Small Acts of Leadership: 12 Intentional Behaviors That Lead to Big Impact

by G. Shawn Hunter

Overview

In business today, there is no offline and there is no downtime. Professionals are both exhausted and depleted. Being constantly tethered to our work through technology makes us overwhelmed and shortsighted, and deprives us of time for meaningful reflection or thoughtful connection to our professional communities, and often even to our own families. For us to thrive-not simply survive-in this accelerating economy, we need to adopt small, intentional behaviors and practice them each day. From simply taking care of our rest and exercise to building our self-confidence and embracing challenges, author Shawn Hunter's latest book Small Acts of Leadership will guide you through a series of incremental steps you can take to build a stronger version of yourself and make a broader impact in the world. Weaving in personal life stories and meaningful interviews with business leaders around the world, Hunter presents the reader with twelve critical competencies that are consistently present in the daily behaviors of today's most successful leaders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629561363
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/19/2016
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	402,509
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Shawn Hunter is a serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, former executive, and the founder and president of Mindscaling, a company dedicated to creating beautiful and intelligent online learning products.

Hunter started his professional journey as an entrepreneur when he co-founded Targeted Learning Corporation with his father, Hal Hunter, PhD. Targeted Learning was acquired in February 2007 by Skillsoft, where Hunter then worked as executive producer & vice president for Leadership Solutions until July 2015. In these positions, Hunter spent more than a decade interviewing, collaborating with, and filming hundreds of leading business authors, executives, and business school faculty in an effort to assemble video learning solutions.

The author of Out*Think, his latest book shows how a new style of leadership is emerging from those who start small and adopt incremental change into their everyday lives for big impact.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Small Things Can Matter Most xi

Chapter 1 Believe in Yourself 1

Chapter 2 Build Confidence 17

Chapter 3 Introduce Challenge 33

Chapter 4 Express Gratitude 51

Chapter 5 Fuel Curiosity 63

Chapter 6 Grant Autonomy 75

Chapter 7 Strive for Authenticity 85

Chapter 8 Be Fully Present 103

Chapter 9 Inspire Others 115

Chapter 10 Clarify Roles 129

Chapter 11 Defy Convention 141

Chapter 12 Take a Break 155

Acknowledgments 173

Notes 175

References 193

Index 213

About the Author 227

Editorial Reviews

08/15/2016
In his thoughtful but unwieldy latest work, entrepreneur Hunter (Out-Think) presents 12 critical competencies intended to help readers become more successful leaders, asserting that the key is “small, incremental steps taken each day.” Drawing on interviews, personal experience, and research, the author offers lessons on such traits as grit, kindness, and resilience from a diverse array of individuals, including athletes, academics, and authors. He adds business relevance through references to and quotes from corporate leaders at companies like Merck, Schering-Plough, and Ingram Micro. Throughout, the author introduces a wide variety of helpful concepts in short nuggets of helpful advice and insights, many of which can be implemented in the small steps he describes. However, the sheer volume of ideas and concepts in each chapter becomes overwhelming. While the sourcing of scholarly research is helpful, the work often feels like one academic name-drop after another, and is too dense to easily digest or focus on. For readers who can absorb the tips in small chunks, the ideas may be helpful. Agent: Lisa DiMona, Writers House. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

09/15/2016
Can small acts really make a difference? Hunter (Out Think), an entrepreneur and founder of e-learning company Mindscaling, explores how focusing on purposeful changes can help shape successful leaders and, potentially, their teams. In a world of rushing to meetings and constant screen time, Hunter suggests a small-scale, mindful, and deliberate approach toward positive change. Each chapter describes a behavior that, when practiced habitually, can help one become a more effective leader. The steps begin with focusing inward (increasing self-efficacy and confidence), then developing one's workplace and team members (expressing gratitude, fueling curiosity, and granting autonomy), and finally looking outward to improve the quality of one's external relationships (being fully present and inspiring others). Delivered throughout are robust examples illustrating these strategies told through stories and interviews in easily digestible segments. The book's strength is its solid, practical advice presented in straightforward language. VERDICT Recommended for those new to leadership and those interested in developing and adopting guiding principles for their careers.—Cori Wilhelm, SUNY Canton Coll. of Tech. Lib.

Library Journal