your life.
4. Create change for a better future.
That’s what leaders do!
Move people to a better future. Be a force for hood in the world shaping the way. BEHAVE your way to a better future. Hoping isn’t enough. Take action and start by identifying steps. Document your mistakes and learn from them. Learn something new everyday. Review it and share it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2022
Smart Leadership is another book instrumental to my ongoing growth. Mark shares ideas and stories to help build better leaders, how we can all make a difference, and how your choices determine if you will be a strong leader.
As leaders we have four smart choices to make:
1. Confront Reality
2. Grow Capacity
3. Fuel Curiosity
4. Create Change
My favorite choice is to Fuel Curiosity. I love learning and growing and curiosity is what drives me every day. I try to live with an open mind and don't forget - we were born curious and somewhere along the way we lose our curiosity. If your are curious you "maintain relevance and vitality in a changing world". Our world changes so quickly and leaders need to stay ahead of change so we have a clear vision and push ahead for solutions to change. Moreover, curiosity sparks creativity and new ideas. No one wants to remain stagnant. You can become more energetic, challenge the status quo, and it can get your teams excited and engaged.
Smart Leadership is engaging and offers ideas for each smart choice Mark shares. I think that you will find yourself swayed towards one or two choices based on your personality and experience. Mark's book gives you practical ideas, methods, and gives you energy to step up to not only be a better leader, but a Smart Leader!
As leaders we have four smart choices to make:
1. Confront Reality
2. Grow Capacity
3. Fuel Curiosity
4. Create Change
My favorite choice is to Fuel Curiosity. I love learning and growing and curiosity is what drives me every day. I try to live with an open mind and don't forget - we were born curious and somewhere along the way we lose our curiosity. If your are curious you "maintain relevance and vitality in a changing world". Our world changes so quickly and leaders need to stay ahead of change so we have a clear vision and push ahead for solutions to change. Moreover, curiosity sparks creativity and new ideas. No one wants to remain stagnant. You can become more energetic, challenge the status quo, and it can get your teams excited and engaged.
Smart Leadership is engaging and offers ideas for each smart choice Mark shares. I think that you will find yourself swayed towards one or two choices based on your personality and experience. Mark's book gives you practical ideas, methods, and gives you energy to step up to not only be a better leader, but a Smart Leader!
August 17, 2023
From Blinkist:
“Viktor Frankl said that there’s a space between a stimulus and your response. In that space, you have the power to choose how you respond. Therein lies your path to growth and freedom. Sure, we may not all have the same degree of access to make choices, but the choices you can make give you both agency and opportunity.”
“Confronting your reality is a continuous process. Keep confronting it and checking where your reality currently lies. Think about where you want your reality to be in the future and where are the gaps that you need to fill. Make plans on how to fill the gaps and reach your desired future reality.”
“After all, you can’t hope yourself to a better future, you have to behave your way there.”
“Viktor Frankl said that there’s a space between a stimulus and your response. In that space, you have the power to choose how you respond. Therein lies your path to growth and freedom. Sure, we may not all have the same degree of access to make choices, but the choices you can make give you both agency and opportunity.”
“Confronting your reality is a continuous process. Keep confronting it and checking where your reality currently lies. Think about where you want your reality to be in the future and where are the gaps that you need to fill. Make plans on how to fill the gaps and reach your desired future reality.”
“After all, you can’t hope yourself to a better future, you have to behave your way there.”
December 30, 2022
I have read several Leadership books in 2022, and this book is by far my favorite. Mark Miller does a phenomenal job of presenting four choices the reader can make to up their game in leading themselves and others. I found the book encouraging, practical and motivating. Not to mention it was easy to read and understand. The content parallels the SMART goal-setting model (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time based). Mark provides each of the recommended choices with sufficient detail to create a plan of action to improve your leadership. I'll use this book throughout the next year as my north star in impacting my leadership. To me, it's a must-read!
November 28, 2024
Smart Leadership has been a helpful read for me as I aspire to grow in my leadership skills. Miller poses quite a few thought-provoking questions throughout the book, as well as helpful action steps to implement the four smart leadership choices he argues. The book itself was more of a synthesis of leadership studies with helpful insights from a proven leader like Miller. Nothing revolutionary, but it was a helpful read that pushed me to consider where I could improve as a leader. I'd recommend as a practical companion to a study on leadership theory and skill development.
March 14, 2022
This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to improve their leadership skills, whether on a personal or professional level. Practical skills and useful guidelines are provided in a clearly organized and easy to read style. Any reader will find something to extract and make their own in their journey to a more impactful leadership legacy.
March 16, 2022
Another strong entry on leadership by Mark Miller. He's written several fables and this is the first non-story book I've read by him--and it is really good. He outlines important principles for learning and adjusting well in these fast changing times--and he tells really good stories in the process.
If you're a leader, add this one to your reading list.
If you're a leader, add this one to your reading list.
September 29, 2025
Mark focuses on four different pillars for leaders to be effective in their current roles in order to maximize their effectiveness. I think he provides a very good and simple for readers to understand and implement these into tactics into their everyday lives. I would definitely recommend this book along with the others he has wrote on leadership.
January 23, 2022
One of Mark Millers best books! How do you scale your impact? Not just in business, but in life? This book tackled some tough subjects and gave clear and concise ways to achieve your goals. Margin, vision and connections are three big takeaway words for me from this book. Excellent!
November 18, 2022
A concise, eloquently written leadership text I have read many of Mr. Miller's sole authored books and this one by far is the most actionable one yet. As a student of leadership for the last thirty years I am always learning new things and it continues here. Well worth the time investment to read.
September 16, 2023
An accessible book on leadership that isn’t so intense to be intimidating and has enough practical examples to be helpful. Mark Miller doesn’t push leaders to be perfect or cutthroat but instead encourages us to use our strengths and recognize (to better develop) some of our weak spots.
Read
March 2, 2022Fantastic, must-read leadership guide book!
May 29, 2022
A solid presentation. Not much here that is new or unique, but it does package things into a useful narrative about personal impact and leadership. A good, quick read.
November 26, 2023
Good leaders make good choices and Mark Miller, employee #16 and head of leadership development at Chick-fil-A, tells you the most important four choices leaders must make.
January 3, 2024
Power to choose
Must read for leaders in every situation! The four choices are memorable, portable, and applicable for all of us. Readable and understandable in its application.
Must read for leaders in every situation! The four choices are memorable, portable, and applicable for all of us. Readable and understandable in its application.
September 13, 2025
3.5 to 3.75
January 2, 2022
I have read and benefitted from all of the author’s books. Packed with helpful content, this book is unlike any of the other books I’ve read by Mark Miller, who was the sixteenth employee hired by Chick fil-A, and is now Vice President of High Performance for the organization. His previous books have been written as leadership fables.
The book is organized around four Smart Choices:
• Confront Reality
• Grow Capacity
• Fuel Curiosity
• Create Change
After an introductory chapter on each choice, there are two chapters, each devoted to a best practice. These chapters are intended to help you activate your Smart Choice. At the end of each chapter is a short paragraph entitled “Be Smart!” The intent is to give the reader one or two ideas for immediate action—ways to move the choice from your head to your hands.
The author states that most leaders he knows are facing a growing list of challenges, many of them unprecedented. He lumps all of these obstacles into a metaphor: quicksand. Throughout the book, the author shares information from a wide variety of leaders who have successfully navigated these challenges.
The author tells us that the ability to make choices should be among our most prized human abilities, and that a few of our choices have extended our reach and influence. These few, far-reaching choices impact other choices, creating ripple effects in your life and leadership. If applied consistently, they will also create the story arc of your influence and determine your legacy. These choices are what he calls Smart Choices.
The book is about is raising the reader’s awareness and personal discipline regarding the choices we make. Smart Choices are the ones with high impact that require the most focus and energy to make them. The author states that if you can keep your eye on these choices and choose wisely, you will experience multiple benefits. Rather than choosing to stay in the quicksand of mediocrity, exhaustion, and helplessness, you can move to the high ground of increased influence, opportunity, and impact.
Among the many topics addressed in the book are: meetings, values and beliefs, influence and impact, goals, role clarity, asking good questions, curiosity conversations, margin, energy management, life-long learning, a commonplace book, vision, ongoing communication, a growth mindset and recognition.
I had many helpful takeaways from this book, and I commend it to all leaders. It would be an excellent book to read and discuss with other leaders or aspiring leaders.
Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
• Your choices determine your impact.
• If done well, meetings can significantly multiply a leader’s impact and results.
• Reality is a leader’s most precious ally. What is true about you, your team, your organization, and your industry matters.
• Leadership is fundamentally about challenging what is, with an eye on what can be.
• If you do not stay relevant as a leader, you will be ill-prepared and ultimately left behind.
• One of the most valuable life skills a leader can acquire is the ability to ask good, thought-provoking, and challenging questions.
• People are most often attracted to leaders who believe in the possibility of a preferred future—a better future. We want leaders who can tell us where we are going and why it matters.
• Great teams are the product of leadership, strategic intent, and thoughtful design. No team drifts to greatness—they are built for success.
• Margin is simply the practice of allocating enough time to reflect, assess, think, create, and plan. We must create sufficient capacity for this critical work. Our leadership depends on it.
• Management and leadership are both required for an organization to succeed. However, the role of the manager and leader are different. A manager’s responsibility is generally focused on control while a leader is focused on growth. Managers are focused on today whereas leaders are primarily concerned with tomorrow.
• Your purpose is why you believe you were born. Your purpose is what gives ultimate meaning to your labor. Your purpose should give you the courage to do the hard work of leadership.
• If you have the most compelling vision in the world and cannot communicate it effectively, it is of little value.
• To Create Change in service of a better tomorrow is our calling and our contribution. We help make people, organizations, and the world better by the change efforts we lead.
The book is organized around four Smart Choices:
• Confront Reality
• Grow Capacity
• Fuel Curiosity
• Create Change
After an introductory chapter on each choice, there are two chapters, each devoted to a best practice. These chapters are intended to help you activate your Smart Choice. At the end of each chapter is a short paragraph entitled “Be Smart!” The intent is to give the reader one or two ideas for immediate action—ways to move the choice from your head to your hands.
The author states that most leaders he knows are facing a growing list of challenges, many of them unprecedented. He lumps all of these obstacles into a metaphor: quicksand. Throughout the book, the author shares information from a wide variety of leaders who have successfully navigated these challenges.
The author tells us that the ability to make choices should be among our most prized human abilities, and that a few of our choices have extended our reach and influence. These few, far-reaching choices impact other choices, creating ripple effects in your life and leadership. If applied consistently, they will also create the story arc of your influence and determine your legacy. These choices are what he calls Smart Choices.
The book is about is raising the reader’s awareness and personal discipline regarding the choices we make. Smart Choices are the ones with high impact that require the most focus and energy to make them. The author states that if you can keep your eye on these choices and choose wisely, you will experience multiple benefits. Rather than choosing to stay in the quicksand of mediocrity, exhaustion, and helplessness, you can move to the high ground of increased influence, opportunity, and impact.
Among the many topics addressed in the book are: meetings, values and beliefs, influence and impact, goals, role clarity, asking good questions, curiosity conversations, margin, energy management, life-long learning, a commonplace book, vision, ongoing communication, a growth mindset and recognition.
I had many helpful takeaways from this book, and I commend it to all leaders. It would be an excellent book to read and discuss with other leaders or aspiring leaders.
Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
• Your choices determine your impact.
• If done well, meetings can significantly multiply a leader’s impact and results.
• Reality is a leader’s most precious ally. What is true about you, your team, your organization, and your industry matters.
• Leadership is fundamentally about challenging what is, with an eye on what can be.
• If you do not stay relevant as a leader, you will be ill-prepared and ultimately left behind.
• One of the most valuable life skills a leader can acquire is the ability to ask good, thought-provoking, and challenging questions.
• People are most often attracted to leaders who believe in the possibility of a preferred future—a better future. We want leaders who can tell us where we are going and why it matters.
• Great teams are the product of leadership, strategic intent, and thoughtful design. No team drifts to greatness—they are built for success.
• Margin is simply the practice of allocating enough time to reflect, assess, think, create, and plan. We must create sufficient capacity for this critical work. Our leadership depends on it.
• Management and leadership are both required for an organization to succeed. However, the role of the manager and leader are different. A manager’s responsibility is generally focused on control while a leader is focused on growth. Managers are focused on today whereas leaders are primarily concerned with tomorrow.
• Your purpose is why you believe you were born. Your purpose is what gives ultimate meaning to your labor. Your purpose should give you the courage to do the hard work of leadership.
• If you have the most compelling vision in the world and cannot communicate it effectively, it is of little value.
• To Create Change in service of a better tomorrow is our calling and our contribution. We help make people, organizations, and the world better by the change efforts we lead.
January 6, 2023
His four choices: confront reality, grow capacity, fuel curiosity and create change. The most helpful section was on how to fuel curiosity. Next to this, his emphasis on the importance of margin was noteworthy.
December 31, 2021
I am a huge Mark Miller fan! I received this book as a part of an advanced reader review team. I post this review freely without compensation.
This is different than the fable/story that sets up learning leadership lesson through the hero’s discovery. This is a practical look at problems that plague developing leaders trying to keep moving forward. The way that Mark Miller sets the story up is to ask questions that are introspective vice directive. I learned about myself and loved the thought journey and encouragement to put into action.
Highly recommend this book to all leaders look to step up their game in 2022
This is different than the fable/story that sets up learning leadership lesson through the hero’s discovery. This is a practical look at problems that plague developing leaders trying to keep moving forward. The way that Mark Miller sets the story up is to ask questions that are introspective vice directive. I learned about myself and loved the thought journey and encouragement to put into action.
Highly recommend this book to all leaders look to step up their game in 2022
January 10, 2022
I have read nearly every book that Mark Miller has written. His leadership at Chick-fil-A and the principles he presented in each of his books has directly impacted me and shaped my leadership over the years. I am no longer with Chick-fil-A, but the way in which he writes and conveys his message is simple, yet profound. It is often the simple principles that we neglect for principles more complicated.
In Smart Leadership: Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact, it was not brand new information. It was however, very timely for me and I believe it to be timely for every leader. It is the small-simple steps that leaders can make each and every day that create a lasting impression in those they lead.
Smart Leadership is made up of three things: Character, Skills, & Choices. Miller states, "Smart Leaders Make Smart Choices." Throughout the book he helps leaders to look at their influence differently. He encourages the reader to take a birds-eye-view of the choices that they make each day. Through his extensive research on the matter, Miller has categorized them into four ideas; Confront Reality, Grow Capacity, Fuel Curiosity, Create Change. These Four Choices make up the Smart Choices Smart Leaders make each and every day.
These do not end, rather they are cyclical and work toward continuous Smart Choice-making as a Leader. As a leader confronts reality they create a starting point in their journey to scale their impact. Once there is a starting point the leader can begin to grow in their capacity to lead others. In the act of grow-curiosity begins and it fuels even more curiosity. As ideas are formed and strategy is developed, change begins to occur to reach a new generation of leaders.
This cycle does not end. There is always another generation that is coming up and they will be the next generation of leaders. Leaders need to keep evaluating reality to stay relevant, grow and develop, fueling curiosity, and creating change teaching others to do the same.
As leaders do this they can lead from strength, but not just out of their own strength; rather from the strength of the simple choices made again and again to scale their impact over the course of time that has developed and changed lives in the process.
#SmartLeadership #MarkMiller
In Smart Leadership: Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact, it was not brand new information. It was however, very timely for me and I believe it to be timely for every leader. It is the small-simple steps that leaders can make each and every day that create a lasting impression in those they lead.
Smart Leadership is made up of three things: Character, Skills, & Choices. Miller states, "Smart Leaders Make Smart Choices." Throughout the book he helps leaders to look at their influence differently. He encourages the reader to take a birds-eye-view of the choices that they make each day. Through his extensive research on the matter, Miller has categorized them into four ideas; Confront Reality, Grow Capacity, Fuel Curiosity, Create Change. These Four Choices make up the Smart Choices Smart Leaders make each and every day.
These do not end, rather they are cyclical and work toward continuous Smart Choice-making as a Leader. As a leader confronts reality they create a starting point in their journey to scale their impact. Once there is a starting point the leader can begin to grow in their capacity to lead others. In the act of grow-curiosity begins and it fuels even more curiosity. As ideas are formed and strategy is developed, change begins to occur to reach a new generation of leaders.
This cycle does not end. There is always another generation that is coming up and they will be the next generation of leaders. Leaders need to keep evaluating reality to stay relevant, grow and develop, fueling curiosity, and creating change teaching others to do the same.
As leaders do this they can lead from strength, but not just out of their own strength; rather from the strength of the simple choices made again and again to scale their impact over the course of time that has developed and changed lives in the process.
#SmartLeadership #MarkMiller
February 12, 2022
“The magic in a tool always lives in the craftsmen who directs it.”
“Can we create change? Can we create a better tomorrow?”
These are jus a few of the challenging statements from “Smart Leadership - Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact” which made me appreciate the this book and tag it as a #masterpiece in my GoodReads reading catalogue! Through a clear, straight-forward, and (I dare say) on-the-point communication style, Mark Miller taps into some of the challenging pain points of leadership and gives pointers for his readers on how to best tackle the challenges both on the short-term and the long-term. I will let you discover the rest of this book’s hidden gems!
I would give this book 10 stars if I could, but since this is not possible, I’m just going to look out for other books written by Mark Miller.
Special thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!
#LifeLongLearning #SmartLeadership #NetGalley
“Can we create change? Can we create a better tomorrow?”
These are jus a few of the challenging statements from “Smart Leadership - Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact” which made me appreciate the this book and tag it as a #masterpiece in my GoodReads reading catalogue! Through a clear, straight-forward, and (I dare say) on-the-point communication style, Mark Miller taps into some of the challenging pain points of leadership and gives pointers for his readers on how to best tackle the challenges both on the short-term and the long-term. I will let you discover the rest of this book’s hidden gems!
I would give this book 10 stars if I could, but since this is not possible, I’m just going to look out for other books written by Mark Miller.
Special thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!
#LifeLongLearning #SmartLeadership #NetGalley
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