Leadership Sopranos Style: How to Become a More Effective Boss [Hardcover]

Deborrah Himsel (Author), Peter Cairo (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2003

Conflicting loyalties. Terminations. A changing culture. New competitive threats. These phrases describe the challenges facing many of today's most successful businesses. They also describe the challenges facing another profitable organization-television's Soprano family. As the boss of the family, Tony Soprano knows the difficulties of being an effective leader in an environment of change, complexity, and crisis. He has experienced the struggle to find and keep talent. And as for loyalty fuhgetaboutit! When it comes to business, you need more than loyalty if you're gonna avoid swimming with the fishes. Today's environment can leave even the most efficient boss feeling powerless, unable to make decisions or implement them. Tony Soprano knows that if you wanna get things done, you can't continue to lead as you have in the past. Author Debbie Himsel has been exposed to virtually every leadership theory and development methodology. In Leadership Soprano Style, she makes a clear case that Tony Soprano is the Jack Welch of his particular industry-that his management style brilliantly illuminates a NEW set of leadership principles, and that underbosses around the world can learn a great deal from Tony, flaws and all. Himsel shares these principles with readers, using Tony as a catalyst for understanding the leadership tools and techniques that are necessary to whack the competition and win in business. Chapter highlights include:
* Who's the Boss: A Simple, Clear Structure.
* The Strategic Goal Is to Make Money.
* The War for Talent.
* Understanding Your Deeper Need to Kill the Competition.
* Sit-Downs and Other Conflict Management Tools.
* Coaching the Poobahs and the Goombahs.
* Give It to My Face: Receiving Feedback.
* Charisma: More Than a Flashy Tie and a Cheap Cigar.
* If Your Organization Were Part of the Mob.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In an era when good leadership is scarce, the unenlightened should look not to their politicians, teachers, clergy or family members, but to the one and only Tony Soprano, the infamous New Jersey-based Mafioso of the television series that shares his name. Or so says Himsel, a corporate executive specializing in teaching and studying corporate management, who here paints a picture of a leader who, while not particularly law-abiding or conventional, knows how to get the job done. When it comes to the illegal, distasteful line of work Tony is in, Himsel asks readers to look the other way and suspend disbelief in the name of learning effective management techniques: Tony Soprano's illegal deals become diversifying revenue streams in Himsel's hand; stock schemes, housing scams and kickbacks can be seen as ongoing lines of business; and instead of whacking someone, Himsel suggests eliminating the competition. Those who are intrigued by these suggestions will be treated to a well-researched and documented management how-to that does have something new to offer Tony fans and nonfans alike (be sure to check out the Soprano Family Business Plan) and that could, as well, teach MBAs "a thing or two about leadership." While using the typical management buzzwords-networking, strategizing, delegating, executing-that generally lead to the eyes glazing over, Himsel manages to inject some newness into the business-as-usual theorizing that tends to characterize the many tell-don't-show works already out there.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"I will watch The Sopranos with a very different ear and eye from this day forward." -- Lisa Berman, President and CEO, The Picture People, a division of Hallmark

"Leadership Soprano's Style provides terrific analysis and suggestions. [Himsel's] expertise provides real-world ideas that can be easily implemented." -- Link and Learn, February 2004

"Leadership Sopranos Style is a fun book. You will enjoy it. Many of the tips will be helpful to you." -- Ram Charan Author of What the CEO Wants You to Know: How Your Company Really Works Coauthor of the bestselling book Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

"Leadership Sopranos Style is a home run! The author knows business, knows leaders, and knows how to engage her audience." -- Jean-Pierre Decosterd, President/Ceo Foods Division, The Americas Quest International

"This is a unique and brilliant way to look at leadership. -- Stephen H. Rhinesmith, CDR International Author of A Manager’s Guide to Globalization

"What few books on this subject are today—simultaneously accessible, insightful and instructive. A great addition to the literature on leadership." -- Janet Spencer, Ph.D., Partner, Head of International Operations, Mercer Delta Consulting, LLC Coauthor, Executive Teams

Product Details

• Hardcover: 189 pages
• Publisher: Dearborn Trade Publishing; 2nd edition (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 079318150X
• ISBN-13: 978-0793181506
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #669,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Fuhgetabout This Book, January 28, 2004

By 

Jeffrey Greenfield (North Bergen, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leadership Sopranos Style: How to Become a More Effective Boss (Hardcover)

Ms. Himsel has finally written a business book that can be ENJOYED! She has taken a rather boring subject(business)and wrapped it around with an exciting premise. This book is a MUST for anyone who is working today. Who doesn't want to become a better leader? Every leadership point is made very clear with great humor and wit. I especially liked the Charisma and Give it to my face chapters. After reading it I felt I am ready to lead my own business crew! Take my advice and get this book before everyone hears about it. Soon this book will be harder to find than Jimmy Hoffa! Thank you Ms. Himsel for writing a great book!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Informative, January 14, 2004

By 

P. O'Rourke "Patrick T. O'Rourke" (Highlands Ranch, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leadership Sopranos Style: How to Become a More Effective Boss (Hardcover)

At work, I often struggle when I have to confront my staff. I don't like it. Most leadership books would offer me some platitudes, but not this one. Ms. Himsel suggests that we steal a page from Tony Soprano and speak our minds without any B.S. If an employee lets you down, don't mince words and make sure that there are consequences. Ms. Himsel also offers some good advice for structuring interactions away from the workplace and pursuing goals with higher-ups. Using Tony Soprano as a leadership model takes a lot of guts, and it may not work for everyone, but this book gave me some laughs and some ideas.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, December 1, 2003

By 

Brad Lawrence (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leadership Sopranos Style: How to Become a More Effective Boss (Hardcover)

I just picked this up and WOW, what a great read! I bought it because I am a huge fan of the show and liked the twist on serious leadership (I'm a business book junkie). Out of all the leadership books I've read in the past, this ranks right up there with some of the best. It is easy to read thanks to the connection to the Soprano's tv show, and gives some really great tips and lessons to use in everyday life. You won't be disappointed.