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Blink - The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

3 stars (Blinking) - Ok but not great...seem to wonder off in too many different directions at times. 5 stars (Really Interesting and an Easy Read) - Blink is a look at all the various things scientists have discovered about how we think without knowing we're thinking. It particularly takes a long, hard look at why it is that people's first impressions so often conflict with either what careful analysis says or what people think they believe. Gladwell looks at a broad range of applications of these ideas. He looks at why, even though Pepsi wins the blind "Pepsi Challenge," Coke continues to be the market leader. He investigates the psychology and split-second thinking that caused the death of an unarmed, fleeing immigrant from over 40 gunshots fired by NYPD officers. He looks at various factors that affect everything from standardized test scores to electing a President. Some have suggested that all Gladwell really tells us is that our first impressions are sometimes right and sometimes wrong. If after reading this book that's all you come away with, you have completely missed the point. The point is that whether those impressions are right or wrong is governed by a complex set of physiologic and experiential rules, and that we can do something about them. Cops can do things to make sure those first impressions don't result in an innocent death. And yes, you can learn to tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi when you drink a whole can, not just a sip. Gladwell is a writer for the New Yorker, and his writing style is very much like a bunch of magazine articles. But they are very GOOD magazine articles, and you want to read them all. 4 stars (Informative) - This book was very interesting to me, though I will admit it got boring at parts. Some sections were just very repetitive and seemed to be overkill, but the overall message the book sent was intriguing. It helped me understand the way the mind works and how people use this knowledge of their mind...
Little- Brown :: Business & Economics & General :: Social Psychology :: Psychology :: Intuition :: Decision making :: Decision Making & Problem Solving :: Cognitive Psychology :: Bu :: Blink - The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

 

First Things First- To Live- to Love- to Learn- to Leave a Legacy

5 stars (A MUST Read) - Having read more than a dozen books on the subject of mission statements, goal setting and time management, and also having taught workshops on the subject myself, this is the one book that I find most useful. As some other reviewers point out, it may seem a little heavy in parts, but the details are well worth studying. As the authors emphasize, time management doesn't begin with managing time, it begins with finding our own individual purpose, establishing our mission, and setting our goals to achieve that mission. This is more than a "how to" book. It is a "why to" book. It has the ability to persuade people that they need to set written goals. In teaching young adults, I have found some that insist they don't need written goals and that they certainly don't need a mission statement. My response is to encourage them to read this book. I appreciate how persausive the authors are in encouraging the reader to find the "main thing" without getting trapped into becoming a success in just one small area rather than fulfilling four areas of the "quadrant," including physical, social, mental and spiritual. Moreover, they bring home the necessity of finding balance and staying balanced in the different roles we have in our lives. After you read this book, I recommend that you consider reading "The Power of Full Engagement" by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, and "Finding Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. You won't be disappointed. 5 stars (A Revolutionary Resource!) - As someone who juggles many different responsibilities and a crowded calendar, I approached this title with high expectations. I was not disappointed! Covey here offers a revolutionary resource for time management. Rather than following the standard theme of how to do more in a given period of time, the author emphasizes the importance of setting priorities and planning ahead. His analogy of the clock and the compass is priceless in describing the two elements that shou...
Free Press :: Business & Economics & General :: Time Management :: Self-Help :: Personal Growth - Self-Esteem :: Personal Growth - General :: Entrepreneurship :: Conduct of lif :: First Things First- To Live- to Love- to Learn- to Leave a Legacy

 

The E-Myth Revisited- Why Most Small Businesses Don-t Work and What to Do About It

4 stars (Read this book and start thinking) - Great book to get you thinking about your current small business or one that you are planning. This book takes you through the three types of people : technican, entrepreneur, and manager. Guess what you have to be all three and in good balance. Gerber then discusses how to apply the thinking behind a franchise to your own small business even if you have no intention of ever franchising it. He helps you think about your business from a systems point of view. Gerber spends the rest of the book talking about the business development process, which includes your primary aim, marketing strategy, systems strategy, people strategy, management strategy, etc. I have run a small consulting business for 5 years and I wish had read this book years ago. Oh well, never too late to get on track. 5 stars (Don't Own A Business Without It) - Michael Gerber is the best thing that ever happened to the small business owners of this world. Reading this book changed the way I thought about business. Today I am a marketing coach for professional service firms and small service business owners. One of the first books I recommend they devour is The E-Myth. Actually, I recommend everything Gerber has written. 4 stars (It was as if M Gerber had been watching me) - A great, easy to read book with powerful principles told in an acessible manner. Sometimes it was like Michael Gerber had been watching me at work and written the story of my Business - scary. A must read for those struggling with developing a small to medium sized business. ...
Collins :: Business & Economics & General :: Success in business :: Small business :: Small Business Management :: Small Business - General :: Management - General :: Manage :: The E-Myth Revisited- Why Most Small Businesses Don-t Work and What to Do About It

 

CLA Review Manual- A Practical Guide to CLA Exam Preparation

5 stars (A great review manual and reference book) - This book was my primary source when I was preparing for the CLA exam. Coherent, organized and thoughtful, it is a "must buy" for CLA candidates. Until my book was borrowed (and not returned) by another legal assistant, the manual served as a handy reference manual in my practice. ...
Thomson Delmar Learning :: Business & Economics & General :: United States :: Reference :: Professional Education :: Professional - General :: Legal assistants :: Legal Reference & Law Prof :: CLA Review Manual- A Practical Guide to CLA Exam Preparation

 

Never Eat Alone - And Other Secrets to Success- One Relationship at a Time

3 stars (A great read for everybody, and good advice for extroverts) - This was a very enjoyable read. The manner in which the author tells his story is very engaging and imparts some useful techniques to the reader. The type-A's out there may be able to use many of the techniques the author talks about. The rest of us, however, will be left wondering if all these things could have possible happened to one person. Truth be told I haven't read the last fifty pages. My dog decided he wanted to taste the author's work, and frankly, not being an extrovert, I did not feel compelled to pick up another copy for the last few chapters. 5 stars (Great book about breaking through the glass floor) - "Never Eat Alone" gives some excellent advice regarding developing relationships. Ferrazzi starts off by stating you really need to begin by finding your own passion and mission. Additionally, to build strong relationships you need to ask, "What can I offer?" rather than "What can I get?" Ferrazzi has an excellent writing style that is easy to understand and read. He gives some great suggestions regarding how to "ping" casual contacts and keeping in touch with people. Ferrazzi is a "follow up" maniac as he states you should continually follow up with people even if you don't hear back from them. I guess that depends on your viewpoint. There isn't much to like about this book. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to be able to develop their relationships. 5 out of 5 stars. 5 stars (Simply worth it) - I do not buy many books. I only buy the ones that I am interested in keeping. If I only want to read a book, I simply get it in the library. After reading a few reviews of "Never Eat Alone" I went to my local bookstore to have a closer look at it. Although I definitely liked the look of the book, my first reaction was "No, too expensive". And it is expensive! But then I sat down to read some passages. The more I read, the more interested I was becoming... You ...
Currency :: Business & Economics & General :: Success in business :: Public relations :: Personal Growth - Success :: Motivational :: Management - General :: Interpersonal re :: Never Eat Alone - And Other Secrets to Success- One Relationship at a Time

 

It-s All Politics - Winning in a World Where Hard Work and Talent Aren-t Enough

3 stars (C ycnical btu not to be missed) - Some realpolitik here. I can't say I enjoyed it thoroughly but I was curious and I lked learning abiout behaviors I could benefit from knowing. 4 stars (It's Not ALL Work, Can Be Fun!) - This valuable reference book explains the "in's and outs" of office politics, which are the most single factor in getting ahead in the career of your choice. This book is full of commonsense wisdom on how to get along with others and get ahead in life. Dr. Reardon is the author of THE SECRET HANDSHAKE about business psychology. She's great! Talent alone does not insure success; you must have those important relationships with the people who can best reward your creativity and intelligence. You are encouraged to 'pick your battles wisely' to deal with a difficult co-worker. When we think about politicians, automatically the words 'unethical' and 'devious' (sometimes flat-out 'lies') come to mind. In the workplace, "knowing what to say, to whom, and how and when to say it." Most of all, you will need to be able to convert enemies into your allies to win crucial support for your ideas. The only way to avoid politics at work is to avoid people. "For every locked entrance, there is a back door, window, even a chimney;" always be sure there is a way out before you crawl into a corner. It is important to remember that there is more than one way to handle any situation: good, bad or indifferent. Intuition is needed, but just as necessary is the power of persuasion.Power is a critical part of career politics. People remember those they perceive to be powerful. Power, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. A good read, wonderful instruction in the ways of life at work and at home, and packed full of good advice. It behooves us to try to follow her instructions as close to the letter as possible. She knows what she is talking about; you can, too. ...
Currency :: Business & Economics & General :: Organizational Behavior In Business :: Organizational Behavior :: Office politics :: Motivational :: Interpersonal Relations :: :: It-s All Politics - Winning in a World Where Hard Work and Talent Aren-t Enough

 

The 8th Habit- From Effectiveness to Greatness

5 stars (A Masterwork) - Steven Covey is one of the greatest writers alive on the subject of Effectiveness. This book and his 7 Habits are two classics of self-help that deserve a place on your motivational library shelf. 2 stars (for the systems analyst in all of us!) - This book does have a lot of good stuff, way too much good stuff, way way too many concepts and principles to coalesce into a main idea. I sometimes enjoy the self help genre because they are usually inspiring and fun. Not so here. Unfortunately, I think Covey has made this too systematic. It lacks the emotional content, inspiration factor. Give me a Tony Robbins CD over this any day! Covey's 7 Habits was a much more focused and enjoyable. 1 stars (Bedraggled mess. Not effectively presented. ) - Poorly conceptualized. Those are the only words to describe the Eighth Habit, a length tome based on one principle that promises to be the "holy grail" of principles, but instead feels like a soggy loaf of day old bread. I am a disciple of Covey since 7 Habits first came out; own the CDs and listen to them, even now, yearly. They contain realistic, practical advice (not a "Cheerleader" like Tony Robbins et al) that allows you to integrate seven simple skills into your thought pattern. The Seven Habits are lively with example and crisp in its scope. The Eighth Habit, however, is more ethereal, more of a notion as to what the habit of purpose should be than it is a true guidepost on the compass of life (to use Stephen's analogy). Rather than climbing the ladder of success only to find that it is placed on the wrong wall--as Covey so eloquently professed in his milestone first bestseller- this book would preach that it can help you can find "the wall", a true purpose in your life. Therein lies the rub, as the mushy substance of the book does not allow intriguing storylines for example, and the essential notion of the book rapidly becomes repetative and lackluster. I strongly advise those who have n...
Free Press :: Business & Economics & General :: Vocation :: Success :: Self-actualization (Psychology) :: Self-actualization (Psychology :: Self-Help :: Satisfaction :: Psycholog :: The 8th Habit- From Effectiveness to Greatness

 

The Money Book for the Young- Fabulous - Broke

5 stars (Excellent Book!) - Have briefly watched Suze Orman's TV show several times, and couldn't stand it. This book, however, is outstanding. She has compiled a wealth of information (including various important government loan program details) for those just starting out after college. I wish it had been available for me just after I graduated! Topics included are an explanation of one's FICO score and what to do about it, strategies upon beginning a job, buying a car, buying a home, retirement funds, and handling student loan repayments. I think the only thing Suze missed was how to get the MOST reliable new or used car - look in Consumer Reports. (She did, however, encourage getting a used car certified by the manufacturer - excellent advice.) Am so impressed I'm going to find one of her other books that targets people in my life-stage 5 stars (A must have for the Young, Fabulous, and Broke) - Suze Orman is spectacular. She doesn't sugarcoat things and she puts it all out there for us young folk. She covers all the topics that affect those fresh out of college. Everything from handling student loan and credit card debt to buying your first house and handling investments. And the online tools that you get access to when you purchase the book are great help as well. there's even a message board where you can get real feedback from Suze and her assistants. This is definitely a must read for all young people! 2 stars (Good advice, I guess....) - Suze Ormon's advice is important to pay attention to, but in my opinion it's possible to get elswhere in a better package. If you like Suze's presentation, fine, but she just seems overly chirpy to me. She's FAR better IMHO than Mr. Kiyosaki of the two Dads, or real estate promoter Robert Allen, for instance, but my taste runs more to the Dolans, Jane Bryant Quinn, or Andrew Tobias....or Benjamin Graham, though he's far less entertaining. Don't spend all you make! Pay yourself first! Hey, maybe I should write a ...
Riverhead Hardcover :: Business & Economics & General :: Youth :: Young adults :: Self-Help :: Personal finance :: Personal Growth - Success :: Personal Finance - General :: Finance :: Pers :: The Money Book for the Young- Fabulous - Broke

 

Getting to Yes- Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

4 stars (A Classic that has been superceded.) - Getting to Yes started a revolution in negotiation, both by stressing principled negotiation and in making the material accessible to a very wide audience. It is still a good read, is still taught in universities and continuing education, and is an excellent starting point for people who are new to negotiation but intend a deep study because of its historical significance and its content. However, having taught Getting to Yes and having used principled bargaining in practice, I think there are a few shortcomings that are dealt with in other books. While Fischer and Ury do make the point that principled bargaining includes sticking to your priciples and not being a pushover, it is not emphasized enough. I have even found myself being too cooperative after reviewing this text because the emphasis is on being cooperative. I think this is a partcular danger for new/lay negotiators, especially if this is the first text they're exposed to or they intend to practice these concepts in daily life. The tone of the book is just a bit too friendly. As a result, there has been a backlash (wrongly, in my opinion) against this text in some quarters. The verbal judo section at the end is excellent, giving techniques for dealing with unreasonable people that are great. I would've liked more of these very practical tips and examples to go along with them, but the book as a whole is already a lot to digest. Newer versions of GTY do add more material here. Newer texts take these problems into account. The best, in my opinion, is the follow-on by Ury, "Getting Past No." It can be read without having read "Getting to Yes," although it is very interesting as a follow-on, too. In it, Ury is clearly taking into account the criticism that GTY was too soft and he presents a more robust vision of principled bargaining. 4 stars (Powerful Concepts) - A good primer or review for anyone confounded by negotiating and especially those pr...
Penguin (Non-Classics) :: Economics :: Finance :: Business and Industry :: Business & Economics & General :: Negotiation :: Negotiating :: Business&Economics :: Business & Economics & Financ :: Getting to Yes- Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

 

Richest Man in Babylon

5 stars (Must Read) - Lessons from our past do help our future. Can we get Congress to read it? 5 stars (Simple, class ic advice) - This a a great easy read. I give it to clients - usually to help them understand how to teach their children about money and better understand themselves. 5 stars (A wonderful way to learn about money) - This is a beautiful little book. Parables bring home the relevance of basic financial planning concepts, making them tangible, understandable and memorable. Very easy to read. I bought a copy for everyone on my Christmas list last year. ...
Signet :: Business & Economics & General :: Wealth :: Ethics of :: Religion :: Motivational :: Inspirational - General :: Business Ethics :: Business & Economics & Finance :: G :: Richest Man in Babylon

 

The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book - Everything You Need to Know to Put Your EQ to Work

4 stars (Managers & above: please read!) - If you don't know the difference between your I.Q. and your E.Q. and how much it matters in the workplace, then read this book--especially if you're a supervisor, manager, director or CEO. There's even an on-line test to see how you rate. Run--don't walk--and get this book. Better yet: order it right now on Amazon :-) (Your employees will thank you!) 5 stars (Fabulous Read) - This is the most thought-provoking book I've read in a long time. Without being simplistic, it introduced me to so many interesting things I could use to my benefit. Being intellectually smart is surely a strong advantage in our society, but it doesn't say nearly as much as your control and awareness over your own emotions. Have you ever wondered why you have emotions, how your brain works to process them, and how you can use them to your own advantage? I've never read a book that so clearly explains how it all works and what to do with it. 5 stars (Tremendous) - I wasn't familiar with the authors, but bought the book after reading the description and the amazing endorsements from the Dalai Lama and Stephen Covey. I was not disappointed! The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book explains and explores via great stories and profound research. It's fun to read and has an enormous variety of invaluable, fact-based information which helped me with relationships and my career. ...
Fireside :: Business & Economics & General :: Psychology :: Personal Growth - Success :: Industrial & Organizational Psychology :: Emotions :: Emotional intelligence :: Busin :: The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book - Everything You Need to Know to Put Your EQ to Work

 

Heart of a Leader - Insights on the Art of Influence

4 stars (Easy to read) - This book is very readable and gets some new thought processes working. 5 stars (Good Advice) - I purchased the e-book of "Heart of a Leader." The book is chock full of great tips for a variety of situations with the justification for each tip. It is an excellent reference for any supervisor or manager. 5 stars (Easy Reader) - Blanchard takes a "Chicken Soup" approach in this book, capturing the essence of the leadership parables told in his previous works in simple, concise summary format. This is a great reminder for those who have read the other works, or a great introduction for those who haven't. Either way, the essence of Blanchards' winning approach to working with, and getting things done through people is superbly presented. ...
Cook Communications :: Business & Economics & General :: Self-Help :: Motivational & Inspirational :: Management - General :: Management :: Leadership :: Inspirational - General :: Indust :: Heart of a Leader - Insights on the Art of Influence

 

The Art of the Start - The Time-Tested- Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything

5 stars (Outstanding!!) - Brilliant, BUY IT, learn from it. This book covers all the major stumbling blocks to growing a business from capital raising to giving a presenation. Whilst it should not be the only start-up book in an arsenal, it is almost certainly the best start. Combining an easy-to-read writing style with some real life experience, Kawasaki has written one of the best business books available at the moment. 5 stars (The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki) - This is an entrepreneur's bible. It is a complete guide to what matters for new entrepreneurs, and a great crib sheet for experienced entrepreneurs. 4 stars (Worth the (little) time and effort.) - This book was a quick and enjoyable refresher in a lot of what I felt like I knew before... which I say to mean, I didn't take life-altering proverbial knowledge with me when I was done... but it did renew my passion and focus my energies in the proper, productive direction. It's a quick and straight-forward book, capable of tackling in a weekend. The author is engaging, entertaining, informative and to the point. I'd recommend checking it out. ...
Portfolio Hardcover :: Business & Economics & General :: Small Business Management :: New Business Enterprises :: Investments & Securities - General :: Entrepreneurship :: Business&Ec :: The Art of the Start - The Time-Tested- Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything

 

Level 5 Leadership- The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition

4 stars (Nice Intro to Level 5) - This article is a nice insight into Jim Collin's theory on Level 5 leaders, and why they are important. But, without context to the rest of the book "Good to Great", the article lacks the punch that the book does. If you like what he writes about being a Level 5 leader, go buy the book! 4 stars (Good to Great - Level 5 leadership) - I found this research book by Jim Collins and his research team to be very insighful book with some interesting findings. The part of the research that interested me most was the Level 5 leadership styles of the good to great CEO's. I am not an individual that is at a point who understands the complexity of a CEO's thought's and idea's, however reading this book was not a difficult thing to understand...I was very impressed with how Jim Collins put together the foundation of this book into understandable terms, and was't trying to be too wordy! The flow of the chapters were easy to conceptualize, and the concepts themselves were not too difficult. 5 stars (Leadership to outperform the market) - Jim Collins operates a management research laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. Together with Jerry I. Porras he wrote the bestseller 'Built to Last' (1994). This article was published in the January 2001 issue of the Harvard Business Review. This article reports on the author's research into how good companies can become great ones. "We looked for companies that had shifted from good performance to great performance - and sustained it." Eventually, the research identified 11 good-to-great examples who on average outperformed the general stock market by 6.9 times for 15 years. (There is a sidebar explaining the research method.) According to the author and his research team all great companies had one thing in common: Level 5 leaders. "Level 5 leaders are a study in duality: modest and willful, shy and fearless." Level 5 leadership requires personal humility and personal will. But the author notes that it is not jus...
Harvard Business Review :: General :: Business & Economics & General :: Business & Economics :: Jim Collins :: :: Level 5 Leadership- The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)

 

Managing Without Managers

1 stars (HBR Reprint) - Don't waste your money on this. It is a reprint from Harvard Business Review, September-October 1989. If Amazon had actually indicated this was the case, I wouldn't have paid for it. Don't make the same mistake I did. ...
Harvard Business Review :: General :: Business & Economics & General :: Business & Economics :: Ricardo Semler :: :: Managing Without Managers

 

From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy

4 stars (A clear introduction into diversification) - Michael E. Porter is a Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and a leading authority in the field of competition and strategic management. This article was published in the May-June 1987 of the Harvard Business Review and won the McKinsey Award for the best article that year. "A diversified company has two levels of strategy: (1) business unit (or competitive strategy) and corporate (or companywide) strategy." Competitive strategy concerns the creation of competitive advantage in each of the businesses, corporate strategy concerns the scope and the management of the corporation. The aim of corporate strategy is 1+1=3. In this article the author reports on findings from his study into the diversification record of 35 large, U.S. companies between 1950-1986 period. The results were shocking and the author warns the reader that "any successful corporate strategy builds on a number of premises": (1) Competition occurs at the business unit level; (2) diversification inevitably adds costs and constraints to business units; and (3) shareholders can readily diversify themselves. Porter then continues by introducing three essential tests to specify the conditions under which diversification will create shareholder value: (1) The attractiveness test; (2) the cost-of-entry test; and (3) the better-off test. Each of these tests is explained and discussed in detail. Once these tests have been met, companies need a clear concept of corporate strategy to guide their diversification. According to the author, four mutually exclusive concepts of corporate strategy are put into practice. The first two concepts - portfolio management and restructuring - require no connections between business units, the other two - transferring skills and sharing activities - depend on them. "Ignoring any of the concepts is perhaps the quickest road to failure." Last but not least, Porter provides a 7-steps action progr...
Harvard Business Review :: General :: Business & Economics & General :: Business & Economics :: Michael E Porter :: :: From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy

 

Management Time- Who-s Got the Monkey- HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition

1 stars (Useless) - As one who attended one of Oncken, Jr's seminars, and found that his instruction had a major positive impact on the effectiveness of management at all levels, this brief piece isn't even a good "Reader's Digest" version. Also, Covey's comentary shows that he never gained the original Oncken message. Oncken's message, properly put into action, was the essence of affective empowerment. Please refund my seven bucks for this useless pamphlet. 5 stars (How to manage time and delegate effectively) - William Oncken Jr. was chairman of the William Oncken Corporation until his death in 1988; Donald L. Wass was president of the William Oncken Corporation Company of Texas when the article first appeared. He now heads the Dallas-Fort Worth region of The Executive Committee (TEC), an international organization for presidents and CEOs. This Harvard Business Review Classic article was originally published in the November-December 1974 issue. This On-Point version was reissued in November-December 1999 and contains a retrospective commentary from Stephen R. Covey, author of 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' (1989). The authors explore the meaning of management time as it relates to the interaction between managers and their bosses, their peers, and their subordinates. According to the authors most managers spend much more time dealing with subordinates' problems than they realize. Hence, the authors use the monkey-on-the-shoulder metaphor to examine how subordinate-imposed time comes into being and what the superior can do about it. "Get control over timing and content of what you do" is appropriate advice for managing time. First, the manager should enlarge his/her discretionary time by eliminating subordinate-imposed time. Second, the manager should use a portion of this newfound discretionary time to see to it that each subordinate actually has the initiative and applies it. Third, the manager should use another portion of the increased discreti...
Harvard Business Review :: General :: Business & Economics & General :: Business & Economics :: Donald L Wass :: William :: Jr Oncken :: :: Management Time- Who-s Got the Monkey- (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)

 

What Makes a Leader- HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition

5 stars (The five components of emotional intelligence) - Daniel Goleman is co-chairman of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, based at Rutgers University. He is the author of the bestsellers 'Emotional Intelligence' (1995) and 'Working with Emotional Intelligence' (1998). This article was published in the November-December 1998 issue of the Harvard Business Review. "... most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence." Thankfully, according to the author, people can develop their emotional intelligence. In this article the author discusses the five components of emotional intelligence: (1) self-awareness, (2) self-regulation, (3) motivation, (4) empathy, and (5) social skill. Each of these components are discussed in detail and complemented with examples. In addition, the author complements this with a discussion on whether you can learn emotional intelligence: "It's important to emphasize that building one's emotional intelligence cannot - will not - happen without sincere desire and concerted effort." Nice, clear article on the softer side of leadership. The author explains that leadership is not just built on IQ and technical ability, but needs a healthy proportion of emotional skills. Readers have the choice to continue with Daniel Goleman's books or his 2000-article 'Leadership that Gets Results'. The author has a understandable US-English writing style. 5 stars (The impact of emotional intelligence on leadership) - Daniel Goleman is co-chairman of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations at Piscataway, New Jersey, and author of 'Emotional Intelligence' (1995) and 'Working with Emotional Intelligence' (1998). This 1998 Harvard Business Review article is based on research into effective leadership at 188 companies. According to the author IQ and technical skills are important, but emotional intelligence is the...
Harvard Business Review :: General :: Business & Economics & General :: Business & Economics :: Daniel Goleman :: :: What Makes a Leader- (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)

 

IT Doesn-t Matter HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition

4 stars (Very Thought Provoking) - This is a very good read - I think he has missed the point with his conclusions, but what he says is thought provoking none the less. Readers should follow the article up with a read of the book "IT Doesn't Matter - Business Processes Do". 4 stars (Comparing IT with previous broadly adopted technologies) - Nicholas G. Carr is Harvard Business Review's editor-at-large and writes for several leading business magazines/newspapers. This article was published in the HBR's May 2003-issue. As information technology's power and presence have expanded, companies have come to view it as a resource even more critical to their success. Since 1965, the capital expenditures of American companies on IT has risen from 5% to almost 50% (well over $2 trillion) each year. The attitude towards IT has also changed in this period, from proletarion tools to strategic tools. But Carr believes that IT is best seen as the latest in a series of broadly adopted technologies that have reshaped industry over the past two centuries. And although these technologies opened opportunities for forward-looking companies to gain real advantages, they become commodity inputs as their availability increases and their cost decreases. Building on comparisons that the impact of railways, the telephone, and electric power had on business, the author explains the coming implications for corporate IT management. He discusses the vanishing advantage of IT, the commodization of IT, and a more cautious approach toward IT in the years to come. Carr's advice for IT management is take a more defensive posture toward IT (spend less; follow, don't lead; and focus on vulnerabilities, not opportunities). Yes, a good article on the future of information technology. And although a good many people/companies will not like it, the author has a strong, somewhat negative, message. Based on the histories of previous technologies Carr believes that IT management should become boring, with a fa...
Harvard Business Review :: General :: Business & Economics & General :: Business & Economics :: Nicholas G Carr :: :: IT Doesn-t Matter (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)

 

The Real Reason People Won-t Change HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition

The Real Reason People Won't Change (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)...
Harvard Business Review :: General :: Business & Economics & General :: Business & Economics :: Lisa Laskow Lahey :: Robert Kegan :: :: The Real Reason People Won-t Change (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)