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Leadocracy: Hiring More Great Leaders (Like You) into Government
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER Do you think your life will get better in the future? Geoff Smart had some doubts. He saw what you see how broken government has become. He worried about his career, his family's future, and our everyday quality of life. Then one day, Geoff received an unexpected message that changed how he saw the problem. Geoff was asked to help. His journey took him behind the scenes to work with other private sector leaders who had made the leap into government. What he discovered will surprise you. Leadocracy will tell you --Why great leaders avoid government
--How the 3 As of Leadership can help us identify, hire, and become better leaders
--How we can avoid nonleader candidates like the Turtle, Bureaucrat, Screamer, and Idealist
--How the adrenaline rush of flow can offer leaders from the private sector the adventure of a lifetime Thomas Paine's Common Sense painted a vision that inspired a generation and changed the course of human history. The movement of our time is leadocracy government by society's greatest leaders. Leaders like you.
--How the 3 As of Leadership can help us identify, hire, and become better leaders
--How we can avoid nonleader candidates like the Turtle, Bureaucrat, Screamer, and Idealist
--How the adrenaline rush of flow can offer leaders from the private sector the adventure of a lifetime Thomas Paine's Common Sense painted a vision that inspired a generation and changed the course of human history. The movement of our time is leadocracy government by society's greatest leaders. Leaders like you.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2012
9 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Smart
10 books50 followersDr. Geoff Smart is Chairman & Founder of ghSMART, a leadership consulting firm that serves Fortune 500 CEOs and boards, billionaire entrepreneurs, and heads of state. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Who, Leadocracy, and Power Score: Your Formula for Leadership Success.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 13, 2018
2.5 stars. Based on the first three chapters of basic thoughts on leadership, that we need more successful private industry leaders in public service and the applicability of private leadership skills to government - which I felt could have been addressed in a short chapter or article - I’d give this a 1. But the second half improves with counterpoints to the arguments why great leaders avoid government and the sorts of positions that are springboards to getting more great leaders into government, together with some implementable ideas and success stories that bring some hope for the future of government. So I’d suggest skipping to Chapter 4 to start and you may enjoy this more.
June 21, 2024
This book is exactly what I would expect. Someone named Geoff Smart who went to Northwestern and looks like that to write (all negative connotation). It's an extremely elitist idea and doesn't take into account the reason we have representatives: to represent their districts. I read this for class and had to write a critique on it which was really easy bc I hated the whole thing. My critique is below if you want to read it <3
I have many issues with Geoff Smart’s idea that our government should be run by established leaders. I do not think that his evidence completely proved his point as his main evidence comes from only a few leaders which I personally do not believe is enough to back up his significant claim that Leadocracy will completely fix our government. He shows no examples of successful private sector leaders being failures or merely mediocre in government and does not talk about what downfalls there may be to his idea. I think that this book would have been much more effective after a few cohorts of his proposed plan. He starts and ends the book by stating that he himself has taken the pledge to work in the government. I think that writing this book after doing that work would have proven his point better or would have shown him any drawbacks of his ideas. I find hypotheses more compelling when an author or researcher is transparent with what might go wrong or why their idea could be incorrect. I think that the lack of cons mentioned in this book says a lot about some of the other issues I have with this book.
My main issue with this book is that it is an extremely elitist idea and doesn't take into account the reason we have representatives: to represent their districts. There are many areas that would be poorly represented by someone who is extremely accomplished in the public sector. This idea panders to more white old men being in politics, which in my opinion is not what we need more of in our representatives. Getting women into politics is a big issue we face as women make up more than 50% of our population. Only about 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women and sexism in the private sector is a huge issue (Huerta, 2024). Women are not taught to be leaders and when they act as leaders they are labeled as “bossy” or “bitchy.” If the idea that we should be selecting our politicians based on who is a successful leader in the private sector were to become a common thought among voters, we would see even less women representing us. This argument would be similar in terms of people of color. We see very few public sector leaders who are people of color even though they make up a significant part of our population.
We tried this tactic with our last president. I know that many of the people who voted for President Trump in 2016 did so because he came from the private sector. And while he may not be the ideal leader that the author was alluding to, he is an example of who will and has resulted from this line of thinking. In chapter six, Smart talks about how we should change how we vote. He mentions some points about political psychology and the psychology of voting. Using those same ideas, it is important to note that most people do not spend much time evaluating candidates before they vote. For the most part, they are not going to research how candidates treated their employees while in leadership positions or how effective they were at leading.
Lastly, I believe that this line of thinking would contribute to a big reason why people do not like politics: superiority complexes. CEOs and people in positions of power often think that they are better than others or act as though they are. In my experience people find politicians to be unapproachable because of this issue. Having another layer of superiority on top of being an elected official would not be helpful in assuring people that their politicians are properly representing them in the capitol or in D.C. Placing more power on people who are already rich with power is not the answer to fixing our government.
Geoff Smart’s idea of Leadocracy reeks of globalization and the glorification of capitalism that I believe we need to step away from to create a more successful government. I think that we need to keep people who prioritize profit over the wellbeing of our communities out of government. Our government is not a for-profit company and I do not think we should treat it as such.
I have many issues with Geoff Smart’s idea that our government should be run by established leaders. I do not think that his evidence completely proved his point as his main evidence comes from only a few leaders which I personally do not believe is enough to back up his significant claim that Leadocracy will completely fix our government. He shows no examples of successful private sector leaders being failures or merely mediocre in government and does not talk about what downfalls there may be to his idea. I think that this book would have been much more effective after a few cohorts of his proposed plan. He starts and ends the book by stating that he himself has taken the pledge to work in the government. I think that writing this book after doing that work would have proven his point better or would have shown him any drawbacks of his ideas. I find hypotheses more compelling when an author or researcher is transparent with what might go wrong or why their idea could be incorrect. I think that the lack of cons mentioned in this book says a lot about some of the other issues I have with this book.
My main issue with this book is that it is an extremely elitist idea and doesn't take into account the reason we have representatives: to represent their districts. There are many areas that would be poorly represented by someone who is extremely accomplished in the public sector. This idea panders to more white old men being in politics, which in my opinion is not what we need more of in our representatives. Getting women into politics is a big issue we face as women make up more than 50% of our population. Only about 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women and sexism in the private sector is a huge issue (Huerta, 2024). Women are not taught to be leaders and when they act as leaders they are labeled as “bossy” or “bitchy.” If the idea that we should be selecting our politicians based on who is a successful leader in the private sector were to become a common thought among voters, we would see even less women representing us. This argument would be similar in terms of people of color. We see very few public sector leaders who are people of color even though they make up a significant part of our population.
We tried this tactic with our last president. I know that many of the people who voted for President Trump in 2016 did so because he came from the private sector. And while he may not be the ideal leader that the author was alluding to, he is an example of who will and has resulted from this line of thinking. In chapter six, Smart talks about how we should change how we vote. He mentions some points about political psychology and the psychology of voting. Using those same ideas, it is important to note that most people do not spend much time evaluating candidates before they vote. For the most part, they are not going to research how candidates treated their employees while in leadership positions or how effective they were at leading.
Lastly, I believe that this line of thinking would contribute to a big reason why people do not like politics: superiority complexes. CEOs and people in positions of power often think that they are better than others or act as though they are. In my experience people find politicians to be unapproachable because of this issue. Having another layer of superiority on top of being an elected official would not be helpful in assuring people that their politicians are properly representing them in the capitol or in D.C. Placing more power on people who are already rich with power is not the answer to fixing our government.
Geoff Smart’s idea of Leadocracy reeks of globalization and the glorification of capitalism that I believe we need to step away from to create a more successful government. I think that we need to keep people who prioritize profit over the wellbeing of our communities out of government. Our government is not a for-profit company and I do not think we should treat it as such.
December 13, 2019
It had wonderful thoughts on the plague of bureaucracy, but it got a little repetitive in the end. If I ever become a Fortune 500 CEO though, I’ll definitely do a stint in government!
September 19, 2012
I try to keep politics aside from my book reviews, well, at least on my blog. Not necessarily politics in general, but party affiliation, and who I plan to vote for, etc.
I was surprised to receive a book that actually just made perfect sense, and didn't swing to either side whatsoever. I wish more people could think like this and could read between the lines. It irks me so much, what is going on in this country and I can't believe the news each day, and I certainly can't believe what in the world is going on.
I quite frankly am sick of voting for the lesser of 2 evils, and would love nothing more then to have regular Americans, running for office. But, of course, who wants to do that??
I appreciated the writing in this book, mainly the fact that it wasn't swayed, and it sure wasn't a rant of any kind, it was actually rather positive. (Which is hard to be these days) But, the author gives some hope. Especially with his morals and his well laid out ideas, plans, and information. It really isn't that hard to figure out, although so many seem to have lost a few brain cells over the years, I sit here some days with my mouth hanging open trying to figure out, why??? How?? HUH??
It is easier then some think, and I only hope this book makes it in the hands of many hopefuls like the author, and myself. I would love to see more citizens running for office, I don't care how small the positions, as long as it is something! We all want to complain, and carry on, but yet nobody wants to actually get up and do something about the mess. Many of us have the brains and the ideas, and the experience, so what is holding everybody back?
If only Government, and society would read this book, and see how simple this fix really is, and actually how we can use this to our advantage, this country and many others, could be a better place!
I have to say, I am personally involved in politics, I am a mom, and a bartender, but I am pretty current, a daily listener, watcher, reader, researcher, and I have read many books about politics and how a Government should and can and never will, govern. Most of those books end up being partial to one side, and that really turns me off. Why can't we all just be happy and civil and brainstorm together?? If you agree with these thoughts, Leadocracy, is the prime choice for you!
** I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review **
I was surprised to receive a book that actually just made perfect sense, and didn't swing to either side whatsoever. I wish more people could think like this and could read between the lines. It irks me so much, what is going on in this country and I can't believe the news each day, and I certainly can't believe what in the world is going on.
I quite frankly am sick of voting for the lesser of 2 evils, and would love nothing more then to have regular Americans, running for office. But, of course, who wants to do that??
I appreciated the writing in this book, mainly the fact that it wasn't swayed, and it sure wasn't a rant of any kind, it was actually rather positive. (Which is hard to be these days) But, the author gives some hope. Especially with his morals and his well laid out ideas, plans, and information. It really isn't that hard to figure out, although so many seem to have lost a few brain cells over the years, I sit here some days with my mouth hanging open trying to figure out, why??? How?? HUH??
It is easier then some think, and I only hope this book makes it in the hands of many hopefuls like the author, and myself. I would love to see more citizens running for office, I don't care how small the positions, as long as it is something! We all want to complain, and carry on, but yet nobody wants to actually get up and do something about the mess. Many of us have the brains and the ideas, and the experience, so what is holding everybody back?
If only Government, and society would read this book, and see how simple this fix really is, and actually how we can use this to our advantage, this country and many others, could be a better place!
I have to say, I am personally involved in politics, I am a mom, and a bartender, but I am pretty current, a daily listener, watcher, reader, researcher, and I have read many books about politics and how a Government should and can and never will, govern. Most of those books end up being partial to one side, and that really turns me off. Why can't we all just be happy and civil and brainstorm together?? If you agree with these thoughts, Leadocracy, is the prime choice for you!
** I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review **
September 21, 2012
The government sucks. Bad. During my journalism days, I was a political junkie. My life revolved around politics. Now that I am no longer writing political pieces, I have taken huge steps back. I read CNN every night before bed and that's it. I keep my head clear of it.
But, even though I am not as immersed in it as I was before, I can see (as I am sure most everyone else can) that the government is severely broken and in dire need of repair. Author Geoff Smart presents a way to fix it in the nonfiction LEADOCRACY. He stresses it's not the "what" that is wrong, but the "who."
Now, this is not about political parties. This is not a Republican saying the Democrats need to be booted and vice versa. And thank goodness! There is only so much more of the political party bickering that I can take. This is an honest, neutral assessment of the problem and a possible solution to it.
First and foremost -- getting good leaders. And not the leaders that major in political science. Smart is talking about leaders in business. The ones that have built and maintained a successful business. Makes sense to me. After all, the government is essentially a business.
I love the way this book is presented and written. It is very straightforward and simple. Smart gets to the point and he uses examples and facts to back up his points. You do not need a political science degree to understand it. You do need to have some interest in politics, though. Otherwise, this book is really not for you.
Actually, the book might be written too simply. It might be the idea that is presented more than the way it is written that has captured my attention. If more people would read this book and take these points to heart, I think actual change would occur. I'm not just talking about voting power. I'm talking about the people who are excellent leaders who recognize that they can be part of the solution. Until those people become interested in public service, the voting public will have to contend with not-so-great leaders as their political candidates.
All in all, 4 out of 5 stars.
But, even though I am not as immersed in it as I was before, I can see (as I am sure most everyone else can) that the government is severely broken and in dire need of repair. Author Geoff Smart presents a way to fix it in the nonfiction LEADOCRACY. He stresses it's not the "what" that is wrong, but the "who."
Now, this is not about political parties. This is not a Republican saying the Democrats need to be booted and vice versa. And thank goodness! There is only so much more of the political party bickering that I can take. This is an honest, neutral assessment of the problem and a possible solution to it.
First and foremost -- getting good leaders. And not the leaders that major in political science. Smart is talking about leaders in business. The ones that have built and maintained a successful business. Makes sense to me. After all, the government is essentially a business.
I love the way this book is presented and written. It is very straightforward and simple. Smart gets to the point and he uses examples and facts to back up his points. You do not need a political science degree to understand it. You do need to have some interest in politics, though. Otherwise, this book is really not for you.
Actually, the book might be written too simply. It might be the idea that is presented more than the way it is written that has captured my attention. If more people would read this book and take these points to heart, I think actual change would occur. I'm not just talking about voting power. I'm talking about the people who are excellent leaders who recognize that they can be part of the solution. Until those people become interested in public service, the voting public will have to contend with not-so-great leaders as their political candidates.
All in all, 4 out of 5 stars.
September 5, 2012
Knowing that our government is in disrepair, how broken it was, Smart was worried about the future of the government, his career, his family, and the future. He was asked to help, to help bring light to these problems and share it with us everyday Jack and Jill's who may be a bit clueless about what's really going on.
Smart went behind the scenes into the private sector where he learned from the those who had made the leap and are working in the government. Really doing his research, he writes Leadocracy in an engaging but simple way explaining how we all can be the change we want to see in our government along with simple, yet effective ways to change things around. Take our private sector, for example, Smart believes it is a wealth of knowledge and inspiration that our public sector needs.
If you're tired of how our government is being ran, are confused or wish you knew a way to help, or just want to learn a bit more about the government and what it's future could be, then look no further than Leadocracy.
Smart went behind the scenes into the private sector where he learned from the those who had made the leap and are working in the government. Really doing his research, he writes Leadocracy in an engaging but simple way explaining how we all can be the change we want to see in our government along with simple, yet effective ways to change things around. Take our private sector, for example, Smart believes it is a wealth of knowledge and inspiration that our public sector needs.
If you're tired of how our government is being ran, are confused or wish you knew a way to help, or just want to learn a bit more about the government and what it's future could be, then look no further than Leadocracy.
November 16, 2014
This is a very good book that has an excellent idea for getting more excellent private sector leaders into government. It postulates that leaders who have never had to balance a budget or meet specific goals with an organization can't be expected to do so in the government. There is also a scorecard that we as voters can use to determine if someone who makes promises will be able to deliver on those promises. I do recommend this book to anyone who wants a government that is streamlined and effective for all citizens.
August 28, 2012
This author says that what this country and the entire world need these days is good government. He says that the only way we are going to get that is we persuade our best leaders to enter government service...for a minimum of two years.
By our best leaders he means people who have proved that they can lead...by building a successful business or running a corporation/ organization successfully.
He makes a convincing argument. Really good book.
By our best leaders he means people who have proved that they can lead...by building a successful business or running a corporation/ organization successfully.
He makes a convincing argument. Really good book.
October 25, 2012
This was a very interesting book. I agree that we need to prepare/train/elect better leaders to run our governments. Smart has some reasonable suggestions for achieving this (like his 3 A's of leadership: Analyze, Allocate, and Align). It is written in a very basic, conversational style which I found a little annoying being an educated management level leader myself.
July 31, 2012
Agree wholeheartedly with the point of revolutionizing our selection of leaders in government, and the idea of a two year commitment (a la Teach For America) in public service is a great idea. Loved the case study on Kristin Russell!
September 6, 2014
كتاب مميز عن كيفية جذب الشخصيات القيادية الى القطاع الحكومي.
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