Movies to Manage By [Paperback]

John Clemens (Author), Melora Wolff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 1999

"A tasty confection that is both fun to read and though-provoking. Clemens and Wolff have crafted and engaging book that illustrates the entire gamut of good and bad leadership behavior. I recommend it especially to young managers who are growing into or aspiring to leadership roles." -- George R. Stephan, Former Chairman Kollmorger Corporation "Readers of this book should be allowed to go to the movies on company time. The flicks take on a whole new meaning." -- Roy Rowan, Author of The Intuitive Manager Movies do more than just entertain. A good film can also teach. Charles Foster Kane, the tragic protagonist of Citizen Kane, is the perfect example of how hoarding power can lead to chaos in business and personal matters. Dead Poet Society's John Keating is the archetype of the employee who has affected change downward but has not solicited the support of superiors who may later stonewall other projects. And Norma Rae (in the movie of the same name), a seemingly powerless factory worker, shakes up the plant's male-dominated management and becomes the company's most influential leader. In this entertaining and instructive book, you will discover that film is indeed an untapped source of leadership wisdom for businesses, large and small. You will see your own organization--as well as your own management and leadership challenges--mirrored here in the examination and analysis of nine compelling and highly accessible film narratives. John K. Clemens, professor of management at Hartwick College, is the founder and executive director of the Hartwick Humanities in Management Institute, an organization that conducts leadership seminars for emerging leaders in Fortune 500 companies. He is also the coauthor of The Classic Touch: Lessons in Leadership from Homer to Hemingway. Melora Wolff is an essayist, poet, and playwright who teaches workshops and seminars in film, literature, and creative writing. She is the writing consultant for the Hartwick Humanities in Management Institute.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John K. Clemens is the founder and executive director of the Hartwick Humanities in Management Institute, where Melora Wolff is the writing consultant.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill (October 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809227967
• ISBN-13: 978-0809227969
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #542,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Insights from the Silver Screen February 29, 2000

By Robert Morris HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

What a terrific concept! Select a number of movies and then analyze what they reveal about "lessons in leadership." Specifically, here are the themes:

"Following Your Hunch" (The Hunt for Red October)

The Importance of Improvisation (Apollo 13)

The Failed Promise of Heroic Leadership (Dead Poets Society)

Turning Around a Faltering Team (Hoosiers)

Socratic Leadership (12 Angry Men)

Turning Around a Troubled Organization (Twelve O'Clock High)

When Leadership Fails (Citizen Kane)

Morality and Leadership (Wall Street)

This is a book which I wish I had written. The authors are to be commended, first for thinking about writing such a book and then for doing it. The result is a brilliant piece of work. The writing style has snap, crackle, and pop. The insights are of great value as we are helped to correlate the circumstances in each movie with the daily circumstances in which most of us are obliged to function each day.

After you read this book, you will perhaps think of other movies which also could have been discussed by the authors. For me (what great fun!), I would nominate Paths of Glory, Zulu, Executive Suite, Command Decision, Tunes of Glory, Braveheart, Jeremiah Johnson, Pork Chop Hill, Pale Rider, and Patton.

If you are a movie buff, if you are looking for a great read, and if you agree with me that much of value can be learned about leadership from the movies, obtain a copy of this book ASAP.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful guide for those that don't get much outside training October 27, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

In preparing for an annual management seminar that I was leading, someone suggested this book. It was a great help in being able to illustrate easily some useful take away management points for my group. Showing film clips as part of the day's events was a great way to break up the monotony and I found the participants sat up and listened to each segment, obviously interested. I would recommend this book for those who don't work for large companies who are always sending you outside for training. The book gives you all the items for you to do it yourself!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but Shallow December 18, 2008

By William A. Frey

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you've never thought of connecting movies to management, this might be a good start. But it lacks both depth and breadth. I kept thinking of all the other movies the author missed.