Management Book Reviews

"Machiavelli on Management," by Gerald R. Griffin

                            Reviewed by Samantha Badcock

 

Gerald R. Griffin’s book on management uses classic Machiavellian strategy to guarantee success in today’s corporate world. Griffin follows The Prince and breaks down Machiavelli’s work in a way that is easier to follow and applicable the corporate workplace.  He applies Machiavelli’s strategies to today’s workplace and replaces kings and princes with CEOs and managers, all in an attempt to educate us on how to become a powerful and beneficial leader. He preempts us with warnings of what not to think while reading to help get our minds in habit of thinking like a leader.  This author is very effective in grabbing the attention of his audience by recycling a centuries old doctrine for success into a modern day guide for everyday winning management practices.

 

Griffin’s main points focus on becoming a successful leader and the ways in which one can achieve success through adopting his and Machiavelli’s concepts of leadership. The preface explains Machiavelli’s excellent mastery of organization and how this is one of the most valuable traits a leader can posses. Griffin acknowledges that no matter the setting, conflicts occur: in the public and private sector, for-a-profit and not-for-profit organizations all encounter “turf fights” which can lead to organization destruction, and as a result of this, organizations cause their own downfall and bring others down with it. He also focuses on long-term solutions that strengthen the company or organization for the long-term by creating complex dynamics between the individuals and the groups in order to embed thoughtful leadership strategies in all facets of a corporation.

Griffin refers to organizations as “empires” and spends significant time explaining why empires fail, corporate games played, and how to maintain an empire. He states that the rules of the “corporate” game can change at any time and without warning; therefore, it is important to be able to adapt as a manager in order to keep your subordinates calm and ease them into adaptation of new policies and strategies that can and will occur, most likely when you least expect it. In his explanation of why empires fail, he cites the importance of not seeking your own self-interest; how self-interest contributes to the fall of an empire because abuse of power causes short-term gain but inevitably, the foundations on which these strategies were built are more likely to crumble. I believe that his chapter on maintaining an empire was the most enlightening, because he tells us at the beginning that corporations will fail. They will not and do not last forever, they are not meant to; other larger corporations are always a threat, but also that smaller entities like irate customers, superiors, peers and even the government are all a cause of an organization’s demise. As a result, it is important to keep this in the forefront of your mind while maintaining your corporation: picking your battles is an invaluable asset according to Griffin, that in the end, it comes down to game-playing. 

Griffin’s book was written in order to help a manager become more successful or to teach someone how to be a successful leader. When applying management theories to this book it is hard to see his plan. He does not have a particular “plan of action” so to speak, but he does have guidelines in which to follow in order to achieve beneficial relationships and building and reinforcing leadership practices.  He does not have specific methods for achieving this goal like the Management by Objectives theory, but he is reminiscent of the Total Quality Management theory in that it emphasizes customer satisfaction by requiring that the employees raise their standards of production.

Griffin reminds us that as a manager we need to anticipate our subordinates needs, wants, shortcomings, and strength; moreover, a good manager will be able to see these traits and delegate work accordingly.  In addition to Total Quality Management theory, this book draws many parallels to The “New Management” theory also focuses on quality but forces managers to focus on how companies are organized. Moreover, “New Management” and Griffin both talk about being flexible and being fluid as integral parts of successful management.  

Though Griffin has an overall successful approach to leadership and management, I feel that there are some things that he leaves unaccounted for; for instance, action plans, objectives, goals, etc. are all motivators in the workplace for success. Griffin fails to mention how to achieve winning leadership practices, because after all isn’t success measured by successful execution of a laid out plan for improvement? Griffin needs to supplement his leadership/management guide with concrete examples of how to become a successful manager.

           

I would not recommend this book to another public relations student looking for insight into this topic. I felt that this book was written too abstractly for someone who is just beginning their quest for leadership and managerial skills. This book is tailored more so to someone who already holds a managerial position. In addition, I felt that this particular book was hard to implement from a public relations standpoint.  Although Griffin does a good job explaining what a good manager is made of, he does not tell us how to get there, and consequently I feel that this is not a good book for a public relations student just starting out in the corporate world. 

“Broken Windows, Broken Business,” by Michael Levine

Reviewed by Erin Kaiser

            “Small things make all the difference in business,” stated Michael Levine. This concept opened up the eyes of Levine and inspired him to produce a book that would open insight to all business owners and consumers. Levine has put together key ideas to help people understand that a successful business and management style is possible and can reap great benefits.

            The metaphor “Broken Windows” is used frequently throughout the book. This metaphor lets people imagine a broken window as a sign of a weak company or poor management style. Levine chooses this metaphor because he wants to point out that even small problems will increase a company’s possibility of going out of business. Levine emphasizes that inevitably every business has flaws but when a consumer notices the flaws, the company is at risk of losing a customer. Management needs to take care of the small problems such as peeling wallpaper or a broken window immediately so consumers will stay loyal to the company.

             Every business is part of a very competitive market that leaves no room for error. Many companies fall short of their competition resulting in failed businesses and lost consumers. This book teaches business owners how to find the small problems so improvements can occur. Levine stresses the importance of customer feedback such as surveys, because some problems go unnoticed by solely employees or management. The theory also encourages businesses to go above and beyond what is expected in order to capture an audience and new consumers. People enjoy companies that do things for their customers and expect no extra money or commitment from them. For example the store IKEA created a children’s play area where parents could drop their children off while they enjoyed shopping around the store. This extra bonus was completely free to the shoppers and was a great tactic by IKEA because this set the company apart from its competition, and consumers took notice in a very positive way.

            One of the most important parts of this theory, which was constantly mentioned by Levine, is that the worst “broken windows” are people. Employees can make or break a company since they play a major role in the customer service process. Most business owners are not available to greet every customer that walks in their business and, therefore they rely heavily on their employees to constantly make a good impression on every customer. Management needs to hire people based on this idea and needs to always be evaluating their staff. Consumers judge a business not only on its appearance but mainly on the employees’ attitude and helpfulness. People become very irritated and sometimes one bad experience will result in someone never returning to that business again.

            This book also covered other types of organizations that do not always have visible “broken windows” because they have no physical location. For example, Internet Web sites can be full of “broken windows.” When something goes wrong with a company’s Web Site such as not being well organized, the public will find the problem immediately and become increasingly annoyed with the company, and most businesses do not notice there is a problem until it is much too late. This book is full of important aspects of business that are easily over looked and can truly help the success of a business.

            Michael Levine’s approach to management was very effective throughout the book. I believe he explained his broken window theory with great examples that can be easily understood by the public. I think that this book is capable of making a huge impact on business owners because of his use of the broken window metaphor. Levine created a new way of approaching business that makes perfect sense especially to consumers who have expectations for companies. I believe the broken window theory is closely associated with the Total Quality Management Model. Both management styles are unique in certain ways but also produce some of the same concepts such as creating an atmosphere based on what the consumers want. These theories take a closer look into the world of their consumers and guides businesses to focus their attention on being consistent, reliable and useful.  These management styles encourage managers to form an understanding with their employees and have the common goal of raising the standard of excellence. The information in the book was presented logically and provided numerous examples of real life situations.

             I would recommend this book to other public relations students because this is a very useful book and will provide answers to many questions regarding management. I found this book to be an easy read for students because the book’s use of metaphors made management approaches simple to understand even for non business majors. The book pointed out a lot of common issues that arise as problems in businesses. As a consumer, I agree with everything Levine was trying to teach. I enjoyed this book because it talks about how the small things in life are what truly matter. I live by this concept every day, and I believe it comes with much truth because in reality many people do ignore the small things which results in bigger problems. This book is great for people who want to make a difference and be successful at running a business. I plan on keeping this book as a reference guide so that one day when I enter into the professional world I will have an idea of how to be successful, and the book will give me the opportunity to share my success with others.

“The 10 Commandments for Business Failure,” by George Keough

                        Reviewed by Erin O’Hara 

“The 10 Commandments of Business Failure” is written by George Keough (former president of The Coca-Cola Company) and serves as the basic rules of what not to do in the business world. Or as Keough puts it, the commandments of guaranteed failure. Follow his rules and rest assure that despair and often bankruptcy will be right around the corner.

Each chapter of the book in dedicate to a separate commandment, they include: Quit taking risk, Be inflexible, Isolate yourself, Assume infallibility, Play the game close to the foul line, Don’t take time to think, Put all your faith in experts, Love your bureaucracy, Send mixed messages and Be afraid of the future. Keough adds one extra rule (not) to live by at the very end, and perhaps is the most applicable commandment to every individual from any walk of life, “Lose your passion for work, and life”.

Each chapter reveals the unglamorous side of the American dream gone wrong. The greed, pride, and ignorance of leaders from the past are disclosed to give first hand examples of how not to “play the game”. Keough’s commandments are centered around the idea that history is doomed to repeat itself. Follow the lead of illegal con artists like Enron and you’re in for a whole world of trouble. Take lessons in pride from Henry Ford who promised the American people, regarding his Model T, “They can have it in any color they want, as long as it’s black” and you will inevitably get pasted up by the competition.

Keough urges his readers to keep their eye on the ball, do the best you can with what you have, and do so ethically. He talks about hard times from his childhood, during the Great Depression, when his family had nothing, but his father worked his way up at a cattle ranch and eventually became the most trusted name in the business from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest. He talks about his own experiences at Cola-Cola, when the company tried to advance America’s favorite soda to the “New Coke.” Blind taste tests revealed that people liked the sweeter version better, but America went into an uproar about the switch. After millions of calls, complaints, and boycotts, Coca-Cola listened and returned their beloved product back to the market, and Coca-Cola Classic has been in stores ever since.

The commandments are simple and the information invaluable. Each chapter, and thus each commandment, expounds upon the previous one. Keough ties real life examples from his personal experiences at the Coca-Cola Company in with other business tycoons’ mistakes and applies them to the commandment at hand. The tone of the book resembles that of a story, mostly because the majority of information is derived from a past experience or history. For a man who should take a lot of credit for past successes Keough humbles himself to talk about what he’s done wrong, and how he’s learned from his mistakes. I feel that this humane approach not only is a first class example of Commandment Four, “Assume Infallibility”, but also speaks volumes of this author. He doesn’t claim to know all the answers, but he does know how to own up to his own mistakes and right a wrong when he sees one. Quotes from famous writers, scholars and entrepreneurs embellish the pages and really bring home the point Keough is relaying.

I would definitely recommend this book to other students in public relations, management or business in general. I feel that George Keough is a reliable source of sound advice considering his past history with one of the largest and most recognized trademarks in the world, Coca-Cola. The book is an easy read and an intriguing one at that. The chapters are clearly laid out and each truth about business failure is undeniable. Keough knows how to connect with his audience on a personal level. Instead of preaching about the best way to do things right this success guru simply relays the best ways he’s found to do things wrong. In the words of Bill Gates, “Don’s commandments for failure will teach you more about business success than a whole shelf full of books.”

“The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” by Patrick Lencioni

Reviewed by Erin Burry

 

“The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” written by Patrick Lencioni, focuses on how teamwork is the most effective way to lead a company to success. It does this by presenting a story in a fable-format of a struggling start-up company that is turned around when the new CEO, Karen, transforms ineffective, nonconfrontational meetings into arenas of discussion and conflict. The story goes as follows.

It was her first day on the job, and Karen knew she had her work cut out for her. She was coming in as the CEO to DecisionTech, a rapidly-deteriorating start-up technology company. Employee morale was low. Investors weren’t buying in, and the cofounder and CEO, Jeff Shanely, had just been asked to step down to head of business development.

Just two years earlier, DecisionTech was the most talked-about technology start-up company in Silicon Valley. It had a seemingly-unbreakable business model, influential investors, and the most experienced executive team in the Valley. The company was on hiatus, as it only seemed they could get better, when everything started to go downhill.

Now Jeff was demoted, and Karen was asked to step in. She had no previous experience with technology, but she was an expert at building teams. For the first week in her new role, she did nothing. The Board of Directors was beginning to question their decision in giving her the job.

Karen made no major changes to the company. She didn’t take over executive staff meetings. She didn’t introduce herself. She just sat and observed the current operations of the company. The one thing she did do, however, was schedule three off-site meetings in Napa for two days each over the course of the next month.

The executive team was not impressed with their new CEO for scheduling these off-site meetings when they believed they should be out making sales, but Karen had a plan that she intended to stick to.

At the first meeting, she sat everyone down to talk about themselves in an unobtrusive way. The team talked about things such as their favorite memory as a child and sports they played growing up. Before they knew it, they were learning about each other more in a few hours than they had in the past two years. This new-found trust for each other was only the beginning of Karen’s plan to make this executive team functional.

Within a few hours, Karen began to take the team through her five step process on how to work together to get things done and turn the company around. Her plan to building a successful team consisted of five interrelated concepts --- trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and attention to results.

After the team began to trust one another, Karen tested the waters by promoting conflict amongst the group. She brought up global and unresolved disagreements the team had in the past and forced them to argue until everyone could agree on something. From there, the team made a decision that incorporated everyone’s thoughts, ideas and expertise. Healthy conflict is the key to a successful company in this model because without it, decisions are not made and everyone continues to work towards their own individual and/or departmental goals.

This helped them along to the next step, which is commitment. Once the team could find a topic to agree on, they were able to commit to one plan of action the company can take to reach that goal. Accountability and attention to results, the next two steps in the team-building model, feed off of commitment. Because everyone was on the same page as to what the goal was, they could hold each other accountable for what they were supposed to be doing and what they needed their team members to do. Everyone began to work as a unit instead of by department. This also allowed them to focus their attention on the results of the goal. Previously, the team was confused as to what their goal was and instead, worked to further their departmental goals. Now that they had engaged in healthy conflict to reach a solution, each department could focus on the results for the company.

This book does an exceptional job in explaining how to effectively lead and/or work as a team in the business realm. Its approach to management theory revolves solely around communication, theorizing that the ability to communicate and engage in healthy conflict will produce results in a faster and high-quality manner. The management style used in this book is a blend of TQM and MBO. By communicating with each other and reaching an agreement, the team is able to come to a common goal and make higher-quality products. However, list-making is essential after reaching the common goal in order to keep everyone on track.

I would definitely recommend this book to other public relations students because I think it teaches a lot about the art of communication, as well as teamwork and leadership. One of the main points it drives home is that conflict is not something that should be feared, but rather an opportunity to hear an array of ideas to help make the best decision. Without conflict, you are only hearing half of the truth. This book is also helpful to public relations students because it drives home that we should be held accountable for what we do in the company. Our role is essential to helping everyone else perform their role, and we should work collectively with other departments to portray the company in the most truthful light. Sometimes, I think public relations practitioners live in their own little “bubble” and do not pay much attention to the other departments. Finally, the focus on attention to results is important to public relations practitioners because we are the face and voice of the company. We need to be informed about what exactly the company’s goals are so that we can send out one, cohesive message to the public.

"Management Challenges for the 21st Century," by Peter F. Drucker

                        Reviewed by Danielle Sender

In his book, Management Challenges for the 21^st Century, Peter F. Drucker discusses the history of management in America and attempts to redefine the term as it pertains (or how he thinks it will pertain) to organizations in the 21st century.  Drucker begins by attacking common misconceptions surrounding the discipline and practice of management.  He explains where and how these assumptions originated and the way in which evolution of business and management practices over the last 100 years has led to new truths in the field. 

            A common misconception that many people have is that the word “management” innately refers to business management.  Drucker explains that this idea originated during the Great Depression, a time when the American people distrusted large corporations and the climate surrounding business was extremely hostile.  During this time, government organizations started to refer to their management divisions as “administration” divisions, in an attempt to eliminate all association with business’ bad reputation in the public’s mind. 

A shift in public opinion occurred mid 20th century, when American business was booming as a result of its pivotal role in World War II.  During this time, the term “business management” was reincarnated and became the general concept that people associated with management.  While management is obviously crucial in business, Drucker argues that management exists in all types of organizations and that as the “non-business” sector continues to grow in the 21st century, the need for effective management practices in these organizations will expand.

Throughout the book, Drucker makes references to well-known management scholars of the 20th century such as Frederick Winslow Taylor and Mary Parker Follett.  He examines the similarities as well as the differences between their theories and what is actually practiced today.  Many of the differences can be attributed to the progress that has been made in areas such as workplace conditions, technology, and the way employees are treated.  Despite the advancements in thought and technology, many of their ideas are still applicable to management organizations today.  The work of management pioneers such as Frederick Winslow Taylor and Mary Parker Follett has contributed enormously to the study and practice of management, and their contributions are perhaps recognized and valued more highly today than they were during their lifetime.   

            In the book, Drucker discredits the notion that there is one type of management structure that works for all types of organizations.  Management theorists throughout history have tried to promote their theory as the one that works for everyone but in reality, there is not a sole management structure that can satisfy the needs of every organization.  In many of the new management structures popular today, the main focus is on teams.  Drucker says that while teams can be extremely productive and efficient when organized correctly, there must always be a boss.  It is crucial that there is someone who has complete command over final decisions, so that when an organization inevitably finds itself in a crisis situation, there is someone who is able to give the go-ahead without deliberation or consultation with a group of people.  Drucker goes as far as to say that “‘hierarchy,’ and the unquestioning acceptance of it by everyone in the organization, is the only hope in a crisis” (11).  He explains that teams are important but it crucial to know when and where they are effective, and that this is contingent on the task at hand.

            All management theories present a different perspective on where employees fit in the organization and how they should be managed.  Drucker points out that the way in which employees have been regarded and valued by management has evolved over the last century and that this has resulted in a different relationship between employee and management.  Drucker makes an important point—employees are people with a life outside of work and they are not dependent on their employer as may have been the case 100 years ago.  In today’s world, employees have a number of options when it comes to their work environment.  Drucker asserts that management must regard employees as partners and their wants and needs must be respected in order for them to be successful.

            According to Drucker, in order for an organization to succeed in the 21st century, their organizational/management structure must be designed for “change as the norm.”  They must be proactive leaders of change rather than reactive followers.  I believe that this is an extremely effective approach to management. With globalized operations and continuous technological advances, organizations must be up-to-date with current fads.  A great example of this is the advent of social media.  Social networks connect millions of people, and companies must be involved in these networks or they will be left behind.  In the last few years, we have witnessed the defeat of companies that refuse to familiarize themselves with new technologies and update their business practices in accordance with these technologies.  Managers, including public relations practitioners, must make extensive use of social media tools, as they offer free insight into how publics perceive their organization.  I think that if organizations follow Drucker’s management advice, they will do just fine in the 21st century! 

Public relations students know that public relations must be regarded as a management function in order for them to be effective.  I recommend this book to public relations students, as I believe it offers great insight into what successful management entails and what they can contribute to their organization’s management practice.

"Planet Google," by Randall Stross

                    Reviewed by Jason Chapman 

Sergey Brian and Larry Page had no way of knowing how big of an impact their endeavor, which we all know now as Google, was going to be back in 1998. These two met as computer science graduate students at Stanford University. They began exploring search engines for an engineering assignment that led to a common goal to update and improve on the way people obtained information online. Seeing the growth potential of the World Wide Web excited the two, and they dreamed of a new search engine that would surpass any resources presently being used. The Yahoo search engine was dependent on human curators and held much room for improvement, so they set about to create a fully automated system for sorting Web pages and judging their relevance to a given search term.

The cofounders were adamant about not using their site as a canvas for advertisements. Both despised search engines that badgered the browsing public with ads popping up and cluttering their computer screens. Now, with a growing resource for public, the co-conspirators of Google had to form a way to make money to stay afloat, and they succeeded using ingenuity; the idea of plain-text advertisements was the answer. These ads were far less flashy than banner and pop-ups that would appear on the sides of search results. Without interfering with the user’s results, advertisers were able to place ads that were less obtrusive and thus more appealing. The ads pertain directly to the search term, resulting in "highly individualized advertising to an audience of one at the best moment -- when a relevant topic was on the user's mind." The system allows advertisers to target users without knowing anything about them. Google is paid by advertisers only when a user clicks on the ad which, Stross reports, provides right at 99 percent of the total revenue for Google, equaling more than $16 billion in 2007 alone.

"If Google were content to prosper with Web search, and only Web search, its story would be compact," notes Stross. “The company, however, is in pursuit of a much grander goal: to organize the world's information. All of it.”    In chapter three Stross describes the system, known as the Algorithm, with great detail and clear, understandable language, starting with the "spider," the software that "systematically 'crawled' the Web, collecting copies of Web pages that were then indexed and analyzed, in readiness for matching when a visitor to Google later submitted a search request." Stross illustrates that "when Google receives a search request, its search does not at that moment check the world's Web sites, but rather checks the copies of those sites that were collected earlier and stored on Google's servers." The more information the Algorithm accumulates, the more intelligent it becomes.
            Privacy issues will likely resurface as the company embarks on another ambitious endeavor, cloud computing. This advanced form of “centralized computing” aims to move all of a user's personal documents from an individual computer to a centralized server run by Google. One of Google’s credos, “Don’t be evil” might be questioned with the addition of this new apparatus. Stross states that little or no connection of this new enterprise to the company's original information-gathering mission nor can this lead to a significant increase in revues. The underlying question is whether a company that's expanding so exponentially can stay true to its famous corporate doctrine.

From the beginning Brian and Page knew that their expertise lay in the media itself. Running a business and organizing a company were beyond them. They sought a CEO that was better equipped to handle their business affairs. They found a ringer in Eric Schmidt, an industry executive that also held a Ph.D. in computer science. Building a team of resources around them, Sergey Brian and Larry Page networked and utilized their employees to the fullest.

Some of the most entertaining readings of the book involve the human drama that coincided with Google's rise. Veteran employee Marissa Mayer recalled finding Page hiding in the office kitchen one day because the site had crashed. "The site is down. It's all gone horribly awry," he told her. Stross writes, "Mayer said that seeing [him] in such a state led to her estimate that Google had about a 2 percent chance of succeeding."
            We know that Google survived, and it was the company's competitors who often found themselves floundering. Another employee at Google, Omid Kordestani (a senior vice president), was added to the Google family because of his seasoned sales expertise. Knowing your limitations is apart of any leader. Google allows employees to offer advice about specific issues that is then presented at board meetings. With Google’s forward thinking and open minds, it is no wonder that Google has been listed in the top ten corporations to work for in the United States by Forbes Magazine.
            Stross did an excellent job of opening the inner clockworks of the Google Empire. He shared the path of a corporation from infancy to the vast super-entity that is now seemingly everywhere. Google was not foreseen to be the great corporation that it is today. Other companies had the upper hand in experience and longevity, but it was the Google team who looked to the future and was able to grow fast along with internet usage itself. I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to learn how keep a corporation successful in today’s global market.

This book shows that it takes more than a good idea to make it big. There has to be a corroboration of many working toward one common goal to make dreams come true. Sergey Brian and Larry Page did not let go of their founding ideas of keeping the Internet experience clean and safe and “Don’t be evil.” It is not always easy to stick to your convictions, but this book shows a good example of how to do well and keep your integrity intact. Google’s story has not ended yet, but this tantalizing book will leave readers anticipating what Google will blow us away with next.

"Creating Magic," by Lee Cockrell

                         Reviewed by: Meredith McBee

 

The Disney Institute is world famous for its technique and approach to leadership and management. It has formulated key strategies, which focus not on the “nuts and bolts” but on the importance of dealing with people. The principles address how to inspire, motivate and teach. Lee Cockrell, the Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort, is the prime example of a great, influential leader. In his book “Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney,” Cockrell outlines the ten strategies that we all can follow to become great leaders in any field and any position in life.

Lee Cockrell was not always an effective and well-respected leader. He worked his way up from a position as a simple banquet waiter at the Hilton, to a management position, a food and beverage controller at the Waldorf-Astoria, a Marriott manager, and his current status as Disney. Along the way his experiences molded him from a “hard-nosed manager who left bodies in his wake” to the open, respected leader he is now.

The strategies Cockrell teaches show us that everyone can exert good leadership and that leadership is not just a role but it is a responsibility. Through implementing his ten strategies in our own leadership positions we can all become the most effective and respected leaders.

The first strategy is “Remember, Everyone is Important.” Cockrell states that employees are more eager to give you their all when they know that they matter. At Disney the acronym RAVE is used, meaning respect, appreciate and value everyone. The second strategy says that you have to be willing to break the mold when it comes to your business or organization’s structure. As a leader you must envision what the organization should look like. The third strategy says that you have to make your people your brand. In this chapter, Cockrell explains that a company’s brand is not just their logo or product, but its people. Cockrell states, “No matter how good your products and services are, you can’t achieve true excellence unless you attract great people, develop great people, and keep great people.

In the other strategies Cockrell teaches us how important training and development are to your company and how great leaders are always in a learning mode. He also says that we must express our appreciation for the people who work for us and keep up with what is current in the world and stay ahead of the pack. Moreover, Cockrell touches on the importance of your reputation and your personal credibility, the need to know what you stand for, and how to defend your personal character.

I believe the strategies taught in this book offer a great approach to management/leadership. The concepts are  “simple as they are profound,” says Cockrell. “They are concepts based on common sense but are not common practice.” The Disney Institute has numerous clients, including a small Pennsylvania college, a foster care agency, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Hewlett-Packard, and a park district in the California desert. All these organizations are familiar with the great reputation of the Disney Institute’s leadership and management practice and have come from all over to learn from the best.

I believe the Disney management/leadership strategies are more effective than MBO, TQM, and “New” Management. Disney focuses not on the result like MBO but on the process. People are not just evaluated on the results that their work achieves. They are praised because of their personal characteristics, their cooperation, good judgment, and initiative.

TQM management focuses on the long-term goal and achieving that goal. Many times the objectives are forgotten along the way. This can often lead to a less motivated workplace. The Disney Institute does have long-term goals and objectives but motivation and inspiration are key concepts.

Disney focuses on working together and sharing visions like the “New” Management system, while still maintaining the managerial hierarchy. The incentive to rise up the management ladder is still created. The Disney Institute takes from each of the management systems and combines their ideas in the most effective way.

            I would recommend this book not only to students studying PR, but also to anyone who wants to improve their leadership skills. Through the telling of his entertaining, personal stories as well as the strategies taught at the Disney Institute this book inspires and motivates. Cockrell says, “Like it or not, you are a leader, whether you’re the CEO of a multinational corporation, a first-time manager, or a part-time employee.” Everyone has responsibilities in life and therefore is in a leadership role.

 

"Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun," by Wess Roberts

                Reviewed by Lauren Kelley

Barbaric, husband of four hundred women, cruel, and carnivorous are qualities that typically do not describe the ideal leader – Attila the Hun, however, is a rare case. In Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, Wess Roberts, Ph. D., uses Attila as a narrator and leader of camp fire like lectures to address his incredible and timeless skill. He led his Huns to bring German and Slavic nations under control, defeat Rome and Constantinople, triumph over the lands of Asia, and then conquer Africa. Taking over the world is the ultimate challenge for just about any leader or manager, and barbaric Attila seems to have accomplished it with poise and grace. Nearly 1500 years after his reign, we are still studying his strategies and tactics, which are applicable to any organization, group, company, or country. This single man initiated and led the transformation of nomadic tribal barbarians into “undisputed rulers of the ancient world.”

 

In the preface, Roberts defines leadership as the privilege of having responsibility over others’ actions and the organization’s purpose, all of which can affect the organization’s success or failure. And so, he explains leadership does not represent a model or system because no one can predict circumstances or situations, and consequently the influence they will have on others. Thus, relating Attila’s “model” with those from our lectures initially appears difficult. Chapter one begins with a list and explanation of necessary leadership qualities (many relate to emotional stability and stamina) – a leader must be loyal, courageous, self-confident, empathetic, and credible. Chapter twelve reveals secrets of rewarding your Huns and encouraging their active participation and success.

 

As the book continues, a pattern of constant strategies involving the importance of commitment, accountability, standards, and quality is made clear, most similarly reflecting the values in Deming’s 14 points of the Total Quality Management system. The undoubtedly successful approach of Attila the Hun focuses on continuous improvement and full commitment of the organization, the Huns. As seen in the chapter “Peace in the Camp,” these qualities are necessary to fulfill one of Attila’s many secrets: “Chieftains must work hard to establish discipline and morale, then to maintain them within the tribe.” Focusing on quality, like that of the TQM model, Attila created consistently disciplined Huns, who ideally, and realistically, began to discipline one another individually and subordinately. Morale within an army of 700,000 wild creatures is not easy to attain, but through consistent behaviors of his own such as accountability, loyalty, and confidence, Attila maintained this unified purpose.

Holding every member of any sized organization accountable for their actions and ensuring reliability and consistency in their behavior seems only natural; however, this “logic” is much more accepted in the TQM model rather than that of the Management by Objectives system. Attila emphasized the importance of personal character (unlike MBO), but he did enforce accountability (like MBO). Just as we learned in class, though, the deadline aspect of MBO (ensuring accountability) is almost unavoidable in measuring any success or failure. Using Attila's tactics, Roberts focuses on TQM and the unavoidable aspects of MBO presents a valid approach to management.

 

“Leaders must attach value to high standards of performance and have no tolerance for the uncommitted” – one of Deming’s 14 points? Likely, but in fact this quotation is one of Attila’s points regarding responsibilities of a chieftain. Again and again he stresses the importance of individual quality performance and commitment. If on the basic, single level, you cannot rely on one person, then your army will not be successful. Consistent commitment and high standards are vital to a thriving organization or an unconquerable army.

 

Even though Attila focuses his fireside chats on how chieftains should act and manage their armies, I think this book can easily be applied to a public relations practitioner (or really any leader).  Each of the sixteen chapters begins with a brief historical story of Attila's, and then follows with ten to twenty bullet point messages.  It's a very easy read, and whether you finish with one or one hundred new strategies, "Leadership Secrets" will give you something to take away.  Relating back to Roberts' "no model" idea supports the reasoning for anyone to read this book -- everyone has their own style, and as Attila would say -- "Leaders must encourage creativity, freedom of action and innovation among their subordinates, so long as these efforts are consistent with the goals of the tribe or nation."  Otherwise, your leadership in an army, an organization, a world, or a public relations department will never change, improve, or grow. And as a public relations student myself, I now have new flair to my PR style – thank you, Attila.

"Managing like a Man," by Judy Wajcman

Reviewed by Staci Dale 

            In Managing like a Man, Judy Wajcman studies gender differences in corporations and why men hold more leadership positions than women. Wajcman determines that the most common personality traits individuals use to define good leadership are those more readily associated with men. Wajcman explores if, in order to succeed and be viewed as more effective leaders, women should adapt their managerial style to that of their male counterparts. Or do individuals need to redefine what makes a good leader?

Wajcman finds that in the 1990s, traditional and “masculine” styles of management were being dropped. In their place, corporations began to adopt collaborative styles of management that were highly modeled off of the Japanese managerial system. Since this softer, people-oriented approach to management seemed more conducive to women, many expected an influx of female leadership positions. However, men continue to dominate positions of power.

Although trends in management change, Wajcman’s studies suggest that individuals prefer traditionally “masculine” styles of leadership. The women who do break into positions of power typically do so by adopting leadership styles associated with men. However, in many cases, such adoption does little to impact a woman’s promotion. Workers interpret identical reactions by men and women managers in different ways. A man is seen as assertive, a woman is bossy. Whereas a woman may be viewed as emotional, a man reacting in the same manner will be described as competitive or passionate.

In addition to individual workers more commonly associating leadership with men, Wajcman also states that the career model as a whole is more aptly suited for males. Wajcman believes married men are seen as an asset to a company, and most men in managerial positions are “family men,” while the opposite is true for women. While a family man is deemed more trustworthy, a company sees no advantage in a mother or wife holding a managerial position.

Another important facet of moving up in corporations is networking within the company itself. Since most managers are men, they are more likely to mentor their younger male employees and help them move up the career ladder. This is not necessarily because all managers are against mentoring women as it may be easier for an older male manager to see a younger version of himself in a new employee and want to guide that young man. As this continues, men are unknowingly passing down valuable leadership advice and guidance almost exclusively within their own gender.

According to Wajcman, an entire male social world exists outside of the work place that helps propel men to higher positions. Although women are not usually overtly excluded from this “boys’ club,” it is apparent that a sports bar is going to be a more comfortable zone for men than most women. Wajcman points out that women as well as men who do not take advantage of such networking opportunities are more likely to lose out on promotions than those who do.

Gender obviously continues to be a defining barrier in the workplace. Through studies and research, Wajcman makes it clear that, fair or not, the individuals of either gender who ascend to top positions are those who are prepared to “take it like a man.”

Wajcman’s discussion of a man’s management style as being less attached and more systematic than women brings to mind Frederick Taylor’s scientific theory, although perhaps not as rigorous. For example, Wajcman’s inclusion of the mentoring aspect of male leadership does showcase that men do adopt some of Mary Parker Follett’s collaborative management- even if it is segregated toward one gender.

Also, Wajcman’s idea that women and men with identical reactions are judged differently, and the understood notion that this is somehow wrong highlights some aspects of Peter Drucker’s management by objective theory. That is, that workers- which would include leaders- should be judged by their results, not their personality. In Wajcman’s ideal world, such a theory being put into practice could help solve the unequal balance of men and women in power.

For those interested in the internal power struggle between men and women in the corporate world, as well as gender relations in general, I would recommend this book. However, I would not recommend this book strictly for public relations students interested in gathering information about effective management. Wajcman’s primary focus is uncovering and analyzing gender relations and stereotypes within the corporate sphere. Beyond that though, she seems to take the “well, if you can’t beat them, join them” approach. Surely there are better solutions for women to ascend to leadership than changing their personas to invoke a more masculine stereotype. Perhaps if she built off her research to explain to male and female leaders how to address and repair this within their own work environment, it would be more of a helpful leadership guide and less of a women’s studies reading assignment.

“Leadership Jazz” by Max De Pree

                        Reviewed by Casey Bridgeman

Leadership Jazz by Max De Pree is a truly inspirational book that begins by examining leadership through a musical metaphor. This was especially catchy to me, as I am a huge music fan. De Pree opens his book by comparing his preferred style of leadership to the operations of a jazz band. He explains that the leader of the band must embody all of the aspects of a servant-leader, allowing his or her band members to shine in their respective areas while also guiding and encouraging the band as a whole. This introduction really sums up the ideas that De Pree presents throughout his book. He stresses over and over again that leadership is very closely tied to being a follower, and that leaders must always be in touch with the ideas and opinions of their followers. He believes that good leaders must exemplify the age-old qualities of a leader (integrity, honesty, accountability, etc.), but he also presents more interesting ideas, such as his supposition that the greatest leaders really are “amateurs.” In explaining his amateur theory, De Pree uses the example of Leonardo da Vinci – a jack-of-all-trades who may or may not have truly been an expert in one field, but whose curiosity and varied sources of knowledge made him a truly remarkable creator and leader.

            De Pree also asserts that leaders must be willing and happy to concede their roles as leaders to subordinates who may have more knowledge than they. He notes that in a society that is always changing and developing, innovation is absolutely key to surviving in this world. Often, leaders can reach new levels of innovation by recognizing the special talents and areas of expertise in their followers, and then deferring to their knowledge. Overall, De Pree stresses this whole idea that leaders must always be open to learning, growing, accepting when they are wrong, and cooperating with their teams. Obviously, leaders must have a vision and a plan, but the success of their implementations is related almost entirely to their level of humility and openness. De Pree’s ideal form of leadership follows a very clear path of personal morals and ethics, where means are much more important than ends and the humanity of all people involved in a corporation or organization is always respected. In fact, De Pree even has a chapter in his book entitled “Where do Ethics and Leadership Intersect?” and the first line of the chapter is “believe me, they do intersect, all the time.” He states that three ideas seem to be at the exact intersection of ethics and leadership, and he identifies these ideas as justice, celibacy (defined not in a sexual way, but rather as making room for things such as stewardship and family), and the common good. It’s no wonder that Peter Drucker is quoted on the cover as saying, “read this slowly. This book is wisdom in action.” This book does not follow a clear plot line, but rather it is a delineation of a philosophy and should be read closely. A large part of understanding this book is tied to taking the time to relate De Pree’s ideas to areas in our own lives and leadership roles.

            Clearly, the ideas in this book are very closely tied to the ideas of Drucker and Management by Objectives. Just as Drucker was a proponent of integrity, honesty, teamwork, and recognition of special skills, De Pree continually points out that these qualities are absolutely essential to effective leadership. I do believe that there is a lot of logic to De Pree’s arguments. I have a hard time imagining trying to be a leader who has no care or concern for the members of my team, and I do believe that a good leader should always be accountable and humble. De Pree is a huge proponent of servant leadership, which is widely believed to be one of the most effective forms of leadership. Obviously, it is unrealistic to think that a manager or CEO of a company will always act with the greatest of character, and I’m sure that De Pree often fell short of his own mark, but the ideal that he sets is certainly an ideal for which to strive.

            I would probably recommend this book to other public relations students, mostly because it does have some very sound ideas and it’s not a very hard book to read. De Pree’s writing style is very understandable while still being interesting and is eloquently executed. He breaks down some somewhat clichéd ideas into new and different approaches. For instance, he takes the old idea that a leader should always be willing to learn and proposes that leaders should actually strive to be amateurs, therefore always being curious, questioning, and open to new growth. I do think that reading this book slowly while taking a lot of notes and reflecting on the ideas that are presented could be very useful to anyone in a leadership position. This book is thought provoking and at the very worst, it is completely harmless. There is, of course, nothing wrong with striving to treat people fairly and respectfully while always working to better yourself and build a solid reputation in your field. Anyone who is drawn to the MBO form of management and seeks to use it in their workplace would benefit especially from De Pree’s expansion on the ideas that are presented by Drucker.