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- Reader beware.
- If you want your Child's Mind Left Behind do not read this.
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- Excellent new approach from Professor Gardner
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Five Minds for the Future
Howard Gardner
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
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ASIN: 1591399122
Release Date: 2007-04-03 |
Book Description
We live in a time of vast changes. And those changes call for entirely new ways of learning and thinking. In Five Minds for the Future: Howard Gardner defines the cognitive abilities that will command a premium in the years ahead:
- the disciplinary mind—mastery of major schools of thought (including science, mathematics, and history) and of at least one professional craft
- the synthesizing mind—ability to integrate ideas from different disciplines or spheres into a coherent whole and to communicate that integration to others
- the creating mind—capacity to uncover and clarify new problems, questions, and phenomena
- the respectful mind—awareness of and appreciation for differences among human beings and human groups
- the ethical mind—fulfillment of one’s responsibilities as a worker and citizen
World-renowned for his theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner takes that thinking to the next level in this book, drawing from a wealth of diverse examples to illuminate his ideas. Concise and engaging, Five Minds for the Future will inspire lifelong learning in any reader as well as provide valuable insights for those charged with training and developing organizational leaders—both today and tomorrow.
Customer Reviews:
Reader beware........2007-10-08
I purchased this book on the basis of a number of good reviews. As a Ph.D. engineer, I have extensive experience reading boring texts in order to retrieve a few nuggets of valuable information. However, I could not force myself to get through this mind numbingly boring writing style. I'm sure it must be a good book based on the other reviews, but be prepared to suffer mental torture in attempting to read this book.
If you want your Child's Mind Left Behind do not read this........2007-08-17
The ideas in this book deserve the broadest possible scrutiny and review. As we now know, our brains are able to significantly change themselves depending on how they are used and not used.
Dictators, slave owners, and totalitarian regimes have always suspected this. They carefully restrict the arts and depend on rote drill in education. They require competency testing that penalizes teachers that teach good questioning methods and foster disciplined minds that can synthesize, create, and empathize.
Teachers in the USA today are increasingly being overwhelmed by the requirements to teach facts and specific skills. School facts are often dated, while updates are instantly available via an Internet search. Thinking abilities (other than rote memorization) are not being taught because our tests are not well designed to assess Gardner's categories. The ability to synthesize (transfer and apply what we know from an array of experiences and sources), create (the ability to think divergently and imaginatively to produce better scenarios), and/or empathically (Gardner's terms are `respectful' and `ethical') are not as simple to assess. Consequently, facts are taught without time to learn how to question the viability of what is learned.
Assessment tools could be vastly improved if we had the creativity and the will to see what Gardner tries to tell us. I believe that computer programs could be developed that would assess education for Gardner's mind categories rather than simply for the rote accumulation of information that is often unconnected to what we need in life.
Any parent who does not care if their child's mind is left behind should not read this book. I pity children in schools that are under pressure to focus on learning without thinking. They are being brain damaged. If we want to see more capable and caring people in the future, this book is a starting place. Any leader of company, political entity, or other organization should not read this book if they are content with staying behind and coming in last.
Five Minds Provides Wake-up Call for Educators.......2007-08-14
Five Minds for the Future is an excellent look at the wider picture of how we need to use our brains to accomplish the tasks we will be faced with in the coming years -- both for our planet, our communities, our workplaces, and our families. This should be even more of a wake-up call to educational institutions across the world than Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences because it is about global approach to education (global in terms of "big picture").
A Map for Educating the New Philosopher Kings.......2007-07-17
The learned ancient Greeks were fascinated by what an ideal education would involve. Why? They hoped to apply that education to the kings of the era and to create a better society through the leadership of the kings. That ambition came closest to being fulfilled through Alexander the Great, who became a highly effective conqueror and spreader of Greek ideas and values.
Professor Gardner takes up this challenge once again in perceiving new challenges for modern people that will be more difficult to meet in the future. I suspect that his vision is, in part, aimed at the same goal as the ancient Greeks except as executed through the leaders and most prominent citizens of a republic employing democratic principles.
In a break from his prior focus on multiple intelligences, Five Minds for the Future emphasizes five methods of thinking that he hopes to see integrated into individuals. These methods of thinking are based on:
1. Mastering an important subject matter (such as history, math, or science) and staying up to date through application of the discipline's method of thinking. This is quite different from knowing the facts of the discipline.
2. Being able to integrate large quantities multidisciplinary facts and apply them into one's work.
3. Posing new questions, developing new solutions to existing questions, stretching disciplines and genres in new directions, or building new disciplines.
4. Being open to understanding and appreciating the perspectives and experiences of those who are different from the individual.
5. Doing one's work in an ethical way that reflects responsibilities to others and society.
What does this boil down to as a problem? Basically, most people never get as far as mastering one important discipline. They just memorize whatever is needed to pass tests. Professor Gardner's own work documents this problem. As a result, we face a hollowing out of our civilization as most people lack the ability, education, or interest to do more than function in an everyday living fashion. Beyond that, some of those who can perform a discipline are tempted by treasure or fame to stretch the rules and not honestly perform.
If we step back another few feet, there's an implicit vision of a future that's led by a smaller and smaller number of people as a percentage of the world's population. It will be easier for rot to set in at the top. In addition, the rewards for those people will grow exponentially . . . tempting those of limited ethics to falter.
I think the risk is a genuine one, and I applaud Professor Gardner for penning this book. I hope he will follow it with more books that spell out more about how to educate others and ourselves (after we leave school as students) so that these goals are achieved.
I have a few quibbles that I mention only in the spirit of sparking an awareness of what's needed. Peter Drucker taught me that the educated person should learn enough about a new subject each year to appreciate and be able the discipline involved. I found that suggestion missing from this book. Without that bridging method, I suspect we'll just end up compartmentalized from one another.
In addition, I think that some areas of public responsibility lend themselves to combined perspectives that encompass these minds more efficiently than by keeping them separate. For example, the advanced leader who is good at accomplishing continuing business model innovation will be able to cross these five boundaries and many others . . . simply by knowing one discipline. I suspect that other fields also lend themselves to such new integrating disciplines.
I also found that Professor Gardner mischaracterized the meanings of many of the business examples he cited. He does, however, do a fine job of summarizing what academics have written about business. I suggest that he have someone who is more familiar with business than he is help with checking such examples in future books. I realize that this book is published by Harvard Business School Press, but editors of books don't necessary have mastery of the facts within the subjects they edit.
Bravo, Professor Gardner!
Excellent new approach from Professor Gardner.......2007-07-05
Wonderful and breathtaking reading!! After transforming how intelligence is considered and measured, and offering millions a new chance to develop their potential, Professor Gardner presents his new approach about minds that will survive better in the future. He offers strong support for capacities not yet recognized as valuable in our rapidly changing and aggressive environment, such as ethical, respectful and sinthesizing minds. Three times "Hurrah!!".
Customer Reviews:
Check The Compass.......2006-10-21
Based upon the current corporate and political climate in the USA,
many probably agree that books like these are important and
necessary. But is society any different today in certain respects
than it was say, 2000 years ago? Humans are human. Always have
been, always will be.
As for a "moral compass" discussed in this book, we can simply
look at the actions of individuals, corporations, and governments
dating back before Roman times, to today. The concept and discussion
of morality and ethics go back thousands of years. Yet it is of
course, no less important today. Currently, ethical concepts are
taught and discussed in business, MBA, and law programs. These
programs have to most dishonest students of all departments
at universities in the USA, in study after study. Some of
these students will become influential members of our society
in the future.
It must be noted that many parts of the world at times completely
lack a "moral compass." Corruption, dishonesty, and out-right theft
are the basic functional foundations in many nations of the world.
The United States has its flaws, but is way ahead of hundreds of
other nations when it comes to business moral and ethics.
(Admittedly, due in part by the existence of laws and regulations).
Yet a lack of this morality has a deleterious economic impact upon
many countries of the world. Another point that is central to the
concept of business morality is: thinking long-term. Not the myopic,
short-term business horizon where someone cheats or cuts corners to
gain a small amount in the short term, but loses potentially much
greater gains over the long term. South East Asia is notorious for
this short-sighted thinking and behaviour at all levels of society
and business.
This mentality can change. It will take time, education, awareness,
and the realization of the positives. Once those in business realize
the benefits of being honest and ethical, they often (but not always)
change their business practices. This is simply, Common Sense.
Author Doug Lennick and Fred Kiel categorize this book into three
portions: Overview, Developing Moral Skills, and Moral Leadership.
In addition there are four concepts noted for moral leadership:
Integrity, Responsibility, Compassion, and Forgiveness.
Several real-life examples are presented in this book.
Citing the innateness morality is mostly, idealism. Doing something
"because it's the right thing to do" does seem a bit idealistic. This
OK. But we must recognize it for what it is.
It takes an ethical upbringing *and* laws and regulations to keep
people and organizations in line.
History tells us the answer. Humans are humans. And no, I'm not a
Hobbesian. :)
Do The Right Thing Because It Is The Right Thing: Long-winded, Short on Substance.......2006-07-12
"Moral Intelligence: Enhancing Business Performance and Leadership Success" by Doug Lennick has a simple premise. Once you get that premise, the rest is about internalizing it, and living it out when the moral challenge presents itself.
Accepting the premise of the book is easy: Do the right thing because it is the right thing, and enjoy business benefits in the process. -- The premise is the entire book. There. I have blown in 17 words what takes the author 256 pages to say. Sorry about that.
If your sales manager gives you this book, you can flip through it, remember a few anecdotes, and you'll be set.
That's my primary difficulty with the book. I did not disagree with the premise, or feel that his anecdotes were inconsistent. It takes a very deep message and handles it lightly, without as much substance as such a book should have.
Very heavy on business anecdotes, it reads well, but has the tired tone of every business book on the planet, as if the writer went out of his way to quote as many people as possible, rather than looking into the questions more. Unfortunately, it is especially heavy in the financial planners/services sales people. Not much diversity of markets, business areas, or position.
There are a few charts gussying up "Moral Intelligence" but no substantive grids that will help the reader understand the way morality looks in real life. A few statistics are dripped in here and there, but it always boils down to "Do the right thing."
While no one expects a business ethics book to speak on the level of Aristotle or Augustine, it is reasonable that the author would present some grounding for morals. While he claims that relativism has been injurious to society in general, and to the workplace specifically, Lennick presents more of a generic understanding of morality. Touting a specific belief might get him into trouble, of course, yet by not doing so, he comes off bland and without a standard.
Somehow, in all the quotes from upper middle managers, Lennick misses William Pollard, former CEO of ServiceMaster. In fact, there is no discussion of ServiceMaster entirely. ServiceMaster, a massive Fortune 500 company, has been until recently, very outspoken that it was called such because of a Christian belief system, short for "Service for the Master." A look into how this philosophy works, and how ServiceMaster struggled to do the right thing, would have been instructive. Blown opportunity.
Lennick mentions the obvious criminals, like Ken Lay. He misses other law breakers, like PTL's Jim Bakker, and, in describing Lay's problems, provides nothing that has not been on the news. What Lennick could have done is outline the subtlties of business morality, and how we fall into breaking our own moral code.
There is little here that doesn't begin, "Joe was an Assistant VP of FinancialMegaCorp, and noticed something askew with the month's figures. He realized his friend and colleague, Rick, had absconded with thousands of dollars. Should Joe talk to Rick, or gather evidence to bring to the firm's legal team?"
Equally weak is the "Moral Competency Inventory" which has potential to reveal our true moral responses. With questions like, "When I agree to do something, I always follow through," I wonder if I just took a Cosmo quiz.
Wharton School Publishing dropped the ball on this one, diminishing the school's great reputation for a strong program. While an education there is still top notch, putting their stamp of approval on this one was not on par. There is nothing bold here, except that the book was published in the first place.
Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
Superb.......2006-05-24
In business or financial circles, morality and ethics has frequently been thought of as weakness, as something that while noble will not assist in the generation of profits. Further, those who practice it can easily be taken advantage of by competitors. A business run by moral agents will not be able to survive the vicissitudes of the marketplace. It takes cunning and an instinct for the jugular, so the argument goes, to create and maintain a successful business. Another view is that a businessperson who claims to be moral or ethical is either posing as such in order to take advantage of someone or some situation. In this view, morality and ethics are then tools of manipulation and power, a view that is, ironically, not far from that of those political philosophers, such as Karl Marx, who criticize capitalism vociferously.
Until recently, business ethics, if taught at all, was presented from a pragmatic viewpoint. One is to practice or adhere to certain ethical principles only because regulations or circumstances dictate that not doing so would place one in legal jeopardy. Business ethics then becomes a collection of rules, to be followed only because it is part of the "process." These rules can be extensive, even contradictory, but their importance only arises because of legal constraints. They are usually viewed as more of an irritant, not as part of a natural process or necessity.
That morality is part of being human, much as eating, sleeping, and sex, is something that has not really been believed in scientific circles up until the last ten years or so, thanks to research in neuroscience. It is now believed by some researchers in neuroscience that some parts of the human neural system not only support moral reasoning but also have evolved to ensure its efficacy. This book draws on some of this research, and presents a conception of business morality that is very practical as well as efficacious in everyday business life. The authors are the first to admit that their ideas need further scientific and practical validation. The evidence they present is anecdotal, but it is a good start, for it gives an alternative to many of the stale platitudes that govern much of the contemporary thinking on moral systems.
As is of course readily apparent from the title, the central idea behind the authors' approach, and one that is very resonant in other approaches to morality based on neuroscience, is that of `moral intelligence.' They define this as a mental capacity that allows the determination of how "universal human principles" are to be applied to "values, goals, and actions." They do not really elaborate on what it means for principles to be "universal", but from the reading of the book one can deduce that these are the neuronal patterns that take place in every human being. They therefore appear as beliefs about human conduct that every culture in the entire world seems to hold. In fact in the foreword of the book, this is summarized in the notion that every human is "hard wired" to be moral. The reader should not however view this as a deterministic notion, since humans can often "stray from the path." They do not debate the notion of free will in the book, and this makes the book even more palatable to read, since such musings are better left to the philosophers.
The authors discuss various research that supports their notion of moral intelligence, and include many anecdotal stories that illustrate its practice in everyday life and in leadership roles in business. The emphasize that moral intelligence is a distinctive branch of intelligence, and that individuals who possess it in abundance will have a large measure of integrity, will take responsibility for their actions, will be compassionate, and be willing to exercise forgiveness. The authors point out that having these virtues will not of course imply perfection. The morally intelligent individual will make mistakes, but her `moral compass' will steer her to proper moral north.
This book is again, one of the few that have been written that attempt to put morality on both a sound scientific foundation and a practical one. It is honest in its claims and the authors express humility and respect for the reader between its covers. There is no attempt to intimidate the reader into ascribing to their ideas. They are intellectually honest without being condescending. The reader will finish the book with a deeper respect for the role of moral intelligence in business and everyday life, and be more convinced of its efficacy and power.
Good Concept, Treatment OK.......2006-02-12
Having read a number of books brought to us by Wharton Publishing, this one was a bit disappointing. Wharton has high standards for its business books, requiring them to be relevant, timely, empirically based, conceptually sound, and implementable in real decision settings. While this book does meet those criteria, I felt the concentration on the moral intelligence topic was diluted by what I perceived to be over-attention to emotional intelligence. I didn't feel the strength and focus I anticipated, particularly given my high expectations of Wharton books.
The book is organized into three parts: an overview, Developing Moral Skills, and Moral Leadership. We begin with an overview of Moral Intelligence with a look at being born to be moral and what the authors describe as one's moral compass. They introduce the four principles that are vital for moral leadership: integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness. In the second section of the book, each of these principles is addressed in a separate chapter-with an additional chapter on emotions. The section on moral leadership introduces the Moral Leader, talks about leading large organizations and entrepreneurial ventures, and becoming a global moral leader. The first appendix, Strengthening Your Moral Skills, offers advice on the how-to of developing the skills. This is important enough that it probably could have been a chapter, rather than an appendix. Appendices B, C, and D present the Moral Competency Inventory, its scoring and interpretation.
As I read this book, my attention was distracted by what I believe was over-use of one of the authors' previous employers as a setting to discuss various applications and observations about moral leadership. The text needed more balance with stories from other corporate environments. Anecdotal presentations are heavily used in the book-John said this, Mary did that. The use of first and last names with the parenthetical notation that the name is a pseudomym became annoying, causing me to wonder how many real people with moral intelligence were known by the authors-or even available to use as role models.
The theme of the book is welcome and valid. There is a lot of good material in these pages and you'll gain something from the reading. Perhaps this book will open the door for more work to be done in this important, value-based field.
Moral Intelligence.......2006-01-30
If your looking to increase your personal level of joy and harmony in life, implement the teachings of the 3 frames in this book.
Manny Padro Salt Lake City, Utah
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- Amazingly Simple and Elegant View of Ethics!
- Ethics 001: The Search For More Money
- The Golden Rule As The Foundation for All Ethical Behavior
- Explains How Doing the Right Thing is the Best Way to Live!!!
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Ethics 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know
John C. Maxwell
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Book Description
Bestselling author and expert on leadership John C. Maxwell shares the only rule that matters-in business and in life. How does a person judge what is ethical?Sometimes it's clear. In the past year or two, ethical lapses in corporate America have been well documented. But is it always easy to see where the line is in life? What's the standard?And can it work in all situations? Maxwell thinks it can. In ETHICS 101, he shows how people can live with integrity by using the Golden Rule as their standard-regardless of religion, culture, or circumstances. Along the way, he delves into the desires of the human heart, reveals the five most common pitfalls that throw people off the ethical track, and teaches how to develop the Midas touch when it comes to personal integrity.
Customer Reviews:
Amazingly Simple and Elegant View of Ethics!.......2007-05-31
This book is fabulous! I used it for an Ethics book club class and virtually all the participants gave it high marks for readability and clear ideas. It's a little book with big ideas to live by.
Ethics 001: The Search For More Money.......2007-03-22
The Reverend John C. Maxwell is a former Wesleyan Methodist minister, former pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree. Why this information is not manifest on his website remains a mystery. Megachurches are big business, indeed, and though Maxwell left Skyline with massive debt, he has some useful, though unoriginal, information in his "101" series that is borne out of his years as senior pastor of Skyline. Surely this information would not discourage sales (?).
Having taught philosophy and business ethics for many years at various universities, I am always looking for good assigned reading that challenges students to think outside the box of my lectures, and to give serious consideration to matters of ethics and morals in both their personal lives, and how their lives extend to others in all contexts. Since I also was associated with the Wesleyan church that Maxwell pastured years ago, when I saw this title featured, I wanted to see if his book would add to my students' knowledge base and life application. Unfortunately, what I found was either a shallow presentation of familiar themes he used to preach on Sunday morning, or the reworking of material that has already been out there in one form or another. In short, "Ethics 101" is really Ethics 001, that provides the reader with little foundation in ethics and morals. Dr. Maxwell is not an academic (he has a ministry doctorate), nor does he take any academic approach in his book. In fact, he thinks philosophy has "confused' ethics when, in fact, because Maxwell has no philosophical background, he brings little to the debate. Unfortunately, Maxwell's book confuses Ethics. How does he know that philosophy confuses a particular issue when he does not know philosophy? In truth, the history of Western Civilization, has produced libraries of clear information concerning ethics and morals, but you won't find (as you cannot find) any of that here. Ethics goes far beyond the Golden Rule model, reaching back to Plato (The Republic, etc.) and Aristotle ("The Politics"; "Ethics"), down to Cicero (45 BC) who wrote one of the best, and clearest, works on ethics titled, "Duties." Most of my lectures consist of footnotes to Plato, then Aristotle, and then demonstrates how those principles were worked out by the Romans in Cicero and others. There is no doubt that both Jesus and Paul had access to these three writers, and it is impossible to read Jesus and not see the influence of Cicero. I am personally put off that Maxwell has distain for philosophy, given that the Golden Rule is prima facie, philosophy, and is a repeated maxim from earlier philosophers. The honest reality is that philosophy is everywhere and is embodied in every idea good or bad, business advertisement, magazine, television and feature film, and even in Maxwell's sermons and the goofy (and gratituously violent) "Left Behind" book series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. I can skim through any of Maxwell's books and remember when much of the material was, at one time or another, a Sunday sermon in his Wesleyan church. Now Maxwell is hailed as a "leadership" guru, writing books and speaking about "leadership." While this may fly on the motivational circuit, it brings little, if any thing, of value to the intellectual debate. Sadly, too many of these kinds of books are written at the popular level, simply to make money, rather than provide a solid, educational understanding for the reader.
If you are serious about wanting to learn about the historical development of ethics, read Plato's "Republic", Aristotle's "Ethics", "Duties" of Cicero (Loeb series; don't overlook his classic book "On Friendship" and "Old Age"), Plutarch's "Moralia" (especially vol. 4 of the Loeb series; Plutarch was a Greek who lived in Rome and was a contemporary with Jesus). In my view, it is so much easier to understand the Scriptures when they have been properly set in their historical context.
For a deeper understanding of ethical theories (egoism, utilitarianism, existentialism, Marxism, capitalism, et al.) which Maxwell never bothers to mention (because I don't think he knows them), read Shaw and Berry: "Moral Issues in Business". If you must purchase Maxwell's book, buy it used. Note the large number "used". I give "Ethics 101" a whole single Star as one's review cannot be posted without at least one star. Judge for yourself, but I beg you to read Cicero and Plutarch once in your life if you really want a foundation in ethics.
As an aside, one of the finest books on leadership ever written that also encompasses ethics, is "The Churchill Factors" by Larry Kryske. Kryske is an internationally recognized historian and speaker on Winston Churchill, and in this particular volume, Kryske applies the life and words of Churchill to leadership in business and ethics. Stephen Gruber, Ph.D.
The Golden Rule As The Foundation for All Ethical Behavior.......2007-02-17
John C. Maxwell, a minister, management consultant, and prolific author of inspirational and insightful business related books, believes that ethical principles can be summarized by the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He documents that this rule, or some close variation of it, is found in all of the world's major religious traditions.
This is not the book that offers guides to how the definition of ethics can vary from one legal code to another. It is rather a book that offers guides on how to live one's life and do one's job with longterm success.
"If you want to do something that will make an impact beyond your own life," Maxwell writes in summary, "then treat people better than they treat you, walk the extra mile, help people who cannot help you, do right when it's natural to do wrong, and keep your promises even when it hurts."
He divides the world into people who "go for the gold" and people who "go for the golden rule" and finds the latter are much more successful in ways that really matter than the former.
This book is an excellent supplement and response to much narrower attempts by lawyers, college professors, numerous professional groups, state government ethics commissions, good government advocates and others to treat ethics as a legal code which one needs legal advice to interpret, honor, or defend oneself from.
Ethics, Maxwell says, is not a complex issue. Ethics is about living a life worthy of self-respect, and the respect of family members, colleagues, and competitors.
Explains How Doing the Right Thing is the Best Way to Live!!!.......2005-07-28
+++++
This book (whose original title was "There's No Such Thing as `Business' Ethics") by leadership expert John C. Maxwell is an easy-to-read, small book that states that ethics is not complicated. Maxwell explains:
"Ethics is ethics. If you desire to be ethical, you live by one standard across the board...Educators, philosophers, theologians, and lawyers have taken what is a simple matter and made it very confusing...This book's goal is to help you find the way to live and work ethically and also achieve greater success."
The one "standard" Maxwell recommends using in all situations is the Golden Rule: the precept that one should behave toward others as one would want others to behave toward oneself.
Maxwell does a good job in explaining why the Golden Rule is the standard to be used in all situations. However, the only situation he uses in his numerous, true, effective example stories is the type (RIGHT versus WRONG). For example, a cashier gives you too much change. The WRONG thing to do is to keep the extra change. The RIGHT thing to do is thus to give the extra change back.
The author gives many quotations from prominent people to get his points across. One of my favorites is a quotation from Ted Koppel:
"There's harmony and inner peace to be found in following a moral compass [he's referring to the Golden Rule] that points in the same direction regardless of fashion or trend."
Maxwell touches on the fact that all people are not the same and that the rule may have to be slightly altered to accommodate them.
A feature of this book is that certain important summary points are taken out of the main narrative and bordered between two horizontal lines for easy reference. I counted almost forty of these peppered throughout the book. Here are two examples:
(1) "There are really two important points when it comes to ethics. The first is a standard to follow. The second is the will to follow it."
(2) "Every day, whenever the issue of ethical behavior confronts you, ask this question: `How would I like to be treated in this situation?'"
As mentioned, Maxwell effectively explains the use of the Golden Rule in (RIGHT versus WRONG) situations. However, he does not explain how to use the rule in (RIGHT versus RIGHT) situations. This is called the ethical dilemma. To be fair, Maxwell does mention the ethical dilemma but his explanation of it is rather simplistic.
Here is an example of a dilemma. You are asked in your high-paying job to do something you feel is not right or else be fired. (It took years of hard work to get the high pay you're now getting.) The RIGHT thing to do according to the golden rule is to quit your job and get another lower paying one. However, there are ill members of your family who depend on your high income. So the RIGHT thing to do is not to quit your job. Maxwell spends no time in explaining such situations.
Despite not explaining how to handle dilemma situations, I still feel that this is a useful book that takes the technical jargon out of understanding ethics. Maxwell gives numerous true cases that prove how the Golden Rule builds morale, increases productivity, encourages teamwork, lowers employee turnover, and keeps clients coming back.
In conclusion, this is an effective book that explains some major ethical concepts. It demonstrates how doing the right thing is the best way to live and fosters a winning situation for all!!
(first published 2003; acknowledgements; preface; 7 chapters; conclusion; main narrative 105 pages; notes)
+++++
Insightful!.......2005-06-22
Author John C. Maxwell has spent years thinking about leadership and ethical action, and it shows. In this short volume, he condenses his years of reflection into clear, accessible principles that any reader can immediately apply. He supports his points with anecdotes, and with quotes from sacred texts and authors from a variety of cultures. His clarity makes his work bold. There's no way you could mistake what he's saying, and that's refreshing, especially given contemporary concerns about corporate governance. While the simplicity and brevity of the book makes it broadly accessible, we especially recommend it to two readerships: those already dedicated to living ethically, who are looking for tools to apply, and those who are skeptical about the utility of ethics. The book (which was previously published as "There's No Such Thing as Business Ethics") has only two real weaknesses. The first is that Maxwell's definition of an ethical dilemma is far too simple, and he treats it too briefly. (What do we do when love and duty clash? What do we do when directly ordered to do something unethical by a superior, who thinks the action is correct - and someone else depends upon our income?) The second is that Maxwell discusses how to treat others as if we were all the same deep down. Perhaps we are - but he doesn't fully address the many personal and cultural differences that one must negotiate along the way. Our moral dilemma: is it right to dwell on such relatively minor flaws in a book we basically respect, agree with, appreciate and recommend warmly? You be the judge.
Book Description
The Founder of JetBlue. The CEO of Dell Computers. The CEO ofDeloitte Touche. The Dean of the Harvard Business School. They all haveone thing in common. They are devout Mormons who spend their Sundaysexclusively with their families, never work long hours, and always puttheir spouses and children first. How do they do it? Now, criticallyacclaimed author and investigative journalist Jeff Benedict (a Mormonhimself) examines these highly successful business execs and discovers howtheir beliefs have influenced them, and enabled them to achieve incrediblesuccess. With original interviews and unparalleled access, Benedict shareswhat truly drives these individuals, and the invaluable life lessons fromwhich anyone can benefit.
Customer Reviews:
This book is not propaganda for the Mormon faith.......2007-08-24
I like the book; it is not a book of propaganda for the Mormon church. It talks about how some sucessful Mormon businessmen and CEO operate in accordance with the values taught by their faith. It is a useful addition to management literature. The book does not go into management theories and successful business models. It does not give you much empirical data based on surveys or business ratios. The focus of the book is on the moral values that make a difference in the lives of these individuals who make contributions to the company they work for, care for the employees, and have their self identity rooted in things (such as family, a desire to serve) other than wealth, fame, and status.
Yes, it make a lot of refernces to the Mormon faith. The author says it as he sees it. This book is good addition to the study of business ethics.
Helps to Realign Priorities .......2007-08-10
This is one of the better business books I have every read. It is a light read, and goes quickly. As I read the book, I considered my relationship with my own family. My 3 year old son kept approaching me on Saturday afternoon wanting to "color" with him. Rather than blowing him off and saying "I'm too busy," I put my book down and shared 10 minutes with him doing something HE felt was important. The greatest message is that the only titles that matter in this life are "Husband" and "Father." Everything else is irrelevant.
Knowing one of the principle subjects of the book, I appreciate the power of the strong women in the lives of these successful businessmen. To be successful at home and in life, a strong marriage & united partnership is key. As the Book of Matthew states, "By their fruits ye shall know them." You can plainly see that with these great families profiled.
A perfect read and excellent book to go by.......2007-07-03
Mormon or not the things that you learn from this book are wonderful. It is an easy read and very applicable skills and traits that anyone can use in their every day life.
The Mormon Way of Doing Business.......2007-05-13
I am a communication instructor at two New Jersey intitutions and found the book inspiring and helpful in gearing lectures to driven students looking to get ahead and network successfully. Great read!
Very inspireing and uplifting!!!.......2007-05-07
I loved every minute of this book, it was hard to put it down. I have read it twice, and will re-read it many times in the future.
The ideals, morales, and leadership skills discussed in this book hold true for all who have dealings with their fellow man, in the business world or on a personal level.
Book Description
Business, Government and Society, by Steiner and Steiner, was one of the very first books in this course area and has benefited greatly from the reputation of its authors. George Steiner, the father in this father-and-son team, is one of the pioneers in the field. The text includes coverage of all the distinct content areas and is known for its inclusion of historical background. Each chapter has three elements; (1) a beginning story to illustrate central themes, (2) explanatory text, and (3) a case study inviting debate about events related to the subject area. One of the most complete on the market, the 10th Edition of Business, Government and Society not only covers the stakeholder theory, but also covers a total of four theoretical models for analyzing the actions and duties of corporations.
Customer Reviews:
Fast delivery.......2006-03-24
The book arrives in time and is in good quality. However, the price is considered too high.
Book Description
A noted clinical psychologist, speaker, and radio host, Dr. Henry Cloud is ready to break out to a whole new audience with this book that explains the central importance of character and integrity in success—and how you can develop yours.
Customer Reviews:
An exercise in well intentioned mediocrity.......2007-10-02
First things first, Henry Cloud deserves praise for putting the subject of Integrity on the table. Integrity, or as our grandparents called it, Character, seems to have acquired an almost quaint, musty old time patina of days gone by.
Nothing could be further from the truth. In contemporary language, the central failing of our age is what clinical psychologists call Character Disorder. The endless litany of leadership breakdowns, the Enrons, the WorldComs, ad infinitum, the narcissistic exhibitionism of reality TV, the oily relativism of modern politics, are all manifestations of the Character Disordered personality.
This stands in contrast to the preceding generation which seems to have labored greatly under the weight of excess repression and neurotic anxiety. The Baby Boom in its impatience decided that "repression" was a blanket social ill, and all that need be done was remove the repression and by an unspecified magic, an inner goodness would be liberated.
In this philosophical adventure, the Baby Boom generation was terribly misguided, and then swerved in the opposing direction with a velvet fascism of their own design, Political Correctness. But neither the cult of the liberated self nor the shaming of the compliant self would lead to a resolved state of Character.
The reason for this is that the concept of Character rests on the idea of being tested by adversity. We wanted Character minus the adversity, resolution with challenge, the bargain basement Hero's Journey, and then we'd "put lipstick on the pig" and pretend we'd had some great Soul shaping life adventure.
Here I wish Dr. Cloud had delineated his subject with more brimstone and less soft soap. As timely as his book is, and as welcome as it is, and as useful as I am sure it will be until something more gripping hits the shelves, it still comes across as something of a bland scoutmaster's talk to the boys around the campfire.
Integrity.......2007-07-12
Excellent reading! You don't want to put it down. Down to earth principals for everyone. It should be read by all Management and they should encourage employees to read.
Theory meets practice.......2007-07-05
This is rare book in terms of solid theoretical insight into human behavior, coming essentially from Dr Cloud's extensive experience as a clinical psychologist combined with analysis and inference drawn from his consulting experience with business leaders and CEOs.
The introductory chapters however lack the punch and clarity on what the book is about does not emerge initially. This is perhaps because in my opinion, the approach and definition of the topic of integrity of character is radically new and takes some time to understand. The definition that integrity is much beyond and higher than just honesty and ethics and is about the courage to meet the demands of reality is difficult to comprehend at the beginning. Thereafter the book devotes one part each to the six dimensions of integrity - Establishing trust, Orientation toward reality, Getting results, Embracing the negative, Orientation toward increase and Orientation toward transcendence. Each of these facets as I like to call are like the sides of a hexagon; equally important to create the whole.
The depth of discussions of each of the six dimensions is accompanied by actual case studies and quotes from some of the best business books. In the part devoted to Establishing Trust, Dr Cloud narrates a situation in which a CEO completely fails to convince his people on the benefits of a merger. In fact the meeting intended to get the buy-in of the folks turns counter productive. The CEO was talking, but not communicating. He failed to empathize to some of the genuine concerns of the people thereby ending up alienating the team.
In the chapter `In touch with reality" Dr Cloud starts with the story of the CEO of a dog food company who obstinately tries all possible ways to increase the sales of the company's product except in finding out what his ultimate customers really want. When finally explained to the CEO by an employee "Sir... the dogs don't like it", reality finally dawns. Dogs bark, but reality bites!
In many chapters I found commonality in inferences to CEOs' achieving corporate results and to success of marriages. Perhaps this is a reflection of Dr Cloud's typical mix of clientele.
The six dimensions are well sequenced and are interrelated. Ignorance or failure of one dimension can lead to overall nonperformance explains Dr Cloud. The "gap" in a person who lacks the wholeness of character is bound to result in failure in three specific ways and to quote from the book (page 38):
1. Hitting performance ceiling that is much lower than ones aptitude
2. Hitting an obstacle or situation that derails you
3. Reaching great success only to self destruct and lose it all.
This book was presented to me by a colleague. While I thank him for the wonderful gift, trust me, I loved it and shall do my best to put it into practice to fill in my gaps.
A Really Good Book that will help you tremendously!.......2007-04-24
In my view some of the reviews are a bit hyped up. One is far too negative. This is a really good book aimed at bringing up the integrity factor for corporate leaders. We all know this is a problem.
I think Dr. Cloud has offered up a number of great concepts in a very readable form that will help many CEO's 'get it'. Many of his illustrations bring a sense of healthy reflection and conviction to the reader. Many (but not all) of his illustrations feed the concept he is making well. I found myself agreeing with him because of the pure logic of his points (over and over).
A few problems some of my buddies pointed out with this book are:
He has redefined the word integrity to include a lot more than the word normally means. The problem with this is that many readers will tend to forget his nuanced definition over time and therefore may forget what he is saying they need to do. Whenever someone takes a common word and expands it's definition to mean more than the dictionaries give for that word, we risk cultivating a short term memory of the concepts given.
For myself, I think I found nagging questions left unanswered in my mind.
How does he know these are the keys? What has research shown? What are the real priorities of a great or successful leader?
I think the research I am aware of points to different factors, and this is why I was a little unconvinced that he has hit on 'the key' for success. One can have integrity and still not be a great leader. Leadership and integrity are two different things. To bring success to a corporate organization requires more than integrity. It requires inspiring and equipping leadership. This is the 'inspirational factor'. Hasn't research proven these are keys that cannot be overlooked for success? I think so. I think that integrity in the soul of a powerful leader then becomes inspiring, partially because of the integrity, but also because of the leadership and competence of the leader.
So I found myself asking the question...why has he chosen these things. He says that he chose them because they occured to him in a conversation. That was unconvincing for me. Now the points he makes seem really important, but how do we know that they are really the keys for success that he claims they are? Surely some studies could be developed to bear this theory out or to show if it needs adjusting. Having said all this, Integrity is a really good book. It's packed with great points and will help you tremendously.
So I would suggest that this book be read as it really is, a proposal on what we need to bear in mind for success in our ventures. With that in mind, I think this book is very helpful, it is very creative and it is fun to read. He challenges us in six essential areas that all feed into integrity in one way or another. One of his concepts is that success requires us to finish well. Another one is that we must connect well with others and gain their trust. The intrinsic logical quality of the points is as solid as it can get. This book is also packed with a steady stream of great illustrations. If you are a reader who loves illustrations, you will absolutely love this book.
I think this book is good for owners, presidents of corporations or managers of people in various settings.
I highly recommend Integrity for developing great leadership talent in churches as well. There are a lot of great ideas in this book that any trainer of leaders can use. I hope you enjoy it thoroughly. I certainly have.
Required Reading for Recruiters, Hiring Managers and Human Resources -- Crisis-Resistant Personality Traits .......2007-04-04
Your candidate may have the skills and experience to succeed -- but do they possess the character traits to rise above times of crisis? I've seen enough "can't miss candidates" crash and burn to be skeptical. However, this book provided clarity on many a bad hiring decision I've made in the past, as well as how unlikely stars can emerge in "interesting times". It won't stop me from ever making a poor personnel decision, but I'm certainly better armed to assess the intangible traits that can make or break job performance in changing times -- whether the change signals crisis or success.
Average customer rating:
- Makes sense out of things that didn't make sense
- A New Way of Understanding the World
- Brilliant Idea
- The Emperor Has No Clothes
- Finally, something that begins to put things together
|
Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership and Change
Don Edward Beck , and
Christopher Cowan
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1405133562 |
Book Description
Now available in paperback, this bestselling book presents a new framework for understanding the dynamic forces at work in human affairs -not only in business, but also in personal lives, education, and even geopolitics. Focusing on cutting-edge leadership, management systems, processes, procedures, and techniques, Spiral Dynamics synthesizes changes such as increasing cultural diversity, powerful new social responsibility initiatives, and the arrival of a truly global marketplace.Ideal for managers, consultants, and strategists, this inspiring book adds power and precision to the understanding of human value systems and twenty-first century leadership. It draws UK biologist Richard Dawkins ' concept of "memes " and Clare W. Grave's 'Level of Existance Theory' to lay out a very specific toolkit for managing the deepest differences in people. The authors' concept of MEMES represents a new element in the Science of Memetics and why ideas resonate or not. Spiral Dynamics demonstrates how, by applying the right tools at a base level rather than to surface symptoms, any bright, curious human being can begin, quite simply, to change their world.
Customer Reviews:
Makes sense out of things that didn't make sense.......2007-10-01
The model presented about how the paradigms of thinking and how value memes develop over time in a person, organization, or society are brilliantly insightful. This book should be required reading for anyone running a company or organization of any size. The insights that can be gleaned are significant (at least in the lines of development in which one if far enough along oneself).
This is not at all an "easy" book to read. It takes time and thinking, and is probably best read in parallel with a few other people and discussed regularly along the way. I read this book along with another CEO, and a PhD psychologist who specializes in working with family-owned businesses.
--Lee
A New Way of Understanding the World .......2007-07-13
It may not be the "answer to everything" but Spiral Dynamics helps to put a context around why people act in certain ways when presented with certain life conditions. Using the theory of memetics (idea viruses), spiral describes the evolution of humans as a progression from one value system to another along a double helix spiral. Pitched to those in management or leadership, Spiral Dynamics offers insights as to why some people need traditional or hierarchical or ordered or opportunistic or caring or project based workplaces depending on their value meme. The text can be stilted and academic at times and the introduction is confusing, however there are some great insights and well worth reading if you are interested in finding the answers to everything! Pity the colour plates from the hardcover were not replicated in the paperback seeing how Spiral Dynamics relies on the use of colour descriptors.
Brilliant Idea.......2007-07-11
I first heard of Spiral Dynamics when I went to hear Don Beck speak at the Dallas Philosopher's Forum. He was one of the worst speakers I ever heard -- but his ideas were so incredible, so brilliant, that they shined through the poverty of his delivery. When I then went out to buy the book, I encountered the same problem: brilliant ideas, poor delivery. But the ideas are so good, it is work struggling your way through this book just to get the ideas.
The idea is this: thinking and societies exist at different levels of complexity, with new forms of psychoosocial complexity emerging as lower levels become oppressive. It fits well the latest complex systems paradigm in science that takes into account emergence, information, time and process, and fractal geometry. More, it maps extremely well on to the emergentist theory of time developed by J.T. Fraser in books such as "Time, the Familiar Stranger" and "Time, Conflict, and Human Values" and in Frederick Turner's latest book "Natural Religion". The nested hierarchy. evolutionary, emergentist view of nature is THE new paradigm. This and Fraser's works are excellent introductions to these ideas.
The Emperor Has No Clothes.......2007-05-21
A very interesting developmental theory taken WAY to far. The ideas expressed here could have been presented as a helpful extension of the work of psychologist Abraham Maslow and others. Instead, they are framed as comprehensive theory of morality itself, marketed to managers (!) and consultants (!!), as 'leadership lit' no less. It's as if Nietzsche wrote "how-to" books for his developmentally superior ubermensch.
However, the authors have an ace up their sleeve. Spiral Dynamics defines two tiers of human development and pretty much anyone who agrees with the theory is automatically classified as a 'tier two spiral wizard.' Pretty cool- but those who read The Emperors New Clothes as a child might feel a bit uneasy about all of this. It turns out, however, that they feel this because they are still "first tier." Similarly, fans of the work of Karl Popper could see this internal dismissal of external criticisms as the surest sign of non-falsifiable oogy-boogy flim-flam, but again we are assured that that is not the case here. We are not actually bad for thinking this way- just developmentally limited. We are destined to live in the clutches of the 'mean green meme' in the hope of someday bowing to the superior functionality of the philosopher kings and their consulting affiliates.
And kings they are! It turns out there is a heck of a political agenda here. "Wizards," it seems, are instantly able to see solutions to systemic problems- and they need not take seriously the niggling and limited opinions of the lesser-tiered, except to figure out how to win them over. They are "big-picture" sorts, again like Nietzsche's supermen, busy moving the universe forward. They have a duty to run things in this chaotic world. Call it the "Turquoise Man's Burden." You see, these "Wizards" inherently tend to know best and to question their judgment is to betray an almost endearing naiveté. To point out that this is essentially what Plato had in mind when he wrote The Republic 2300 years ago, would, I suspect, be a faux pas. While the idea has yet to really work -and has led to more than a few revolutions- apparently its time has yet again come. From this standpoint, it is interesting that about half of this "developmental theory" is devoted to techniques for shilling ideas to the lesser-tiered.
As someone who grew up in Boulder, Colorado all I can think is that this functional superiority must surely account for the absolutely stunning moral, institutional and financial successes of the city's Integral Institute, which set out to be a sort of "Mensa" for all the lonely "spiral wizards". That it all snowballed into lawsuits and acrimony is only a sign of the sheer incomprehensibility of their greatness.
The bottom line: Much of the developmental theory is actually really good but absolutely ruined by the decision to conflate it with self-help pabulum for the self-righteous and cultish. Two-star stuff.
Finally, something that begins to put things together.......2007-05-13
Spiral Dynamics will give you an edge in assessing people and situations. I am a professional legal mediator. I have found the theories in this book to be of immense help to me in understanding how to approach people and problems in the legal world. I have not read a great deal about the application of Spiral Dynamics in the legal world. I frankly don't think there's a lot out there, and their web site is frankly short on guidance concerning the application of Spiral Dynamics theory in legal mediation and negotiations. I have nevertheless considered approaches to many mediation problems against the background of information I gleaned from this text. I am rather amazed how simply adjusting the language of the mediation to the particular meme-level (or color) of the client suddenly opens the door to progress in communications and the chance to ultimately find common-ground between warring parties. Someone definitely needs to write a follow-up text with practical suggestions as to the application of this theory to mediation and negotiations in the legal world. Lawyers are increasingly turning to mediation as a way of resolving disputes. Someone could make a small fortune teaching lawyers how to utilize these theories not only in negotiations and mediation but also in jury selection in courtroom trials. Oh man, the possibilities are staggering, and lawyers will pay for this kind of knowledge.
Anyway, the writing is interesting, anectodal and fun to read. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in figuring out why no matter how hard you try, the guy next door just doesn't seem to "get it." It also explains why the political vision and understanding of some politicians seems to go right over some people's heads and that of other politicians just leaves you shaking your head.
Book Description
Olson turns her razor sharp vision on the Clintons' shocking excesses in their final days of office: the outrageous pardons to political cronies and friends, the looting of the White House, the executive orders that were sheer abuses of presidential power, the presidential library that is becoming a massive boondoogle of vanity more appropriate for a Third World dictator, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
What politicians will do to cling onto power.......2006-12-10
Conservative commentator Barbara Olson, who perished when the hijacked Flight 77 dove into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, reminds us with "The Final Days" precisely what sort of leeching parasites politicians can be. This is not a strict "Republican" or "Democrat" kind of thing, nor is it an issue pertaining to just "conservatives" or just "liberals." The book is not biased just because it reports only the Clinton wrongdoings, even though the author is a self-proclaimed conservative. In fact, the flip side to Olson's coin is the recently released "State of Denial" by Bob Woodward, who similarly documents the slime coursing through the current Bush administration and the ongoing war in Iraq. No, "The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House" merely reiterates a well-worn fact of life dominant in today's world: Power corrupts.
Olson's final account about the closing of doors in the Clinton administration should send alarm bells screeching through the minds of the American electorate, especially in a time where a Hillary Clinton run for the presidency seems almost inevitable. Olson reveals with painstaking accuracy the core tenets of Clintonism: Deny the accusations, play the helpless victim, and attack the enemy with relentless savagery. And, of course, it is permissible to lie whenever the chance arrives. When many liberal Democrats pressured him truthfully to explain everything behind the pardon of Marc Rich and his associates, President Clinton acknowledged that those he pardoned, who evaded millions in taxes and maintained connections with the Castro and Gaddafi regimes, simply had been wrongfully persecuted by the Justice Department. It is a classic example of the `victim hood' phenomenon so popularly paraded by the Clintons. Everyone seems to be a poor, pitiable victim, especially if their names end with "Clinton" and the persecutor is that dang "right-wing conspiracy." I'm afraid the term you're looking for, Mr. and Mrs. President, is "vast critical-thinking conspiracy." Or perhaps the "concerned American citizen conspiracy."
Like "State of Denial," "The Final Days" wields sharp facts to counter the myths surrounding popular politicians. Clinton may have presided over the largest economic expansion in U.S. history, but the shameless "For Sale" sign dangling around his neck during the closing days of his administration calls into question his serious character and moral flaws. Similarly, Bush may have stated "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, but the fact that we are still there waging a failing campaign at the expense of American and Iraqi blood does not make his acts justifiable. I highly recommend both books to spark in your head the idea that maybe we need to rethink seriously the decision of putting these kinds of people in power.
A book about two topics: pardon and donation........2006-05-26
I listened to the audio version of this book. While most of the things said in this book may be true, it appears a bit biased. In addition to facts, the author uses some adjectives which show her personal dislike of the famous couple.
In the end, I had an impression that this book grew out of author's frustration upon Mark Rich pardon. Many chapters are dedicated to that case.
A disproportionately large portion of the book is devoted to two topics: pardon and donations. At one point the audio book spends a large amount of time only listing names of who donated what item. It goes on and on and on with names that make no sense and contribute nothing much to the story. That could have been moved to the appendix to keep the flow going.
I was hoping to find details about mischievious behavior by Clinton staff during the last days. There was no mention of that.
FAILING TO CROSSOVER.......2006-04-15
"The much talked about Marc Rich pardon has become an appropriate symbol of the entire eight years, but Mrs. Olson does a commendable service by clearly detailing the effrontery of his (Rich's) misdeeds, and an even more skillful demonstration of the President's specious and insulting attempt to justify this shocking act. To add fuel to her raging fire, she quotes former President Jimmy Carter who openly stated "I don't think there is any doubt that some of the factors in his pardon were attributable to his large gifts. In my opinion that was disgraceful."
Naturally, given her neo-con bent, Ms. Olsen failed to mention the extremely salient point that the attorney representing Marc Rich's pardon application was none other than Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney's aide.
Excellent and bloody right!.......2006-03-18
All of you Clinton lovers should actually learn to not turn the blind eye on many of these things Clinton did during his presidency. The last few minutes before he was impeached.
I can admit George Bush is a bad president himself but I can also admit what Bill clinton stood for. Corruption!
See the pardons such as the nationalistic terrorist group from Puerto Rico plus the tax cheat and a whole list of other losers that Clinton pardoned.
A Catalogue of Iniquities. .......2004-07-28
The last days of the Clintons were an occasion for the country to witness just how corrupt this two for the price of one team actually was. They took furniture and gifts that were not their's for the taking, and appeared to be granting pardons on the basis of what law breakers held the most influence within their circle of friends and family. From arsenic to Mark Rich, the whole squalid tale is recounted by the superlative Barbara Olso, who sadly is no longer with us.
Book Description
"What a "kick" I get out of teaching from
Images of Organizations. What a head-snapping view of organizations it offers to my MBA students, as well as to the odd client/executive who is disposed to creep out of the practicality of business-as-usual and take in a vibrant thrilling view of organizations."
— Ariane David, Ph.D.,
Senior Advisor/President, The Veritas Group
Since its first publication over twenty years ago,
Images of Organization has become a classic in the canon of management literature. The book is based on a very simple premise—that all theories of organization and management are based on implicit images or metaphors that stretch our imagination in a way that can create powerful insights, but at the risk of distortion. Gareth Morgan provides a rich and comprehensive resource for exploring the complexity of modern organizations internationally, translating leading-edge theory into leading-edge practice.
This new
Updated Edition preserves Morgan’s renowned creative images and metaphors while refreshing the references and tables. The addition of a preface situates this classic theory in today’s business environment while the instructor’s resources (now available on CD) aid classroom teaching. Please contact SAGE customer service to order your copy.
Images of Organization challenges and reshapes how we think about organization and management in the most fundamental way. The new
Updated Edition makes this monumental work available to a new generation of students and business leaders worldwide.
Listen to an interview with author, Gareth Morgan on The Invisible Hand podcast.
Go to http://www.theinvisiblehandpodcast.com/The_Invisible_Hand_Episode_38.mp3
Customer Reviews:
Morgan Images of Organization.......2007-01-04
great metaphors from author to help understand organizational thinking but read slowly if you are a concrete thinker. Easy reading really if you think metaphorically. Had to write a paper on psychic prisons, uncanny how true Morgan's analogy is to real workplace environment. This book was better than our required text. Hated the Organizational Behavior instructor I had but loved the book and the subject matter.
Most valuable read of my MBA.......2003-02-15
Gareth Morgan's book provides an antidote to the finance, marketing and HR texts that are required reading for an MBA student. The clever use of metaphor allows the reader to absorb the huge anount of information contained within the book (check out the bibliography!) - you don't even realise how much you are learning until you start relating concepts to others around you. My fellow students, colleagues and even my parents had to listen ...
I found it a very easy to read book, if you are willing to put aside your existing ideas (psychic prison) about the way the organisation works(?) If you prefer big words, read Morgan and Burrell's Sociological Paradigms and Organisational Analysis - essential reading, but even more brilliant as a companion to Images.
Learn the stuff you are expected to know from your finance, marketing, statistics, strategy and HR texts, but understand the stuff that will change your world from Images of Organisation.
This book can profoundly change your thinking about orgs.......2003-02-14
This is not a "three steps to understanding organizations" type book. The people posting negative reviews for this were looking for something simple and digestable - this book is not that. However, if you take the time, you will find it profoundly alters your thinking about understanding organizations.
This book provides solid theoretical models for understanding what is occuring in organizations. I read this book over 10 years ago and STILL find it the second best and most enlightening thing I have ever read on organizations. This has dramatically aided me in being a very successful business consultant.
The foundation of this book is the notion that you cannot understand complex organizations in any meaningful way through a single perspective. People in the organizations operate on many different perspectives. Each view of the world creates its own understanding of the organizational problems, solutions and daily pattern of interaction. This book provides you the tools for understanding organizations through a number of key perspectives or metaphors, and gives you indications on how to perform a multi-perspective systems analysis.
If you spend the time with this book, you will find yourself able to understand your surroundings FAR better than your peers.
Too esoteric...hard to follow........2003-01-08
I am a graduate student in organizational development. Although this book has some good underlying concepts, I found most of the book hard to follow and not very engaging. It was often difficult to see how many of the concepts actually apply to organizations. There may be good ideas, but they often get lost in the rambling chapters.
Terrific Find.......2001-07-28
I found this book to be insightful and very useful in administrative organization analysis. It was a useful tool in developing a change management program for a public organization.
Book Description
How maverick companies have passed up revenue growth—and focused on greatness instead
Most books about successful businesses focus on public companies, where the definition for success is steady growth in revenue and profits. Yet there are many excellent, privately held companies marching to the beat of a different drum; they have stricken revenue and profit growth from the top of their mission statements. Instead, they define themselves by their passion for their products and their commitment to their employees, customers, and community—embracing a clarity and loyalty to purpose that's an anomaly in today's environment.
Small Giants is a fascinating book about the unconventional people who run these purpose-driven companies. Longtime Inc. magazine editor Bo Burlingham takes us deep inside these companies to determine the secret ingredient, the elusive “mojo” that makes them great.
He profiles fourteen of the best, including Anchor Brewing, CitiStorage, Clif Bar Inc., Righteous Babe Records, Reel Precision Manufacturing, and Zingerman's Community of Businesses. These companies are consistently profitable yet have consciously resisted convention by staying small and great instead of becoming large and mediocre.
For anyone who wants to explore America's most innovative and inspiring small business successes, this unique book is the place to start.
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational...a GREAT read........2007-10-10
Bo Burlingham has his hand on the pulse of what makes companies great. His writing is terrific, his story telling superb, the book an inspiration for anyone who is a business owner...a great "sherpa" for any large organization.
Small Giants.......2007-09-21
I highly recommend this book to the business owner that wants a vision for his company. It doesn't have to be all about profits. They will come when you take care and build a relationship with your employees, customers, suppliers, and your community.
Decent Examination of the Small-Scale, but Lacks Figures & Facts.......2007-09-09
After reading Jim Collin's seminal work Good to Great, I became enamored with the idea of "scope" as it pertains to business success. I recalled hearing about Gore, the company, and how they do not allow any one of their offices to grow beyond 250 people - setting 250 as the magic number, above which intimacy, norms of reciprocity and mutual assistance are not possible. I started to crave a book that might address those very ideas from a Collins-esque standpoint. After some search, I found a book that Jim Collins had reviewed: "This well-written book should inspire thousands of entrepreneurs to reject a mantra of growth for growth's sake in favor of a passionate dedication to becoming the absolute best. Bo Burlingham reminds us of a vital truth: big does not equal great, and great does not equal big."
That was enough of an endorsement for me, and I dove right into reading. I came away somewhat disappointed by the less-than-rigorous methodology, but also energized by the ideas presented. Burlingham does not use the same exactitude in selecting the companies he features (largely because the financial reports are not public for the private groups he chose to focus on). Thus, it is difficult to appreciate his findings in the same way as I can appreciate Collins'.
However, Burlingham writes like the capable and clever journalist that he is (editor at Inc. magazine) and the pages turn easily. His chapters are divided as logically as possible, given the lack of concrete data. Much of what he presents is based off feeling, interviews, observation, and contemplative conclusions. He does not hesitate to label the success of these businesses as "mysterious" - following from "mojo" or (my preference) "spiritual terroir."
Read this book if you want to read some incredibly articulate leaders talking about their perspective on business. It is one of the best compilations of leader interviews I have read. The book groups the commentary together when appropriate, or allows one leader to dictate the chapter content entirely. Either way, Burlingham does a marvelous job of letting these men and women speak for themselves and their hard-won success. It is refreshing. The owner and CEO of Anchor Brewing, Fritz Maytag, is downright moving in his eloquence. Jay Goltz, head of Artists' Frame Service is brazenly pragmatic, but uses stories to speak to the underlying support of this leadership approach (managing is "also about learning how not to demotivate [your people]").
Do not read this book if you are looking for applicable solutions or step-by-step recommendations.
breath of fresh air.......2007-07-02
An intelligent analysis of successful small businesses. Comprehensive stories of small business done right. Inspires you to start your own company!
Great Thought-Provoking Book.......2007-06-27
I work for a small company that wants to be great. After reading the book I feel good about what we are doing and challenged to do better in some areas. If you are looking for a "how to be great" book, this is probably not the book for you. If you looking for a book to provoke some deep thought about the relationship between size and greatness, then I highly recommend this book.
Books:
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- Glorious Appearing: The End of Days (Left Behind #12)
- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance
- Grace and Divorce: God's Healing Gift to Those Whose Marriages Fall Short
- Grandmother's Memories: To Her Grandchild (A Journal of Faith and Love)
- Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life (Revised Edition with New Bible Study)
- He and I
- His Princess: Love Letters from Your King (His Princess)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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