Smarter, Faster, Better.
A Readers Guide for Groups
Get the most out of your next meeting with a guided discussion.
In her breakthrough leadership
book, Smarter, Faster, Better;
Strategies for Effective, Enduring,
and Fulfilled Leadership (Jossey-
Bass, 2006), acclaimed
entrepreneurial CEO and
executive coach Karlin Sloan
offers a variety of strategies, self-
assessments, sustainable
practices, and habits leaders can
use to become what today’s
marketplace demands: smarter,
faster, and better. She shows what
it takes to become a leader who
can grow the bottom line and still
contribute to stakeholders and
the world in a positive way.
Karlin Sloan focuses on solutions
as she outlines how we can achieve our highest levels of
performance, potential and fulfillment by asking questions,
slowing down and being of service.
To get the most out of this book for your organization, we invite
you to recruit a reading group with your colleagues or team. Use
this as part of your organization’s leadership development
initiatives, or to test the interest in one. Or, use it to create new
relationships and expand your network. Reading and then talking
with colleagues about what you are reading and how to apply
what you are learning in your own work and life can be a
powerful way to learn, to get support and get to know others on a
deeper level. In support of setting up your own readers group
we’ve provided guidelines for setting up your group, and for
reading group participants in the pages that follow.
A Note from the
Author
I am delighted to see this
guide go out to strong women
leaders that will help get the
message out about how to
excel in this new Age of
Interdependence.
As the world changes
rapidly, it becomes even more
important that we build our
smarts by activating our
curiosity, that we help our
companies move faster by
slowing ourselves down, and
that we make the leadership
commitment to better others
rather than just ourselves.
I look forward to meeting
your group via conference call
to discuss your group and
your responses to the
messages in this book, and to
supporting you in your quest
to become effective,
enduring, and fulfilled.
-Karlin Sloan
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SETTING UP AN EFFECTIVE SMARTER, FASTER, BETTER READERS GROUP

• Identify 6-12 people who will commit to o What opportunities do you see for
attending the group and reading the book applying what you’ve learned?
together. • Promote group exploration with additional
• Agree to meet at a regular time and place, questions.
an hour to an hour and a half maximum. • To support everyone in getting value out of
• The book is arranged in three sections. the meetings, as the meeting facilitator,
Choose to meet for three sessions, reading invite those who have already shared their
a section at a time, or, if you prefer, meet thoughts once to hold additional comments
for 6 sessions, allowing two meetings per until others have had a chance to speak.
section. Also, rather than putting individual people
• “on the spot,” by specifically calling on
Identify two group co-leaders who agree to
them, consider asking:
communicate with the group in the event
of a need to change a meeting time or o Let’s hear from others. Would
location. Having co-leaders allows the anyone who hasn’t spoken like to
group to meet if one co-leader cannot comment, or ask a question?
attend. Decide if the co-leaders will take • At your last meetings decide what’s next
turns leading the discussion or if various
for the group. Do you want to take on
members will take turns leading the
another book or article to read and discuss
discussion.
together? Do you want to meet formally or
• Distribute copies of the participant support one another informally?
guidelines (page 3 of this handout) before
the meeting, and ask everyone to review
the list of recommendations and agree to
them as a condition of participating.
• The discussion leader’s role is to open and
close the meeting, support using the
readings as foundations for discussion,
insight, sharing and to unearth more
questions, and support the group members
in taking turns participating.
• Use these discussion questions for each
meeting:
o What nuggets would you like to
remember from this section?
o What, if implemented, would make
a real difference in your
organization?
o What challenged you to think in
new ways?

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READERS GROUP GUIDELINES

Welcome to the Smarter Faster Better Readers Group. The following recommendations are provided to
support you in getting the most value out of your participation.

• Please arrive on time and ready to particpate. The effectiveness of our discussion depends upon our
mutual respect and courtesy, which starts with our commitments to start and end times.
• Meet your commitments to read each section in time for the meeting.
• Engage in a positive dialog: participate with enthusiasm, and give others a chance to participate.
Ask questions!
• Respect confidentiality. So that people can feel safe really speaking openly, do not repeat anyone's
challenges, confidences, or speak in any way that does not support the professional identity of
group members outside of the meeting.
• Take complete responsibility for the group working for you. Make requests and communicate your
concerns about anything to the group or, -- if you wish, privately, to the co-leader. This group is for
your benefit, and it will work if you ask for what you need.
• Take the initiative to deepen your relationships with other group members. Workplace allies can be
very powerful, fun and enriching, and support you in getting the most out of the reading group.
• Enjoy!

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