Customer Reviews

Inspiring Excellence

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4 star:		(5)
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Schutzler's writing style, combined with his experience in growing companies and leading organizations, makes for a fun, informative and well-written read. So why did Inspiring Excellence take me over 3 months to read!?!? I found Schutzler's accounts, examples and insights so helpful, that I felt it necessary to immediately act on his suggestions. I made it through Chapter 4 (Listening), when I realized just what I wasn't doing in my own day-to-day work practices. And it wasn't just listening. I found myself taking time to act on insights from numerous other chapters, especially Chapter 7 (Assessing People) and Chapter 11 (Harnessing Ambition). It's an experience book, and is truly useful if you actually apply some of Schutzler's experiences and learnings to your own leadership situations. And clearly, it's served as a reference point for me, as I continue to refer back to ear-marked pages. A great read and recommended for those leaders who want to take action and improve on their abilities.

I've read a number of management science/behavior books (many!) and I found Schutzler's book to be a useful, refreshing and insightful read. He captures aspects of leadership in a clear and direct voice, and he uses great real-life vignettes to make his points in a fun and easily understandable way. This is a quick read, and unlike so many of the business books I start, I finished this one, and with a smile on my face. I recommend it to any business professional looking to refine his or her style of leadership.
Jeff Seely
CEO, Recruiting.com

Much has been written about the difference between good managers and great leaders, including on the debate as to whether leadership can indeed be learned. Michael Schutzler provides a detailed and yet concise roadmap on the topic, one that would benefit anyone committed to making the transition from a good manager to a great leader (and even leaders dedicated to further honing their skills). Michael makes a convincing case that one can indeed learn to lead -- at least those committed to do the work.

I've found most leadership gurus' writing on the topic to be either too theoretical or, frankly, too verbose. This book is unique in that it reduces the art of leadership to several key elements with bite-sized and manageable concepts that one can easily use to practice his/her skills. While there's no implication that the path is easy, there's plenty of meaningful material to offer even the most seasoned executive the opportunity to grow and improve their leadership skills (e.g., by something as simple as practicing the art of effective listening). These opportunities are referenced in a writing style that's clear, simple and targeted. Michael Schutzler provides many real life examples to which the reader can relate, avoiding the academia that plagues so many books on the topic.

If every executive made a commitment to utilize even one or two of the practical concepts suggested by this book, at a minimum we'd benefit from a far more functional (and respectful) workplace. I suspect we'd also substantially improve productivity and the likelihood of successful execution of a business plan.

Love this quote in Schutzler's chapter on Reaching Consensus: "The instant you speak, two-thirds of your team stops thinking". Full disclosure: I worked with Michael at a public company and he was an adviser to two start-ups I worked at. He walks his talk and his book is based on his real-world experiences transforming companies.

The book is brief and to the point so you can spend more time putting his advice into action.

Twitter: @knakao

Michael Schutzler makes a strong case for the pivotal role of relationship in the development of leadership skills. "Leadership is a human endeavor. It is a relationship in which you inspire others to make a sustained effort toward a common goal." Research supports his assertion that "....how you interact with your team, your partners, and your sponsors is more important than your expertise or even your results." As someone who coaches abrasive leaders, I've seen them derailed over and over again because they lack the insight provided in Schutzler's book.

Laura Crawshaw, Ph.D.
The Boss Whisperer®

You'll come away from Inspiring Excellence with not only the knowledge but solid tools to define and hone your leadership skill set: listening, negotiating, and assessing people - it's all here in concise language and with wonderful examples. Upon finishing Inspiring Excellence I immediately flipped back to page one and started to reread to better set its valuable information in my mind. And, besides, it's a fun read - how many great business books make you smile and laugh out loud? Don't miss this one.

Inspiring Excellence may seem like something only born leaders can achieve, but Michael lays out simple to follow steps that make it something anyone can do. At first glance much of his guidance may seem overly simple, in fact, but that's part of the beauty of it.

While most decent management books have a few gems of good information surrounded by bloat to beef up the page count, Inspiring Excellence has dozens of specific, actionable instructions communicated extremely efficiently. You'll read it in a day but carry it's inspiration with you for a lifetime.

Every once in while a great book on leadership comes along... Add this one to the shelf of "must read" timeless classics. The author is not a professor or a Fortune 500 CEO. He is a successful executive who has been there and done it. He has been through the trenches and up the ladder. First time managers, CEO's of billion dollar companies and everyone in between should buy this book. You can become a better manager and... you can become someone who people respect and want to emulate personally and professionally.

This book might be small but it packed a big punch for me. These are crucial business lessons in plain language that are very accessible and truly frame the leadership challenge in a new light. It is clear Michael has had a lot of related experience and he translates it well into easy to understand stories from his past that entertain, instruct and help drive home his concise keys to leadership success.

My copy is displayed proudly in the office and I head back to key sections for a reminder on a regular basis - consider me inspired!

Inspiring Excellence should be required reading for anyone who manages people, whether in the private or public sector. This is not an academic tome. No. Michael Schutzler writes in a conversational tone. It is easy to digest and has a global perspective which reflects the writer's own breadth of personal experience. The lessons are practical and meant for real-world application. Yet, the advice is universal in nature, as Schutzler deconstructs the elements it takes to lead people, from 1 to 100,000.