Real Power: Business Lessons from the Tao Te Ching [Hardcover]

James A. Autry (Author), Stephen Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 1998

The Tao Te Ching is the world's oldest leadership manual, written, according to legend, by the sage Lao-tzu in the sixth century B.C.E. In this book, premier business consultant James A. Autry and bestselling author and translator Stephen Mitchell present a modern-day guide to business leadership drawing on the age-old lessons of the Tao Te Ching. With simple, evocative essays, commenting on a selection from the Tao Te Ching, they show how its elegant wisdom can transform the workplace from a source of stress into a source of creativity and joy--and make work, at any level of the corporate ladder, more fulfilling than ever before.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In recent years, visionaries and profiteers alike have attempted to apply the 81 simple but profound poems of the Tao Te Ching to everything from sports training to pet breeding. James Autry, an award-winning author and respected former CEO, and Stephen Mitchell, whose previous work includes the New York Times bestseller Tao Te Ching: A New English Version, have applied these poems in a meaningful way to the world of business. Real Power: Business Lessons from the Tao Te Ching is a stimulating interpretation of this ancient classic that will provide the guidance and inspiration missing from most modern management texts. Addressing contemporary business situations with the wise paradoxes that are the hallmark of Lao-Tzu's 6th-century work (such as "fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill; keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt"), the two propose an ageless approach to the workplace that deals uniquely with various issues of our time like compensation, competition, training, and downsizing. --Howard Rothman END

Product Details

• Hardcover: 217 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Books; First Printing edition (April 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573220892
• ISBN-13: 978-1573220897
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #558,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Qualities of Leadership!, January 30, 2000

By 

Truth is Out There (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Real Power: Business Lessons from the Tao Te Ching (Hardcover)

In the business world there is a distinct division between employees and management. Sometimes it is easy to see why there is no office "loyalty" or true friendship. All you have to do is analyze the totem pole of authority to discover the seeds of dissension.

The Tao Te Ching was written somewhere around 500 years B.C.E., and has been referred to, by many, as the wisest book ever written! It is not just some kind of "new age" thinking or positive thinking "concept"! The Tao Te Ching reveals the true laws of the universe... When reading this translation, you will discover that the journey to true power begins with oneself. By discovering ways of improving oneself, accepting your mistakes when you make them, learning to become more flexible and open to ideas, knowing when to speak and when to listen, living in balance/ or harmony by being moderate, evenhanded and fair... these are only a few of the methods explored in the first few chapters of the book. One of my favorite chapters reveals that the authority management wields over their employees is not what creates success in a company. The true power in an organization is realized when a competent leader knows how to motivate his coworkers... the employees are the one's who can put their passion into a project... they are the one's who's labor of love brings forth the final product... it is their artistic vision that gives a project it's uniqueness, if you will. These are the most important people, the ones that should be happy! A good leader is merely a composer or director... a communicator. In fact, you'll discover that each chapter is really a vault full of treasure for anyone interested in learning the true techniques of Leadership. This book is divided into five sections, each with a main or common thread. The sections are about a) becoming a wise leader , b) giving up control c) proper use of motivation d) creating a community that works, and e) realizing the overall vision.

If you've ever met someone, or read about a person who is indescribably a great leader, or you hear people say "I don't know, but there's something about that person... I just can't describe it or I just can't place my finger on it"... you have just run into someone who is living in harmony, to one extent or the other, with the Tao Te Ching. James A. Autry and Stephen Mitchell provide a most valuable resource in this translation. It is easy to read, and you will find this title applies remarkably well to just about any industry. Recommended reading for anyone serious about becoming an awesome leader!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding real power in the Tao Te Ching, December 9, 1999

By 

Thomas J. Crawford (Omaha, Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Real Power: Business Lessons from the Tao Te Ching (Hardcover)

I have over twenty years experience in senior management positions with $300 million to $1.7 billion businesses. The book "Real Power - Business Lessions from the Tao Te Ching" should be must reading and pondering for executives or leaders who wish their organization to prosper now and into the future. I trust and believe in the principles taught in the book. Creative, clever, inspiring and value oriented.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Business concepts forced around the Tao, September 13, 1998

By 

TD ([e-mail]) (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Real Power: Business Lessons from the Tao Te Ching (Hardcover)

I didn't enjoy this book at all. I'm a Mitchell fan, and I was expecting a book co-written by Autry and Mitchell. I found a book written by Autry with excerpts from Mitchell's excellent translation of the Tao. The book doesn't even include the whole Tao Te Ching for reflection, just bits and pieces, which seems silly for such a small bit of text in the first place.

I walked away from this book with the same feeling as I did after reading Covey's 7 habits. I feel Autry set out with an idea and found bits of the Tao to fit his ideas, just as I feel Covey started with the Seven Habits and found business examples to fit the idea. It comes out looking forced, and that's not very Taoist. John Heider's "The Tao of Leadership" is a much better book for those looking for a mix of Taoism and business concepts.