Book Description
In this, his first major book, Mark Steyn--probably the most widely read, and wittiest, columnist in the English-speaking world--takes on the great poison of the twenty-first century: the anti-Americanism that fuels both Old Europe and radical Islam. America, Steyn argues, will have to stand alone. The world will be divided between America and the rest; and for our sake America had better win.
Customer Reviews:
Unfortunately True.......2007-10-14
Every single American should read this book! He explains exactly how the Muslims are conquering the world. More wives = more babies = more Muslims = more terrorism. This is a religion that should nor even exist in the 21st century. They are commanded to murder everyone that refuses to convert to Islam. Most Americans do not understand that the greatest threat to the future of the world (especially America) is the Muslim religion.
America Alone.......2007-10-11
Every person in the USA should read this book. Today in the Dallas Morning news(10/10/07)there is an editorial by Anne Applebaum verifing one of the facts stated it this book. Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who is under death threat because of her comments about the mistreatment of women in the Dutch Muslin community had to move to the US because the Dutch say it is too expensive to protect her and she will not shut up. No free speech for her. Mohammed Bouyeri murdered the Dutch writer, Theo Van Gohg, because he made a film about the oppression of Muslim women.
Funny, but also an important message........2007-10-11
While I cannot say that anybody reading this should have more kids just out of the guilt this book might give you, it is an important message about the sad effects of low birthrates. Mark Steyn has a quick wit and funny tone that is clearly not politically correct (good for him). Anybody who enjoys a good laugh or is concerned about terrorism should read this.
A Must-Read!.......2007-10-10
This book was every bit as good as I had heard. I've always enjoyed Mark Steyn, but hadn't gotten a chance to read this yet because I had a stack of books in front of it. That's my loss, because this was one of the most profound and eye-opening books I've ever read. To be honest, I pay pretty close attention to this conflict we find ourselves in, so most of the individual facts in this book weren't exactly foreign to me. But Steyn pulls all this together and presents it in such a concise, clear and entertaining way that I was able to put the pieces together in a way I hadn't even imagined. His demographic data alone is shocking, and should make every person in Europe and Canada sit up and take serious note - I'll be paying very close attention to what happens over the next few years "across the pond", as they say, for how goes Europe, so will eventually go America. I plan to buy several more copies of this book and hand them out to friends and family. I highly suggest it.
Excelent book. Really crunches the numbers like no other book........2007-10-05
This book really lays out the problems with hard numbers and facts in a way I have never seen and is easy to understand. I recomend this book to anyone who is worried about the muslim issue. People in Europe better read it asap!
Book Description
What does it really take to succeed in business today? In A New Brand World, Scott Bedbury, who helped make Nike and Starbucks two of the most successful brands of recent years, explains this often mysterious process by setting out the principles that helped these companies become leaders in their respective industries. With illuminating anecdotes from his own in-the-trenches experiences and dozens of case studies of other winning-and failed-branding efforts (including Harley-Davidson, Guinness, The Gap, and Disney), Bedbury offers practical, battle-tested advice for keeping any business at the top of its game.
Customer Reviews:
Very Entertaining Indeed!.......2007-03-08
As someone who's new to the Branding craze I bought this book and I was very pleased with the purchase. This is a very easy read and quite entertaining - I enjoyed it immensely. I would definitely recommend this book to grasp the Branding concepts and practical examples.
Pretty much everything you need to know about branding.......2006-01-19
This is an intelligent, well-written book from a guy who has obviously had a great deal of experience marketing high-profile companies (Nike, Starbucks).
Bedbury lays out pretty much everything you need to know about branding in 190 pages. It's obvious he's a good writer and he's got great examples to back up his assertions in the book.
He is hard on Microsoft but, in my opinion, not hard enough. The reviewer who panned this book based on his treatment of Microsoft is short-sighted. This book is about much more than that. Microsoft is a very small part of the book and they are used appropriately as an example of what NOT to do in marketing.
My biggest problem with the book is Bedbury's assertion that companies are becoming more vertical. It simply isn't true. Companies are not vertically-integrating; they're outsourcing many of the tasks associated with building their products. Witness the Apple iPod. No Apple employee has ever assembled an iPod or built the circuit board. It's simply too expensive. If Apple was vertically-integrated and built the iPod, they would probably cost around $5,000.
My second biggest problem with the book is the final chapter "Brand Future." Bedbury comes out of "left" field and uses almost the entire final chapter as a kind of platform for some liberal agenda. I won't spoil it for those of you who subscribe to those ideals (I'm an independent); but, suffice it to say, the chapter felt out of place. Bedbury talks intelligently about branding for 190 pages, and then the book turns into a political white paper for the final 20 pages.
Don't let that distract you from buying the book, however. This is what business books are supposed to be: erudite, thought-provoking and entertaining. Having read hundreds of business books (I teach Business and Marketing), I can tell you that those three traits are in short supply.
In Branding, Everything Matters.......2005-10-08
A quick, but impactful read worth its weight in coffee beans and sneakers, Author Bedbury manages to take branding principles and techniques that work in the ether of mega-branders Starbucks and Nike (and other corporate examples) and port them down to language we can all benefit from. Packed with interesting anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories, a New Brand World offers helpful take-aways in the areas of commodity branding, the brand mantra, and proven ways to live the brand. My favorite line: When it comes to branding, "Everything matters." Bedbury goes on to say, "For every grand and finely worded statement by the CEO, the brand is also defined by derisory consumer comments overheard in a hallway, or in a chat room on the Internet. Brands are sponges for content, for images, for fleeting feelings. They become psychological concepts held in the minds of the public, where they may stay forever. As such you can't entirely control a brand. At best you can only guide and influence it."
Bedbury's experience at Nike & Starbucks proves valuable.......2004-08-02
The many things we should do for our brands (and the ones we have to avoid at all costs) are clearly presented in Bedbury's eight brand principles. Instead of using financial models and correlations, Bedbury tells stories of how each one of these things makes the difference on the company's bottom line. His experience at Nike and Starbucks thoughout the entire positioning process before and after these companies became power brands gives him the credibility and the parenthood needed to teach decision-makers about branding.
BRANDING, FOR EXECUTIVES. READ IT FOR THE CASE STUDIES........2004-04-14
It is difficult to review a book that one has enjoyed reading and then say that it was not up to the mark (in terms, of course, of only my expectations.)
No doubt that Scott Bedbury's work is a fast paced read, his writing is lucid and quite frequently quotably light-hearted. There is a lot of material here for people in larger corporations or even general marketing folks. And where Bedbury truly shines is in the case studies he presents in the 8 chapters.
But if, like me, you set off on this book looking for some newfangled insights into the world of branding, then this is not the book for you. The title claims to proffer "8 principles". Let's face it, at the end of the day, principles are not that hard to create and this becomes quite painfully clear when you reach the end of this book and wonder if you have learnt anything new.
But I am being unfairly critical. From his style, it seems an approachable business book was precisely what Bedbury's intended?
As a comprehensive introduction to the field of branding, I'd still recommend "Strategic Brand Asset Management" by Keller. For a discussion of some innovative yet reasonable forms of brand creation, especially on a shoestring, I'd usually point to a PR related book, or perhaps the rapier wit "60-minutes Brand Strategist."
But as a gentle introduction for executives in to the nebulous world of branding, or as a non-technical business book for business folk in general who place less emphasis on a structured analytical framework and are more interested in a soft springboard into the field, then "Emotional Branding" and this book from Bedbury are pretty near the top of my list of recommendations.
Very accessible and insightful stuff, if you aren't expecting a summary of last decade's JCR.
Customer Reviews:
Good Introduction to Missional Theology and Ecclesiology.......2007-09-22
Guder provides here a good introduction to missional theology and ecclesiology. While not for the casual reader or average church layperson, this book does provide fascinating scholarly insights into the depth of the missional church movement. Guder serves as the general editor, compiling together a number of authors' thoughts on various aspects of missional theology and ecclesiology. Topics include: missional church, missional witness, missional community, missional leadership and missional structures.
This volume is deep and academic in tone, but for the pastor or scholar wanting to get a better understanding of the missional church movement today, it will not disappoint.
A sign of hope.......2007-03-02
Missional Church is a humble, yet firm, call by the authors for the church rethink itself. Perhaps rethinking is not exactly the best term to use. Once senses in the pages that the book more or less assumes that the church has always been what the authors suggest it should be, but the people of the church have forgotten who they are. So it is more that the church needs to remember itself than rethink itself. In fact, a good bit of the problem is that all the church has been doing is rethinking itself to the point where it has lost its identity and been washed up in whatever cultural setting it is found. The authors focus directly on the church in North America, identifying the cultural milieu we find ourselves in and offering a helpful examination of how the North American church can reorient itself in such away that it not only doesn't fade away into irrelevance but becomes again what it was always meant to be.
One should not read this book with the expectation that it will confirm ones understanding of the nature of the church. Even if one is conversant in the language of culture and willing to hear that the North American church doesn't actually have it all figured out, something new can still be learned. A new language is developed as one enters into the thought of the missional church group, a language based on sending. Whereas for centuries the churches of the West thought they were the ones sending people, for example and American congregation sending a missionary to China, missional church thought would say that sending is the action of God because God is by very nature a missionary God. Now, it is also necessary for North American churches to understand that they are not only to send people "out there" into other parts of the world but that the church is sent into whatever context it finds itself. It is for this reason that the church must become conversant in the language of culture, because culture is the context into which it is sent.
The authors take the reader through the relevant history which has brought the culture to where it is. They overview the history of the Enlightenment and show how the autonomous self arose, fracturing society metaphysically and ideologically into a big melting pot of individuals. The individual has been bombarded by numerous metaphors to shape her identity, notably the roles of consumer and product of technique. These identity roles have created an "unresolved tension" for the modern self (31). This history has also shaped the church in North America, from the way the church views itself in relation to the government, to the way members view themselves as consumers of a religious product. The system of denominationalism was developed greatly in North American after peoples from Europe immigrated bringing along their various religious views and ideas shaped by current philosophical and governmental ideals. The product has been "a functional Christendom and forms of church life shaped by modern notions of voluntary association and rational organization" (77).
With the current state of the church in mind and a desire to meet the challenge of reshaping the church's way of being the authors move forward and spend the bulk of the book sketching what the church ought to look like and how it can move in that direction. Again, the missional church is sent by God into the world. The church is the representative of God on the earth. The authors provide the concept of the reign of God as an overarching theme and lens by which to view the call of the church. It is a helpful concept because it is all-encompassing, holistic vision for the world. It is what Jesus preached. In a culture overcome by individualism which leads to selfish division, the reign of God stands out as a beacon of hope. It is this hope that the church is to radiate to the world in its communal practices as the Body of Christ. The authors offer helpful guidance for how churches can begin to live out this calling, by seeking formation which equips and empowers congregations, even collectives of churches in particular areas. The reign of God breaks down the barriers of autonomy and exposes functional Christendom for the sham that it is. The church must always be aware, even in the midst of transitioning into the missional way, of the threat and very real temptation of idolatry. Things such as image, growth, success, and security can become idols to the visible church (229).
Missional Church is a comprehensive look at the North American church, its history, current state, and the direction it needs to find. It offers a view of the church that is more than refreshing to a person discontent with the current state of nationalistic and individualized (funny how those two things so often go together) Christianity. It offers a challenge and wakeup call to those who have been misled, and encouragement to those who have been wondering what to do.
This is a must, excellent read.......2007-01-10
This is book is the first in a series entitled "The Gospel and our Culture Series." It was written by a team of six authors and it provides an excellent introduction to the relationship of the church and culture and why the church must see itself not as "having" a mission, but "being" a missional community. The book challenges the consumer approach that is found in much of the North American church and promotes a missional ecclesiology that sees the church as a living, breathing organism that is being sent (Apostolically) into the culture to bring transformation where ever it goes.
List strengths of book.
The book does an excellent job, better than I have ever read anywhere else, on presenting the mission of God. The book also offers an excellent bibliography of more than twelve pages for research on a missional ecclesiology.
List weaknesses of book.
While the book is probably strengthened by the work of the research team the writing in the book seemed at times to be too varied between authors. Secondly, the book would have been strengthened with concrete examples of what a missional church look likes.
The Reign of God.......2006-05-15
Among other things, "Missional Church" deals unusually comprehensively with the term "reign of God". Mostly, when one encounters this term, its meaning is assumed or merely suggested through the context. I shall seek here merely to draw out what the text itself communicates.
A reign is not the same as a kingdom. "Reign" is represented in the New Testament by the Greek word "hegemonia" (e.g. Lk. 3:1), while "kingdom" is represented by the Greek word "basileia" (e.g. Mk. 1:15). The authors maintain that the reign of God "better captures . . . the dynamic meaning of basileia". The word "kingdom", on the other hand, is "too static, political, and archaic".
The reign of God, therefore, is something in progression. It has to do with "God's intended future for the world". It envisions "a world characterized by peace, justice, and celebration". This may be summarised as "shalom" (broadly: peace). This is not "a social project" that we ourselves bring about. Rather it is something that we "receive and enter". It is "accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus". That is, it is God's project, of which we ourselves may become a part.
In the past -- in fact "many times through the church's history" -- the Church has "lost its sense of this gospel of the reign of God". It did this by separating "the news of the reign of God from God's provision for humanity's salvation". This made salvation a "private event" by separating "personal salvation" from "the advent of God's healing reign over all the world". Humanity's salvation, therefore, has to do with a coming, an "advent", over all the world.
What does it mean to "receive and enter" the reign of God? This touches on "the further issues of repentance and faith". Repentance is "a turning from other hopes and loyalties" -- that is, hopes and loyalties other than God's intended future for the world. Faith is defined as "a turning . . . from sinful rejections of God's rule as well as carefree disdain for God's mercy and care".
In fact, the theme of the reign of God is closely bound up with the theme of the whole book. The Churches of North America are in a "predicament", and need "a dramatically new vision". Therefore the Church needs to rediscover its essence "in its origins in the gospel", and this is "eschatological in character". It is "centered profoundly . . . in the announcement that the reign of God is at hand."
Prepare to Re-Think.......2006-03-03
I believe this book is a critical read for the church of today--calling for a restructing of perception of the church from a "place where" to the church as a "people sent." Many of the philosophical shifts presented in this book could lead to a revolution in the ministry of the modern church--a revolution that I believe is much needed.
Book Description
In today's global business environment, an executive must have the skills to navigate all stages of an international deal. The Global Negotiator provides business executives with exactly these skills and knowledge. Whereas most books on nego-tiation end when the deal is made, Jeswald Salacuse guides the reader from the first handshake through the intricacies of making an international joint venture succeed and prosper-or, should things go poorly, how to get out of a deal gone wrong. By illustrating the many ways in which an international deal may falter and the methods parties can use to save it; by providing the necessary technical knowledge, such as putting together letters of credit and a variety of legal agreements; and by exploring the tranformations of the international business landscape over the last decade, The Global Negotiator is an invaluable tool for the international bus-iness person.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding.......2003-07-14
Roger Fisher, Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project and author of Getting to Yes, has written for the book jacket that The Global Negotiator "...is the best book I know to help business negotiators expand their skills to meet the needs of negotiating internationally." It is high praise and well deserved.
The author, Jeswald W. Salacuse, is the Henry J. Braker Professor of Law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and a member of the Steering Committee of the Harvard Program on Negotiations. Professor Salacuse has an extensive background in international negotiations. He has participated in negotiations involving persons from over forty countries, spent years living abroad and explored the field of global negotiations through research and teaching involving hundreds of international executives, lawyers and officials.
This is a guidebook about "making, managing, and mending international business transactions" (p.viii). Its aim, Professor Salacuse tells his reader, "...is to equip business executives, students, lawyers and government officials to navigate each of these stages effectively" (p.3).
Unlike most books on the art of negotiating, Professor Salacuse goes far beyond making the deal and gives careful attention to managing and repairing deals once made. It is, therefore, a work with special insight and value for the negotiator. Let us examine some of these insights.
The central issue in global negotiations, Professor Salacuse tells the reader, is about the nature of the deal itself. "Is it a contract or a relationship?" (p. 20).
The answer to this seemingly simple issue should be at the heart of the preparation for any negotiation. Alas, far too often, it is a topic casually addressed by negotiators. Ideally, it should be both a relationship and a contract in most deals.
In fact, however, in American practice the contract often takes the central focus. As unfortunate as this approach may be, its problems are amplified in an international arena in which the goal of a potential partner in a negotiation may be a relationship and the contract is secondary. Neglecting that core difference in expectations may not only destroy the possibility of reaching a deal, but also imperil the success of future fulfillment of any agreement reached by the parties. Without clarity on this matter, any agreement may be founded on the most fatal of flaws: the failure of the parties to have a meeting of the minds.
"A deal is a prediction. A negotiation is always about the future," Professor Salacuse states (p.62). It is a true statement about all deals whether local or global, but particularly significant in the cross-cultural environment.
The wise negotiator recognizes that negotiators are "inherently incapable of predicting all of the events and conditions that may affect their transactions in the future" (p.65). Additionally, due to resource constraints and cultural differences, the understandings and expectations of the parties are rarely capable of being fully captured in the written contract. Given these factors, Salacuse concludes, may be "more realistic to think of the transaction as a continuing negotiation" rather than a deal fixed in time. (pp.185-186).
"Various studies," Professor Salacuse writes, " have found that between 33 percent and 70 percent of international alliances surveyed eventually broke up" (p.194). Given this record, the author approaches international negotiations and agreements as encompassing three distinct, but closely related essential areas: making the deal, managing the deal and mending the deal. His approach is cross-cultural, practical and insightful.
The global negotiator will find a lengthy and thorough guide to preparing and negotiating international agreements. The author takes the reader through such matters as selecting the place for the negotiations to recognizing and managing the many cultural differences that will be encountered and need to be overcome in an international deal. We find advice on handling cultural barriers ranging from concepts of time and differences in styles to the structure of the deal itself.
Additionally, the author examines such critical matters as who's law will apply, dealing with foreign government officials at the table, and the complexities as moving money and sharing risk among the parties. It is a wide-ranging and complete exploration of the field.
Importantly, Professor Salacuse moves from negotiating the deal to examinations of managing and mending international agreements. Treated for clarity as separate sections, these topics are intended as elements to be explored and included in the negotiation of the basic agreement itself. How will the parties manage the relationship is a critical question. There is valuable advice on planning for this process in the second section of his work.
In the last section of his work, the author turns to the third vital area of global negotiations: deal mending and dispute resolution. If we know that disputes and changed circumstances are probable, then prudent negotiators need to include methods of handling these matters in their original agreement.
Professor Salacuse explores three types of renegotiations that are expectable in the life cycle of the deal: post deal, intra deal, extra deal (p.229). He then turns his attention to the need for the parties to plan and incorporate into the deal method for resolving disputes. Here, the author again provides a thorough discussion of the operation, benefits and disadvantages of the international dispute resolution options along a continuum ranging from negotiation through mediation to arbitration and finally to adjudication. It is a valuable review.
Readers will find a rich appendix section, including a top-notch global negotiator's checklist, a detailed primer on international business transactions and an extensive bibliography of suggested further reading.
Truly, as Roger Fisher concluded, "this is the best book" in its field.
My highest recommendation.
John D. Baker, Ph.D.
Editor, The Negotiator Magazine
Amazon.com
No single person has influenced the course of business in the 20th century as much as Peter Drucker. He practically invented management as a discipline in the 1950s, elevating it from an ignored, even despised, profession into a necessary institution that "reflects the basic spirit of the modern age." Now, in Management Challenges for the 21st Century, Drucker looks at the profound social and economic changes occurring today and considers how management--not government or free markets--should orient itself to address these new realities.
Drucker sees the period we're living in as one of "PROFOUND TRANSITION--and the changes are more radical perhaps than even those that ushered in the 'Second Industrial Revolution' of the middle of the 19th century, or the structural changes triggered by the Great Depression and the Second World War." In the midst of all this change, he contends, there are five social and political certainties that will shape business strategy in the not-too-distant future: the collapsing birthrate in the developed world; shifts in distribution of disposable income; a redefinition of corporate performance; global competitiveness; and the growing incongruence between economic and political reality. Drucker then looks at requirements for leadership ("One cannot manage change. One can only be ahead of it"), the characteristics of the "new information revolution" (one should focus on the meaning of information, not the technology that collects it), productivity of the knowledge worker (unlike manual workers, knowledge workers must be seen as capital assets, not costs), and finally the responsibilities that knowledge workers must assume in managing themselves and their careers.
Drucker's writing career spans eight decades and the years have only served to sharpen his insight and perspective in a way that makes most other management texts seem derivative. While Management Challenges for the 21st Century is no quick airplane read, it is a wise and thought-provoking book that will both challenge and inspire the diligent reader. This book is for people who care about their businesses and careers in the information age--CEOs, managers, and knowledge workers. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
New and revolutionary ideas and perspectives on the central management issues of tomorrow by "the most important management thinker of our time" (Warren Bennis).
In his first major new book since Post-Capitalist Society Peter F. Drucker discusses the new paradigms of management -- how they have changed and will continue to change our basic assumptions about the practices and principles of management. Drucker analyzes the new realities of strategy, shows how to be a leader in periods of change, and explains "the New Information Revolution," discussing the information an executive needs and the information an executive owes. He also examines knowledge worker productivity, and shows that changes in the basic attitude of individuals and organizations as well as structural changes in work itself are needed for increased productivity. Finally, Drucker addresses the ultimate challenge of managing yourself while still meeting the demands on the individual during a longer working life and in an ever-changing workplace.
Incisive, challenging, and mind-stretching, Drucker's new book is forward-looking and forward thinking. It combines the broad knowledge, wide practical experience, profound insight, sharp analysis, and enlightened common sense that are the essence of Drucker's writings, which are continuing international bestsellers and "landmarks of the managerial profession" (Harvard Business Review).
"This is not a book of PREDICTIONS, not a book about the FUTURE. The challenges and issues discussed in it are already with us in every one of the developed countries and in most of the emerging ones (e.g., Korea or Turkey). They can already be identified, discussed, analyzed and prescribed for. Some people, someplace are already working on them. But so far very few organizations do, and very few executives. Those who do work on these challenges today, and thus prepare themselves and their institutions for the new challenges, will be the leaders and dominate tomorrow. Those who wait until these challenges have indeed become `hot' issues are likely to fall behind, perhaps never to recover.
This book is thus a Call for Action."-- From the Introduction
Customer Reviews:
Great set of essays which will make you think.......2007-08-30
Peter Drucker writes a set of essays which present an outlook of the greatest challenges ahead such as the definition and role of the knowledge worker, the role of management, demographics and innovation. It will definitely make you think a lot... as all good books should.
Addressing the Future IT Workforce.......2007-05-18
Drucker challenges its readers to think about the future of society by addressing management challenges for the 21st century. By comparing yesterday's assumptions to today's realities, he helps connect the dots. Drucker strategically pinpoints what management challenges we can learn from the past, and at the same encouraging readers to ask the right questions to address how we can use this knowledge to prepare for what's ahead.
I also found Drucker's message inspirational and eye-opening. It's a reminder that today's Informational Revolution has been part of an evolving cycle, which started before printing presses were invented. He emphasizes, for example, that today's Information Revolution is not led by the technology folks but by those in other fields, such as finance and accounting. I applaud this, as the key message that should be emphasized today in preparing the future IT workforce is to diversify. Excitement over technologies such as the printing presses, software, and hardware is all part of what makes the IT industry exciting--but not THE key elements for career survival. Drucker does a great job addressing that in this book. Albeit unintentional, Drucker does a great job addressing this.
"Druker thougths will live on for many decades to come"........2006-02-10
Management new paradigms, strategy, the change leader, information challenges, knowledge worker productivity, managing oneself, Druker proved himself more than capable in his definitions and unique challenge to managers. Rather of a retrospective of his past work "he set aside to wirte not the known past but the unknown future".
Peter Drucker discusses the profound social and economic changes occurring today and considers how management--not government or free markets--should address these new realities in the workplace. "Management is Business Management in all kind of organizations". This book is easy to read. For most content may be wider than how we think management usually is. Druker wrote in his introduction " the advice in this book requires a reversal of what most people have thought about management for more than a century". Peter Drucker discusses how the new paradigms of management have change and will continue to change our basics assumptions and principles of management.
A must have for managers.......2006-01-27
Drucker outlines lessons that management can learn from the changing world economy and population.
1. Management is not just business management, but is the ability to take advantage of opportunities in sectors of the economy that are likely to experience growth in the future, like education, the professions, and healthcare.
2. Recognize that there is not one ideal way to organize an enterprise. Both "team" organization and the "CEO cult of personality" have their shortcomings. It can be difficult for teams to make decisions effectively and popular CEO's must have successors. You must find the right balance of organization that fits your company's business needs.
3. There is no one way to organize employees. You need to lead workers rather than manage employees. This is because management increasingly does not know the areas of expertise that employees possess, and employees are now seeking interesting and rewarding work.
4. National boundaries and regional markets will become less defining factors of the companies boundaries. Innovations in an industry don't necessarily come from within the industry anymore. Further, national governments will be less able to protect local industries from facing the competitiveness of the global industry leaders. Global competitiveness must become a strategic goal for the business.
Drucker also outlines the economic consequences of the declining birthrate in the developed countries. A declining birthrate means that the working population will become progressively older. New relationships must be forged with older workers, especially knowledge workers. Companies that attract and retain knowledge workers past retirement age will gain a significant competitive advantage.
Managers must become Change Leaders, who direct inevitable change in a controlled and orderly fashion. Managers must look to extending the lifespan of their companies and approaching change as a source of business opportunity.
Drucker - the avatar of managerial enlightenment.......2006-01-13
Peter Drucker, an editorial columnist for the Wall Street Journal, a consultant and writer has been duly noted as one of the world's most respected management thinkers. His books, over 20 of them, have been called the "landmarks of the managerial profession" by the Harvard Business Review. He has always been a step ahead of the curve of the latest in business thought. In 1954 he espoused the idea of 'teams.' In 1969 he proposed the 'knowledge workers' concept.
Here Drucker lays out six of the 'new' challenges facing the businesses of the early 21st century.
First involves management's new paradigm of organizational structure and managing people. There is no 'one size fits all' approach. The method or combinations of methods that may be required are ultimately determined by what the customer considers is 'value.' Employees of the future may be treated as partners and volunteers, 'persuaded' rather than 'ordered.'
The next challenge is the new certainties of the coming business landscape. The collapsing birthrate and the shift in the distribution of income need to be studied and planned for. Global competitiveness is a must for survival. Performance needs to be redefined for the organization on more than just short-term gains in order to inspire and commit 'knowledge workers' to their mission.
Third is becoming a change leader. Educate others that change equals opportunity. Regularly abandon activities that no longer produce results. Enhance practices that have been working by exploiting and publishing their success throughout the company. Study what is working or not in the market with other companies. Don't confuse motion with action.
Fourth are the information challenges. The purpose of information is not knowledge but being able to take the right action. Success is based on the creation of value and wealth in the eyes of the customer. Information needed would include the normal foundation information as well as productivity, competence and allocation of scarce resources information.
The fifth challenge lies in vitalizing 'knowledge workers' into high productivity. Attention should be given to all ways to make this asset grow. Differing from manual laborers, knowledge workers carry the 'means of production' within them and rely less on a specific employer for work.
The sixth challenge is managiing ourself (ourselves). The biggest possible increase in production lies here. Intellectual arrogance promotes disabling ignorance. Concentrate on your strengths. Avoid trying to change yourself. Ask yourself what your strengths are. Determine how you work. Do you like to work alone? Would you prefer to be an advisor or a decision maker? What are your values? This type of questioning will help determine where you belong. Most of our careers will involve changing organizations at least once. You must learn what makes 'you' tick.
Five Stars
Book Description
This illuminating study critiques the concept of leadership as understood in the last 75 years and looks to the twenty-first century for a reconstructed understanding of leadership in the postindustrial era. More similarities in past decades were found than had been thought; the thread throughout Rost's book is that leadership was conceived of as "good management." He develops a new definition and paradigm for leadership in this volume that distinguishes leadership from management in fundamental ways. The ethics of leadership from a postindustrial perspective completes the paradigm. The book concludes with suggestions that can be immediately utilized in helping to transform our understanding of leadership.
Customer Reviews:
Classic leadership text.......2006-08-14
Rost was a theorist and teacher who started the leadership studies program at the University of San Diego. His understanding of the literature is exhaustive, and in this work he analyzes most of the work on leadership written between 1930 and 1990. His book is intended for serious academic students of leadership who are troubled by the lack of a clear definition of what "leadership studies" is or constitutes. After reviewing the literature, Rost concluded that the 20th century was dominated by what he called an "industrial paradigm" that defined leadership as "good management" (p. 94). This explanation provided coherence to an otherwise confusing array of leadership theories like the "great man," traits, situational, and so forth, which, Rost contended, described management but not leadership. His 21st century definition, which he labeled the "post-industrial paradigm," defined leadership as "an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes" (p. 102). This is contrasted by his definition of management as "an authority relationship between at least one manager and one subordinate who coordinate their activities to produce and sell particular goods and/or services" (p. 145).
Rost's work has great importance in the field of leadership studies if the field is going to be a social science that conducts research in a positivist tradition. Rost's distinction between the definitions of leadership and management (quoted above) is his key contribution to the field, which he summarized in the following table in order to highlight the contrasting elements in each (p.149):
LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT
Influence relationship Authority relationship
Leaders and followers Managers and subordinates
Intend real changes Produce and sell goods/services
Intended changes reflect
mutual purposes Goods/services result
from coordinated activities
Leadership for the 21st Century is important for students of servant leadership because Rost draws a clear line of demarcation between those who engage in leader-follower relationship processes through influence--leaders--and those who use organizational or personal power to achieve compliance through coercive authority that is "perfectly acceptable to both managers and subordinates" (p. 146)--managers. Although compliance is a necessary feature of most organizations, coercion is antithetical to servant leadership. Rost summarized what he saw as the two key differences between leadership and management this way. These distinctions harmonize with the general thrust of servant leadership as a transformational rather than transactional leadership style (Burns, 1978).
The difference is that leadership is an influence relationship and management is an authority relationship. The differences in these two kinds of relationships have to do with (1) use of coercion and (2) directionality of the attempts to impact on people.
Influence requires that coercion not be used, at least as a regular and patterned form of behavior. Authority allows the use of coercion as a regular and patterned form of behavior.
Attempts to influence other people in a leadership relationship are multidirectional. Leaders influence other leaders and followers while followers influence other followers and leaders. Attempts to use authority in a managerial relationship are unidirectional and top-down. Managers use authority to impact on subordinates, who then respond to the authoritative directive, producing the two-way relationship. While there may be more democratic relationships between managers and subordinates these days, the basic and fundamental relationship remains top-down. (p. 150)
Greenleaf wrote that "a new moral authority is emerging, which holds that the only authority deserving one's allegiance is that which is freely and knowingly granted by the led to the leader in response to, and in proportion to, the clearly evident servant stature of the leader" (Greenleaf, 2002, pp. 23-24). Overall, Rost's book is essential for scholars of servant leadership to read because it proposed that leadership is fundamentally a process of influence.
A Must Read For Any Student of Leadership.......2000-07-05
Rost no doubt did a great deal of research before writing this book. He shares his thoughts on his own concept of what leadership is, as well as shooting holes in the concept of past authors. I found a great deal of his theories enlightening; however, I disagree with his primary concept of leadership. Rost preaches the collaborative concept of leadership. Implying that anyone in the group could take over the leadership role at any time, depending on their amount of influence on the rest of the group(rank, position, and authority goes right out the window). I felt he is threatend by any type of authority and detests the military or the "Great Man" style of leadership.
Not wanting to be totally critical, because I believe he is right on the mark when he talks about influence, coercion, and shifting paradigms. He has some great ideas, just a little too liberal for my idea on leadership.
Having said that, I still recommend reading this book. I couldn't help but picture Rost's knowledge in leadership as having been aquired by purely academic means and very little life experience, such as through military, government work, or business. However, I did learn a lot. And, it is always good to study the other camps way of thinking. Again, I do recommend it.
Leadership scholars & practitioners must read!.......1999-06-21
As a scholar and practitioner of leadership, I was a student of Joe Rost for several years at the University of San Diego. I had the luxury of being in the author's class on leadership -- and was guided, painfully at times, down the path of knowledge, toward the light of understanding. We were required to read several other "leadership" books, many of which have received high marks from outside readers on their "readability" -- and, inversely, low marks from those of us in Rost's class that understood their purposful seduction away from scholarly understanding toward a "feel good" or "cook book" approach so many other authors have used (quite successfully though) do no justice to our desire for understanding.
What's the point? Read this book if you dare to try and understand the depth and complexity of leadership studies. It is a ride that requires one to put away ALL preconceptions of what one may believe leadership is... as Einstein is often quoted as saying, "... one may not solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it."
Open your mind... open this book -- READ. It is a true seminal work on leadership, one to place along side of MacGregor Burns' "Leadership".
Redundancy is boring.......1999-04-11
Rost offers a good and adequate account regarding the definition of leadership and its prevalent confusion with management. Unfortunately, this is more or less the only point made by the author. the book is greatly redundant and points made earlier are reiterated throughout several chapters. the only thing I took away from this book was Rost's definition of leadership.
Customer Reviews:
Social Scientific Study of Effective 21st Century Small Churches.......2007-09-29
Carl Dudley has revised his well received 1978 book about effective small churches. He notes that small churches have a family atmosphere and an intimacy often lacking in the megachurches. But they are also difficult for new people to penetrate. Effective small churches will have "gatekeepers" who will warmly welcome new people.
Effective small churches will also have annual or occasional events which are blessings to not only the active membership, but also to the larger community (anniversaries, pancake suppers, etc).
These churches will also reach out across generational lines to embrace members of all ages.
The book also has various charts which compare smaller churches with larger churches. There are also exercises that church members can do to identify the style and strengths of their own churches.
The book was good, but not really revelatory, and there was very little interaction with scripture. The book was also kind of boring to read, nowhere near as interesting and humorous and insightful as Steven Bierly's books on small church ministry.
Book Description
Explores approaches to effective leadership and strategic management in the twenty-first century university that recognize and respond to the perceptions and attitudes of university leaders toward institutional structures. It examines the differences between treating universities as businesses and managing universities in a businesslike manner, what kinds of leadership will best address challenges, and how to gain consensus among constituents that change is needed. From historical background to modern e-learning techniques, we look at governance to find systems that are effectively structured to balance the needs of students, educators, administrators, trustees, and legislators.
Average customer rating:
- College course requirement
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Servant Leadership in the Twenty-First Century
Keith Moore
Manufacturer: Morgan James Publishing
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Binding: Paperback
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Leadership
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Power of Servant Leadership: Essays By Robert K. Greenleaf
ASIN: 1933596295 |
Book Description
A vital tool for every member of the body of Christ. Servant Leadership In The Twenty-First Century is written from an Armourbearer's perspective, but the principles can be applied from the pulpit to the parking lot. Since we are all called to serve, you will gain greater insight and understanding into the ministry of an Armourbearer as well as your own ministry. Servant Leadership In The Twenty-First Century develops spiritual maturity in the believer's life. For any ministry to grow and be effective it must have faithful servant leaders.
Customer Reviews:
College course requirement.......2007-05-13
I did not purchase this product for personal use, as it was a college coursework requirement. Having said that, the information was interesting and useful if you are interested in the Servant Leadership methodology of Robert Greenleaf.
Amazon.com
Management advisor Don Schmincke believes leaders can thrive in the third millennium by utilizing principles developed during the first. They originate in a moral code known as Bushido that was followed by samurai warriors in ninth-century Japan and formalized by Daidoji Yuzan as the Code of the Samurai some seven centuries later. Now updating them as The Code of the Executive, Schmincke points out parallels between past and present and suggests this connection is a natural. In those days, he writes, the shogun was regulatory government, feudal barons the hard-driving CEOs, real estate their business, and samurai the executives hired to oversee it all. These samurai relied upon their rigid ethical guide to discharge both professional and personal responsibilities favorably, Schmincke notes, and today's corporate leaders can succeed by similarly following its teachings. Dividing fundamentals into categories such as "Personal Principles," "Roles and Responsibilities, and "Education and Development," he shows how ancient wisdom on cooperation, integrity, accountability, sacrifice, power, and so on can apply to contemporary situations. On "Respecting Personnel," for example, he suggests "reasonable argument" be used to "gain agreement" on serious infractions--while "for trivial issues" it is better to be "indulgent and patient and not sweat the insignificant." --Howard Rothman
Book Description
"The dynamic principles that have endured through the millennia are beautifully embodied in this short yet substantial book."-Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
More than a thousand years ago, a group of business executives developed a set of principles for organizational leadership in a competitive market. Those executives were the samurai of ninth-century Japan, and their rigid code of ethics, known as bushido, was one of the most effective frameworks for management in history. The Code of the Executive is business adviser Don Schmincke's modern interpretation of the Code of the Samurai-ancient wisdom written for today's corporate warriors. These principles provide a dynamic system of practical and moral training for effective leadership. In addition to interactive strategies for relating to the business world, this philosophy provides at its core a guide to the inner development necessary for consistent and long-term success. A terrific gift for a friend, relative, new graduate, or business associate, The Code of the Executive is filled with relevant wisdom and offers an enlightened path to business fulfillment.
Customer Reviews:
Bringing Core Values Back to Business.......2003-04-23
Two of my favorite books on leadership are The Art of War, and The Code of the Samurai. I've used both of these in writing my book the Art of Spiritual Warfare. This particular book by Don Schmincke takes ancient principles and applies them to the leader in business. With the recent scandals hitting the headlines a new look at some ancient codes of behavior may be exactly what is needed in today's business world. Schmincke uses the same type of cadence, poetry, and prose used by the ancient writers of the Samurai era. For the most part it works quite well. It's a bit of a stretch when talking about ancient codes but bringing in modern slang and pc style issues such as how to dress nicely or avoiding "sucking up" to the boss under such broad categories as Executive Knowledge and Leadership for warrior generals and such. However, his points are well taken. It's a good little book to keep in your desk, and remind you of the higher principles every leader should strive for. I also suggest going back to the original books by Sun Tzu and Daidoji Yuzan.
Great CEO Tool!.......2001-02-06
Great interpretation of an ancient philosphy for CEOs. Instead of these airy philosophical renderings that we see in many management books today, the author shows his experience with the thousands of CEOs he's coached over the years. I could apply it directly to my executive team. This translation allows specific business practice so it can be applied for bottom line impact without having to waste time intellecualizing it.
Surprisingly Disappointing.......2000-05-03
Maybe I expected too much. I was hoping for a work as impactful as Sun Tzu. Instead of allowing the reader to interpret and philosophize, the author made a well-intended but misdirected effort to force the code into specific business principles and issues. The translation simply falls flat and reads like a word processed document where "samuri" was globally replaced with "executive." Maybe I'm just a cruel, heartless cynic but I wish the author would have cut back on the handholding allowed the reader more intellectual room for personal interpretation.
A book which enhances one's personal and professional lives........1998-09-15
THE CODE OF THE EXECUTIVE, by Don Schmincke
The Code of the Executive ("The Code") is a long overdue, yet ancient, wake-up call for all executives but most especially for CEOs. The philosophy expounded in these moral, ethical and business precepts, called principles in the book, will enhance the personal as well as professional lives of those executives who follow the philosophy. The way is arduous for the executive who does so but the benefits are great. Inner growth, success and security in one's professional life await the intrepid executive. "The Code" puts forth a philosophy of responsibility, for individual executives and for organizations. A way of thinking and behaving is posited. Ethical and healthiest growth for the organization is at the forefront, yet the CEO is the symbol of the organization and must be supported as strongly. "The Code" asks all executives to give their organizations and their CEOs the utmost in loyalty and duty. Even more so, the CEO of an organization is required to give a greater amount of his or her life to the organization in return for greater benefits than the lower level executives enjoy. By following the precepts in "The Code" an executive can climb in the organization while being an aid to the real success of the organization. Those who wish to one day become an executive will also find their way made much smoother by following these precepts. In one's private life, the lessons of "The Code" are available to repair or build and enhance lasting relationships, to gain control over your ego, mind and life, and to balance your life between the inner and outer person, between an ideal and the ego. These lessons are similar in most cases, and the same in some cases, as the precepts handed down by Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, the Boy Scouts, and many more whose philosophies betokened a peaceful and balanced humanity. When I first read "The Code," I disagreed with most of what I read, until I read about half of the book. Then, I "got" it and was able to move my ego aside as I read. I had been reading with a modern mindset. I was thinking that people owed only as much loyalty as a paycheck would buy and no more! Then I realized that "The Code," besides being a business book, is a manual for those seeking to belong to something greater than themselves (as we all are) and who want to have their lives stand for something at the same time. When "The Code" speaks of death, in the first chapter, it seemed like it was asking too much of an executive, but the "death" it was speaking of was the death of the ego and the philosophical idea that "freedom's just another word for nothing else to lose." In other words, one can only risk what one is willing to lose. Of course, preparation and self-control make the risk, which is often necessary for success and growth, tolerable. So, "The Code" builds, from the first precept to the last. Each precept relies on the ones which come before for true appreciation of the wisdom is being offered. In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend that every executive, including all CEOs, read Don Schmincke's book, THE CODE OF THE EXECUTIVE. It is a road map for ethical and successful organizations, large, mid-sized and small. This is a very useful tool for growth even for the sole-practitioner, who is the CEO of his or her firm, or the head-of-household who wants to do the best possible job in his or her 'organization'. As a New York attorney, and CEO of my own firm, this book has become a golden treasure in my personal and business library. THE CODE OF THE EXECUTIVE has, in a relatively short period of time, proven itself to be a valuable asset in both my personal and professional lives.
A book for life that offers a paradigm shift of focus........1998-09-11
In ancient times, Samurai warriors lived by a rigid code known as Bushido. At the heart of this "code of life" lie forty-seven ancient principles. In his stellar book "The Code of the Executive", Don Schminke has rebirthed these ancient principles and codes, and the practice of Bushido.
"The Code of the Executive" contains ninety-eight pages of ancient text used by the Samurai warriors on a daily basis as they lived and fought. This text has been updated for use by executive managers in the 21st Century. In its entirety, this small book contains the entire code for successful leadership. Mr. Schminke offers these essential tools of life and leadership to managers throughout the world in the conferences that he conducts, now the philosophy is available to everyone in book form.
There is a myriad of books available to the business manager searching for enlightenment, interested in improving his skills, or satisfying a thirst for knowledge. Over the years I have read many of them. Unfortunately, virtually no page did I turn contain the philosophy essential to life. Not one page spoke of the foundation that we must establish before we can be successful in life. In fact, these books that I read spoke of business success as a tangibility to be acquired. Good managers do not become good managers with out a foundation. Executives can not effectively steer their organizations without Honor and Respect, without Integrity or Bravery. The principles necessary for success are not found, they are learned, they must be understood and practiced. The journey toward true leadership is profound and "The Code of the Executive" is the 21st Century Guide.
As a developing manager my journey continues. My own change, development, and growth can be traced. Mr. Schminke's book provided me with a paradigm shift of focus. My understanding of Role and Responsibility drastically changed as the Bushido introduced to me the concept of Death, and how all of the mighty principles are tightly woven around its strength. This book teaches that success is not found, the path to success cannot be memorized, and success cannot be taught. Business success coincides with life success. "The Code of the Executive" offers forty-seven principles of self fulfillment that must be learned, understood, and practiced.
Even though this book speaks in terms of the executive, it is not for a limited audience. The sooner that this book is read and the journey toward fulfillment begins the sooner that change and understanding will be realized. This journey is long and difficult. Once it begins, these principles will build the person who becomes the successful leader in life and business. I highly recommend "The Code of the Executive" as essential text for leadership training and development in all aspects of life. Students in high school or collage may never take a class as powerful as this self-study.
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