Customer Reviews

Making Horses Drink: How to Lead & Succeed in Business

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By now I have become convinced that motivation is self-generated but it is possible to inspire others. That is, to help them to motivate themselves. That is precisely what the most effective military, political, and religious leaders have done throughout history. One of the keys is appealing to what is generally described as "enlightened self-interest." With all due respect to charismatic leaders, those who are inspired to follow generally do so for reasons of their own. Hiam seems to have this in mind as he explains "how to lead and succeed in business." Obviously, the core concept in this book is based on the aphorism that "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." A corollary to that would be something to the effect that thirst -- rather than threat -- is essential to the consumption of whatever "water" may be offered. At the risk of mixing metaphors, I am convinced that those who are "hungriest" to achieve whatever the goal may be generally succeed.

In the Introduction, Hiam explains that a stable represents a lot of potential energy that isn't much use to anyone until its harnessed to some worthwhile goal and encouraged to work under good leadership." He goes on to suggest the same is true of organizations. They may have a great bunch of people on the payroll, a winning `stable' if you will. But without the right touch on the reins, the business produces little more than a stable full of horses. (In fact, like a stable, it actually consumes [italics] in its resting state. Anything it produces is waste product, to put it politely.)"

He then carefully organizes his excellent material within ten chapters which comprise two "Books. The first is "A Leadership Fable: The Horse Who Wouldn't Drink"; the second is "Horse Sense: Tips and Techniques for Managers." Each of the ten chapters corresponds to a core principle that Hiam believes all highly successful leaders apply. Moreover, each "is an important element of winning any horse race you wish your organization to enter. While they may seem like common sense, knowing when and how to apply each is a challenge."

It would be a disservice to Hiam as well as to those who read this review for me to list the ten. Each must be carefully considered in the context within which Hiam discusses it. He begins each chapter with a boxed observation. For example:

"Make sure the horse wants to win the race too." (Chapter 1)

"It is important to explore together. The best rides are often on unfamiliar trails." (Chapter 5)

"Encourage your horse to believe it is a winner. It won't run its hardest until it does." (Chapter 8)

I also appreciate the inclusion of a Checklist at the end of each chapter which highlights tips and techniques which will be most helpful during the process of applying the given principle. For those who are "thirsty" and "hungry" to become a more effective leader or to become a more productive member within their own "stable," Hiam's book is must reading.

Making Horses Drink starts with an interesting story of a boy and the family work horse. This horse is hard working, but he works in his own way, at his own pace, in this own time. Only when the boy learns to work in conjunction with the horses style do they reach their potential.

The story is a parable of managing knowledge workers. After you get past comparing knowledge workers to horses you will find Making Horses Drink intriguing. After the story Making Horses Drink explores 10 areas that influence a knowledge works work. Each topic gets a chapter and each chapter covers the main theme with an assortment of inspirational stories, intriguing practices, and thought provoking quotes.

The 10 areas covering knowledge worker effectiveness where crafted from surveys and are listed below:

Commitment
Communications
Leader's Personal Perspective
Supervision
Innovation
The workplace
Transitions
Encouragement
Decision Making
Development

Some of topics that I found the most interesting within Making Horses Drink were developing a credo, the profit/success rule, planning vs. action, free thinking and the use of crawford (routing) slip. These are topics that really stood out and had an immediate impact on my thinking. One are likely to have a different list, but this book is a quick read and bound to influence your thinking.

Alex has a tradition of turning issues that frustrate into workable solutions. In MAKING HORSES DRINK, Alex takes his readers through 239 pages of non-stop information and practical approaches to familiar issues manager's face. He refocuses the reader time and again to positive solutions and motivating ideas. If you pick up this book, you will not put it down! MAKING HORSES DRINK provides great insights and workable solutions for (among other things) inspiring employees, setting reachable standards, communicating vision, learning about leadership from employees, releasing stress to lead calmly and how to deliver praise and negative feedback. In the end, you will be a better manager with an even more positive approach and management style: a true Leader. If reading the book motivates you, pick up the telephone and call Alex! He is as approachable as the ideas presented in this and all his books.

People are the single most important asset in every organization. 'Rugged individualism' kick started America into a self-sufficient economic engine...as it does today for many startup enterprises. But, 'rugged individualism' works effectively only for very small and very compact enterprises with relatively simple goals and benevolent, parent-like leaders. Complex projects require the psychological 'buy-in' of a diverse set of real people, each with his or her own life agenda. The undeniable truth is that people working together is a good thing...yet most workers harbor hidden dissatisfaction with their employers. It's an age old problem and there is no easy solution. Alex Hiam's book offers an approach that may have substantial impact on turning the situation. Making Horses Drink perhaps might have been more appropriately titled, Helping Horses Drink. Underlying Hiam's approach is the recognition that people can't be cobbled together into a well-oiled machine without their explicit permission. This book is all about how to earn enduring explicit permission.

Making Horses Drink: How To Lead And Succeed In Business by Alex Hiam (CEO of the corporate training firm Alex Hiam & Associates) offers the reader a wealth of innovative and practical advice specifically intended for business leaders in charge of fostering a productive and organized workplace. An informed and informative collection of anecdotes, quotable quotes, tips, tricks, techniques, and a great deal more make Making Horses Drink essential reading for business leaders and managers from small family owned businesses to the large international corporate conglomerates.

While other people waste their time worrying abouth their cheese, Hiam gives useful advice on motivating employees and helping to make businesses successful.
This is a must for anyone who wants to lead and manage employees.