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: Business, Leadership, Strategic Management, books, Hands-On Management, business books, business book
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: Conference/Event, Leadership, Soundview Live | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Conference/Event, Leadership, Soundview Live
I just wanted to remind everyone that we’ve got a fantastic Soundview Live event coming up on Thursday, 10/15 at noon Eastern. We’ll be hosting an interactive Web event with the authors of The Inspiring Leader: John Zenger, Joseph Folkman and Scott Edinger.
Leadership is one of the most popular topics with our audience. We probably receive more requests to cover leadership titles than any other subject area. I think this is what has me looking forward to the event on Thursday. We’re pleased when we can offer our subscribers a chance to interact with authors who are experts in the audience’s major area of interest. I was lucky enough to get a preview of some of the material that will be covered in the authors’ presentation and I can say that it will definitely open the eyes of anyone who feels he or she needs to improve his or her leadership abilities. I learned a couple things about my own leadership habits that I had never considered. I also love the fact that the authors’ presentation is just the launching point for the overall Soundview Live experience. Our audiences have been fantastic at driving the conferences to new heights with their questions and interpretations of the authors’ material. Join us Thursday at noon Eastern and get the answers to your leadership questions!
One other advantage to being able to peek “behind the scenes” is that I can see how many of our subscribers are taking advantage of this FREE interactive Web conference. Not to put any pressure on anyone reading this, but if you haven’t signed up, I wouldn’t wait too much longer. Subscriber response to this event has been tremendously … inspiring, one might say.
If you are currently a subscriber, or are interested in subscribing to attend Thursday’s event, visit this link for all the information you need.
Filed under: Books in General, Conference/Event, Leadership | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Conference/Event, Inspiring Leader, Leadership, Soundview Live
I was interested to read about Bank of America’s continuing search for a new CEO. As the massive financial institution narrows its list of candidates to replace retiring CEO Kenneth Lewis, I began to wonder about the multitudes of staffers that work in the various Bank of America branches. A charismatic, level-headed leader can instill workers with a tremendous amount of purpose and pride. Media outlets have frequently pointed to Steve Jobs as an example of a leader who can affect remarkable change in an organization simply through straightforward communication and a dominant presence.
The heart of what separates the average leader from the truly inspirational is a commodity that business authors have frequently attempted to quantify. Next week, Soundview is very fortunate to offer subscribers the opportunity to delve a little deeper into the subject of inspirational leadership. On Thursday, October 15 at Noon (Eastern), Soundview Live will hit the online airwaves featuring an exclusive interactive event with John Zenger, Joseph Folkman and Scott Edinger, the authors of The Inspiring Leader.
Our Soundview Live Web events are generally very lively. However, I get the distinct feeling that this topic will bring even more intense discussion than we’ve previously experienced. The Inspiring Leader is one of a handful of books that generates a great deal of debate because so many people have an opinion about what makes a leader inspiring. Attempting to pin down the elusive qualities is not an easy task, but in my opinion, Zenger, Folkman and Edinger have done an excellent job of focusing on key characteristics which anyone can emulate.
If you’re not a subscriber, this would be a great time to come on board and gain FREE access to this Soundview subscriber exclusive. For more information on Soundview Live, or to subscribe, visit this link. I hope you’ll join us next Thursday at Noon (EST)!
Filed under: Books in General, Innovation, Internet, Leadership, Strategic Management, Technology | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Innovation, Leadership, Strategic Management, Technology
Receiving an inside look at one of the most powerful companies on the planet is something for which business book readers clamor. What if the deal were sweetened and the book were to be authored not by a third-party observer or a mid-level manager but instead by one of the top executives for the company?
In a matter of months, we’ll get the opportunity described above! This post from a blog on CNET confirms rumors that we’ve heard for some time. Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft’s Windows Division, is collaborating with the Harvard Business School to craft a book on creating and implementing innovative strategies. As the article indicates, Sinofsky has been contributing posts to Microsoft’s Engineering Windows 7 blog, many of which offer insights into the inner workings of the intensely private software giant.
I for one was intrigued by the suggestion that Sinofsky’s book will delve into the strategic changes made by Microsoft after its Windows Vista release. I’m curious to know the level of detail to which he will discuss this subject. As fascinating as the creation of a new product will be to readers, it may be more helpful to executives to gain insight on how to recover when a product that took millions of dollars and an equal amount of man hours to produce is underwhelming upon its release. It takes a certain amount of bravery on the part of any executive to publicly acknowledge and address a product that has received its fair share of criticism.
Part of what makes Microsoft an object of admiration to many observers is its ability to stay ahead of fluctuations in its industry. Innovation is at the heart of what has separated Microsoft from its competitors. Sinofsky’s revelations could prove to be quite useful, particularly when combined with co-author Marco Iansiti’s research at Harvard. A collaboration between Microsoft and Harvard sounds like a winner. I’ll keep you posted when we get a sneak peek at the book as it nears publication.
Filed under: Books in General, Conference/Event, From the Editor, Leadership | Tags: Business, business book, business books, Leadership, Soundview Live, Steve Forbes
We at Soundview have covered a lot of business books featuring metaphors about elephants and penguins and zebras – but none about chickens. I suppose the reason there aren’t many leadership books built around a chicken metaphor is because a) chickens don’t exude a lot of brute strength or courage and b) we (many of us) eat them. However, I was thinking about leadership and contemplating “pecking order” and that led me to research the elementary form of top down leadership evident in chicken yards.
Pecking order is, in the poultry world, a well-defined hierarchical pattern of behavior, according to an article about “Dealing With Aggressive Poultry” that I found on the Broad Leys Publishing site.
There’s a “top bird” typically a male, but sometimes an “old hen,” whom the others generally stay clear of especially making way for him or her to get to the feed. None of the other birds like to challenge this top bird. The pecking order continues down to the weakest, which has to dodge the attacks of the more powerful birds. And if a bird is wounded – well, according to the article, this excites the other birds into a pecking frenzy and it can lead to cannibalism.
Environment plays a role in chicken behavior, the article states. Flock density is an issue – you have to have room for the chickens to move around – you have to give them some space to get away from other birds that are bothering them. The more birds there are in a given area, the more likely they are to peck each other.
And when new birds are put into an existing flock, that can create problems because it disrupts the pecking order, so there are ways to get them familiar with each other before dropping a stranger into a herd of wary birds.
We can find leadership templates in the most unusual places if we look hard enough. Fortunately, there are some great business book authors who do the searching for us and bring the lessons and strategies of demonstrated leaders to our attention. We’ve recently completed a featured review of Power, Ambition, Glory by Steve Forbes and John Prevas. They have drawn some unique parallels between Ancient World leaders and some of today’s leaders.
Steve Forbes will discuss this comparison of leaders in the upcoming SOUNDVIEW LIVE 3:00 p.m. EST, September 22nd. The event is a 60-minute interactive conversation during which attendees are encouraged to submit questions. Note: Attendance is limited to the first 1000 registrants.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, General Business, Leadership, Marketing, Success | Tags: Business, business books, career skills, Collection, Leadership, management, Marketing, Strategic Management
I tend to be one of those people who gets caught up in the moment. Much of my time is spent looking ahead to upcoming business titles and working with our editorial team to chart out the trends in business publishing. The downside is there’s often little time left for looking back.
What tends to spark those rare moments of reflection is when I read something online or am doing a bit of research on a past event, such as this list of world headlines from 1999. In those moments I tend to shudder and think to myself, “Wow, that was 10 years ago … already!” While this statement is generally followed by a lament about my age, sometimes it causes me to look back at the titles that we’ve covered.
I’m always grateful for these moments because it’s in them that I see the continued relevance of many of our summaries. There’s a reason that James Collins and Jerry Porras’ Built to Last is still among our top sellers five years after its release. The business book world is one in which a high percentage of titles released in a given year are deemed out-of-date within a year of their debut. Fortunately, part of our selection process is to give subscribers summaries of books that we know will be around for some time.
The culmination of our efforts is now available for your benefit. Soundview is now offering a Premium Online Subscription. This subscription gives you full access to our entire online library. That’s 10 years of summaries! The library is completely searchable by title, author and subject.
Visit us at Summary.com for more information. Sometimes the best way to look ahead is to look back first.
