what they're saying about the book

Comments about The Thin Book of® Smart People Skills from recent readers:

"A must read for all new leaders and useful insights for seasoned leaders on how to stay savvy." - Ian Hedges, General Manager, People, Hanson Australia

"Every leader, aspiring to be savvy or already savvy should not only own this book but read it!" - Catherine Mattiske, Managing Director, The Performance Company

"Katina Cremona has addressed the Achilles Heel of many leaders – their inability to interact with others successfully. Every leadership task occurs in the context of a relationship. Without being able to ‘work and play well with others’, leaders risk creating a frustrating and demotivated workforce. Katina’s elegant and straightforward ‘8 Tools’ go right to the heart of leadership. The higher leaders climb the more they are dependent upon the work of others for their success; so they had better get on with learning how to engage others and create the conditions for their success. Get savvy – read The Thin Book of Smart People Skills!" - Dr Greg Giuliano, President/CEO, Leading Initiatives Worldwide

"This thin book for savvy leaders provides in a very condensed and practical way guidance for leaders to become more effective and successful in everyday life - both personally and professionally." -  Dr. Ulrich Spiesshofer, Member of the Group Executive Committee, ABB Ltd, Switzerland

"Quick paced, easy to read - the perfect guide for leaders in a hurry.  The Thin Book of Smart People Skills grabbed my attention with readily recognizable scenarios of less-than-perfect  interactions, then quickly provided relief from the onslaught of self-doubt with easy to follow, practical, and achievable tips to generating better leadership outcomes. I'll keep going back to this book - its ease of use makes it the perfect companion for planning or reviewing my interactions with staff, colleagues and managers." - Phillip Godkin, General Manager, Europe and America, Westpac Institutional Bank

"This is a remarkable book. It takes complex concepts and makes them accessible. It enables managers to be better leaders of people. It's the ideal guide for aspiring people managers and for established managers who are puzzled by people and who are looking for insight. There are many, many useful tips in this book. Not least is the section on process. This much neglected area in the popular literature is critical if managers are to affect long-term and meaningful change. It's a must read." - Peter May, Regional HR Director, EMEA, Deloitte

"A concise easy to understand set of principles..you keep on finding yourself agreeing with the content.. this book should be read annually by managers as part of the performance review process." - Colin Burns, Head of Treasury - BNP Paribas Sydney Branch  

"A succinct, personable and very important contributor to the field of executive skill development. A book that brings sophistication and practicality to the crucially important area of people management in organizations. If you feel that your 'people skills' at work - however you may define them - are holding back your career, you need to read this book and to take heed of its contents." - David Holloway, Director, International Business Development, AOL LLC, New York City

"Successful leaders must be able to effectively manage and influence people and there is a considerable body of work and research on the people skills required to do this. The beauty of this book is that it distills this work and Katina’s own experience into an easily digestible and practical “thin book” that will help everyone improve their people skills. The consequences of this will be improved personal and team performance." - Graham Wallace, UK CEO, Merryck & Co.

"Fantastic guide for new people managers or managers who struggle with their emotional intelligence (EQ) skills.  The TIPS are great for a quick revision and are perfect for busy managers.  The fabulous thing about this book is that the skills that Katina teaches can be applied to all manner of interaction with people - not just who you manage or work with.  I see great value in applying these skills to improve the interactions that I have with my three children." - Samantha Zammit, Director Transactional Partner Group, Microsoft Australia Pty Ltd

"I am pretty certain that Katina gave me this book to review because she knew it would be helpful to me personally and in my work.  For me the section that had greatest resonance was 'explore before problem solving' and for one of my clients 'ask, don't tell'. 
Moreover Katina has written a helpful book which is easy to follow, well laid out and has some stories that look very familiar.  As someone rising through the management ranks it is an invaluable set of insights and for the seasoned manager a useful reminder.  The book therefore has wide appeal and its brevity makes it highly attractive to all." - Michele Jobling, Business Mentor, formerly MD Liberty plc.

"I really enjoyed this book! It may be a “Thin Book” but it is certainly not thin on excellent content, context and robust research. The tools that Katina outlines are all increasingly relevant in today’s business world and build upon her extensive experience of coaching senior executives around enhancing their people skills and her background as a corporate psychologist. She has taken the best of her experience working with global leaders to produce a book that is easy to read, relevant to the challenges facing senior executives and with real time examples of how each skill has been applied in a range of different business environments. The further reading suggested by Katina allows the reader to build upon this knowledge around areas of interest. This book will definitely be on my list of books to recommend to clients for its clarity, business focus and accessibility to the reader exploring new areas for development." - Camilla Arnold, Director of Talent, TXG Ltd

"One of the ironies of financial services is that success is as much dependent on your ability to understand and build relationships with people as it is on your talent at analyzing accounting statements. Katina Cremona has spent her career helping managers like me improve their people skills, and her thin book is in fact thick with practical advice that will help you better interact with and influence people, at work and outside." - Stuart Rae, CIO Pac Basin, Bernstein Value Equities    

"As my creative role changed with the business and became less about the importance of self and more about the empowerment of others, the thin book has provided me with invaluable guidance and structure.

"Whereas many books on this subject become academic texts on behaviour, the Thin Book is a lucid and insightful reference for the savvy manager looking to springboard into leadership." - Mike Staniford, Executive Creative Director, Landor Associates, Sydney