Customer Reviews

Right from the Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found Right from the Start an extremely well researched and comprehensive set of tools which will greatly benefit any senior executive entering a new organization. It is the only book I have read which so clearly outlines the management pitfalls awaiting any new leader in his first few weeks on the job. I find it hard to imagine how even the most talented and experienced manager could not benefit from such a practical and common sense approach to the challenging task of taking over the leadership reins of a new organization, regardless of its size. As a venture capitalist and LBO investor, I plan to give copies to anybody entering the executive suites of all the companies in which my money is invested.

I bought this book for a friend who was leaving one investment bank to head up a group at another bank. After reading the book, he told me that the situations described and issues discussed were dead on correct. He had thought that the challenges he faced were unique, but amazingly this book had illustrated the many common issues facing managers in a new company and gave useful guidance in how to deal with them. Oddly, he said that he couldn't put the book down--praise usually reserved for a thriller. Evidently, it applies when a book can improve your life as well.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has helped me and my fellow co-workers navigate through our new leadership roles, which seem to change frequently! Book is well-written and straightforward.

Also recommend the popular new manager's book "The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills."

Our firm provides outplacement and retained search services.

We are providing this book for all our successful job candidates.

The focus of this book is to help new manage successfully navigate the first six months of an assignment. It begins with the fuzzy beginnings, when job candidate and recruiter first talk with each other.

The Tables beginning on pages 134 are quite useful.

When two authors write a book together, a reader should have the right to expect a duet unless the authors explicitly state otherwise.

The book suffers lack of coordination between the authors.

Chapters 8,9,10 are written in a different voice and lack the practical, time- sensitive punch of the first half of the book.

Indeed Chapters 8, 9, 10 don't appear to be written from the perspective of the reader of this book. It is more like a major cut-and-paste job from a Management 101 text, with superficial references to earlier chapters. The reality is that Chapters 8,9, and 10 could have been easily deleted from the entire book.

Laurence J. Stybel Stybel Peabody Boston, MA

As a regular Amazon Business Books customer living in China I often want to get books quickly but don't want to pay for the shipping which often adds another 30%-50% of the book price. Therefore I prefer the eBooks.

I was shocked to find out that the electronic version is not the same as the hard copy. I am buying the book for the full content and not a 9 page summary.

I should say shame on Amazon, the Publishers and Adobe for promoting this format; however, the price is significantly less and there is fine print does tell you it's only 9 pages. But then again it's a totally different item.

Here is a book on leadership that has found a gap in the coverage of the plethora of leadership texts that beset us. It is concerned specifically with the transition between leaders, whether to an anointed internal successor or to an outsider. The coverage of both the issues and suggested solutions is thorough, systematic and clear and is based on extensive conversations with people in the situation of taking up a senior leadership role. It is also relatively unsurprising. My only - minor - criticism is that the book is unnecessarily long, largely because it includes a great deal of material that is common to all stages and situations of leadership rather than sticking to the specifics of the transition situation.

Twelve years ago I began work as a department manager for a medium sized (150 people) privately held service company working directly for the president and chief owner. I had mixed success. Reading this book and looking backwards, I can see where several pieces of its concise, direct, and practical advise would have made this experience a resounding success rather than a mediocre one. (I did survive the 3 year period. Being 12 years older wouldn't have hurt either!) I recognize both several of my successes and several of my failures in the reading. I borrowed the book from a library, but I think I will buy it for my permanent collection. Well worth a read! Even though it is addressed to the second fiddle to a CEO, I think it would benefit any person in a leadership role, even a volunteer one.

Thanks to the other reviews I knew I would be buying a summarized version of the book. I was hoping it would still provide the essence and condensed insights supposedly in the full version; however, I was quite disappointed.

I was a CEO of a tech company and have recently been asked by the venture capitalists to CEO a growing company in the same industry (as opposed to a turnaround effort). I was hoping to find nuggets of advice on how to effectively and sensitively assume the leadership position from the current co-founder & CEO who has done well up to this stage and is respected by his loyal staff.

Either the full version lacks the insightful information I am looking for, or the summarized version by Execubook is simply too high level. In fact, the cover page advertises: "Buy the Full Book". I guess it's purpose is pretty clear. Nevertheless, the summary makes you wonder if the full book also suffers from 'common sense' type of advice.

For example: the Table of Contents:
Introduction p.2
Four Pieces of Advice p.2
The 5 Primary Challenges p.3
Traps to Avoid p.5
Taking Action p.6

Briefly, the content of the book:
Four Pieces of Advice
1. Take advantage of the transition period into the new job
2. Don't underestimate the importance of advice and counsel
3. Show some empathy for the person you're succeeding

5 Primary Challenges
1. Acquire needed knowledge quickly
2. Establish new relationships
3. Juggle organizational and personal transition
4. Manage expectations
5. Manage personal equilibrium

Traps to Avoid
1. Falling behind the learning curve
2. Becoming isolated
. . .

Taking Action
1. Plan on taking 2-3 years to make measurable progress
2. On arrival, you should understand the organization's existing strategy, goals and challenges and shoul have formed hypotheses about operating priorities.
. . .

Each numbered item was followed by a paragraph or few lines of description, but those explanations left me saying, 'no duh.'

In fairness, it is hard to summarize without sounding too general, but there was very little in terms of new or provoking frameworks & mindsets, assumption challenges, or interesting insights.

Buy the original or look for something else altogether.

One last comment. I've now seen several unfavorable reviews on Amazon about the digital versions of what are supposed to be good books. I believe the concept of eBooks is great, but it looks like it's still in an immature, buyer-beware stage.

I bought this book three months into a new job and found many insights helpful. However, the advice seems to be directed to senior executives and not middle managers. I will review the book carefully before starting a new job.

I found Right from the Start to be an invaluable resource for anyone taking a new job. Although it was written for top managers hired from outside companies, most of the lessons can be applied by managers at all levels, including those who are making internal moves. The book is intensely practical, offering hands-on guidance for succeeding in a new position. The advice about how to get early wins, learn, and build supportive coalitions is particularly valuable.