Leadership
by Rudolph W. Giuliani, Ken Kurson
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 2002)
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Reviews (126)

Enjoyable, especially if you like politics
New York City is better off becasue of Giuliani. In his book, Leadership, he is not afraid to tell us why he did such a good job as Mayor of New York.Ego, yes, but the results are there-- the City is cleaner and safer as a result of Giuliani.

In his own words, Giuliani tells us how he made the City a cleaner and safer place to live.The philosphy and actions taken are enjoyable to read.The interesting thing is most of the strategies are simple, but that is what leadership requires--an understadable plan of action that can be implemented.While Giuliani makes it sound easy, I am sure it was not.

Those not interested in politics, may not find this book all that enjoyable. I enjoy the science and found what Giuliani did while Mayor of New York very interesting.

Fascinating insight into leadership and city management
Is this book an ego-trip for Rudolph Giuliani?In some ways, yes.But he rightly has a huge amount to be proud of, having helped change NY from a crime-ridden hell-hole to a city to be proud of.

There is nothing revolutionary here, but it is interesting to see how good management practices applied wellby a strong, thoughtful (take note, GW) and well-respected leader, really can make a difference.One of Rudy's key strengths was an unflinching willingness to challenge the status quo.

I wonder if London's Major, Ken Livingstone, has read this?It should be required reading for all politicians.

Leadership Insights, Self-Serving Story Line
It seemed like the cheering had barely stopped at the change of regime in New York's Gracie Mansion when Rudy Giuliani came out with this book.The subject is leadership.It's not intended to be a biography or a review of the events of Giuliani's mayoral tenure or the events of September 11.The book, which was obviously started before Giuliani left office, is supposed to be about leadership, and it
is.

After a brief opening where Mr. Giuliani tells us why he's writing the book, we move to a discussion of the impact of September 11.No matter how the book was originally designed, this is an appropriate place to begin.

From there we go to the bulk of the book, which is composed of a series of fourteen chapters, each of which lays out a particular leadership point or belief.There's a lot here that's valuable and
worthwhile.

The book is exceptionally well written.Sections move easily from a discourse of principles to examples from Giuliani's life and career and back again.

If you come to this book looking for insights into leadership, you will definitely find them.They're scattered throughout the book and more a part of individual insights than they are of some kind of overall plan, pattern, or philosophy.That seems odd to me, because one of the things that Giuliani was best at as mayor and which he described superbly in this book, is the use of control systems and accountability to assure good performance.

And you will certainly hear about good performance.You will also get insight into the person.You will get excellent stories about his experience of September 11, of his youth, and of his success.You won't get much about anything that wasn't a success.

No one can have as long a career as Rudolph Giuliani or occupy as often-embattled a position as the Mayor of New York without making a few bad choices and having things come out wrong.Giuliani certainly did.They're not in this book, though.

For example, you'll hear a great deal about the woman he is now spending his life with. But there's very little about the kinds of decisions he made that led to an almost soap opera atmosphere surrounding his messy divorce.

You'll hear plenty about his success in reducing the crime statistics in New York.You won't hear about what went on - if anything - with education, even though that was supposed to be an area of concentration in his second term.

You'll be reminded several times that he and his administration thought about and researched and planned for disasters and were, therefore, better prepared to handle September 11 than they might have been otherwise.You won't hear how there were no joint city-wide operations to test many of these plans, nor will you hear some of the criticisms that have been voiced in other places about issues of coordination and technology.

What that means is that as good as the book is, after awhile you start to ask yourself a question."What's the rest of this story?What's the other side?"

In the end, that's what left me vaguely dissatisfied with the book and unwilling to give it a complete, unqualified, strong buy recommendation.You'll get part of the story here, and what you'll get is good, valuable, and may be helpful.But you won't get the whole story.
... Read more

Isbn: 0786868414
Sales Rank: 6311
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Giuliani, Rudolph W    4. Government - State & Provincial    5. Leadership    6. Mayors    7. New York (N.Y.)    8. New York - State Government    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Political    11. Political Process - Leadership    12. Political Science    13. Politics and government    14. Politics/International Relations    15. U.S. Local Government    16. Political Science / Leadership   

It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
by Michael Abrashoff
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (May, 2002)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $16.47
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Editorial Review

Other than the sobering fact that real lives are regularly at stake, running a navy ship is a lot like running a business: leaders of both must get the most out of their crews to operate at peak efficiency and complete the tasks at hand. As commander of the highly acclaimed USS Benfold, Captain D. Michael Abrashoff irrefutably demonstrated how progressive management can succeed at sea; in It's Your Ship, he translates his methods into an approach that can also be applied by land-bound captains of commerce and industry. Describing "the ideas and techniques that I used to win my sailors' trust and, eventually, their enthusiastic commitment to our joint goal of making our ship the best in the fleet," Abrashoff cites embarrassing failures along with subsequent triumphs to illuminate the keys to his accomplished 20-month tenure aboard the guided missile destroyer. His suggestions: lead by example; listen aggressively; communicate purpose and meaning; create a climate of trust; look for results, not salutes; take calculated risks; go beyond standard procedure; build up your people; generate unity; and improve your people's quality of life. While hardly original on the surface, Abrashoff's course should provide practical direction and inspiration for any leader hoping for similarly positive results in similarly rigid organizations. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Packed with Knowledge!
Like many books on leadership from nonbusiness walks of life, this sea tale offers a refreshing new perspective. U.S. Navy Captain D. Michael Abrashoff explains how he and his crew turned their under-performing vessel into the pride of the Pacific Fleet. His colorful, somewhat self-promotional style of storytelling makes it enjoyable, especially for those who are curious about life on a guided missile destroyer. What is less clear, however, is how to apply the Captain's lessons from a naval vessel to the business of running an ordinary corporation. "Generate unity" and "build up your people" are noble maxims, but how do you apply them in a corporate environment where the greatest threat often stems from friendly fire? In any case, the Captain offers engaging stories about how he steered the USS Benfold back on course. We recommend his book to executives and students of management who appreciate an anecdotal approach to shipshape leadership.

Very good book on how to create a rewarding work environment
Abrashoff was one of the most effective Commanders in the Navy in recent history - this book recounts his lessons learned and is veryproactive with respect to empowering your staff and delegating to them as well.On Page 158, he has a great line - Expect the best from your crew (and you will get the best).

When we have high expectations and we properly equip people to deliver, harmony is created and a virtuous cycle of achievement and progress is created.

Abrashoff was very objective focused as opposed to process or traditional ways of getting things done.He also took care of his people and made exceptions where feasible to ensure their long term emotional stability and commitment to the Navy.He understood the true costs of acquiring, training and bringing new staff up to speed.Often your best investment is employee retention!

A very good book with a different focus than the standard mantra management book.Well worth the read!

It is a loss for the US Navy that Abrashoff retired to pursue other life objectives.He was a strong credit to the Navy.

Captain D Abrashoff is amazing
This "out of the box" Naval Officer has written the "best damn book" on corporate survival,corporate culture, management,and empowerment that I have ever read. It has given me the insight to expect excellence from myself, and my company.
It is not your typical "three bags full" fluff.

I have recommended it UPWARD, SIDEWAYS,and DOWNWARD in my company, and to my customers as well. It has been well received in ALL directions.

I suggest that anyone at any level can learn valuable lessons from this story. This Officer turned the "Worst ship in the Navy" into the "Best damn ship in the Navy" with a simple game plan that not only changed his ship, but the U.S.Navy as a whole. (And in the process, improved out nation's security ... read the book to find out how he did it!)

Well done on Benfold, and the book, Sir !

... Read more

Isbn: 0446529117
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Command of troops    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Leadership    8. Management    9. Management - General    10. Navy    11. Ship captains    12. United States    13. Business & Economics / Leadership   

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround
by Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (12 November, 2002)
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Reviews (103)

IBM:Incredible Bunch of Morons.From Product to Service.
IBM: Incredible Bunch of Morons.
IBM: Incredible Bunch of Meat-Heads.

IBM was once a Product-Based company.Now, in 2005, it is a Service-based company.Basically, it has nothing to sell.

What is a Corporation?Have you ever talked to or had lunch with a corporation. A Corporation is a legal fiction created out of thin air. To survive, it has to have Product-Service, Service-Product to sell to the world.

What is IBM selling theses days.What do you use from IBM daily.Not much of anything.

Great companies have great Revolutionary Products that change the world.That's True for Xerox, Apple, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft and Google.A corporation has to have a Product-Service we use on a daily basis.

IBM lost the relational database business to ORACLE, IP networking to CISCO, Unix servers to SUN, and the PC hardware business to DELL.

Then what does IBM have to sell.Not much of anything, IBM is now a service company with a group of technicians fixing servers and PC.

True, Real companies have products to sell.What engineers and technicians now are selling are the Brain-Skills of the workers.IBM does not own Brains.They can leave at any time.IBM is going the way of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) or WANG to irrelevance.

Gerstner represents what wrong with U.S. executives.All sales, marketing, finance and public relations. It all "HOT AIR"and no Products.

What ever happened to great Products?The English-major who flunked calculus can do the bird-brain, no-brains marketing.

Gerstner middle name was "Frozen Six (6) Months.NO Difference"IBM went from somebody in the tech world to a no-body.All it has now is bunch of techies running around with screwdrivers.

True. Under Gerstner's leadership, IBM went from a great products- company to a service-company.Hence, a company of relevance to a company of no-relevance.

Details... I wanted more supporting details (3.5 to 4 Stars)
Yes Mr Gerstner called all the shots in the 90's and yes he, the company, and the stockholders made a lot of money doing it - and no IBM doesn't need another cheerleader but I must say this book does do a good job of describing what it took to turn around IBM.As a side benefit it also helps bring some logic to the reason "why" the computer arena runs the way it does.In addition it also gives a "business persons'" look at the other major players in the market not just an insider techie perspective.

The target market for this book is for experienced business leaders, young IT managers, AND the everyday computer client.
I would categorize myself as an everyday client.As a client and growing up with Apple as a market leader in the 80's and Microsoft in the 80 & 90's.I would have to say Lou Gerstner's "Who Says Elephants Can't Dance" book was the missing piece to the computer puzzle for me.It balances out what I previously read in Bill Gates' books "The Road Ahead" and "Business at the Speed Thought." The Microsoft desktop with it's web and email access was the standard as far as I was concerned.I simply was not aware of the IBM history that occurred prior to 1990.Looking back, when I was in school we had personal computers on our desktop and in college we had internet access, and when I starting working, email was the norm. So you can imagine my surprise when I picked up this book and discovered that these three technology's were not the norm prior to 1990.I had no idea that much of IBM's work from the 50's & 60's made a lot of today's e-lifestyle possible. Being in the computer industry for the last 12 years and seeing the web reach critical mass and its' subsequent explosion shed little light on what preceded it.

POSITIVES:
Here are a couple of the ideas I liked from the book:
Gerstner's/IBM High Performance Principles:Drivers for success:
1 The marketplace is the driving forcebehind what a company should be involved in
2 What is at the core of a company: In IBM's case, it is a technology and nothing else
3 Look outside to measure success via customer satisfaction and increased shareholder value
4 Operate as an entrepreneurial organization with minimum of bureaucracy and never ending focus on productivity
5 Have a sense of urgency (Planning & analysis is secondary to action)
6 Never lose sight of strategic vision, direction & mission Reward teamwork
8 Be sensitive to ALL employees needs

NEGATIVES:
When comparing this book to that of GM's Jack:"Straight From The Gut" where you almost need a score card to keep track of all the players - It seems to me, that the entire story of IBM and its' turn around was not told, for what ever reason some information was omitted.I can only recall Mr Gerstner pointing out at the most 4 people.

I think it is fair to say Mr Gerstner does minimize the impact that the phone companies, like MCI, had on rolling out a individual customer based internet product in the early 90's.

Furthermore, one of the other things that Mr Gerstnerfailed to address was the on-going concerns between access types in the public vs private domain:business vs personal use of access, cost sharing and privacy issues when at work.Issues like, on-line shopping, stock trading, personal email, etc are vague and unsupported.Maybe this is because he is not a so-called "techie."

Whether you buy this book or not I think it is safe to say what happens in your cube on your desktop right now was made possible in large part by the people in this book, ALL the IBM folks (past and present) as well as their competitors.

In summary I can say that I looked at this title a year ago and now in retrospect after finishing it, I wish I hadn't waited so long to read it.I picked up the CD version at the library

Memoirs of An Arrogant Genius
Gerstner is arrogant but with good reason.He knew what to do and did it, however unpopular it was.He was brought in to save this company (and protect its shareholders) from the foibles of the career IBMers who, without malice, were destroying what the Watsons had created.He wasn't there to protect jobs or careers.Gerstner rightly saw that IBM should not be a welfare program for "loyal" employees; it had to be a productive and profitable enterprise and he did what was necessary.Good for him.Genius is always hard to pin down but I have no doubt that this man is a genius and "Elephants" gives great insight into his thinking and actions.(But it also makes clear that, as Shakespeare might say of Lou, "The milk of human kindness does not flow through his veins.) ... Read more

Isbn: 0060523794
Sales Rank: 26057
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Case studies    5. Computer industry    6. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    7. Corporate turnarounds    8. Electronic office machine industry    9. History    10. Industries - Computer Industry    11. International Business Machine    12. Leadership    13. Management    14. Management - General    15. United States   

The Fifth Discipline
by PETER M. SENGE
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 1994)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $16.47
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Editorial Review

Peter Senge, founder of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT's Sloan School of Management, experienced an epiphany while meditating one morning back in the fall of 1987. That was the day he first saw the possibilities of a "learning organization" that used "systems thinking" as the primary tenet of a revolutionary management philosophy. He advanced the concept into this primer, originally released in 1990, written for those interested in integrating his philosophy into their corporate culture.

The Fifth Discipline has turned many readers into true believers; it remains the ideal introduction to Senge's carefully integrated corporate framework, which is structured around "personal mastery," "mental models," "shared vision," and "team learning." Using ideas that originate in fields from science to spirituality, Senge explains why the learning organization matters, provides an unvarnished summary of his management principals, offers some basic tools for practicing it, and shows what it's like to operate under this system. The book's concepts remain stimulating and relevant as ever. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (55)

The bottom line of the book is leveraging
The bottom line to Senge's book, "The fifth Discipline" is the message companies need to leverage.Leveraging is removing barriers, responding to customer feedback, and making changes that have a big effect. Leveraging requires a change in thinking.

A shift in mindset from linear too circular thinking; circular thinking helps the individual too understanding the balancing processes of the organization and increases organization learning about these process.As the organization learns it improves by designing additional balancing process giving the managers leverage to expand and grow.Circular thinking is the ability to see the forest through the tree or in other words the ability to see the long-term vision of the company and be able to communicate the vision through out the organization.

Whereas, Linear thinking states "I see a problem and the effect must be this."Linear thinking tends to be a trial and error approach to problem solving. It attempts to change one factor at a time and what the resulting effect. It is a deductive approach to problem solving assuming that the cause is directly linked to the effect in a simple one to one basis. This assumption and problem solving approach is not always effective or true as systems become more complex.

Whereas, system thinking is looking for all the factors that make up the balancing system and examining who each factor effects the other factor or combinations of factors combine to cause a process imbalance. Circular thinking helps eliminates fragmented thinking about a system by providing a comprehensive series of factors describing the processes of the system.

What is leveraging?Leveraging is system thinking at its best.Leveraging is anticipating and designing for future needs that will occur from potential growth. Leveraging is designing and implementing plant expansion before the demand crisis occurs and causes cyclic production patterns caused by performance breakdowns.

Most company's fight system thinking, settling on operational thinking by advocating, "How can I ask the board to expend millions of dollars without proof of demand?" or more generically, "if it is not broke why invest in expansion."Feedback rather than demand is the motivating force behind the fifth discipline.Demand is both difficult to predict and measure with many companies measure the wrong components of demand and thus investing the their money in the wrong place, such as, Airlines investing in customer service rather than convenience and punctuality.Feedback is listening to the customers that support your business and giving them what they want and need.Profit occurs, as customers are willing to pay for what they need.

These stochastic arguments hold up in stagnate business environments where the company has matured its business models.However, in fast growth and high demand business models high lights elements of constraint theory. Constraint theory looks at the whole system and examines the effects of"bottle-necks" and further examines the behavior of the buyer, middleman, and supplier.Senge illustrates in his analogy of lover's beer the problem constraint theory creates for the retailer, the consumer, and the beer manufacturing plant and in the case study, Senge tells about how a bar which serves lover's beer responses to sudden consumer demand for the beer and over purchases the beer inventory in response to delays or backlogs in his inventory from the wholesaler with his inventories reaching 10 to 20 times their normal counts and the wholesaler delays caused by production cycles to ferment the beer and plant capacity.

The lover's beer case study ends with the consumer becoming disinterested in the beer partial caused by a poor reputation by the bar to provide the product even though the reasons to try the beer originally were very important.Interesting what started the trend was a ending phrase "lover's beer" from a popular music group with the patrons wanting to try lover's beer even with a two week wait, obviously a loyal customer.

Senge further explains business model fortifies the concept of leveraging with the case study of "Wonder-Machines".Wonder-Machines is a new company with a breakthrough PC that everyone wants.Wonder-Machines starts out with an adequate production line capable of meeting existing customer orders and due to the quality and price of the new machine it reputation improves significantly causing an increase in demand.

"Wonder-Machines" experiences 200 percent growth annually and sells a product customers and potential customer will want, so it meet higher than expected increases in customer demand.Thinking linearly management reacts by increasing the number of shifts which provides a short-term solution to a large problem, rapid growth.

Wonder-Machine errors by holding off building a new plant taking a "wait and see" approach for production expansion.So, Wonder-Machine production delays increased eventually forcing the company to invest in another plant and about the plant is completed, demand suddenly drops.

In response to the drop in sales an aggressive sales campaign is launched to turn the company back into profit and because marketing and sells are a direct line between the company and the customer, poor performing salesmen are fired and higher performing salesmen are given larger financial incentives.

The sales campaign works too well causing more orders to come in than the company can handle and a twelve-week time lag starts to emerge. Twelve weeks is created a group of angry customers and faced with growth, high costs for another plant, and inconsistent sales demand the company eventually invests into another plant but because of poor time delivery times the company has gained a reputation of being late on delivery and the customer types are shifting from loyal customer who prize the quality of the product to ones that look for price.Competitors see the market inefficiency and start to create their niche on price and Wonder-Machines goes bankrupt.

Fifth discipline suggests that the problem is not aggressive promoting reinforcement of factor but removing system barriers. Removal of barriers is the results of system thinking.System thinking assumes "cause and effect" is a complex process of discovering all the big picture factors and because the process is complex multiple people will be required to create the big picture.Leveraging examines the balances in the process and designs parallel balancing processes to meet future growth. Leveraging is not guessing at the future rather leveraging is removing obvious barriers to growth and profits. Leveraging allows for sudden increased loads caused from demand and reduces delays, and allows small changes to produce large results; such as full service grocery stores to self service grocery stores.

Feedback is the driving force behind leveraging.Customer feedback helps manager understand areas to start leveraging and building to meet customer needs.Meeting customer needs drives system thinking about the balancing processes that must be consider to meet the customer needs. The circular series of factors interacting with the balancing process is access against customer feedback to determine whether the solutions are working.

UWM Book Analysis
Most best sellers are based on some concept that they create their argument off of - Senge's concept is systems thinking.Unlike other best sellers out there, it is not just a personal journey the author has taken; Senge's book has a multitude of research and analysis behind his theories that makes the reader more willing to "buy in" to systems thinking.A little long winded but worth the read.Make sure to jump around to those chapters that appeal to you more.

Too Good For the Planet Earth
Senge is a demigod to many people.I spentin excess of $50.00 on this book and The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook.Having read them both, I have no doubt that Senge in a smart guy.But there are some deeply problematic issues here.

Let's take a look at one of his pearls of wisdom.One of his central points is "today's solutions are tomorrow's problems."Some say that statement is powerful. But people can easily use such thinking as an excuse for inaction. A friend of mine (whonever seems to accomplish anything) is always referencing this quote. If people in organizations are always worried about whether today's actions are going to cause problems, no action would be taken.The organization would constantly be spinning its wheels.

He also says that learning from experience is a "delusion."You pretty much have to believe that in order to believe this book.Much of this stuff flies in the face of what most of us have experienced.

Moreover, he insists that authoritarian leadership should be replaced with "team learning." But how can team learning exist without being enforced (by anauthority figure)?

This book has good ideas- GREAT ideas.Too great for this blue ball we call the planet Earth. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385260954
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business/Economics    5. Leadership    6. Management - General    7. Organizational Behavior    8. Business & Economics / Business Communication   

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
by Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (05 May, 1999)
list price: $28.00 -- our price: $18.48
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Editorial Review

Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman expose the fallacies of standard management thinking in First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. In seven chapters, the two consultants for the Gallup Organization debunk some dearly held notions about management, such as "treat people as you like to be treated"; "people are capable of almost anything"; and "a manager's role is diminishing in today's economy." "Great managers are revolutionaries," the authors write. "This book will take you inside the minds of these managers to explain why they have toppled conventional wisdom and reveal the new truths they have forged in its place."

The authors have culled their observations from more than 80,000 interviews conducted by Gallup during the past 25 years. Quoting leaders such as basketball coach Phil Jackson, Buckingham and Coffman outline "four keys" to becoming an excellent manager: Finding the right fit for employees, focusing on strengths of employees, defining the right results, and selecting staff for talent--not just knowledge and skills. First, Break All the Rules offers specific techniques for helping people perform better on the job. For instance, the authors show ways to structure a trial period for a new worker and how to create a pay plan that rewards people for their expertise instead of how fast they climb the company ladder. "The point is to focus people toward performance," they write. "The manager is, and should be, totally responsible for this." Written in plain English and well organized, this book tells you exactly how to improve as a supervisor. --Dan Ring ... Read more

Reviews (187)

Remember One Thing
I believe one of the ways to determine the value of a book is based upon how much, or what you remember after reading it. In this case, I remember that it is very valuable and important to recognize and further develop the strengths in your employees.

The impression I came away with as I worked through the book was the author challenged many, many management principles and theories and provided a contrasting perspective. So, if you want a different perspective on management principles and want to challenge your existing knowledge of these principles then this book may interest you, otherwise, remember to develop the strengths of your people. After all it is those strengths that have allowed your organization to succeed.

New Managers First Read
"First, Break All the Rules" is the perfect book for new managers or supervisors that are looking to get a feel for what they should be doing as managers or supervisors.This book does not delve much into the focus of leadership, which is good if you're just starting out.All managers that I train from now on will be receiving a copy of this book or a summary of everything it entails.

The story of the great worker who refuses to stay with the company unless she receives one thing and one thing only is extremely persuasive.She doesn't want money, promotions, benefits, or stock options.She wants only one thing and there is only one thing her company won't give her that they should.

An authentic, well researched meta-analysis !
Why did I like the book ?
I liked it:
First, because it consolidated a lot of concepts to great management that are contemporary and that I always could relate to but was less able to place into perspective.
Second, because it challenged my intellect, my perspective on the field of management and communication, my mind on a neuro-emotionally intelligent level and my identity as both an employee and a manager
Third, because it helped me set a more comprehensive standard to what a great manager can be on an international scale. I feel I could tie in some key cross-cultural theories and training methodologies and use this as an effective base line from which to grow personally and professionally.

I would recommend this book to others, notably those in my field of management and colleagues (of which some are my bosses), even to those managers and employees with untapped potential out there!

What have I learned that is new (versus repackaged, like the proverbial old wine in new bottles)?

I have learned that:
- certain preconceived ideas I had of what a great manager is can be unlearned or reevaluated so as to help me refine my tasks and role as a manager and improve the quality of and precision with which I can communicate and make myself better understood, as well as simplify the working structure I work in.
- there is proof supporting the fundamental postulation that the role of a great manager cannot be placed in a box, a company policy nor applied across companies or organizations
- to simplify one's tasks is not to dissolve another's creativity or role but to enhance another's steps towards a more succinct and adaptable method by which to perform at an exponentially higher standard

One should read this book because:
- it is a primary source of information based on a comprehensive study made of a meta-analysis that cuts through core of the various ways in which different companies have devised ways in which to measure performance
- it provides a series of answers to fundamental questions geared towards the analysis and description of the links that lie between employee opinion and business unit performance
- it is a fast and reader-friendly book that allows for an in depth perspective, understanding and methodology of what defines a great manager, the crucial role of employees to a company and the link between these two in producing the highest levels of performance.
ENJOY IT, MAKE IT HAPPEN, LIVE IT AND THRIVE! Peace, Joe:)
... Read more

Isbn: 0684852861
Subjects:  1. Attitudes    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Employees    6. Executive Management    7. Executive ability    8. Executives    9. Leadership    10. Management    11. Management - General    12. Reference - General    13. Business & Economics / General   

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
by Jim Collins
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (16 October, 2001)
list price: $27.50 -- our price: $16.74
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Editorial Review

Five years ago, Jim Collins asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" In Good to Great Collins, the author of Built to Last, concludes that it is possible, but finds there are no silver bullets. Collins and his team of researchers began their quest by sorting through a list of 1,435 companies, looking for those that made substantial improvements in their performance over time. They finally settled on 11--including Fannie Mae, Gillette, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo--and discovered common traits that challenged many of the conventional notions of corporate success. Making the transition from good to great doesn't require a high-profile CEO, the latest technology, innovative change management, or even a fine-tuned business strategy. At the heart of those rare and truly great companies was a corporate culture that rigorously found and promoted disciplined people to think and act in a disciplined manner. Peppered with dozens of stories and examples from the great and not so great, the book offers a well-reasoned road map to excellence that any organization would do well to consider. Like Built to Last, Good to Great is one of those books that managers and CEOs will be reading and rereading for years to come. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (351)

Real Business Book for Real Businesses
This book was recommended to me by a colleague I respect very much who has built a very successful large company.

Good to Great breaks away from 99% of the anecdotal business books out there which simply detail the past actions of successful businesses or people or worse authors with no business knowledge.Knowing what a successful business did is not nearly as useful as knowing whether what they did was the actual reason they were successful.Collins does this only through a painstaking process that took several years and 25 researchers.His team identified companies that had gone from being above average to stellar and then worked to identify the reasons and research it in depth.

The end result is a very readable and easy to understand and use guide that is packed with enough solidness and backbone to please even the toughest academic.Useable knowledge with solid reason and research backing - this is what a business book should be.

No Rocket Science
Its very simple why MOST companies don't become great.They dont want to !!Its alot cheaper to just edge out your competition (if you even have to), than to start a price war, or any other kind of war.Also, most companies are clueless, since they cant tell the difference between an investment, and a cost.They would rather not invest in their people because, they either might take the jobs of the one who taught them, or go somewhere else, and get paid a higher salary, from a company that didnt have to invest in them, so then that other company can then steal what they didnt have to invest in.Lets face it, the company with the lowest cost wins.That one statement explains everything else.There will never be greatness as long as this is true.The race to the botton, trumps the race to the top.

SO MUCH TO OFFER HERE
If you liked Jim Collins' book, "Built to Last," you will love his follow up called, "Good to Great." This is one of those rare cases, where the sequel is actually better than the original. "Good to Great" is more than a business book. It is a book with principles applicable to many aspects of life. Collins challenges his readers to aspire to greatness rather than the mediocrity of being good. He says, "Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life."

In Collins' study to be considered "great," a company's stock had to earn more than triple the general stock market for fifteen consecutive years. The research found seven keys common with the eleven companies, which were able to make the "Good to Great" transition:

1. LEVEL FIVE LEADERSHIP - They had leaders who were a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.
2. FIRST WHO...THEN WHAT - People are not the most important asset. The right people are.
3. CONFRONT THE BRUTAL FACTS - They maintained unwavering faith that they would prevail in the end, and at the same time the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of the current reality.
4. THE HEDGEHOG CONCEPT - Their core business was that at which they believed they could be the best in the world.
5. THE CULTURE OF DISCIPLINE - When a company employs disciplined people hierarchy, bureaucracy, and excessive controls are not necessary.
6. TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATORS - Technology by itself is never a primary, root cause of either greatness or decline.
7. THE FLYWHEEL AND THE DOOM LOOP - Good-to-great transformation never happened in one fell swoop but as a relentless push to breakthrough and beyond.

A unique feature of Collins' work is that it is not from the perspective of a practitioner who models his "how I did it" formula. Such a formula is often based on an extraordinary person in a unique circumstance and, as such, it isn't easily transferable. Neither is it the postulation of an unproven theory by a philosopher. Rather it is the conclusions of a researcher, who found what has worked and is reporting it for our benefit.

I read the book when it was first released, then I purchased and listened to the audio book, next I heard Collins lecture on the subject and now I've gone back to re-read my highlights annually. I've found the principles to be effective in various avenues of life. Whether you are in the business world or a person wanting to experience higher levels of achievement and satisfaction, I highly recommend "Good to Great."
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Isbn: 0066620996
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    5. Leadership    6. Management    7. Management - General    8. Organizational change    9. Strategic Planning    10. Technological innovations    11. Business & Economics / Management    12. Reading Group Guide   

Leadership : With A Human Touch
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quotes
I used to subscribe to this pamphlet (and it is a pamphlet, not a magazine) at work several years ago.I just unearthed a copy from 1997 and was surprised to find it's still out there.To give you an idea of what it is:it's roughtly 20+ pages, full of inspiring quotes related to leadership, honesty, work ethic, etc.Some is funny, some is thought-provoking:
"Many a false step is made by standing still"
"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails"
There are a lot of long stories too, but I'm too lazy to type them in.This is a good modivational gift for employees.As the reader below suggests, check out the publisher's website for a sample copy and more info.

This is not a magazine!
Even though this is advertised as a magazine, it is actually a 24 page pamphlet measuring 4 x 6.5 inches. It contains brief, loosely related, quotations about leadership and human nature from sources that date from ancient times through the present. There are no articles at all.Nothing within the pages was written for this publication. The longest quotations are a couple of paragraphs. Most are one or two lines.

There is no advertising except for mention of the publisher's web site. My guess is that "Leadership...with a human touch" serves mainly as a way to promote the publisher's other offerings -like business related training. (Publisher is Ragan Communications Inc.)

I strongly recommend that you view the publisher's web site before deciding to purchase this item.If I had seen the product before purchasing it, I would not have been interested at all. ... Read more

Asin: B00006KLRK
Sales Rank: 5279
Subjects:  1. Business & Investing    2. Management    3. American Literature    4. Literary    5. Business