Filed under: Accountability, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Strategic Management | Tags: books, Business, business book, career skills, Leadership, management, military, Strategic Management, strategies
… And so it was settled. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the combatants entered into armistice and the curtain fell on the “War to End All Wars.”
Of course, we realize that such hopes were not to be. Were that truly the end of the story, the mere mention of places such as Normandy, Guadalcanal, Incheon, Khe Sanh, Baghdad and Kabul would not invoke solemn reflection on the part of Americans. Whether in field or forest, dense jungle or cloudy sky, churning sea or burning sand, American men and women have sweated and sacrificed, with many paying the ultimate price in their tireless defense of liberty and the principles of democracy. Today is a day to remember and give heartfelt thanks, but it should not stand alone on the calendar. As they are ever vigilant in their duty, so should we be fervent in our gratitude.
The fact that veterans populate so many of the boardrooms of American corporations means there is an interesting link between the military and the world of business. While critics debate the validity and tastefulness of comparing dollars and cents to life and death on the battlefield, many authors are willing to undertake the examination. One cannot argue with the military’s track record as it applies to leadership, execution of strategy and inspiring individuals to the highest levels of personal performance.
I receive a fair number of these books as they hit the market and I’m generally impressed with them. Leadership, in particular, is a topic which most executives would do well to look to the military for advice. In addition, I’ve found that the military is a key resource on the subject of accountability. One branch of the Armed Forces in particular seems to draw a large percentage of attention for the effectiveness of its training and strategy execution. If you’re looking for a unique insight from experts in efficiency, any of the above titles is highly recommended.
On this Veterans Day, one which is especially solemn in light of recent events, take a moment and give thanks to the men and women who served. I know I will.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, General Business, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Strategic Management | Tags: books, Business, business books, Hands-On Management, Leadership, management, Strategic Management
Whether your candidate won or lost yesterday, I think there’s one thing on which we can all agree: it’s nice to know that the political attack ads are over for a little while. I was getting a little tired of hearing two people give me reason after reason why their respective opponent is quite possibly the cause of every major disaster, both man-made and natural.
However, there may have been a few of you out there who got a little extra enjoyment yesterday from pulling a lever, checking a check-box or pushing a button (for as many candidates as there are, there’s also as many ways to vote for them). With that in mind, I’d like to run a little poll of my own. Our November summaries have been with our subscribers for a little while now, and I hope that all non-subscribers at least gave them a look and considered joining us. What I’d like to know is which of the three titles we featured is the one you deem most beneficial to you and your business?
Was it How Did That Happen? Roger Connors and Tom Smith’s look at creating a workable accountability system? Was it Emmanuel Gobillot’s Leadershift, a new look at the changing methods of leadership? Or was it Keith Ferrazzi’s Who’s Got Your Back? an in-depth look at building three key lifeline relationships?
Reply to this post and let me know which was your favorite and why. One thing is for certain, this is one race that I’m glad is too close to call.
Filed under: Books in General, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Strategic Management | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Strategic Management
Here at Soundview, as we watch the steady flow of business books pour across our desk, there is a recurring trend that doesn’t speak well for bosses. It seems that many people aren’t happy with the way their boss does his or her job, and they’re looking for ways to either work around their boss or “manage” him or her.
The most recent title in this vein is Lead the Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up by John Baldoni. In the acknowledgment portion of his book, Baldoni says his urge to write the book began with the needs of the men and women executives who he has coached, many of whom were “excelling in their jobs but found it sometimes difficult to get the attention of, interact with, or persuade senior leaders.” “Leading your boss,” he tells us in the prologue, “is really a metaphor for leading from the middle,” which actually encompasses leading your boss, your peers and your team for the ultimate good of the organization.
Other similar books published in recent years include The 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell, Leading Up by Michael Useem and Managing Up by Rosanne Badowski and Roger Gittines. Maxwell even ventures to say that “the reality is that 99 percent of all leadership occurs not from the top but from the middle of an organization.” In the final Special Section of The 360 Degree Leader he mentions, “More than two-thirds of the people who leave their jobs do so because of an ineffective or incompetent leader. People don’t leave their company — they leave their leader.”
Clearly, good leaders are needed throughout an organization, not just at the top. But issues around trust, lack of transparency, ineffective communication and unclear direction — plus a few poor interpersonal skills — can easily undermine the effectiveness of any leader at any level. If you or your boss could use some perspective on effective leadership or management strategies, visit Soundview Executive Book Summaries for access to some helpful book titles.
Filed under: Books in General, Hands-On Management, Leadership | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, career skills, Hands-On Management, Leadership
It’s amazing how far 0ne can travel from one’s original intent while clicking away on the Internet. All I really intended to do was read a few headlines about the weekend’s news. That simple goal led me to clicking on an op-ed piece in the New York Times. Of course, much like with any blog (mine included, I hope) the lure of clicking an embedded link was too much to resist. So that led me to Gene Healy and the public policy group the CATO institute. The CATO folks published an essay excerpted from Healy’s book The Cult of the Presidency. It makes for quite interesting reading.
As I often mention in this forum, I avoid anything political because it inevitably leads readers of otherwise sound minds into a tizzy as they attempt to decipher my personal opinions. I first delved into Healy’s essay because of the quote featured in the Times article that Americans have come to view the president as a “living American talisman” against all sorts of problems, even natural disasters. The notion of culpability for the nation’s highest office is echoed in miniature at virtually every corporation. We’ve covered the topic ourselves on many occasions, recently with our summary of Brian Dive’s The Accountable Leader.
Accountability is the “high price” one has to pay for a position of notoriety within a company. However, there are many individuals who thrive on such conditions. The subject of individual accountability continues to rank as one of the most discussed in any company. It’s important to point out that accountability isn’t designed as a system where someone takes the fall for any mistakes that occur. In fact, that’s the opposite of good accountability practices. The key point made in many books that discuss this topic is the need for accountability to be proactive rather than reactive. If job roles are clearly defined and expectations are simply stated at the outset of any project, it becomes easier to track the project’s progress and clear up any mistakes along the way.
Stay tuned to Summary.com to learn more about the subject of accountability. We are currently looking at additional accountability titles for upcoming editions of Soundview Executive Book Summaries. In fact, I’ve got one here on my desk right now. I’d better stop my clicking and start my reading for the day!
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Strategic Management | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Leadership, Strategic Management, strategies
Have you delved into your August edition of Soundview Executive Book Summaries yet? If not, what are you waiting for, huh? It’s a cool alternative to the “dog days” of August, putting all modesty aside, of course.
If you’re not a subscriber, take a look at what you’re missing.
We’ve got top business consultant Amit S. Mukherjee with his latest release The Spider’s Strategy. Mukherjee provides four “design principles” that are essential for understanding and navigating one’s way through unexpected events.
The August edition also includes another of our popular Bonus Summaries. This time, it’s The Leadership Pipeline. I was a little nervous that we weren’t going to be able to cover this book due to the flood of great releases we received while putting the August edition together. However, we felt it was essential to give our subscribers a key leadership title due to overwhelming demand for more summaries on this subject. This collaboration between Ram Charan, James Noel and Stephen Drotter is one of the best leadership books we’ve covered in recent months.
But the true gem of our August edition is J. Barry Griswelland Bob Jenning’s The Adversity Paradox. We were quite impressed with this book, particularly the authors’ insistence on the importance of adversity in the journey to success. Subscribers should also check their online library for an exclusive interview with the authors. They’ve got quite a story to tell!
For additional information or to order individual copies of any of our August summaries, visit us at Summary.com.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, General Business, Hands-On Management, Strategic Management | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Leadership, Personal Development, Self-help, Strategic Management
If there’s one thing I can say about our subscribers, it’s that they’re vocal about the authors they enjoy. Fortunately for us, you folks have great taste! It’s not easy to pick the 30 best business books each year. Take a look at the books that made the cut in 2008, for example. With such high standards and such a small window of opportunity, you’d think that being selected once would be an odds-defying task.
Well, as our July 2009 edition indicates, some authors make such a connection with us and with you that we’d be foolish not to select their newest works. I won’t lie. We take a very critical look at books from authors whose work we’ve previously featured. Part of our job is to ensure that subscribers get the most complete picture of the latest in business strategy and philosophy. However, there are certain authors who impress us time and again with their ability to capture the moment in today’s business climate while always keeping an eye on the future.
Ram Charan is one such author. We’re featuring a summary of his book Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertaintyin our July issue. Charan is something of a force of nature. He’s a prolific author and collaborator whose work covers a variety of business subjects. Click here to see the volume of great insight he’s provided over the years.
Also included in our July package is The Power Presenterby Jerry Weissman. Weissman is another author whose works previously made our 30 best. His popularity continues to register with our readers. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s the presentation coach for Microsoft. Not a bad name to have on one’s resume, right?
Our July package concludes with The Three Laws of Performanceby Dave Logan and Steve Zaffron. This is the first book from this pair of authors that was selected for summary. Once you delve into what makes the three laws tick, I think you’ll quickly see why it was an easy choice for us … if such a thing is possible.
For more on the July 2009 edition, visit us at Summary.com.
Filed under: Books in General, Conference/Event, From the Editor, General Business, Hands-On Management, ethics | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, ethics, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Soundview Live, stephen m.r. covey, Strategic Management
I make it a point to always put my personal politics aside when I sit down to write this blog. But I’ll admit it can be difficult to come off non-partisan, even when writing about subjects that seem devoid of politics. Sometimes I’ll stumble across a headline that I think would make for decent material, like this one that I read today. Then, I think twice because I want this blog to be free of the arguments that clog up so many blogs and message boards.
So, let’s just say that one of the issues at the heart of the above story sparked me to write about trust. A quick title search, courtesy of our friends at Barnes & Noble, brings back more than 2,500 business books relating to the subject of ethics alone. The word “trust” generates more than 500 results. It’s such a delicate subject area in the realm of business. Unfortunately, it seems as though the public stands on one cliff, businesses stand on the opposite cliff, and a mighty chasm divides the two. Actually, it’s somewhat unfair to paint business with a broad brush. Even amongst individuals, the trust level hovers somewhere less than 50%.
Surprisingly, the U.S. is actually one of the more trusting nations in the world. Check out the findings of this social trust survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. There’s some interesting reading in this report, although, it mainly deals with person-to-person trust, not person-to-business. Either way, the financial industry certainly hasn’t done its best to aid consumer trust over the last several years.
One person who is an absolute expert on trust is author Stephen M.R. Covey. We’ve previously summarized his book The Speed of Trust. As he notes, trust is the one thing that changes everything. We’re pleased to announce that he’s about to bring his message of trust directly to our subscribers!
Stephen will be joining us on Tuesday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m. (EST) for our next edition of Soundview Live. Click here to learn more about Soundview Live and to see how you can sign up and join us for an hour of great conversation and insight. Stephen is a dynamic speaker and you’ll gain a lot from listening to this event. Trust me.
