Harvard Business School Confidential: Secrets of Success [Paperback]

Emily Chan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0470822392 | ISBN-13: 978-0470822395 | Edition: 1

Harvard Business School is the iconic business school. An admission ticket to HBS is a hot commodity and an HBS degree is highly respected in the business world.  This book, written by an HBS grad and seasoned businesswoman, tells you why. It is a distillation of the most valuable and pragmatic but yet easiest to learn concepts taught at HBS.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Inspiring and very well put together…purely business-focused with each fundamental concept explained in a logical, clear way.' (CPO Agenda, March 2011).

From the Inside Flap

For almost a century, Harvard Business School (HBS) has educated generations of leaders who have shaped and honed the practice of business in every industry and in every country around the world. HBS is the iconic business school and an HBS degree is highly respected in the business world. This book, written by Emily Chan, an HBS graduate and seasoned businesswoman, tells you why. It is a distillation of the most valuable and pragmatic concepts taught at HBS.

Harvard Business School Confidential articulates the most invaluable and yet the easiest to learn concepts taught at HBS. It is useful for those who are interested in business, but do not plant to go to HBS; they can learn and use these teachings without ever setting foot on campus. For those planning on an HBS degree, this book can give them a head-start.

Harvard Business School Confidential details the best of what HBS has to offer and unveils the secrets to success taught inside the ivy tower.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470822392
• ISBN-13: 978-0470822395
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #628,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK but does what many other similar books do just as well., February 10, 2010

By 

Ripple (uk) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harvard Business School Confidential: Secrets of Success (Paperback)

Harvard Business School has an almost unrivalled reputation for schooling some of the greatest business leaders. Former graduate, Emily Chan, who went on to work for leading management consultancy Boston Consulting Group and who is now a director in a family direct investment business in Hong Kong, promises to offer the secrets she learnt there. Does she succeed?

There's arguably a timing issue in a book of this nature. With the current global economic problems, it's perhaps not the best time to be championing the lessons taught in the bastion of Western business education that counts many of the bankers, politicians and business leaders that have caused the problems amongst its illustrious alumni.

But while the book is clearly written and logically well layed out, I couldn't help but be somewhat underwhelmed by this book. The business publishing sector is incredibly crowded and does this book add anything not available elsewhere (in management speak, is there anything that `differentiates' this book)? I'm not so sure.

The book breaches one management issue that she ignores, namely `'don't over-promise and under-deliver'`. There's not much that's confidentially Harvard. Set out into three main themes of Personal, Operations and Strategy, she gives a whistle stop tour of things she's either learned at Harvard, picked up at Boston Consulting and read in the Harvard Business Review. In only one chapter does she offer comment from the Module Notes provided to students - which is interesting - but much of the content is not specifically Harvard, nor confidential. I studied a large part of the strategy content at high school, let alone at business school. Of course, that doesn't make it wrong, but my question is, what is she adding (or in business speak again, where's the `added value'?)

It's a little like sitting in a PowerPoint presentation of key management areas. Ms Chan is a process driven person (not surprisingly as she is an engineering graduate by training) and that's her focus. But there's a `soft' side to management that is largely ignored here. All these areas are widely taught - and certainly not specific to Harvard. Rather worryingly, the one bit that was new to me in her book made little sense until I looked it up in another text book. I suspect that, for the most part though, her thoughts are pretty clear to someone new to the subject.

The truth, which to be fair she acknowledges, is that the true value of Harvard is not so much in what is taught, but in the people you meet while spending two years there. You are going to be set up with contacts for life. But there's no short cut for that in reading a book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A starters guide for all professionals, September 5, 2009

By 

Hayden - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harvard Business School Confidential: Secrets of Success (Paperback)

It was by coincidence that I got onto this book. It was actually one of my analysts that referred it to me and suggested that I make it mandatory reading for my staff. I have subsequently bought 30 of these books and gave it to my staff. They love it and now suggest that I replace our training manual with contents from this book.

I run a boutique consulting firm and the tools and training in this book are critical training material for my staffs. For me, it was refreshing and exceptionally clear because of the clarity of the writing and how the author structures the issues and uses exhibits for readers to understand.

I wished that I had access to this book 20 years ago when I started out in the finance and consulting world. The book not only shares essential tools for anyone starting in the business world, it also offers unbiased and macro perspectives on how to think about business, finance, and money.

All in all, a two thumbs up from me! This is a must read starters guide for all business professionals!

Hayden

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than HBS's Secrets of Success, July 22, 2009

By 

Lawrence Y. L. Chan (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harvard Business School Confidential: Secrets of Success (Paperback)

I feel that Harvard Business School ("HBS") Confidential is a concise and practical guidebook in relation to secrets of success in business, the ingredients of which are collectively made up of the author's knowledge, work experience and expertise gained from HBS, Boston Consulting Group, her entrepreneurial careers and her personal life. The secrets of success cover three major areas: personal aspects, operations (including process management, human resources, marketing, sales and finance) and business strategy. However, it is not a HBS textbook. You may explore further any area of your interest on your own and the author is nice to help and give advice.

I believe that the author's work experience in consulting has given her extensive industry and operations exposure. In essence, the confidentials given in the book are more than those acquired from HBS, which bodes well for readers.

On business strategy front, I do agree that planning is of paramount importance. The construction of a story or a big picture for the prospects of a company or a market calls for frameworks, data, logic, and time lines, which are about getting to details. Details are critical for an effective strategy and strategy planning process.

In the final chapter, the author shares with us some quotes she has heard several times during her HBS days, which both she and I considered extremely inspiring and pragmatic for our personal lives and careers. The essence of those quotes primarily encompasses the following:

(i) Get your plan right at the outset;

(ii) Always on high alert armed with a backup plan;

(iii) Embrace change and keep your eyes open for inefficiency, ineffectiveness, market changes or new technologies that indicate change is necessary. I consider that it is also crucial to recognize patterns and crystallize trends, in particular paradigm shift;

(iv) Be passionate about your work, which will enhance your odds of success; and

(v) Be determined to succeed. Perseverance, stamina and courage are essential elements in the pursuit of your ambitions.

The book is quite rightly sized and handy. You don't need to have strong business background to comprehend it. Perhaps, senior business executives may not be satisfied as they may already know more than half of what the book reveals. However, I consider from a strategic perspective that the book offers visionary business leaders and corporate strategists a holistic approach to the long term development and growth of a corporation. While I am an experienced investment professional and found it easy to read and understand, it will form part of my personal collection of interesting and inspiring business books.