"Managing for Excellence is above all usable. Its helpful, down-to-earth advice can transform any leader from merely good to positively outstanding. These are the ideas managers can not only admire but act on as well-the highest compliment for a manager's guidebook." -Rosabeth Moss Kanter Author of The Change Masters The bestseller that revolutionized management's vision of itself In the mid-1980s, the notion that the most successful managers are no longer heroic, but share power and responsibility, was so revolutionary that it bordered on heresy. But the ideas championed by David Bradford and Allan Cohen in Managing for Excellence proved so effective that, virtually overnight, thousands of skeptical upper-level managers became true believers. Managing for Excellence isn't just for CEOs, presidents, and veeps-the battle-tested methods laid out in this book help middle managers turn the strategic designs of upper management into reality. Bradford and Cohen reveal how great managers succeed by bringing out the best in their employees. They show managers how to: * Develop a cohesive team that jointly owns critical management issues * Deal with difficult problems head-on and make core decisions through consensus * Encourage healthy competition against objective standards of excellence * Be decisive leaders while encouraging input from team members * Manage daily procedures, adapt to change, and maintain a vision of the future simultaneously
This book is a must read for students pursuing careers in Management, Leadership, or any related field. While the book is written with Middle Managers in mind, the writers have paved the way for self-development as well. Bradford and Cohen articulate the differences between three management styles all the while keeping the contemporary organization in mind. Readers will find themselves engrossed as the authors clearly deliniate between these three styles through description and the provision of a plethora of examples. If you plan on pursuing a career in management do yourself a favor and pick this book up but most importantly read it.
Outstanding read for middle managers
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
This is a great book for people who've recently been promoted to a middle management position and/or who are struggling to get the most from their team. Unlike most management books, which always seem to be aimed at the CEO, this one targets the 2nd or 3rd level manager, who's trying to motivate a team of 25-60. Although it's based on a pretty simple concept (articulate a clear vision, let employees to share in the mgmt responsibility, and then focus your energies on developing their abilities to do so), it helped me a lot in realizing that by trying to coordinate and stay in control of everything going on in my group, I was actually stifling the creativity and motivation of my employees. By turning over more of the day-to-day responsibility to them, and focusing my energies on the broader vision, we'll all be a lot more successful. This book is loaded with a lot of great examples that helped me see that.
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