Book Description
Are you striving for excellence yet find your efforts increasingly taken for granted and undervalued? You’re not alone. Many companies discover their improved performance doesn’t translate into higher perceived value. In fact, it simply shifts the customer’s expectations upward, causing the customer to take the new, improved performance for granted. High-performance companies unwittingly create unrealistic customer expectations that become impossible to meet. In this important book, the authors use a realistic story that illustrates the paradox of excellence¾the better you perform, the more invisible you become to everything but bad news¾shows the symptoms and causes, and provides clear guidance for overcoming this perplexing dilemma. The Paradox of Excellence introduces an entertaining story with characters that are easy to relate to, ideas that can be readily implemented, and a practical framework for achieving long-term success.
Customer Reviews:
A New Twist In Managing Expectations.......2006-12-17
David Mosby and Michael Weissman have authored a nifty fable on how excellence, if not managed, can kill you. "The Paradox of Excellence" can be applied not only to companies but to public sector and non-profit sector organizations...and by excellent performers, regardless of their walk of life, to avoid being victimized by professional excellence.
"The Paradox of Excellence" is revealed in a story about Premiere Specialty, a mid-sized logistics company serving Silicon Valley. Premiere has been notified that is about to lose MicroZip Electronics, one of its largest customers, due to a rare shipping error after years of excellent service.
The fable centers on several key employees investigating the error, what they learn, and how they put their "learnings" to work to insure against lost orders in the future, despite excellent service.
The book ends with a concise overview of the "Paradox of Excellence" - the symptoms, the root cause, root behaviors and assumptions, and the remedy - complete with a self-assessment.
"Paradox of Excellence" is a quick and easy read. The book is profound due to the concept's simplicity, a simplicity that due to its subtlety (excellence) has been overlooked until now, and that, too, is a paradox.
Customers pay for experiences - not products!.......2006-04-03
Mosby and Weissman cut to the heart of the fact that customers don't buy products, they buy experiences. All too often companies get caught up in the rat race of satisfying customer needs and attempting to outdo the competition and overlook what customers really want - value. Of course, being in the eye of the beholder, value is like shifting sands in the desert.
Customer expectations must be identified, understood, and managed more carefully than ever before. Internally, outstanding performance often creates a tendency to rest on one's laurels; externally, customers will take features, once lavished with praise, for granted. The key is to learn what you look like through the customer's eyes.
Divided into two main sections, The Paradox of Excellence offers an excellent expose into the perils that ride on the coat-tails of success:
Be sure to check out the "The Continuous Visibility Wheel" toward the end of the book, that covers five distinct phases:
- Discover the expectations
- Define and select your distinguishing value
- Select the metrics to be made visible and the best manner in which to present that information
- Uncover the best source of data to use, and
- Deliver the information needed to keep your value in the minds of your customers and your employees.
------------------
Michael Davis, Editor - Byvation
"Business Success through Innovation"
Provokingly scary.......2006-03-10
Provides excellent analogy on how our own business strives for excellence while we forget about who and why we aspire to that level. Excellent read!
It CAN happen to you - Here's how to prevent it.......2005-11-19
This easy to read, but insightful book has put an eloquent name to a problem that plagues many businesses. The Paradox of Excellence was something that my company struggled through several years ago...if only we'd had this book, we'd have saved hours of struggle AND several clients.
Mosby and Weissman have crafted an excellent book. Similar to the books of Patrick Lencioni, the bulk of the book is delivered in an imminently readable parable. This makes it a quick and fun read. But, as most great teachers teachers know, the parable exists to demonstrate the core principles...in this case how to keep your business from becoming invisible except when you have a problem. I highly recommend this book.
Do Not Ever Be Invisible Again ! ! .......2005-10-28
Great insight into business & personal activities - you need to "toot your own horn", this tells you Where, When, How, & Why to take action so you (or your comapny) is not invisible. Remember Nolan Ryan well states it: "It ain't bragging, if you can do it".
My Husband is making it a gift to each of his APICS Certification Class students.
Customer Reviews:
Money isn't everything..........2007-08-15
Don't fall victim of your own success. This book reveals the paradox of success, and how to avoid downfall.
Extremely Insightful!.......2007-06-19
This is a very good, perhaps great [?], book masquerading as a "how to succeed in business" tome. It is in reality a powerful handbook for those of us in the 4th period of life to try to make some sense of all we have done, all we have left undone, & what is the purpose of it all. I'm 65; I found this a clever combination of Jung, Jung's theory of the 'shadow', & strong suggestions for living with inner tranquility & financial success; O'Neil is a gifted & insightful writer; I doubt that many under the age of 50 would find this book worthwhile - my opinion. A minor criticism: O'Neil cites 6 - 8 - 10 authorities in this field who have written books; he provides an index; but no bibliography? Why? A very minor criticism. Extremely well done. Easy to read.
excellent, worthwhile reading all of it.......2006-08-26
It is an amazing journey through our deepest fears and questions about life whether personal or professional. The first part goes through those questions all of us have or have had combined with real life examples and a second part where the author shares his insight as to what to do with all those questions and answers we start to get by reading the book.
Great book for self-discovery.......2001-10-21
I have read this book once before back in 1995. Since then I have learned a lot about shadows. I am aware of my shadows and this book is helping me to be a better person.
I have a friend who is intellegent and smart. However, after reading this book second time I am beginning to know his hubris and. I do not know how to relate with this person.
Knowing my own shadows I am now less critical of others. We all have multi-selves.
The book should be read by any adult who wants to have a balanced perspectives of life and deal with others appropriately.
Must read for all leaders.......2001-05-18
I first read this book when it came out, at the time the O. J. Simpson story was just breaking. It was PERFECT timing - offering insights into how otherwise highly-successful people can have darker sides show up in their lives unless they periodically renew themselves and take stock - what might be called taking an "internal audit" of oneself. I've often thought the title for this book could have been "The Shadow Side of Success."
I highly recommend this book for anyone who's in a position of influence, power and responsibility (or who WANTS to be). The author has included a rich assortment of ways one can avoid the egoic pitfalls of success and fame - a real MASTERPIECE!
John Renesch, author, Getting to the Better Future
Average customer rating:
- A true companion on the road to no-where
- Constant Companion for Group Work
- Aptly titled: This analysis is rife w/ incisive insights.
|
Paradoxes of Group Life: Understanding Conflict, Paralysis, and Movement in Group Dynamics (New Lexington Press Organization Sciences Series)
Kenwyn K. Smith , and
David N. Berg
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
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ASIN: 078793948X |
Book Description
During the past decade, leaders have increasingly relied on self-managing work groups, multifunctional teams, and cross-national executive groups to create the organization of the future. Yet groups are not a panacea for organizational problems; conflicts between individuals or factions within a group often create seemingly contradictory situations?paradoxes?that can prevent the group from reaching its goals.
In this groundbreaking classic, Kenwyn Smith and David Berg offer a revolutionary approach to understanding groups and overcoming the problems that often paralyze group members, the group as a whole, and relations among groups. They explore the hidden dynamics that can prevent a group from functioning effectively. And they show how an apparently paradoxical suggestion?for example, inviting a success oriented group to risk failure, or affirming the benefits of going nowhere to a group focused on moving ahead?can break action barriers, overcome conflicts, and improve group performance.
Smith and Berg offer a different way of thinking about groups that will open new avenues of inquiry for professors and students of group behavior, and they propose many innovative ideas that will prove valuable to consultants, trainers, therapists, and others who work with groups on a regular basis.
Customer Reviews:
A true companion on the road to no-where.......2006-08-31
Smith and Berg have wrouth - written is too modest - a briljant insighful and wise guide tour behind the coulises of our lifes. It is the best guide book I know to the place you live in: the group. You can use it in almost every situation. They show how we are caught in our webs, our own frames of mind, our relational swamp. Such is life and it is getting sucher and sucher all the time.
I recommend this book to every one dealing with groups AND individuals, because there is no better way to start to understand what life ' is'.
Constant Companion for Group Work.......2002-05-21
This insightful book has accompanied me through grad school, two corporate reorganizations and numerous consulting projects. The authors have written an excellent text on the contradictory forces/movements endemic to group life. Their use of paradoxical thought as a lens for thinking about and successfully navigating the territory of group life is both practical and innovative. If you're looking for the usual book about conflict resolution, please look elsewhere. Smith and Berg advocate reclaiming rather than repressing or eliminating the fears and anxieties that define many aspects of group life. Their explanation of concepts such as group paralysis, oscillation, group-as-whole, splitting and individual ambivalence are clear and highly cogent when integrated into a paradoxical framework.
Aptly titled: This analysis is rife w/ incisive insights........2001-08-11
Paradoxes of Group Life is a masterful explication of the concepts its title announces. This readable volume will serve the newcomer to Group Dynamics as well as the more experienced cognoscenti. People are often fundamentally ambivalent about ourselves and our participation in groups. Smith & Berg explain these (often unconscious) dynamics with great clarity and force. Treat yourself to this compelling analysis. I highly recommend their important work!
Book Description
What exactly do Americans want from their president? A strong and innovative leader or someone who primarily listens to the will of the people? A programmatic party leader or a pragmatic bipartisan coalition-builder? A president who exercises power forcefully or someone who establishes consensus before doing anything? The Paradoxes of the American Presidency, 2/e, suggests that Americans want the president to be both a leader and a follower, partisan and bipartisan, and innovative and conservative. In the second edition of this acclaimed book, Cronin and Genovese explore the complex institution of the American presidency by presenting a series of paradoxes that shape and define the office. They examine the clashing expectations and demands placed upon presidents, offering students the opportunity to understand the dilemma faced by all incumbents--how to bring leadership into a system where expectations exceed the resources and power available to them. The authors focus on the various relationships all presidents must develop if they are to lead successfully--relations between the president and: Congress, the public, the courts, the cabinet, and the Vice President. This book also treats the managerial side of the executive branch, the vagaries of the selection process, and the inherent contradictions of leadership in a democratic system. Thoroughly revised and updated, The Paradoxes of the American Presidency, 2/e, covers the Clinton impeachment, the 2000 election, the first three years of the Bush presidency, the events and aftermath of September 11, and the war with Iraq. Written in a lively, engaging style, this comprehensive, interpretive work represents the collaboration of two prize-winning presidential scholars.
Customer Reviews:
Offers a clear explanation of presidential paradoxes.......2003-12-11
In this book Dr. Genovese and Dr. Cronin offer a clear explanation of the different paradoxes of the American presidency. They explain the expectation gap that is present in the American presidency where the president has a clear public expectation to be a successful leader yet is bound by roadblocks constitutional and otherwise that make such a success difficult to achieve. I found it as a Political Science major to be an illuminating explanation of the American Presidency.
Surprisingly Good.......2002-12-16
What an informative and insightful book this turned out to be. I found it on a sale table and gave it a try. I was concerned that the book was nothing more then a tenured professor's attempt at fulfilling his publishing requirements, it turns out that this concern not needed. The book takes the reader through most of the major issues that effect the President in his duties and it does it in an easy to read and understandable format. What is very interesting is that they present the "paradoxes" that the public has pushed the Presidents into the corner on. What we the public what and expects has shaped the office as much as the past office holders.
The authors also look at some stated ways of improving the Presidency and what their opinions are on the methods - very interesting. To bring the ideas and comments more alive they fill the book up with a large number of examples of which a good 70 % relate to the last 10 Presidents. There are also two sections that, given the past years, are even more interesting - Vice Presidents moving to the lead role and impeachment. Overall this was a very good and interesting book. This is the kind of book that both entertains and teaches the reader something in the process.
And Yet Nonetheless True.......2000-10-14
In Chapter 1, the authors observe:
"We admire presidential power, yet fear it. We yearn for the heroic, yet are also inherently suspicious of it.We demand dynamic leadership, yet grant only limited powers to the president. We want presidents to be dispassionate analysts and listeners, yet they must also be decisive. We are impressed with presidents who have great self-confidence, yet we dislike arrogance and respect those who express reasonable self-doubt."
Throughout the balance of this chapter, they then identify and briefly discuss nine specific paradoxes which serve as the intellectual infrastructure of this brilliant book. In process, the authors also provide (in effect) a comprehensive analysis of more than 200 years of American history during which the office of the president as well as those who have occupied it reflect the dynamic tensions between and among the elements of the nine paradoxes.
The authors seem to suggest that those American presidents who have proven most effective have been those who (a) understood various paradoxes and then (b) somehow resolved them. The Roosevelts offer two of the best examples. Both were born into wealth and privilege and yet each is best remembered for advancing "populist" causes. The authors invite the reader to view the American presidency "by viewing it through the lens of a series of [such] paradoxes that shape and define the office. Our goal is to convey the complexity, the many-sidedness, and the contrarian aspects of the office."
This book will be of special value to those interested in American history, of course, but also to those who are CEOs of organizations, especially of publicly owned corporations whose CEOs must accommodate the needs and interests of so many different (often antagonistic) constituencies.
Book Description
Facile formulas and quick fixes too often dominate today's management training programs. But human behavior is seldom predictable, and business dilemmas do not easily lend themselves to gimmicks or simplistic answers. In Management of the Absurd, psychologist, educator, and former CEO Richard Farson presents a series of management paradoxes that will challenge conventional wisdom and encourage you to re-examine your assumptions about effective leadership.
Here, at last, is a dramatically new understanding of organizations and human relations. In his explorations of common paradoxical situations, Farson demonstrates the value of a radically different perspective on leadership and offers managers at every level powerful new ways to cope with the many perplexing problems of organizational life. Guided by Management of the Absurd, managers of the 21st century will be able to accept the inherent complexity of management situations and work through these dilemmas, not with manipulative and simplistic techniques, but with understanding, compassion, and effectiveness.
Customer Reviews:
Individuals are resilient; Relationships are fragile.......2007-02-11
For me, the core of Richard Farson's message is that "individuals are resilient and relationships are fragile." On page 91 he writes about the impact of parental rejection, marital strife and problems with bosses; and about the devastating impact of isolation, alienation and erosion of community. What this means for managers and others in the workplace, as I see it, is that although self improvement and individual achievement are vital components of success, cultivating relationships is what matters most. And, you will be interested to read that this is more complicated and easier to accomplish than one might imagine. If my last statement is a little confounding, it will prepare you for even more confounding moments reading Management of the Absurd. One of the things that I love about the book is that you need not read it from front to back. For example, I started from back to front and then skipped about going from one fascinating section title to another. The author cautions in the end, "My advice is don't take my advice." Other examples? Chapter 27, "Morale is Unrelated to Productivity;" and Chapter 12, "Praising People Does not Motivate Them." I recommend this 172 page book of refreshing insights and ideas that are sure to, as (I think) Fritz Perls once said, lead you to "lose your mind and come to your senses." So don't take my word for it. After all, who am I? Instead, look at the credits inside the book cover and you will see that two smart guys from MIT recommend the book. Although I have never heard of them, they probably never heard of me either. But all three of us like this book. So, go get it!
Life Saving.......2006-02-18
Every couple of years I get so fed up with things I want to walk, even though I really enjoy management. Whenever my corporate world starts to resemble "Arrested Development," I read this book again. After almost ten yearts the book is falling apart after a lot of use. I have this book on tape and I keep it in the car. Among all my books on management, and I've a whole shelf full of them, this remains my touchstone. Note, though, the book is NOT by Michael Crichton; Crichton wrote the forward.
Absurdly brilliant! Extremely satisfying paradox of a book!.......2005-09-15
I'm an avid reader of business books. Some of the greatest books out there like "Now Discover Your Strengths", "First, Break All The Rules", "Built To Last" and "Good to Great" make me sit up, listen, take notes, and learn how to apply them in my career.
I rank "Management of the Absurd" right up there with the great books above. This book is so easy to read that I found that if I took notes, I wouldn't catch all the business wisdom imparted by Farson. It's unique in the sense that I "got it" even without taking notes. Don't be fooled - after you "get it" you'll REALLY have to think about your assumptions about managing people, your business, your career, etc. It's literally a business wisdom book! I felt wiser after reading it. This makes the book truly unusual.
Thought provoking, easily digestable short chapters, covering topics such as "The more important a relationship, the less skill matters", "Technology creates the opposite of its intended purpose", "The more we communicate, the less we communicate", and so on, ending with "My advice is don't take my advice"!
Simply put, it's one of the wittiest, most thought provoking, most realistic and yet most relaxing books I've ever read in my entire life. I can't recommend it enough for those of you who want a break from the often prescriptive nature of business books. "Management of the Absurd" makes you think without even trying.
Don't be fooled by the word 'management'.......2005-04-09
This book may be listed under 'management' in the bookstore, but it's just as good for sole-proprieters, teachers, or even parents looking for new ideas on problem-solving. Farson's book is really about being self-aware, about learning how to step outside of a 'formula' mentality and see the deadly irony that sometimes the perfect approach under perfect conditions leads you exactly nowhere. Nonetheless, this same approach may be perfect the next time, so don't give it up. Just, well... just accept that both can be true, that's all.
One example that he gave was technology. Take the washing machine: for many years most people didn't have one, and women would often spend a full day--10 or 12 hours--doing all the wash for one week. Of course, the invention of the automatic washing machine would change all this, cutting down time and making the job and its speed so much faster. In hindsight, it's a technology that today we couldn't imagine living without.
So what happened?
Well, instead of having all this time, all this new convenience, we basically raised our expectations about clean clothes. 50 or 100 years ago people might wear something 4 or 5 times before washing a typical garment. Today, most of us wash something after one use. The new 'convenience' was in essence a gateway to a new standard--and suddenly the 'convenience' had practically disappeared.
The book is riddled with many such examples--how the best way to oversee is to let go, how to lead is not by demonstrating, etc. The book itself lives the same contradiction: it's title is just okay, I'm not a manager, and how can you possibly apply the theory that the opposite of a truth is very often just as true? I guess you can't. And yet, in spite of this, I consider it the best business book I've ever read, one that I will read over and over for many years to come.
Go figure.
Of the best business books ever.......2004-05-16
It's amazing this book isn't handed out to every literate adult in America. In so few pages, it completely challenges linear thinking about everything from running a meeting to raising kids, and you'll find yourself constantly finding real-world examples of what he's talking about after you read it. Though much of what he writes may not be new, as he frequently cites the predecessors he learns from, the ingenuity is how he coherently and concisely pulls it all together.
Book Description
As corporations invest more and more in cutting-edge computer telecommunications technology, figuring out how these investments impact the bottom line is increasingly problematic. While CIO's and other strategic leaders eagerly sign up for newer and jazzier systems, it has become the job of line managers to figure out how to manage these high-tech toys--and to measure whether or not they are effective. The paradox lies in this very problem: without tools to measure results, how can we effectively implement new technology? "Information technology," after all, is about providing new information. But these systems fail to provide the most crucial bit of information managers need: Is this technology paying off for my company?
Customer Reviews:
The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology, Revised Edition, 2003.......2005-08-27
My comments on this excellent book are based on my 35 years working as a public servant within the Government of Canada and on its applicability to a government context. The Government of Canada invests in its employees and programs and is committed to demonstrating and evaluating in a transparent manner the benefits and results, whether expected or not, of its programs. This book focuses on information technology (IT) investments and explains why they often do not realize their promised benefits or results. Although IT leads to more and often better information, the paradox is that having more and better information does not automatically lead to realizing the expected benefits for the business or government program that made the investment. Going from our expectations of information technology to `better information' to better programs that realize the benefits and results is not always a straight line. This book by John Thorp helps us to better understand the complexity involved in linking information, how information is transforming the way employees think and act, and the strategy for realizing the expected and desired benefits. But more importantly, this book provides us with useful models (especially the Results Chain model), tools and techniques to address the complexity and make the linkages work so as to increase the likelihood of realizing the benefits. The Information Paradox should be compulsory reading for government (and business) managers and consultants who are concerned with planning new programs intended to realize expected benefits or with evaluating existing programs to determine if benefits are being realized. The models, tools and techniques described in the book will contribute to best practices in government evaluation and performance measurement.
A new approach to IT investment and business results.......2004-04-05
This book helps to understand why some of IT projects don't bring the expected business results. The book lays a new approach to help mapping between Information Technology investments and achieving business values.
A refreshing view of IT investment and business results.......2004-04-05
This book helps to understand why some of IT projects don't bring the expected business results. The book lays a new approach to help mapping between Information Technology investments and achieving business values.
Highly Recommended!.......2001-08-07
John Thorp's book recalls Mark Twain's definition of a classic as "a book you want to have read but don't want to read." If you're an executive with control over your company's information technology purse stings, you probably don't want to read a book this detailed in the intricacies of IT, which is exactly the reason that you should. Thorp's initial premise is that many IT investments never pan out in part because the people that are signing off on them have absolutely no idea what to expect. This book will give you a clue, but don't expect to enjoy it. It's dense with IT terminology, change and program management strategies and valuation techniques. We [...] recommend this book to all of you professionals who know that you need a better understanding of information technology, even if you won't admit it. Don't put off reading this book, no matter how much you'd like to.
Excellent synthesis of ideas on getting value back from IT.......1999-06-21
Well-structured well-written thought-provoking book. Good mix of theoretical and case-study materials. Clearly introduces useful models and analytical methods. Applies the balanced scorecard approach to IT value measurement, linked with an emphasis on sound programme management/control to constrain IT costs. The bottom line: a darn good read!
Book Description
Using the early church as a teacher, this video helps you become an overcomer. If your past is chaining down your future, see how you can put aside the beggar's cup for the limitless boundaries of God's blessings.
Customer Reviews:
Ministry Must.......2007-08-23
The author's main purpose is to make every one realize, particularly those in or considering ministry, that the drive that causes effective leadership has a dark and dangerous side. They not only identify the symptoms and potential dangers, but seek to provide practical ways of mitigating the effects of the past.
Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership.......2007-07-18
This work is very insightful and practical. First explaining how our dark sides are problematic but also how they grow out of some very positive characteristics that serve us well. Then, the authors name and describe five different types of dark sides and how they play out in our lives. These are made very helpful by the inclusion of a tool that assists the reader in determining their individual mix of dark side tendencies and share a five step method overcoming them. Engaging and helpful in giving direction, this is one of the best tomes I've read to see one's personality make up from a uniquely helpful perspective.
Why Do Christian Leaders So Often Fall, and Fall Hard?.......2006-12-24
In the light of the many failures and downfalls of Christian leaders, this book examines what may be the cause of many of these downfalls. The failures of Christian leaders have actually put many barriers between the general public and the savior. The cause of Christ is losing ground if Christians cannot stop this alarming trend. The first step in overcoming these problems in Christian leadership is to first recognize the problem, and this book labels the problem the `dark side'. This obviously represents the defeated sinful nature inside every believer, but it also represents the different traumatic experiences that the sinful nature can use in our lives. The author argues that the ability to `overcome' the dark side is much more important than the managerial or leadership skills that are so often espoused in contemporary leadership thought.
The book does an excellent job of showing the painful reality of victory that leaders' dark sides have accomplished over many Christian leaders. The dark sides of these leaders do not develop and appear over night, but downfalls of Christian leaders happen slowly, often so subtlety that the leaders often are blind to the development. A lot of psychology is used to explain how the different types of `dark sides' develop and control leaders. And self-tests available in the book are helpful to discover if you personally may be susceptible to one of the different types of `dark sides'.
The last part of the book is the most helpful, showing HOW to overcome the dark side of leadership. Five helpful steps are provided for leaders to follow in order to prevent the dark side from gaining control. First, the leader must recognize the dark side. Second, the leader must examine his or her past. Third, the leader must resist unrealistic expectations. Fourth, the leader must be continually feeding himself or herself and checking himself or herself. And finally, the leader must have a strong sense of self-identity in Christ. I believe these are very helpful and a chapter is devoted to each of these steps.
The book is written very well, and especially helpful are the numerous examples and illustrations (including the lives of the authors). The book does a great job of showing the urgency of this issue, but it doesn't stop there. A well thought `remedy' is given for overcoming the dark side, and it isn't an easy fix that you find in many self-improvement books. I believe any Christian leader would do well to read this book and apply it to his or her life.
I have always recognized the existence of my dark side, but I have never understood the complexity of it. Although I had a hard time placing myself into one of the four types of the dark side given in the book, I could see things that I could possibly be susceptible to and I also saw things that I have actually experienced in the past as a result of my dark side.
Especially helpful were the five steps at the end of the book. I believe these steps are founded upon biblical principles, and they are very simple, but it is amazing how hard it is for Christians (and leaders specifically) to apply these truths. I learned that more accountability would be helpful in my life. I was also reminded that having a firm, continual acceptance of my identity in Christ is vitally important. So many problems from the dark side come from insecurity issues and issues with our relationships, but if the Christian leader understands his identity and security in Christ and also that this relationship is the most important relationship that can possibly be cultivated, these problems can be avoided. This leadership was a great encouragement to me.
Rev. Darth Vader?.......2006-11-25
As I was working on an MA at Southeastern University-Lakeland, FL, I was asked to read this book as part of a class on "Leadership Development". You've heard this a million times: "This is a must read book." Well, it is! I can honestly tell you that as a pastor, this was a wonderful read and allowed me to instrospectively analyze my leadership style. I really enjoyed the fact that McIntosh did not just outline the leadership styles but he cited Biblical and secular examples to prove his point. This makes for a really good sermon series on Leadership. Just a few weeks ago, one of our high profile leaders was exposed for his darkside. What I really appreciated from Dr. McIntosh's observation was the fact that we cannot deny that we have a dark side... it's called the sin nature. We will wrestle with this until that day when we are called home. Paul struggled with it, and we can't deny that we all struggle with it. If you are a pastor, read this book, get it into the hands of your younger staff, if you are a church member, I really think that you pastor will appreciate this insightful, easy to read tome.
Interesting.......2006-03-21
I found this book very indepth because the author's careful attention to study the examples used. Being that the authors used some very strong figures in life makes this book very compelling. There is alot to learn with Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership and it doesnt take long to read this book. I believe this is not only a book for leaders and Pastors but for all people. The idea everyone has a darkside or shadow or character defects or liabilities that can hurt us has been long talked about in different theories from 12 programs to just about anything. However in Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership puts personal dysfunction as a asset and liability if gone undiscovered in such a easy and accepting way. Using successful leaders was a good job well done. It is not one of those depressing dysfunctional books but rather an enjoyful mirror to feel good while reading. It has good information about spiritual and non-spiritual leaders at its best.. I would say I enjoyed this book and especially the choiced leaders used in their representation..I will say good homework Rima and McIntosh...
Average customer rating:
- Timeless Wisdom, Timely Messages
|
The Ceo Paradox: The Privilege and Accountability of Leadership
Thomas R. Horton
Manufacturer: Amacom Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Leadership
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Management
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0814450938 |
Customer Reviews:
Timeless Wisdom, Timely Messages.......1998-10-15
With this 1992 book, The CEO Paradox, Tom Horton, career IBM manager and longtime CEO of the American Management Association, wanted to reach not just any reader, but CEO readers. He wanted them to explore with him the paradox of their job--CEO "privilege" on the one hand, and "accountability" on the other. He asked them some hard questions, such as, "does the sedan-chair-like treatment of many top executives distance them too far from the reality of their customers and employees? And who is accountable for the demise of once profitable companies and whole industries?"
Horton made great headway in accomplishing this goal before the book was even printed. Rave reviews (to be reprinted on the book jacket) came in from CEOs or very senior executives of companies around the country, including leaders of Atlantic Mutual Companies, HASCO, MCI Communications, RJR Nabisco, and Rouse Company. Most impressively, J.W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Marriott International (who may be the single most admired CEO in the service industry), called Horton's book "a perceptive look at the challenges facing today's CEOs."
The problem is that some CEOs failed to read this book, which had messages that could have saved many leaders from the failures and scandals of the mid-to-late 1990s. Its 18 chapters cover the full range of potential CEO concerns, including a few wickets that proved to be very sticky in the latter part of our decade. In "Greed and More Greed," Horton counsels CEOs to avoid excessive compensation, an area that would lead to several CEO ousters in the mid-1990s. In "Controlling Those Twittering Hormones," he warns men and women alike to channel their urges into good deeds: "Instead of hitting on that object of your potential affection, you might consider holding out a helping hand. Inexperienced managers could benefit from your experience, and a mentoring relationship with younger people could help your organization as well as them." Again, wise words that were spoken before their time, which is clearly now.
In summary, a book with timeless-yet timely-wisdom. CEO Paradox may be out of print, but it will never go out of style.
Book Description
Upside Down offers leaders the chance to learn how to do more than just tell others what to do. They'll learn how to lead others the same way Jesus did.
Customer Reviews:
Challenging expectations.......2001-06-28
Stacy's book challenges much of the world's expections about leadership. It is written out of his own experiences in secular, military, and religious leadership positions. He therefore make a strong case for his fresh understanding of what God really intends for leaders in all arenas. I'm using it with a group of adults to challenge them to rethink their leadership expectations and accept new roles of leadership in our church.
It's not a long book, and the insights within are profound........1999-09-28
Written for Christian Ministry leaders by a Christian Ministry Executive, this book uses Scripture as its foundation and therefore some readers may be "put off", especially if unfamiliar with the Bible. But it may also prove very thought-provoking for non-Christians.
Our own firm is comprised of people with different religious (and non-religious) backgrounds and we've found the concepts presented to be interesting and worthy of discussion.
As a member of the Friends (Quakers), I was delighted to see affirmations of our beliefs outlined as the basic tenets of New Testament theology. As a contemporary business leader, I was challenged to embody the spirit of humble service exemplified by early Christians, without the pride and need for power that I so often feel. Highly recommended!
Book Description
In this book Philip Streatfield reflects on his own experience as a manager to explore the question - who, or what is 'in control' in an organization. Adopting the perspective of complex responsive processes developed in the first two volumes of this series, the author takes self-organization and emergence as central themes in thinking about life in organizations. He focuses on the tension between spontaneously forming patterns of conversation, and intentional actions, arguing that the order of organizations emerges through a combination of collective interaction and individual intentions.
Books:
- The Pressure Cooker Cookbook Revised
- The Pressure Cooker Gourmet: 225 Recipes for Great-Tasting, Long-Simmered Flavors in Just Minutes
- The Prince (Bantam Classics)
- The Professional Chef, 8th Edition
- The Professional Chef, 8th Edition
- The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less
- The Taste of Country Cooking: 30th Anniversary Edition
- The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Delicious Dairy-Free Cheeses and Classic "Uncheese" Dishes
- The Wedding Cake Book
- The Wine Bible
Books Index
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