Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership [Paperback]

James A. Autry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1992

In business, it is no longer necessary to sacrifice integrity and peace of mind in favor of profits. Successful Fortune 500 executive James A. Autry effectively explodes the myth that "nice guys finish last" in what is perhaps the most practical, honest and humane management book ever written -- an indispensable handbook that explores every aspect of the fine art of creative and caring leadership. A unique primer for business in the '90s, Love and Profit offers clear, direct and compassionate guidance, dealing situation by situation with the most difficult decisions every manager must inevitably face -- from motivating high achievers to letting nonproductive employees go. A rare and innovative work, it will enable you to manage brilliantly and profitably during the day ... and sleep well at night.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Composed of refreshingly jargon-free short essays and poetry, Autry's management primer promotes the integration of work and life and the adoption of egalitarian business practices.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

"Management is, in fact, a sacred trust in which the well-being of other people is put in your care during most of their waking hours." Autry, the president of Meredith Corporation's magazine group, believes this, and as a result looks at management in a slightly different way from many management theorists. In a series of brief chapters, he examines how a caring manager might handle a wide variety of situations most managers face. Following many of these chapters are poems that in a truly remarkable way tell vignettes to help explain what the chapter was about. This is highly recommended for business how-to collections.
- Mi chael D. Kathman, St. John's Univ., Collegeville, Minn.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380717492
• ISBN-13: 978-0380717491
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Managers!, November 20, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership (Paperback)

In his book Love & Profit, the Art of Caring Leadership, James A. Autry contributes yet another perspective to the role of the manager. Many current books on management deal with the time issue, and how proper time management can increase productivity. Other top sellers deal with the effective habits that successful managers of leading companies share. Mr. Autry's book is especially attractive because it is different. Rather than focusing on the manager and his habits, this book focuses on the relationships that the manager maintains with his employees. A brief review of this text along with a critical analysis of its content will provide convincing evidence that this book should be on the "must read" list for all current and perspective managers. The text is divided into five sections. The first is entitled "Work and Life: Business and Relationships." In this section Mr Autry opens his book by refuting an age old adage from the military "Nobody gets special treatment around here."(Autry 23) From Mr. Autry's point of view this is in direct opposition of what really happens in the workplace. Special treatment is actually given all the time, and if we are realistic about what management should be like in today's business world, managers will focus on the flexibility needed to accommodate the special exceptions that keep employee's happy, contributory and productive. Also in this first section Autry takes on several topics that are of great concern to managers today and gives his own interpersonal relationship point of view. In his chapter "Sexual harassment", Autry notes how from his own experience he greeted a women who he hadn't seen in a while that openly gave him "a warm and exuberant hug"(52) when they met. He states that in this case the woman was someone that he had hired and had been somewhat of a mentor to. Hugging this woman "was important and appropriate", while he could "name fifty other people [that he had worked with on a similar level] with whom the hug woul

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A most humane perspective on the science of management., January 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership (Paperback)

Like most middle managers, I sometimes feed compelled to read a management tome from time to time. Love and Profit is different! It proves that a financially successful company does not necessarily have an inverse relationship to one that is humane. Autry writes in short segments, usually of an anecdote from his career, and then analyzes it from a business perspective. There are a lot of Aha! moments in this book. This book shows us how we should treat others in all situations - which makes it all the more exceptional as a business book. The only reason there is a 9 in my rating is the poetry

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent management guide!, August 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership (Paperback)

James Autry takes us right down to the fundemental source of good management and successful relationships: a deep and abiding respect for the people that we share our work and our lives with. A corporate culture is something that we create, one person at a time not some "evil other" that demands that we abandon our principles and our humanity.