Team Bush : Leadership Lessons from the Bush White House [Hardcover]

Donald F. Kettl (Author), Donald Kettl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2003

LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES BEHIND ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PRESIDENTS IN HISTORY

How the Commander-in-Chief commands

George W. Bush has surprised even his harshest critics with his leadership talents and discipline. As this country's first MBA president, Bush formed his unique leadership style managing businesses, not government offices. Team Bush is the first book to explore these unique methods and tactics he has employed to become one of the nation's most popular commanders in chief in recent history.

From "hiring" the most diverse and effective cabinets in history, to dealing with the crisis and war sparked by the events of September 11th, this compelling leadership book takes readers into the mind and methods of America's 43rd president, and shows managers how these methods can be used to boost productivity in their own organizations.

This fast-paced book pulls no punches as it showcases President Bush's successes and strengths while detailing his mistakes and weaknesses. Focusing on the actual events and outcomes of Bush's first two years in office, it discusses:

• The strategy behind Bush's coup in the mid-term election
• Lessons learned from his managing of the September 11th crisis
• How Bush recognizes and learns from his very public mistakes

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kettl, a University of Wisconsin public affairs professor, aims in this fast, accessible read to uncover "the leadership ideas and methods of America's 43rd president." In the process, he finds George W. Bush's most striking accomplishment to be that he "has consistently exceeded expectations." Kettl describes a president of average intellect with one saving grace: the ability to assemble, unify and lead a highly qualified management team that analyzes complex problems and solutions, thus enabling Bush to make effective decisions. Kettl attributes Bush's team-building skills to his easygoing style; his insistence that his staff be punctual, concise and professionally attired; and his education as "the nation's first MBA president." There are stimulating ideas, such as tips on creating and using political capital, aligning the structure of staff to personal strengths, and crafting and delivering effective messages. As with most lesson books, however, the ideas lose their impact and originality when summarized, e.g., "Develop a plan-and stick to it" and "Don't fight battles you can't win." Kettl draws these lessons almost exclusively from media reportage; while he serves on an advisory panel to the White House's Office of Management and Budget, there's no promise of insider information. Bush's ability to lead is certainly a compelling topic, but perhaps because we are only two years into a presidency filled with controversy and challenge, the book lacks any depth of research or perspective.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

[Bush has] the ability to assemble, unify and lead a highly qualified management team that analyzes complex problems and solutions. -- Publisher's Weekly, February 2003

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (February 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071416331
• ISBN-13: 978-0071416337
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,857,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative, May 1, 2003

By 

Evan T. Ackerman (Madison, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Team Bush : Leadership Lessons from the Bush White House (Hardcover)

I am a former student of Dr. Kettl's at UW-Madison, and i very much enjoyed his class. I can honestly say that it was impossible to determine where he stood politically from his teaching, which is a huge credit to him. I found this book very informative. It was quite interesting to learn more about our current president. Dr. Kettl hits the nail right on the head when he says that G.W. is someone who is consistently underestimated. I enjoyed this book very much!!

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Look at our President, July 24, 2003

By 

Matthew Morgan (Abilene, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Team Bush : Leadership Lessons from the Bush White House (Hardcover)

This book provides an in-depth look at the Bush administration and more importantly Bush himself. Kettl says that Bush likes to be underestimated so that he oculd prove everyone wrong. Each chapter is a leadership quality that the Bush administration has done well with and at the end of each chapter is a list of lessons that one in the business world could take and use in the office or school etc...This is a quick read and insightful.

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read, November 4, 2006

By 

Richard Owen (Texas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Team Bush : Leadership Lessons from the Bush White House (Hardcover)

Quick, easy, informative read. Makes watching the news more interesting with the insight gained from the Team Bush. Thanx.