5.0 out of 5 stars
Perspectives on an Uncertain Future, June 4, 2001
This review is from: Thought Leaders: Insights on the Future of Business (J-B BAH Strategy & Business Series) (Hardcover)
This is one in a series of "Strategy & Business" books from Booz-Allen & Hamilton, published by Jossey-Bass. All are first-rate and well-worth checking out. In this book, Joel Kurtzman edits a series of in-depth interviews of 12 of the most influential thought leaders during the last decade. Obviously, some will quibble with the number and/or with specific selections. However, although several may be unfamiliar to you, after you read the interviews I think you will agree with me that all 12 are eminently worthy. They are: Charles Handy, Minoru Makihara, Keshub Mahindra, C.K. Prahalad, John Kao, Paul M. Romer, Stan Shih, Norbert Walter, John T. Chambers, Warren Bennis, Gary Hamel, and Jean-Rene Fourtou. In the Foreword, Brian N. Dickie (president and COO, Booz-Allen & Hamilton) suggests that "the new agenda" for CEOs and their top[ teams (managing for growth, business process redesign for the next generation, and new organization structures) and then suggests that "the winners will be those CEOs who can integrate the new agenda with their own clear vision while simplifying the execution challenge and inspiring their organizations to perform beyond expectations." It is from this perspective that Kurtzman then provides the 12 interviews. None of them fully addresses all of the issues but together, the CEOs provide insights of substantial value to decision-makers at all levels of organizational configuration. Here are three brief excerpts, obviously taken out of context but nonetheless thought-provoking:
"With people scattered around the world, you really have to let them be on their own. The assignments are often difficult and you need them for specific purposes. Those purposes may change. That means you have to run the organization on the basis of professionalism and trust -- and subsidiarity." Charles Handy, Professor, London Business School, and author of The Age of Unreason and The Age of Paradox
"The management of creativity is more intimate [than the traditional management skill set that is appropriate to a large, complex industrial-era organization]. By that I mean that it deals with an individual's personal, psychological landscape. It deals with the way you create relationships. It deals with creating an atmosphere and environment that support the creative process. As a result, it is a management skill set that is inherently psychological and that encourages desired outcomes rather than demands those outcomes." John Kao, Harvard Business School, and author of Jamming
"What we have to do is work out a balance between tolerating some monopolies and monopoly profits -- since that's how we motivate people to discover new recipes -- with competition to keep prices low and distribute products widely. We encourage this competition by granting property rights that are partial or incomplete. In practice, what this means is that while in the physical economy with diminishing returns there are perfect prices, in the knowledge economy with its increasing returns there are no perfect prices." Paul M. Romer, Stanford Business School
Kurtzman has exceptional skills as both interviewer and editor, framing initial questions and then adjusting smoothly during the rigorous but informal exchange of responses. He guides each "thought leader" without imposing any of his own opinions. The result is that the reader is provided with direct access to how each of the 12 thinks as well as what each has to share about a given issue. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out the other volumes in the "Strategy & Business" series from Booz-Allen & Hamilton. I also highly recommend Strategy + Business magazine of which Kurtzman served as editor-in-chief.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
TAPPING INTO THE THINKING OF TWELVE TOP MINDS., April 11, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Thought Leaders: Insights on the Future of Business (J-B BAH Strategy & Business Series) (Hardcover)
This work presents interviews with twelve leading thinkers in business and academia on a very wide range of subjects relating to: issues of business strategy, growth and human resources: the new social contract among companies, employees and shareholders; and the way in which society is changing. This is a highly interesting collection of the ideas and insights of some of the brightest people around. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.
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