Customer Reviews

Executive Thinking: The Dream, the Vision, the Mission Achieved

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As a chiropractor, nutritionist, author, lecturer and parent, I have had to relate to a variety of people--employees, collegues, independent contractors, patients, students and children.

In EXECUTIVE THINKING, Leslie Kossoff has shown the dynamics of my own thinking, the dynamics of these relationships, and most importantly, how to utilize this information.

Anyone alive should read this book. It applies to every aspect of one's life. I cannot recomment it highly enough. Buy it, read it and integrate its principles into all aspects of your life.

Leslie Kossoff has written a coherent, engaging, book that makes the topic of executive thinking of vital interest to practitioners yet accessible to the general public. Businesses, schools, health care, even government services, can be helped by leaders who understand and practice characteristics of executive thinking so carefully and brilliantly explained in this book. I have held top executive positions in my more than 40 years in public education. I have been a principal, a superintendent of schools, a college dean, and a US commissioner of elementary and secondary education in Washington, DC. During the last ten years, I served as a university professor in a doctoral program on educational leadership. I marvel at the grasp of the executive role and its challenges shown in this book. If I had come across it earlier, I would have used it in my courses as required reading.

Remember the old Broadway song, "You gotta have a dream, or how you gonna have a dream come true?" This is the executive version. Author Leslie L. Kossoff maintains that executives must have - and must clearly and enthusiastically articulate - a dream of what a company can be in order to get everyone else in the company excited, aligned and active. As an executive (or as a climber of that ladder), you may find this a pretty reasonable introduction to leadership, though it could also sound fairly simplistic. Kossoff offers a few non-specific examples, either citing news stories or alluding to individual executives, but primarily she tells us how she thinks successful executives should behave. Like the content, the book's tone also is a little reminiscent of a show tune -not too challenging and enjoyable to hum - but its attitude is sincere. We at getAbstract recommend this refresher as a philosophical pep talk that reminds executives how their approach to their jobs affects the realization of their dreams.

If you've a business that seems to have grown like topsy very likely this little book is for you. Have you been told that communication within your firm is a problem? What does it mean and more important what do you do about it? Call a general meeting only to find that with 200 or more employees things it's different than when there were only 15 or 20. Employees no longer know you, worse they may no longer trust you. Or maybe you decide that a better e-mail system can help. I'd laugh but I've been there. If any of this seems familiar Leslie Kosoff's little book should help. I've just ordered a copy for each of our supervisors. I tired of hidden agendas and office politics, maybe we can finally begin to pull this firm in the same direction.

Leslie Kossoff has created a comprehensive guide for executives to achieve success far beyond their expectations. Executive Thinking not only applies to business, it applies to everyday life. We all have dreams, but to convey those dreams to others as vividly as we see them is a real challenge. Self perseverance becomes the dictum. Executive Thinking regenerates one's self assurance that here is a healthly business operations style for executives to ensure success far beyond financial profit.

Leslie Kossoff has made an important contribution to the discussion on corporate leadership. The new economic era is based on a systems understanding of the organization, and it is in this contect that her book addresses the essential issues of conviction, commitment and collaboration. The author makes concrete what could otherwise be seen as "soft" issues concerning trust, alignment and corporate culture. The essence of leadership is in inspiring others to align their visions and aims with those of the organization. It takes a special kind of person to enable that to happen. Executive Thinking is a very helpful and enlightening work in this regard.

Executive Thinking by Leslie Kossoff does something no other management book I've come across does, it not only speaks directly to the process of implementing the changes it advocates, but also the advantages of looking beyond individual functions.

I have lived and worked through MBO, Quality Circles, TQM, and more in my 20 years as a program and project manager and have yet to find a work that does more than give 'lip service' to the need for engaging all staff in the transformation of an organization. As Ms. Kossoff illustrates, it is the job of the CEO to have the dream, but if he does not trust in the talent and instincts of his entire staff, then he should hire new ones, or learn to mine the talents of the ones he has.

Business today is no longer about building a better mousetrap - using slave labor. It's about building new products and services from a 360 degree perspective. Through Executive Thinking, Ms. Kossoff provides a blueprint for building this kind of organization.

With captivating style Leslie Kossoff explains how you can create a successful organization by communicating your dreams and bringing them to life through the process of Executive Thinking. Her ideas are exciting, powerful and inspiring. Beautifully written, Executive Thinking is a "MUST read" for anyone in a management position.

Dream, Vision, Mission: Achieved - Begin to think like an executive with dreams. Organizations exist based on and because of dreams. Dreams of success. Dreams of product or service differentiation. Dreams of creating an enterprise the likes of which have never been known before. In Executive Thinking, the Executive Thinker, rising through the ranks, leads an executive team with ambassadors, working ambassadors and associates, ultimately leaving an executive legacy. A good read.

Executive Thinking is a book that leads us systematically down the successful path of bringing a vision to life. So often executives have what they feel are exciting visions for their companies, but end up frustrated at how long it takes for their employees to "get it." I was impressed with Ms. Kossoff's ability to peer into the minds of the many company stakeholders as they receive the news of and are charged with the implementation of the executive vision for the company. She helps the executive anticipate the audience and prepare for the "coming out" of the vision to the organization. Kossoff's insights guide the reader through the many stages of dream, ready, set, go realities of bringing a vision to life.