Customer Reviews

Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Once and a while there is a Top Dog book---look at "Who says Elephants Can't Dance"? that is a must read. This one isn't. For all his protestations of humility, the reader learns that his lawyer is from Sidley and Austin and that he likes oysters from the Park Avenue Cafe. Amid all the name dropping there is some good but unexceptional advice: read widely, not just the WSJ; be nice to people because you never know where they will end up; understand that technology is not a substitute for clear thinking and good writing; make sure your network is not so big that it overwhelms you. The best advice is perhaps inadvertent(or maybe he is still mad when his big company got taken over by an even bigger company and he was not treated right---now there is a real book in that story) and deals with what a person should do when he is tossed from an employer: "Often people say they want to strike out:"I want to get Company X". This is a big mistake. Company X does not care about you so why should you care about them." True enough.

If you have ever wished that you could sit down for dinner with a star from the business world and pick their brain, then you will thoroughly enjoy Robert Dilenschneider's latest book. For less money and less time than a dinner in NYC, readers will get the benefit of the accumulated wisdom of someone who has been a very successful businessman and has worked side-by-side with many of the captains of the business world.

This is a quick read book due to its length and the conversational tone in which the author converses as if over dinner. Although organized around some key principles, I believe the strength of the book is not some rigorous analytical framework but instead some key points that the author succinctly makes and that are powerful takeaways. Specifically,

Dilenschneider's book is a "must read" for anyone finding themselves experiencing a fall from power - an experience the author correctly notes is more likely than ever to happen because of the propensity for rapid turnover of executives. The author experienced such a fall and is rightly proud of the fact that he bounced back (although one senses some still lingering resentment over that episode).

The book is also a must read for aging executives who may be "fighting" change, rather than embracing it as Dilenschneider so strongly urges.

It should be a must read for the many for whom courtesy, personal respect, and the like have become such an anathema. But, I doubt it will be read by this group for the books message will likely not resonate well with those pursuing a life focused exclusively on instant personal gratification.

The greatest value in the book lies in the authors appeal that those with power use it for constructive purposes. Amen! As such, this is a perfect companion book to Robert Green's excellent analysis of the sources of power in his fine book, The 48 Laws of Power.

I wish I could be more optimistic that the world Dilenschneider advocates was closer to being at hand. A world where change is embraced but "old fashioned" values continue to be the norm. The author has done his part to appeal for such a world. The challenge is for more of us to do our part.

Whether you are in top management or in the rank and file, whether you are just starting in your career or a student, this book is a must read. It deals with all the challenges we face .. email, voice mail, text messaging, internet, blogging, and the like. And Robert Dilenschneider offers advice on how to manage all these forms of communication while advancing yourself in reaching your goals and objectives. This book provides examples of situations we all face, and gives us solutions that will work no matter what the age of the reader. I have read many of Bob Dilenschneider's books, and this could indeed be the best yet.

Abraham Lincoln said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Robert L. Dilenschneider is a man of power who also shows true strength of character. In "Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed," he recounts dealing with his own adversity -- most difficult of which was being forced to leave communications giant Hill & Knowlton, where he had been a top executive who helped the company rise to prominence -- and how he rebounded to start his own company, The Dilenschneider Group, and regained his position as one of the premier power players in his field.

But this book isn't so much about Dilenschneider as it is about his eagerness to use power to help others. That is the most important lesson in a book filled with invaluable tips on how to achieve power -- making and maintaining contacts, keeping up with technology and, certainly not least, working hard -- and what to do with that power once you get it. In addition to being an astute businessman, Dilenschneider is a good writer and an excellent storyteller whose best stories are about other power players who helped him and taught him how to help others.

Yes, this is a how-to book, but it's also a why-to book: why to do good things with your power. The answer, according to Dilenschneider, is that the biggest problem in the world today is the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, and those in power have a moral responsibility to help close that gap. The themes of ethics, integrity, generosity, humility, happiness, wisdom, faith and, of course, character loom large in a book that is more than a business tome, written by a man who is more than a power player. Even if, like me, you are not a business person, you will gain a great deal of insight from "Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed."

His 10 themes (listed below) are powerful chapter kick-offs but are inconsistently developed and could have used more powerful anectodes. Book erratically swings from the seat of high C management level seats down to the trenches - leaving the reader feeling disjointed. Accept/Adapt/Accelerate (Chp 1), Rules to connect (chp 5) and Keep Growing Your Network By Shaving it (chp 8) are insightful.

1. Accept, Adapt, & Accelerate - Or Atrophy
2. Be Prepared to Start Over - Again & Again
3. Think Innovation - Forget About Just Keeping Up
4. Seize the Opportunity in Every Crisis
5. Look beyond the New Rules to Connect
6. Take the Heat & Never Compromise
7. Keep Focusing on Your Strengths
8. Keep Growing Your Network By Shaving it
9. Seek Acclaim But Practice Humulity
10.Search for Power but Never Forget to Share it

And, tucked away on pages 194-195 (before the book closes) in a section entitled "Does Your Spouse or Significant Other Make A Difference" is a section written by the Author's spouse Jan Dilenschneider. She outlines 11 "basic rules of the game" that could be applied to all of us universally - I found these "rules" to be some of the most important messages in the entire book.

An internationally recognized communication authority and leadership counselor, Robert L. Dilenschneider is the founder and CEO of The Dilenschneider Group, and therefor brings a very special expertise to "Power And Influence: The Rules Have Changed". Many of the traditional ways of doing business in a pre-internet world have become obsolete with the coming of globalization and only those businesses that can adapt to these changes will survive and prosper. A master power broker and experienced communications expert, Dilenschneider provides the reader with the intellectual, technical, and ethical tools required to thrive in an increasingly competitive world environment. The advice, insights, instructions, and recommendations comprising "Power And Influence" are distilled into ten universal principles for success in a technology-driven and volatile national and international economies. Of special note are the real-world anecdotes that illustrate how to acquire and amplify power and influence both as an individual and as a corporation. Enhanced with the inclusion of two essays on the 'Power Game' and an appendices, 'The Power Quiz', "Power And Influence" is very strongly recommended as being informed and informative on a critically important reading for anyone engaged in the business community be it local, regional, national, or international in scope.

The rules have changed? The author introduces cell phones and email to the audience. If you are already aware of these 'new rules,' then you can skip this book. The author is a name-dropping blowhard; and the writing is dull, patronizing, and offers little substance.

Save your money for a work by someone who has actually achieved, and actually has some original ideas to share with you. On a bright note, this book is evidence that if material like this can get published, maybe I can get my old biology papers marketed.

Dilenschneider's advice is based upon his personal experience of interacting with people in positions of power and authority rather than research he personally conducted in the field. The book reads like a conversation you might have with Dilenschneider discussing all sorts of people and subjects in a interactive style.

The author wisely does a lot of namedropping further increasing his power and influence while providing living examples of people illustrating his points. Nearly anyone could benefit from applying a few of his principles though the book reads with more of an intuitive sense of just knowing and learning things from interacting with people of high power and authority.

For those blessed with natural intuition, they will read the book and most likely say, "yeah, I know exactly what you mean there." Others with less perception and intuition will see the statements and examples and say, "I sure wish he would say more about that."

Robert L. Dilenschneider gives readers an immediately applicable guide to increasing their influence over others. Not a management handbook per se, this book instead focuses on general principles of human interaction, social awareness, cultural positioning, perspective and strategy. Dilenschneider shares personal stories about interactions with highly influential people such as Henry Kissinger, accounts that vividly illustrate his expertise. That said, even though Dilenschneider claims in his subtitle that "the rules have changed," many of his rules sound somewhat old-fashioned. Do 21st century business leaders really need to hear that they must adapt to changing technology? Nevertheless, Dilenschneider's insistence on traditional standards of ethics and courtesy is refreshing. Business interactions would be far more dignified if everyone followed his advice. Thus, getAbstract recommends this book to up-and-comers and others who are looking for something beyond a cutthroat ethic.

This book is thoroughly inspirational and spot on. Totally accessible for all ages. A good read for anyone wanting to improve and progress their business career.