Amazon.com: Why Your Boss Is Programmed to Be a Dictator: A Book for Anyone Who Has a Boss or Is a Boss (9780462099026): Chetan Dhruve: Books

Do you have a bad boss or have you had a bad boss? If you haven't chances are, sadly, you will have one in the future. Bosses induce anything from nervousness and anxiety to fear and absolute terror. But why do bosses behave badly? Why do apparently assertive and intelligent people bow down to bad bosses? To solve the problem of bad bosses, conventional books tell you how to deal with a bad boss, or how to become a better boss yourself. But this new book makes the radical argument that bosses behave the way they do because of something outside of them. Similarly, something outside of you makes you behave submissively towards your bosses.

What's that something? Through a field of study called Systems Thinking, this book investigates, and shows you why bosses are effectively programmed to be dictators. It also reveals how this results in our workplaces being built on the shaky foundation of fear, not freedom. Using real life examples including the world's worst aviation accident, the two space shuttle disasters and the war on Iraq, the book examines the devastating consequences of the way organizations currently work. Ultimately, beyond getting you to do things differently, this book will change the way you look at the issue of leadership in organizations.

About the Author

Chetan Dhruve has worked for several organizations, including IBM, Cisco Systems and the Department for International Development. He has also cofounded several Internet-based startups.

Product Details

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Cyan Communications (June 4, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0462099024
ISBN-13: 978-0462099026
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #759,181 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

management(1)

See all 6 tags...

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

1 Review

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Time to Reprogram Corporate America!, August 1, 2009

By	Larry Underwood "Author, 'Life Under the Corp... (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews

Chetan Dhruve drives home a fascinating point in this look at the insidious nature of those creatures we love to hate---bosses. Through a process called "System Thinking" (aka "Common Sense") we discover that "something outside of them" compels their horrible behavior towards those they supervise. Actually, it's not a new revelation as far as I'm concerned; but it's definitely right on the money.

The problem is the way the typical organization is structured, and the culture of "fear" that is so pervasive throughout. Many of us have witnessed it firsthand; some have even written books about it (I did). To put it succinctly, the "fear-based culture" of management; the typical way of doing business in corporate America; has done a number of not so neat "tricks" over the past few decades. The very nature of the typical corporate hierarchy breeds intimidation; which breeds fear; which breeds micro-management; which breeds backstabbing.

That's a lot of breeding going on; and unfortunately, this type of breeding isn't at all fun. In fact, it's destroying many organizations by killing morale; that in turn hinders employee engagement; and the end result is lower productivity for corporate America. Estimates on how much this is costing our overall productivity range anywhere from $1 to $2 trillion, annually; and that's not a typo. Trillions of dollars is being wasted each year because the head-honchos of so many companies don't seem to understand that getting employees excited about going to work breeds success; because the happy & motivated employee is the productive employee.

If you want a real-life maverick's perspective on what's wrong with corporate America, I'd encourage you to take a look at my book---Life Under the Corporate Microscope: A Maverick's Irreverent Perspective---right here on Amazon.

In the meantime, I'd encourage you to buy this book, for the comprehensive explanation of what's wrong with big business & also check out Paul Herr's Primal Management: Unraveling the Secrets of Human Nature to Drive High Performance; another five star gem.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }