Customer Reviews

McKinsey's Marvin Bower: Vision, Leadership, and the Creation of Management Consulting

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having spent the past 20 years in consulting, I've read alot of business books and always buy a new book with the expressed purpose of learning something new. McKinsey's Marvin Bower did not disappoint. Although I bought it to read about Marvin Bower, the myth, I learned much more about Marvin Bower the man and his impact on principles I had been practicing throughout my career, and without knowing why. This book provides the fundamental lessons on how to do it right -- from creating values that guide an organization to placing customer and client interests first. To me, McKinsey was a side bar, the real story is about Marvin Bower and his impact on 20th century business. As such, it's a must read for everyone and anyone interested in "getting it right" regardless of their profession.

This is a truly outstanding book. It is very well-written and thoroughly presents the principles and experiences that made Marvin Bower one of the giants of management consulting. Even with 30 years experience in management consulting, I learned a great deal about client relationships and other aspects of consulting. Marvin Bower was truly a remarkable leader. For skills and ethics in management consulting, he rates at the top.

The only negative about the book is that it's not balanced. No one is perfect- not even Mr. Bower or McKinsey- as the author might have you believe. And I don't think Mr. Bower was quite the non-autocratic and non-hierarchical leader as the author and others have asserted. Firing a partner because he was doing work for one client that didn't deal with "major problems;" firing an associate and ordering him to leave the firm and building in 30 minutes for a lapse in judgement (albeit a significant one); and putting the fear of God in associates if they were seen having a social rather than a business lunch or if they wore argyle socks sounds pretty autocratic to me. Even if he encouraged dissent in staff discussions.

Also, I don't agree that Mr. Bower was the founder of professional management consulting. I believe Ed Booz of Booz, Allen and Hamilton was. Of course, as a former Booz Allen partner, I may be biased.

Notwithstanding the above criticisms, this is one of the best books I've ever read.

A compelling portrait of a leader who seemed to find just the right combination for success - creating value for clients, unwavering integrity, leading from the front, selflessness in the interest of the business' sustainability, consistency of vision and personal actions and continuous communication with and interest in his people. Bower's vision, values and approach shaped a generation of successful leaders.

This book leaves you thinking about how you can be a better leader and wishing that you'd been fortunate enough to work for Marvin Bower. In an age of corporate scandals, it's refreshing and inspiring to read about a greatly successful leader with true integrity and how that integrity was an integral part of his success.

Marvin Bower may be the most influential businessman you've never heard of. The firm he shaped into an international powerhouse, McKinsey & Company, doesn't bear his name, and he never made splashy public gifts. Yet the company that spawned the management consulting industry would not exist today without this remarkable man's clear, compelling vision. Bower or his consultants transformed countless companies and executives for the better. Here, author Elizabeth Haas Edersheim assembles dozens of testimonials to Marvin Bower's integrity, honesty and drive to excel. Her book contains the story of his life, but it reads less like a biography and more like a Harvard Business School case study - a bit dry, and chock-full of interview transcripts rather than compelling narrative. However, its similarity to a case study is oddly appropriate, since Bower was one of the first graduates of the Harvard Business School and remained connected with it for many years, even defending its case study method of teaching when it came under attack in the late 1970s. We recommend this book to leaders, to those who aspire to lead and to consultants who want to study the best of their profession in action.

Elizabeth Haas Edersheim holds a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and worked at McKinsey & Company from 1979 to 1988. She is now strategic advisor to a number of Fortune 500 companies. The late Marvin Bower is seen as the creator/inventor of management consulting. I see this book, which was published in 2004, as a semi-autobiography. It is split up in two parts, whereby the first part - Translating a Vision into Reality - discusses the creation and development of McKinsey & Company and the second part - A Leader's Leader - discusses the impact of Bower on others.

The first chapter - Marvin Bower - discusses is a short summary on the working life of Marvin Bower, who was born in Cleveland in 1903 and died at the age of in January 2003. During his lifetime worked for a total of 59 years at McKinsey & Company, which he almost personally transformed from "a nearly defunct accounting and engineering firm into a preeminent adviser to senior executives throughout business and, on occasion, government". His most remarkable distinction was his dedication to value and his personal integrity, which is a common theme throughout the book. Bower was the first person to graduate from Harvard Law School (1928) and later Harvard Business School (1930). The short second chapter - The Vision - discusses Bower's vision of and passion for management consulting which began during his career as a lawyer at Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue between 1930 and 1933. His vision and values led the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Co., which was formed by James O. McKinsey, from a staff of 18 in 1933 to 2,500 by the time of his retirement in 1992. The third chapter - The Profession and the Institution - discusses the profession of management consulting and the institution (McKinsey & Co.). Bower conceived his vision of the institution as one firm with: a national presence; a strong firm personality; high-caliber, talented, and committed people; aversion to complacency; and regenerating leadership. Each is discussed in detail. "And - except for its personnel - a good reputation is a professional firm's most valuable earning asset." The fourth and final chapter of the first part - Defining Moments of Leadership and Influence - discusses the nine points of key decision making spanning a 60-year period. Each of these nine points is discussed in detail, they range from the decision to go for a one-firm identity nationally in 1939 through to the objection to a joint venture with venture capital firm DLJ on 1969.

Chapter 5 - The Bower Reach - starts the weaker second part of the book. This chapter discusses the power and reach of Marvin Bower's leadership, which is truly astounding. During Bower's 17 years as managing director of McKinsey, more than 50 of the consultants evolved into CEOs of leading global companies. The author identifies 6 attributes responsible for his rich legacy of leadership. One of the most useful parts of this chapter is Bower's 1950-memorandum titled "Steps in Making and Executing Decisions", which essentially discusses McKinsey's famous problem-solving model (for more, read Ethan Rasiel's The McKinsey Mind). Chapter 6 - Inspiring Organizational Courage - discusses the fact that Bower was not reckless, but fearless. "Not all clients were willing or able to muster the courage required to make bold moves; others were put off by Marvin's bluntness." This courage is discussed through case examples at Royal Dutch Shell (1956), Price Waterhouse (1979), and Harvard (1979). Chapter 7 - Educating a Generation of Leaders - discusses some examples from the list of graduates from the "Marvin School". It discusses in detail the careers of Harvey Golub (ex-Chairman of American Express), Gary MacDougal (leader of the Illinois welfare system reform), David Ogilvy (founder and ex-Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather), and Don Gogal (president and CEO of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc.). There are some short, but impressive, CVs from other McKinsey alumni. The book is concluded with a note by the author, timelines for Marvin Bower, McKinsey & Co. and Harvard Business School, a brief biography of Marvin Bower, and Marvin Bower's speech at the Partners' Conference of 1964.

I must admit that I am somewhat disappointed by this book. It starts of strong in the first part, but loses strength very much in the second part. Even so, we must acknowledge that Marvin Bower's work has left an enormous impact on business and the world. He was the visionary who created and developed management consulting through McKinsey & Company. I believe that the strongest part of his leadership was his principles and values, which are discussed in great detail in the first part of the book. I must admit that I expected more detail on McKinsey & Company itself, such as the problem-solving techniques, internal training, and recruitment of the strongest talent in the world. One other comment I have is that I am now quite interested in Marvin Bower's personal memoirs to which the author makes lots of references. I have been quite hard and given this book 3 stars (4 stars for the first part and 3 for the second part) just to indicate my disappointment. I recommend readers to read the first part of the book, the author's note and appendices.

very entertaining, i couldn't put down the book, so I read it in one or two days.
The book is divided into two parts: first is marvin's biography, the second discussess his impacts on others.

You'll enjoy this book, if:
- you want to understand from where came Mckinsey's requirements for candidates
- you are curious, how mckinsey gained current face (e.g. from where came his 'unified principles accross all country', why do they select the best candidates, why it is a company based on partnership, rather then shareholders; etc.)

The reader can follow marvin's thinking, see how his decisions are based on facts. I learned a lot purely by reading his speech from a meeting of partners (included in the appendix in the book).

That being said, a couple of chapters from the second part seemed boring (resumes of leaders who worked with him; or business stories of these leaders), so I just didn't read them. The book was still very valuable.

Also check out his book, written by him closely before his death, "will to lead".

This is one of the best business history books I have read in years. Elizabeth Haas Edersheim lucidly and delightfully details the vision, values, and leadership techniques of Marvin Bower, the creator of management consulting. Using anecdotes from interviews with prominent business leaders whom he influenced, she illustrates the importance of integrity, communication and responsible business fundamentals -- values which were 'in absentia' during the scandals of the booming '90's. There's a lot to learn here and a lot of fun to be had doing it. This book is a must read.

This book tells the story - atleast it tries to - of one of the most influential persons in business management, and hence its something worth reading. But on the otherhand, its not a great book from the style of writing - it doesn't really tell a good story and the over-riding focus on integrity - given the more than few recent episodes - I am tempted to say, its not a very balanced piece of work.

But I certainly recommend this book - despite giving it just 3 stars - gives us an insight into this influential person and his life. It provides some great ideas - valid even today on developing and living a concept - in this case - Management Consulting. And well, also shows the importance of being at the right place at the right time and having the presence of mind to realise the same!!

I will still wait for a better written book on the life of Marvin and McKinsey sometime in the future!

I never thought I would end up in business, but did. thought the book was a great look into the history of a firm. It has helped me review some of my own decisions and better understand them - what I did right instinctively and where there might be some opportunity to rethink things.

I enjoyed reading about the founder and found the lessons practical to what I am doing today.

This book documents one of the most successful and influential individuals in the business world. Full of case studies and examples, there are lessons here that apply to any business at any size.