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Every month, we review a management book that speaks
to an aspect of our concept of executive community.
Each management book reviewed will ultimately be catalogued on this page
for your convenience. If you want to recommend a particular management
book for review, please write to
us at
dgerard@executivecommunity.com. (By the way, we define "management book"
not as a book necessarily about management, but rather one that can enhance
an executive's business results. As such, our definition of a management
book is far broader than what you would see displayed in your local book
store--for example, see the books we recommend on group facilitation at the
bottom of this page.)
Books Reviewed Below: Bill Walsh: Finding the Winning Edge High Flyers: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders Net.Gain: Expanding Markets through Virtual Communities The Distributed Mind The New Rules: How to Succeed in Today's Post-Corporate World The Promotable Woman: 10 Essential Skills for the New Millennium The Workplace Within: Psychodynamics of Organizational Life Vital Lies, Simple Truths: the Psychology of Self-Deception
Bill Walsh: Finding the Winning Edge, by Bill Walsh with Brian Billick and James Peterson, Ph.D. Sports Publishing, 1998. Bill Walsh is the former coach of the San Francisco Forty-Niners football team, which he led to three Super Bowl championships. He and his colleagues have written an amazingly frank and detailed book about how he used a wide variety of management and leadership tools to achieve success. This is not only an essential book for football coaches; for everyone else who aims to lead others, it is a compendium of wise counsel from someone who has been truly battle-tested under the hot lights of the national media for many years. Walsh exhibits both humility and self-confidence in this book in a way that reminds me of the finest CEOs I have met. He is impressive when he states that of all the accomplishments he has had in his life, the one trait he hopes to be remembered for is his ability to teach others. Managers seeking to implement the principles of executive community will find specific advice in his chapters on "Developing a Sucessful Organizational Structure" (see especially his comments on "Making People the Heart of the Organization") and on "Organizing the Staff" (note his advice on "Giving Younger Coaches an Opportunity" and "Creating an Effective Staff Communications Network"). Walsh demonstrates that combining attention to task with attention to process is essential to the success of a whole system. An example of this is when Walsh writes about the need for a coach to stress the expectation that his assistant coaches can change their impressions and opinions over time, noting that this is a natural process and "the more information that an individual has available, the more things can change." He also argues that assistants should not be ridiculed if their strategies do not work out successfully. As we advocate in our concept of executive community, Walsh recognizes when to compete as well as when to collaborate. His chapter on "Strategies and Tactics for Dealing with a Highly Competitive Adversary" reads like a twenty-first century version of Sun-Tzu's Art of War. If you are looking for a clearly-written, persuasive and practical book that reveals the inner strategies of a fabulously successful senior executive, you can't go wrong with this one. Incidentally, Bill Walsh's book would also be an excellent gift for that senior executive in your life who needs this type of coaching. Gerard & Associates is an Associate of Amazon.Com, the world's largest on-line bookseller. To order this book, click here . Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to visit us again.
Net.Gain: Expanding Markets Through Virtual Communities, by John Hagel and Arthur Armstrong. Harvard University Press, 1997. I attended Wesleyan University with John Hagel, who now heads up McKinsey & Company's Silicon Valley office. I knew him then to be a thoughtful, leading-edge thinker with a passion for changing the world. His latest book shows me that, after twenty-five years, he retains that passion and has now turned his laser-like intellect to developing Internet business. Hagel's thesis is that it is not enough to simply be "on the Web". He sees the Internet as a primary, not a peripheral, locus for business transactions in the next few decades. Executives need to be aware of a potential "end game" that can drive them off the playing field if they do not swiftly move to organize and nurture communities of customers on the Net. He and Armstrong question our current notions of customer loyalty, relations with competitors, and technology strategy. This is a "must-read" for any executive who aims at visionary thinking. After you've read Net.Gain, be sure to write us with your comments at dgerard@executivecommunity.com. Gerard & Associates is an Associate of Amazon.Com, the world's largest on-line bookseller. To order this book, click here . Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to visit us again.
High Flyers: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders, by Morgan McCall, Jr., Harvard University Press, 1998. Morgan McCall is a professor of management and organization at University of Southern California and he was previously one of the guiding forces behind the Center for Creative Leadership. He has written an important book about how executives actually develop. McCall offers what he calls a "prescriptive model for developing executive talent" that includes five elements: Business Strategy, wherein top management endorses a top-down commitment to a specific approach to executive development, tied to the organization's business goals; Experience, where a melange of existing rotational assignment possibilities, coaching, corporate education and "target experiences" are employed to develop executives; Talent, which includes executive assessment processes and performance management tools to foster accountability; Mechanisms for Movement, encompassing formal succession planning processes, identifying and tracking developmental assignments through a centralized corporate executive development function and ensuring that performance management is developmentally-focused; and finally Catalysts, which include accountability by line managers, human resources and the executives themselves. This is an ambitious book, with much wisdom and guidance for those who want to obtain a comprehensive view on how executive development has been conducted up to the present time. While we might quibble with McCall's relative neglect of the organizational barriers that result in a dearth of effective executive development programs in companies, this is a book to be treasured. Gerard & Associates is an Associate of Amazon.Com, the world's largest on-line bookseller. To order this book, click here . Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to visit us again.
The Distributed Mind: Achieving High Performance Through the Collective Intelligence of Knowledge Work Teams, by Kimball and Mareen Duncan Fisher, AMACOM, 1998. The husband-and wife team of Kimball and Mareen Duncan Fisher have collaborated to produce a well-documented, stimulating and useful book on what they call the "distributed mind", or knowledge workers who are geographically and/or organizationally dispersed. The Fishers have been involved in business process redesign for many years, and they have poured their comprehensive lessons learned into this 277-page volume. One of their most important contributions that they deliver early in the book is to demystify the term "knowledge worker" by explaining that very few knowledge workers do only knowledge work and very few physical laborers do only physical work. This is a liberating insight, because it expands the potential applicability of their later discussions on how knowledge work is important in factories as well as R & D labs. The Fishers use the term "the learning lattice" to describe an approach to redesigning knowledge work that explains how teams can be organized to take advantage of both units composed of functional experts (skill development teams) and cross-functional teams (business teams), optimizing the knowledge, perspectives and contributions of all concerned. Some organizations call these newly emerging learning lattices "centers of excellence". Both of the Fishers started their careers in the art world, it is not surprising to see that they have some intriguing comments about harnessing creativity in organizations. They argue that creativity is a social activity, not a guru-centered process that requires isolation. Citing a 1993 survey done by the Center for the Study of Work Teams at the University of North Texas, research showed that knowledge workers prefer collaborative team environments, where there is an opportunity to share ideas and solutions. How about leadership of knowledge workers? The Fishers suggest that this is not an easy task and that the leader's role is handled best through a boundary manager role. They identify seven key attributes for the "distributed leader", including articulating a vision for the organization, managing by principles rather than policies, and effectively coaching and communicating. They provide specific recommendations for ways to "infuse energy and wellness" into organizations through better understanding of roles and responsibilities, effectively managing--rather than suppressing--conflict, and orienting and developing knowledge worker teams. The Distributed Mind is a great new tool for those who are interested in building community in organizations. Gerard & Associates is an Associate of Amazon.Com, the world's largest on-line bookseller. To order this book, click here . Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to visit us again.
The New Rules: How to Succeed in Today's Post-Corporate World, by John P. Kotter, Free Press, 1995. (Reprinted as a paperback in 1997 as "The New Rules: Eight Business Breakthroughs to Career Success in the 21st Century".) Dr. John Kotter of Harvard Business School is one of the few scholarly business writers who consistently blends leading edge, visionary concepts with the tough-mindedness that most successful executives admire. That's why I was shocked--though delighted--to find this book on sale for a mere $6 at a discount book store in a shopping mall in Newark, California. I certainly discovered a real gem. Kotter gives us straight talk about the hard realities of today's executive business world. He disabuses us of the notion, if any of us still hold it, that there will be any safety or security in a career based on steady upward mobility in a traditional corporation. He wraps his stoic "new rules" around a twenty-year longitudinal study of the careers of Harvard Business School graduates of the Class of 1974. Showing the actual career paths of a plethora of genuine American success stories is not only fascinating reading, but highly educational. Kotter bluntly states what it will take to be successful at work in the 21st century: "Settling for good, much less mediocrity is dangerous..Large numbers of people have been taught by big business, big labor and big government that fair-to-good is adequate...ten years from now fair-to-good will probably NEVER lead to success." In order to get beyond the "fair-to good" range of performance, Professor Kotter makes a strong case for executive assessment, maintaining that a careful, realistic and candid self-examination is imperative, and he places special emphasis on the need for self-awareness regarding gaps in one's development. He couples this with counsel on the need for constant learning. What does Kotter's study imply for our concept of Executive Community? He says that for those who aim to lead large organizations, their role should be that of the revolutionary, breaking down hierarchies and replacing then with a "flexible network organization" with many more people taking up the responsibilities for leadership. There is a need, he says, to create "self-confidence in competitive situations" through education in both schools and business organizations. Kotter calls the new business environment "Phase III", marked by globalization of markets and competition. He urges readers who feel that they are working in a business environment "that is not helping prepare him or her for an even tougher Phase III future should move out of that environment as fast as possible. AS FAST AS POSSIBLE." I love Kotter's sense of urgency. And he is right about so many things, that, if you have not done already, get this book AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. It may be the best business book you have read in a very long time, and one of the few that may stir you to self-improvement. After you've read The New Rules, be sure to write us with your comments at dgerard@executivecommunity.com. Gerard & Associates is an Associate of Amazon.Com, the world's largest on-line bookseller. To order this book, click here . (By the way, although you won't get this book for $6 like I did when I got lucky, you will still get a good deal from Amazon!) Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to visit us again.
Norma Carr-Ruffino's The Promotable Woman: 10 Essential Skills for the New Millennium, is not only one of the best books out on the market for early-career managers whether male or female; it is also a very stimulating and readable guide for anyone who wishes to understand life within dynamic corporations at the end of the 20th century. Dr. Carr-Ruffino, a Professor of Management at San Francisco State University, gives very specific, step-by-step coaching on how to navigate difficult bosses, treacherous corporate cultures, male-female conflict, personal stress, life/work balance, and a host of other very real everyday work situations. Women will find the profiles of outstanding female CEOs like Carol Bartz of AutoDesk and Ann Iverson of Laura Ashley both informative and inspiring. For each of the ten essential skills, the author provides detailed strategies and techniques that are based on her (and our) vision of a networked, collective business environment. Best of all, there is no moralistic preaching here such as you would find in some of the leading personal success strategy books of the 1990's. Everything is direct, realistic and presented from a plain, no-nonsense business perspective. Gerard & Associates is an Associate of Amazon.Com, the world's largest on-line bookseller. To order this book, click here . Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to visit us again.
The Workplace Within: Psychodynamics of Organizational Life, by Larry Hirschhorn, MIT Press, 1988. Don't let the title of this fine book scare you off. Hirschhorn's The Workplace Within is one of the finest tools available for the executive who wishes to deepen his or her understanding of what goes on in organizations today. On the other hand, even though it is very clearly written and laden with real-life scenarios from the author's consulting work in organizations, it is not a simple "how to" management text. Hirschhorn gives very detailed descriptions of what goes wrong in organizations when we do not question our assumptions. It is almost as if we are sleep walking through our daily work routines, acting out rivalries, making absurd demands on each other, or alternatively, minimzing the actual terror and anxiety we feel. When read carefully, thoroughly and critically, this book can be a wonderful tool for extending one's social sensitivity in the workplace. It is the kind of book that you can turn to again and again to help illuminate confusing incidents in the workplace and to create attentiveness to one's actual impact on others. As such it is a useful companion to a 360 degree feedback process or participation in an executive assessment or coaching program. It would be fascinating to find others' reactions to this unusual book. After you read The Workplace Within, be sure to write us with your comments at dgerard@executivecommunity.com. Gerard & Associates is an Associate of Amazon.Com, the world's largest on-line bookseller. To order this book, click here . Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to visit us again.
Vital Lies, Simple Truths: The Psychology of Self-Deception, by Daniel Goleman. Simon & Schuster, 1985. Have you ever been burnt in a business deal by someone you thought you knew well? How many times have you taken action only later to find out you ignored key facts that were right in front of you? An early book by the author of the best-seller Emotional Intelligence, this work focuses on the many ways in which our minds play tricks on us. Goleman uses a series of short vignettes, from business, political and family scenarios, to illustrate his arguments. For example, he shows us how Nixon aide John Dean seemed to drive from his awareness the fact that he was not as important to the President as he asserted in his Watergate testimony. The chapter, "The Intelligent Filter", gives us a clear concept on how we so often screen out ideas and information that do not fit our assumptions. Reading this section can help us understand why innovative ideas get rejected without consideration, as we filter out new pieces of information even before they reach our awareness. From the perspective of Executive Community, applying what Goleman sees can help us untie the knots that develop in our business and personal communications and block understanding and collaboration. Even more importantly, careful study of these concepts can help you be a better critical business thinker and a more effective leader. For those who want to delve deeper than the latest management fad book, Vital Lies, Simple Truths will give you several hours of intellectual challenge. This is a good tool for "sharpening the saw", as Stephen Covey might say. After you've read Vital Lies, Simple Truths, be sure to write us with your comments at dgerard@executivecommunity.com. Gerard & Associates is an Associate of Amazon.Com, the world's largest on-line bookseller. To order this book, click here . Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to visit us again.
Other Recommended Books Although we have not written reviews yet for the following books, these are among our favorites. They are some of the books that can help you understand more about leadership, business and the concept of executive community. We encourage you to click on the book title and read the information contained on the Amazon.com link. You can also order them directly from Amazon by clicking on the book title below. Warren Bennis & Burt Nanus, Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge, Harper, 1985. Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith, Learning to Lead, Addison-Wesley, 1994. Peter Block, Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. Peter Block, The Empowered Manager: Putting Positive Political Skills to Work, Jossey-Bass, 1987. W. Warner Burke, Organization Development: A Process of Learning and Changing, 1993. Allan Cohen & David Bradford, Influence Without Authority, John Wiley, 1991. James Kouzes and Barry Posner, Credibility, Jossey-Bass, 1991. Dean Tjosvold, The Conflict-Positive Organization: Stimulate Diversity and Create Unity, Addison Wesley, 1990. Management Book Bibliography We encourage our visitors to click on the links for each of the management books below, and to give us their perspectives on any of the following books: Administrative Behavior: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organization. By Herbert A. Simon. 4th ed. New York: Free Press, 1997. AMA Management Handbook. Edited by John J. Hampton. 3rd ed. New York: Amacom, 1994. Becoming a Manager : Mastery of a New Identity. By Linda A. Hill. -- Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press,c1992. Beyond the Hype: Rediscovering the Essence of Management. By Robert G. Eccles and Nitin Nohria, with James D.Berkley. -- Boston, MA : Harvard Business School Press, c1992. Broken Ladders: Managerial Careers in the New Economy. Edited by Paul Osterman. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. The Collapse of the American Management Mystique. By Robert R. Lock. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. Competing for the Future. By Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press, c1994. Developing Management Skills. By David A. Whetten and Kim S. Cameron. 3rd ed. New York, NY : HarperCollins College Publishers, c1995. The Executive in Action. By Peter F. Drucker. New York: HarperBusiness, 1996. The Executive Way: Conflict Management in Corporations. By Calvin Morrill. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,1995. Judgement in Managerial Decision Making. By Max H. Bazerman. 4th ed. New York: Wiley, 1998. Management Worldwide: The Impact of Societal Culture on Organizations Around the Globe. By David J. Hickson and Derek S. Pugh. London ; New York : Penguin Books, 1995. Manufacturing the Employee: Management Knowledge from the 19th to the 21st Centuries. By Roy Jacques.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1996. The Portable MBA. By Robert F. Bruner, et al. 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1998. Women/Men/Management. By Ann Harriman. Westport: Praeger, 1996. Books on Group Facilitation and "Synergy" Click on the links below to get capsule reviews of these wonderful books on methods for facilitating groups and creating "synergy". Michael Doyle, How to Make Meetings Work, Mass Market, 1976. Dale Hunter, The Art of Facilitation: How to Create Group Synergy, Fisher Books, 1995. Sam Kaner, Facilitators' Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, New Society, 1996. Roger Schwarz, The Skilled Facilitator, Jossey Bass, 1994.
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