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Leadocracy is a refreshingly simply solution to the problem of government dysfunction.'' --H. Wayne Huizenga, Chairman, Huizenga Holdings and former Founder and CEO of three Fortune 500 companies
''At a time of deep doubt about the ability of our federal government to manage our country, Leadocracy provides a reason for hope. As Geoff Smart demonstrates in this timely book, with great leadership no problem is unsolvable.'' --Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel
''As someone who has seen up close hundreds of companies succeed or fail, I can tell you that the quality of the leader is the number one driver of success. Leadocracy shows how to get more great leaders into government, which we sorely need.'' --Steve Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO, and Cofounder, The Blackstone Group
''If we don't have leadership in this country with the experience to develop a smart long-term economic growth plan, the guts to aggressively execute it, and the perseverance to stick with it over the long haul, we'll never again see the economic prosperity we've come to take for granted.'' --Ted Waitt, Chairman, Avalon Capital Group and Waitt Family Foundation, Founder & former CEO of Gateway
''Leadership is the key to human progress. Geoff Smart s book leads the way.'' --Charles Butt, Chairman, H-E-B
''If we can systematically find ways to attract our best leaders to government, as Leadocracy describes, the quality of life of our society will improve.'' --John Malone, Ph.D., Chairman, Liberty Media Corporation
''Our future, the world's future, depends on attracting better leaders to government. Leadocracy provides a blueprint for how to do it. Reading it is an inspiration.'' --Governor John W. Hickenlooper of Colorado ''Leadocracy documents what we in Indiana have learned firsthand: With leadership from citizens possessing the right mix of experience and vision, good government is not a lost cause.'' --Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana
''Geoff Smart makes clear the compelling need for top talent to choose public service. Leadocracy demonstrates the difference strong leadership makes in the public and private sectors.'' --Governor Jack Markell of Delaware
''It is high time that we focus far more on improving the return on investment of our tax dollars. The best approach for accomplishing this is for successful business leaders to step forward and give back by applying their wealth of practical business experience and objective fact-based analysis to government leadership and decision making.'' --Fred Steingraber, President of Kenilworth, IL, and Chairman Emeritus, A.T. Kearney
''Nothing we do in government is as important as who we hire into key leadership roles. Leadocracy, and Geoff's previous book Who, outline principles that we have applied with great success here in Colorado.'' --Roxane White, Chief of Staff to Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado
''What a 'Smart' book! Leadocracy redefines government leadership and what it should be, results-based and focused on why true leaders choose to work in government--to help better the lives of others in a streamlined, efficient, and accountable manner.'' --Lynn Johnson, Executive Director, Jefferson County, CO, Department of Human Services
''Education reform and government reform are inter-related. I believe that leadership is the answer to both. I applaud Geoff Smart's initiative and willingness to bring his hiring methods into the public sector with Leadocracy.'' --Wendy Kopp, Founder, Teach For America
''We have used Geoff Smart's methods for hiring here at KIPP with great results. We would love to see them applied to how government leaders are selected, the way he outlines in Who and Leadocracy.'' ----Mike Feinberg and David Levin, Cofounders, KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program, the largest charter school operator in the United States)
"Leadocracy signals a movement that is underway to hire more great leaders into government. I hope my fellow Brits figure this one out too; our way of life depends on it." --Richard Bryan, managing director of BBH Properties
''A high-performing government requires high-performing leaders; Leadocracy convincingly shows that we have an under-tapped supply in the private sector and desperately need to engage them.'' --Professor Steven Kaplan, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
''I am encouraged by the idea of more great private sector leaders going into the public sector, a trend which Leadocracy outlines.'' --Professor Morten Sorensen, Columbia Business School
''The evaluation of any organization starts with an assessment of the leader. Geoff Smart has made a compelling case for leader-oriented government reform in Leadocracy.'' --Professor Stewart Donaldson, Dean & Chair of Psychology, Claremont Graduate University
''Part diagnosis, part call-to-arms, Geoff Smart's Leadocracy injects a thought-provoking new voice into the dialogue about how to improve our government. It will hopefully spark better leaders to seek key positions at all levels of government.'' --Professor Noam Wasserman, Harvard Business School, author of The Founder s Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup
''Geoff Smart is the world expert on the topic of hiring leaders. What he suggests we do in Leadocracy to get more great leaders into government is wise counsel.'' --Marshall Goldsmith, the world's #1 Leadership Thinker (Thinkers50, Harvard Business Review) and New York Times bestselling author or editor of 31 books, including What Got You Here Won t Get You There
''Geoff Smart is one of the nation's top thinkers on how to hire great people. And he has put his finger on our fundamental failure as voters--we don't hire great people into government. Leadocracy shows how that can change.'' ----Atul Gawande, MD, surgeon and bestselling author of The Checklist Manifesto
''Leadocracy helps to demystify government, and shows how great leaders from the private sector can make a difference in the public sector, for the good of us all.'' --Aaron Kennedy, Founder, Noodles & Company
''Geoff Smart's previous book, Who, was the number one most impactful book on my career as a CEO. I am hopeful Leadocracy will be as impactful on society. --Craig Zoberis, CEO, Fusion OEM
''It is about time this subject got the thoughtful treatment it deserves. The sad fact is our government is a source of competitive disadvantage for our country. The happy fact is Geoff's book may start to change that.'' --Kent Thiry, Chairman & CEO, Davita
''One of my main goals in business is to find and grow great leaders. Our success depends on it. Sadly, there is no such training ground in government. We should expect more from our politicians and Leadocracy makes a strong case for greater private participation in the public sector.'' --Mike Fries, CEO, Liberty Global
''Geoff Smart is 'the man' when it comes to hiring. I am pleased to see him applying his methods to the daunting task of selecting government leaders. Leadocracy is a step in the right direction.'' --Darrin Anderson, RVP, HD Supply
''Thousands of successful entrepreneurs around the world know about Geoff Smart's ideas about leadership and performance, and they apply them with great success. In Leadocracy, I am pleased to see the world of government is starting to take note.'' --Verne Harnish, Founder, Entrepreneurs' Organization, and author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits
''Geoff Smart's book Who gave us the key strategies and methods that helped us hire top talent. This has allowed us to create an award-winning culture and excel in our social mission. Leadocracy shows how to hire great leaders for the public sector.'' ----Scott Mesh, Ph.D., CEO, Los Ninos Services
Geoff Smart is a CEO, bestselling author, and social entrepreneur whose mission is to create, communicate, and put into practice useful ideas about leadership.
Geoff serves as Chairman & CEO of ghSMART. ghSMART is a leadership firm for CEOs and investors, which Geoff founded in 1995. The firm was named one the ''world's top firms'' in Broderick's The Art of Managing Professional Services, and is the subject of two Harvard Business School Cases titled ''ghSMART & Co.: Pioneering in Professional Services.''
Geoff is co-author, with his colleague Randy Street, of the New York Times bestselling book Who: The A Method for Hiring. The book is one of the bestselling and most-acclaimed books in the world on the topic of hiring leaders, which The Wall Street Journal calls ''the most important aspect of business.'' Soundview Executive Book Summaries gave Who the ''Best 30 Business Books Award.'' Shanghai Daily named it a ''Top 5 Business Book in China.'' Canada's Globe and Mail named Who the ''#1 Best Business and Management Book of 2009.'' Geoff is also co-creator of the Topgrading® philosophy of talent management.
As a social entrepreneur, Geoff is Chairman and Co-founder of SMARTKids Leadership ProgramTM, a 501c3 not-for-profit foundation. It provides a customized program of 10 years of leadership mentoring and a $100,000 scholarship to top students with leadership potential from low-income communities. He is Chairman and Founder of THE LEADERS INITIATIVETM, whose mission is to elevate humanity by identifying, developing, and deploying society's greatest leaders into government. Geoff and his ghSMART colleagues also provide pro bono leadership advisory services to leaders in the fields of education, healthcare, and government.
Geoff earned a B.A. in Economics with Honors from Northwestern University, an M.A., and a Ph.D. in Psychology with emphasis in Leadership from Claremont Graduate University, where he was a student of Peter F. Drucker. He was elected to Sigma Xi, the honorary society for holders of doctoral degrees, and is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO).
