Power Plays: Shakespeare's Lessons in Leadership and Management [Hardcover]

John O. Whitney (Author), Tina Packer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2000

What can Shakespeare teach us about effective leadership? Everything, according to John Whitney, former president of Pathmark Supermarkets and now a leading professor at Columbia Business School, and Tina Packer, founder, president, and artistic director of the critically acclaimed theater group Shakespeare & Company. Whether we are dealing with an indecisive Hamlet or a corporate Lear, this innovative approach to management helps us tap the timeless wisdom and profitable genius of the Bard.

The issues fueling the intricate plots of Shakespeare's 400-year-old plays are the same common yet complex issues that business leaders contend with today. And, as Whitney and Packer so convincingly demonstrate, no one but the Bard himself can penetrate the secrets of leadership with such piercing brilliance. Let him instruct you on the issues that managers face every day:

POWER: Who wants it, who has it, who lost it? Richard II's fall from power can enlighten us, as can Jamie Dimon, who lost out at Citigroup, or Gary Wendt, who was asked to resign as CEO of GE Capital.

COMMUNICATION: Shakespeare wrote, "All the world's a stage," and no writer has a deeper grasp of the power of performance. Leadership "is" theater. Learn how to feel comfortable in the leadership role and communicate effectively.

TRUST: Every leader needs to know whom to trust, why, and how to earn trust. Draw on the experiences of King Lear and Othello, as well as John Sculley when he lost at Apple Computer.

DECISION: Understand what causes one to falter or "freeze up" when making crucial decisions. "Hamlet" illustrates the do's and don'ts of decision making.

ACTION: Decision without action isuseless. See why Henry IV and Jack Welch from GE were effectiveand why Richard II, Henry VI, and Robert Allen from AT&T were not when it came down to putting ideas into action.

HIERARCHY: When a leader enters or takes over an existing group, this inherently invites conflict. Explore "Henry IV" and see the parallels that can be drawn for every leader, manager, or follower who is promoted or transferred or has changed companies. Know where the pitfalls lie in these situations and learn how to avoid them.

WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT: A look at Rosalind's success in "As You Like It" and Desdemona's failure in "Othello" will help you to understand what women uniquely offer and what it takes for women to succeed in business.

John Whitney and Tina Packer do not simply compare Shakespeare's plays with management techniques, but rather draw on their own wealth of business experience to show us how these essential Shakespearean lessons can be applied to modern-day challenges. "Power Plays" infuses the world of business with new life -- and plenty of drama.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The great Bard's influence has always been broad and far-reaching, but his insightful commentary on all forms of power and politics in his plays has made William Shakespeare the current darling of the management theory set. Power Plays stands out as an interesting and useful look at what Shakespeare has to teach leaders about the use and abuse of power, the skills of communication and persuasion crucial to a leader's success in achieving objectives, and reconciling and balancing values and responsibilities.

The coauthoring duo of Whitney and Packer is effective. John Whitney, a professor at the Columbia Business School, former CEO, and veteran of corporate startup and turnaround ventures, combines his professional knowledge of the business arena and his personal love of Shakespeare's plays with the dramatic experience and analytical insight of Tina Packer, the founder and president of Massachusetts's thriving Shakespeare and Company. Much of Whitney and Packer's interpretive skill lies in their ability to do just that--interpret effectively. Rather than merely attaching the human strengths and weaknesses exemplified by Shakespearean characters to any and every corporate success or failure they can pull out of the bag, the authors conduct careful examinations of exactly what it is that the playwright is attempting to convey. Only after demonstrating a perceptive grasp of the underlying messages of the dramatic action do they then apply that insight to contemporary, real-life businesspeople and environments. The messages range from the seemingly obvious though often ignored comments on power--"Use It Wisely or Lose It"--to the subtle complexities surrounding the development of an Iago character bent on evil revenge. The applications include examples from the authors' own experiences, as well as touching briefly on those of leaders such as Katherine Graham at the Washington Post, Larry Bossidy at Allied Signal, and the business consultant Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Though not often extensive explorations on their own, together the messages and applications offer engaging, informative lessons for leaders and managers in any environment. --S. Ketchum

From Publishers Weekly

Whitney, a former president of Pathmark Supermarkets, and Packer, a founder of a classical theater company, present a rather pedestrian analysis of the Bard's insights on leadership. Whitney, who admits he made tactical mistakes when he took over running the troubled grocery chain, believes that Shakespeare's plays offer important lessons for today's business arena-e.g., that one of the worst strategies is vying for power simply to have more power. "What does Macbeth accomplish once he wears the crown?": the assassination of his best friends. Obviously, that's not the smartest boardroom tactic, but the authors believe many power-hungry managers do the same thing by firing the employees who once supported them. Good executives surround themselves with loyal supporters: Henry V is able to rally his troops the day before the Battle of Agincourt, and Mark Antony garners support by delivering a moving funeral oration for Caesar. Citing other characters and plots, the authors offer managers a mix of useful if somewhat obvious advice. The chapter on acting like a leader, however, is particularly strong; it explains how managers' behaviorAfrom their dress to the way they enter a roomAcan affect their authority. Although the practical information is not always successfully interwoven with the theatrical references, this unusual look at workplace behavior should help less experienced managers brush up on their people skills. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st edition (June 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684868873
• ISBN-13: 978-0684868875
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #245,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, August 6, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Power Plays: Shakespeare's Lessons in Leadership and Management (Hardcover)

O.K., we all know it's a gimmick, but it's such a good gimmick that you can't help but be won over. John O. Whitney and Tina Packer extract timeless truths about human nature from the works of Shakespeare and apply them to today's business world. Theme by theme, the authors tackle power, communication, trust, decision, action, hierarchy and women in management. Linking business dramas and dilemmas faced by today's companies and corporate leaders to those faced by Shakespeare's characters, the authors serve up a treasure trove of valuable insight and guidance in this immensely satisfying book. We [...] recommend this book to anyone in business or outside of it. Because like the works of Shakespeare himself, this book, while aimed at a specific audience, aspires to, and in many cases reaches, more universal truths.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As You'll Like It -- definitely, July 24, 2000

By 

Larry Mark, editor of MyJewishBooks.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: Power Plays: Shakespeare's Lessons in Leadership and Management (Hardcover)

Shakespeare is about management. A good manager should know his/her people, policies, practices, and products. Hamlet liked to think, but knew none of these four P's, and failed at management. Sure, something was rotten in Denmark; it was a lack of management expertise. Shakespeare is about power and the trappings of power. Weren't Macbeth and Richard III willing to kill for power? What would Macbeth have done with his power anyway? Did he have any agenda other than the top role? What are the players in Hamlet willing to do to stay close to the seat of power? Did Casius appear lean and hungry because Julius Caesar wouldn't share his power? Is Richard II, a play with a weak leader, about the consequences of the loss of power? Why couldn't Henry VI accept power? I have been waiting for this book to be published for a year! There are half a dozen business books that use The Bard as a foundation, but this is the best, without a doubt. This book is based on years of actual use in the classroom by Whitney, who has been affiliated with Columbia and Harvard B-Schools, and is one of Columbia's most popular teachers. Not only is he a teacher, but he is a respected turnaround expert and former leader of Pathmark. When Whitney was brought in to be COO of Pathmark, he felt he was in line for the top job. Like a tragic hero, he was blind to the fact that the organization saw him as an outsider, though he was succeeding, and he was unaware that he was being ostracized. Isn't this just like Henry IV who was overthrown by Richard the Third? Henry IV, though he reigned for 14 years, was blind to his competitors. Maybe Whitney should have acted like Prince Hal in Henry IV. Prince Hal ate among the commoners to learn of their intentions. Whitney is excellent at interpreting Shakespeare and applying it to biz. For example, he shows that Coriolanus failed because although he was strong in his conviction, he was too rigid. What about trusted lieutenants? In Othello, Iago was seeking revenge because he was passed over for promotion. The job was given to Cassio. What about Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII. Or Polonius in Hamlet? Polonius says "to thine own self be true", yet he never is true. He is foolish and scheming, and ends up dead. There are many lessons to be learned. The book is worth buying even if you just read about Falstaff.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PROBABLY THE BEST IF YOU ENJOY SHAKESPEARE, January 16, 2002

By 

Raul Baz Suarez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Power Plays: Shakespeare's Lessons in Leadership and Management (Hardcover)

John O. Whitney managed to relate business strategies to many of Shakespeare's plays; I truly was impressed... Many of his own experiences are related and it might seem as if the author is showing off but the stories he talks about are really interesting.
Before I read this book I really respected and admired Shakespeare and now my admiration goes beyond his literature, with the help of the author, his lessons on leadership and management are essential for any person working in a large corporation.
SHAKESPEARE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CEO!!!