Reviews (22)

How to lead forcefully, but without any noise
This philosophical essay about leadership is not about the kind of leader who makes it onto the front pages of newspapers or into the history books. Instead, it is about average people who labor in the middle to lower levels of bureaucracies, and who do the work that keeps their organizations moving forward. Author Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr., calls these people "quiet leaders." They make decisions that may not appear earthshaking, but that still must take many complex factors into account. Badaracco illustrates the kinds of ethical and moral dilemmas quiet leaders face by extracting guidelines from case studies. However, many of the stories he presents are so commonplace, and the lessons he draws are so self-evident, that the book is hardly the "unorthodox guide" it wishes to be. We recommend this to mid- and low-level managers who are looking for an alternative to traditional ideas about heroic leadership.

Too Machiavellian for my Comfort
I desperately wanted to like this book. The author has enormous credibility and writes extremely well, and his approach (based on typical Harvard-style case studies) promised interest and a practical turn of mind. Yet I finished the book feeling frustrated and very much at odds with much of what Professor Badaracco has written.
ethics and leadership
This is from my blog:
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Leadership    6. Management & management techniques   

Editorial Review

What do the Honda Supercub, Intel's 8088 processor, and hydraulic excavators have in common? They are all examples of disruptive technologies that helped to redefine the competitive landscape of their respective markets. These products did not come about as the result of successful companies carrying out sound business practices in established markets. In Read more

Reviews (140)

Mind-Expanding
This is one of the best -- and scariest -- business books I've ever read. Christensen clearly illustrates why many of the 'tried and true' formulas really don't work. His research is compelling and is presented clearly enough for non-technical readers. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

Counterintuitive, well-supported, and powerful
This text excels on several levels:It is very readable, and tells a story which is understandable and compelling even at a cursory pace.For the motivated reader, digging deeper, especially spending time on the introduction and each chapter's endnotes, there is a huge amount of data and insight into that data that is well-structured for assimilation.Finally, the theories presented, once understood, become both a lens for interpreting past and current market dynamics, and set the stage for deployable actions in a number of industries.

It must have been mistaken identitiy...
During fourth of july vacation, I had a chsance to see an old college friend, who is a vice president for a large computer hard drive firm... he was showing offf his new Toyota hybrid when we began talking about the market forces, which interfered with large companies responding to the emerging needs and changes in the marketplace.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Creative ability    5. Creative ability in business    6. Customer services    7. Decision Making & Problem Solving    8. Entrepreneurship    9. Industrial management    10. Management - General    11. Organization Development    12. Success in business    13. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (5)

Very insightful book!

Understanding How Work Really Gets Done is Organizations
Well written book with helpful insights that one can apply to the work world.By becoming conscious of the power that these networks yield we can better harness their potential energy and creativity force.
VIVIDLY REVEALS A KEY DIMENSION OF ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS!
This book is about how employees actually interact through networks to get work done, how such social networks function, how to analyze these networks, and ways to build and strengthen them. The major focus is on information flow and collaboration. The authors have found that a highly effective and pragmatic approach to analyzing and developing networks need not be highly complex. Their focus is on improving organizational performance by both understanding and promoting vibrant networks. The book concentrates on the factors that make a network effective and how, in practice, managers can foster the potential of a social network within and between units of organization. The discussion of factors that infuse energy into a network is excellent. So too are sections on the elements used to promote network connectivity and the six steps for conducting a social network analysis, including example questions. Based on considerable research and real-world experiences in private and public sector entities, the book is outstanding in revealing a key dimension of organizational success. It is well written, makes main points clearly, and delves into the substance of its subject. For anyone with an interest in, or engaged in, organization analysis, design,development or leadership, this book is must-reading! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business networks    4. Business/Economics    5. Employees    6. Management - General    7. Social networks    8. Organizational theory & behaviour    9. General Management   

Reviews (7)

Worthwhile read for entrepreneurs
There are many books with an entrepreneurial bent available, most of which are aimed at folks considering starting a business.This is a solid compilation of HBR white papers on various aspects of entrepreneurship.Although the information is useful to those exploring the possibility of starting their own venture, it is more useful to those who have taken the plunge and are immersed in the day to day challenges of building and sustaining a new business venture.
Is leadership managment?
This book encapsulates the responsibilites of a leader and the diffirenciation between a leader and a manager.A leader is always in front... never in second place.Thats where managers are... because they are not as good, as the book states.Every manager should strive to be a leader.

Great articles on defining and teaching about leadership
The wide variety of articles on leadership covers well items from the basic topics such as the difference between managers and leaders to how someone can be both (and the tensions that can cause!). Two of the best articles were on how leaders really spend their time during the day and how leaders foster an environment in which other people can also be identified and brought forward as leaders.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Leadership    6. Leadership In Business    7. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (19)

Outlining a future for HR
Author Dave Ulrich reflects an awareness that many professionals keenly feel: in these highly competitive times, they must either evolve or stagnate. His book tells human resource (HR) leaders how to assume more vital, strategic roles within their organizations. He makes a convincing argument that successful companies must elevate HR to the role of a strategic partner, to enable it to implement programs that support an organization's goals. Whether reading any book can put you in the forefront of hands-on transformation remains to be seen, but this volume certainly offers plenty of real-world case studies to back up its premise that HR professionals must step into a new, vital strategic role. Each company and each HR department is so different, however, that it may be challenging to apply some of these broad themes to specific situations. That said, the themes themselves ring true, although the book is now more of a classic than the innovative think piece it was when new. We recommend it especially to HR professionals as a comprehensive look at why you must conquer so much territory to keep your organization competitive.
Building a competitive organization with Ulrich
Ulrich has marked a new theory on human resources management system. According to him, company's HR manager has strategic position and more than just "a head of employee division". HR manager, said Ulrich, at least has four key positions in building a competitive organization: as (1) strategic partner, (2) administrative expert, (3) change agent, and (4) human resource champion. Ket's learn more strategic steps with this Number One Management Guru!

Read if you are a businessman - shape up your HR department
HR Champions was the first mainstream book that looked at HR as more than just an administrative department. Regrettably, in the eight years since it's publication, few companies have truly taken heed. Many HR "professionals" (sic) quote Ulrich's work but few practice it.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Human Resources & Personnel Management    4. Organization Development    5. Organizational change    6. Personnel And Human Resources Management    7. Personnel management    8. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (21)

Medici Effect Starts Strong and Ends More towards Medium
Medici Effect is a good read that leads you into a journey of how innovation really occurs. It is the intersection of different fields, cultures, discplines, activities, people, etc. that leads you to a new direction for whatever problem that you are trying to solve. It strives to tie it all together in the end with the idea that you have to know what the problem is that you are trying to solve, seek out different experiences, people, etc. to give you new ideas to put together with the ideas that you already have in your head and voila - in 1 month to 8 years or more - an answer to the problem that you are trying to solve may happen. It is not a book about process - it is a book about the journey that may lead you to the solution that you are seeking.

Thought provoking - think of Amazon.com as an "Intersection"
Where can you borrow ideas from others to apply them to your situation? Although this is not an original question by any means, this excellent, well-written book explores this question by looking at how innovation comes together at the "Intersection" of cultures, industries, and differing streams of thought.
Good idea, needs more development
The Medici Effect presents the idea that significant breakthrough ideas are often discovered at the intersection of typically unrelated disciplines.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Creative Ability    3. Creativity    4. Nanotechnology    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Strategic Planning    7. Structural Adjustment    8. Technological Innovations    9. Technology    10. Production & quality control management   

Reviews (4)

Finance Book Review - Jameson Thottam (formerly with Morgan Stanley, Homestore and IndyMac Bank)
This is an OKAY book,
Good place to start
Explains the basics, not so detailed that a novice can't follow it.If you're already a finance manager (as opposed to a manger without a finance background), I suggest something a little more advanced.

Nice Overview- Not so nice coverage
I bought this book to rehash some of the necessary and critical financial concepts learnt in school. Objective was to a. Make informed decision with knowledge of some finance terms (like top-line growth) B. Make more familiarity with the standard yet not so frequently used financial tools (like cash flow statement).
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business enterprises    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate Finance    6. Corporations    7. Finance    8. Budgeting & financial management   

Reviews (2)

Major impact to your career success...
Negotiating is a critical skill in just about all areas of life, but especially when you're supposed to be a leader at work.Michael Watkins' book Shaping the Game: The New Leader's Guide to Effective Negotiating does a very nice job in laying out the necessary skills, as well as giving you the strategic tools you need to be successful at it.
The New "Getting to Yes"
For years "Getting to Yes" has been the standard introduction to negotiation.Frankly, the one-size-fits-all approach and win-win optimism of the book has gotten tired.Mike Watkin's "Shaping the Game" is the antidote.
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Subjects:  1. Applied Psychology    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business Communication - General    5. Business/Economics    6. Communication In Business    7. Communication in management    8. Leadership    9. Negotiating    10. Negotiation    11. Problem solving    12. Business negotiation   

Reviews (7)

Good book! Just don't buy the eBook copy!
It's a decent book that outline the necessary steps and precautions that need to re-engineer your company.However, I made a mistake by buying the eBook copy of this book because I needed it right the way.However, for this eBook, I cannot print any of the pages and, worse yet, I can't view the book on another PC.So my suggestion is that DON'T BUY eBOOK, it's the worst investment you can make.

Very good, and in addition.
This is a very good series of articles. In addition, I strongly recommend "Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler. It is time and money well spent.

A positive goldmine
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Executive Management    6. Management - General    7. Organizational change    8. Reference - General    9. Structural Adjustment    10. Management & management techniques   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (4)

Set-up-to-fail behavioral anti-pattern is more frequent than one can think...
I find this book extremely interesting and definitely worth of reading. It sheds lights on the well known situation when trying to help a person a manager can actually make things even worse.
Common Wisdom: Insidious & Pernicious
This work deftly weaves those seemingly abstract and academic studies Psychology 101 students have been reading about for 40 years into the fabric of everyday work experience.The authors are able to put the subtle pattern into high resolution, which at first appears shocking, then depressing, and finally, hopeful. Good Analysis But Bad Prescription
Being one authored by INSEAD experts, I bought the book with high expectations, believing that FINALLY the truth can be out!!! I read the first few chapters of the book so religiously (almost treating it like my Bible), taking down key points that are so wonderfully said about the self-fulfilling prophecy that many managers have set themselves up to, i.e. to fail. What's disappointing as I come to the middle portion of the book is that authors suggestion on how managers can avoid the SUTF syndrome by taking the first step (not to mention swallowing all their ego and pride) and start initiating a de-SUTF relationship with his/her subordinate even if it means this person might eventually have a chance of not improving at all (due to job mis-fit)??? I returned the book and bought and digested "First Break All Rules" instead. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Human Resources & Personnel Management    6. Problem employees    7. Supervision of employees    8. Organizational theory & behaviour    9. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (8)

Making a winning case for profit
Many executives, especially those running large companies, get easily pulled away from increasing profits to an almost ego-driven pursuit of market share.
Setting the record straight
More profit obviously means more money for a company's stakeholders, so why do companies continue to insist that market share is the top organizational priority?The case for changing minds over to a profit-centralized viewpoint is clear.This is the mission authors Simon, Bilstein, and Luby undertake in this book and succeed gracefully at.Such ideas as understanding your company's comparative advantages, improving salesperson performance by removing the emphasis on sales volume, raising prices and optimizing marketing are all covered.Such topics as decreasing costs are not considered, as this book takes a very customer-centric view of profit and leaves the topic of cost alone as it is covered quite extensively in many other publications.The range of tools the authors provide is excellent and not overwrought with dense explanations.Experienced managers can effectively improve their companies' bottom lines by reading the ideas and example applications and then customizing the information to fit their organizations.Companies and their shareholders all stand to profit from the information in this book, so I cannot recommend it highly enough to managers at all levels of all organizations.

An important and timely study of the issues concerning adoptive profit versus market share in today's volatile stock market
Expertly co-authored by Hermann Simon (Founder and Chariman of Simon-Kucher and Partners Strategy and Marketing Consultants, Germany), and SKP partners of Boston's division, Frank F. Bilstein and Frank Luby, Manage For Profit Not For Market Share: A Guide To Greater Profits In Highly Contested Markets is an important and timely study of the issues concerning adoptive profit versus market share in today's volatile stock market. Introducing readers to investment management, marketing, and providing a clearly presented and accessible explanation a complex monetary subject, Manage For Profit Not For Market Share provides a clear and applicable guide for understanding the differentiation between mature products, as well as addressing such issues as effective price increases, new orders to segmenting customers, proper timing to various activities, and the effect of consumer preferences. Manage For Profit Not For Market Share is very strongly recommended and profitable reading for investors, account managers, brokerage executives, and consultants for all formats of corporate or business sales as an exclusive and expansive interpretation of competitive profit sales, marketing, and innovative, practical guidance through modern business progress.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Finance    5. Industrial Economics (General)    6. Industries - General    7. Profit Sharing    8. Business & Management   

Reviews (5)

Start thinking about your leadership legacy now
The authors of "Your Leadership Legacy", Robert Galford and Regina Fazio Maruca asked for my thoughts on the type of leadership legacy I want to leave.
Looking toward the future never looked better
"Your Leadership Legacy" serves as an excellent springboard for an issue that too many leaders leave unaddressed.While they could have simply reminded us that looking toward the future is a good idea for leaders, the authors provide a fantastic framework and practical discussions for crafting -- and actually achieving -- professional results.

insightful, thoughtful, and easy to read
I found this short and easy to read book to be extremely useful.Not having specifically considered my own leadership legacy to date, having read this book helped me to recognize that integration of my personal values into my business life will affect not only how people think of me, but whether and how my work will be considered in the future. I really enjoyed this book and particularly liked not only the personal narrative by the "leaders", but also the follow-up from his or her associates commenting on, and clearly illustrating, that person's leadership legacy.Will I be thought of as a fair and reasonable person?Or as a perpetual grump who never helped anyone else?And who wants to follow in the footstops of the latter?After reading "Your Leadership Legacy", now I'm reflecting on these things! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Culture    5. Leadership    6. Leadership In Business    7. Management - General    8. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (1)

Invaluable "Essentials"
This is one of several paperbacks in the "Essentials" series, each of which offers "cutting edge" thinking on a major business subject. Mike Beer served as the adviser to Richard Luecke while he wrote this volume. Brief information about both is provided. There are seven chapters following an Introduction in which Luecke observes that "Accepting the necessity and inevitability of change enables [all companies and their decision-makers] to see times of transition not as threats but as opportunities -- opportunities for reinventing the company and its culture." Indicators include a merger, acquisition, or divestiture; the launch of a new product or service; a new leader; or a new technology. "In this book you will learn how to manage change constructively, and how to help your company, division, and people deal with the upheavals of change. You'll also learn practical things you can do to make change initiatives more successful and less painful for the people you manage."Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Management    6. Management - General    7. Mergers & Acquisitions    8. Organizational change    9. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (19)

The title says it all
The author uses a narrative and graphical approach to illustrate his point. It's indeed a common sense approach
Highly informative! For professional analysts, researchers, economists, strategists but not investors/traders
Actually my review title says it all. It might be the most comphrehensive book on economic data analysis. As a pro, I have no hesitation to recommend it to any pro as a tool book or reference book, in particular those who take the FA Macro Top down long term investment approach, but not others who spend less than at least 2 hours a day for economic data collection, compilation, analysis.....The workload is just impossible for amateurs.
Making Sense of All of Those Economic Indicators.
Joseph H. Ellis' ability to see ahead of the curve served his clients so well that he was ranked the #1 retail analyst by "Institutional Investor" for 18 years. In "Ahead of the Curve", Ellis presents his method for forecasting market cycles, learned and tested over 24 years at Goldman Sachs & Co., clearly and concisely so that we all might benefit. He tells us how to find meaning in the myriad of abstruse and contradictory economic indicators that we puzzle over in order to "demystify the economic cycle and the stock market's historically consistent relationship to it". Ellis doesn't ask us to believe anything that we cannot see for ourselves. All of the economic data series that he discusses are clearly charted against bear markets, recessions, and other data series, typically from 1960 to 2004. "Ahead of the Curve" offers a new, simpler, and hopefully more accurate means for business managers, analysts, and investors to predict overall market trends that can also be applied to a particular sector or company.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economic Forecasting    5. Forecasting    6. Management - General    7. Marketing - General    8. Business & Management    9. Economics, Finance, Business and Industry   

Reviews (2)

Excelent real life cases
This book does capture the findings from the work of Beyond Budgeting Roundtable in a excellent way. The cases in the book are real and are brilliant proofs of the fact that it is possible to run even a large corporation with out traditional budget models. I�m really looking forward to the follow up.

Good Book on Relatively New Topic
As a business consultant with many years experience in budgeting, I found this a very useful overview of a relatively new topic in finance. The authors clearly show the limitations of the traditional budgeting process and present a comprehensive alternative. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Management    6. Management - General    7. Budgeting & financial management   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Career/Job    3. Diversity in the workplace    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Human Resources & Personnel Management    6. Personnel management    7. Personnel & human resources management    8. Human Resouces/Diversity   

Reviews (3)

No photocopy for leadership success
Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones' WHY SHOULD ANYONE BE LED BY YOU? WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN AUTHENTIC LEADERtells why simply copying leadership strategies isn't a guarantee of success - and how authentic leadership resides in individuals who display their authenticity to others. Examples throughout illustrate over twenty-five years of joint experience between the authors who use their research, consulting experience and leadership skills to argue for the merits of authentic leadership and how to achieve it.
Interesting book
This book is well-written. It is easy to read and keeps your interest in general, although it is sometimes a little repetitious and slow. I guess the author repeats the point to make sure you get it.
The four qualities of inspirational leaders
Gareth Jones is director of Human Resources and Internal Communications at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and a former Professor of Organizational Development at Henley Management College in Oxfordshire, England. Robert Goffee is Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. They are the founding partners of Creative Management Associates, an organizational consulting firm in London, England. This article, published in Harvard Business Review's September-October 2000 issue, discusses the research of the authors into leadership (as academics, consultants, and executives).Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Development - Business Development    5. Leadership    6. Leadership In Business    7. Management - General    8. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (6)

Dissapointment
I am very surprised with the rave reviews of this book here. I decided to purchase it for two reasons. First, I trusted the reviews here and decided it would be important to own this book. Second, I am familiar with Douglas Holt's academic work, and have read his articles in academic journals. I thought this book will be very interesting to read.
Surprisingly Important Book
I'm no business-head.I find modern consumerism more disturbing than exciting.But I read this book as part of a study on public relations and I must say Holt's passion for the subject is contagious.
Great - even the most successful iconic brands have emerged more by intuition than by design.
This is an excellent book! Douglas B. Holt gives a cultural perspective to branding which is not that trivial to all managers. The book also presents historical analyses on brands like Mountain Dew, Corona, Volkswagen, and many others. The clear message is that iconic brands can't be created through conventional branding strategies, instead there is a need for a cultural perspectice to branding. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Advertising & Promotion    2. Brand name products    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business names    6. Business/Economics    7. Marketing - General    8. Popular culture    9. Sales & marketing