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The Book of Leadership Wisdom: Classic Writings by Legendary Business Leaders
Praise for The Book of Leadership Wisdom
"For anyone who seeks to understand the nature of effective leadership, in all its many dimensions, this volume will prove invaluable." -Bob Wright President and Chief Executive Officer, NBC
Pearls from The Book of Leadership Wisdom
"You must capture and keep the heart of the original and supremely able man before his brain can do its best." -Andrew Carnegie
"There's an old proverb that says: 'If you are planning for one year, plant rice. If you are planning for 10 years, plant trees. If you are planning for 100 years, plant people.' To that I would add . . . plant them, but don't forget to move them around every seven to ten years. New eyes give rise to new ideas and opportunities." -Michael Eisner
"You must realize that it is more than money that the men want, it is a sense of ownership." -William Cooper Procter
"You can manage inventory, you can manage things, but you must lead people if you want to tap their full potential." -Ross Perot
T. Coleman du Pont, Andrew Carnegie, J. Paul Getty, A. Montgomery Ward, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., Akio Morita, Jack Welch, David Packard, Ray Kroc, Bill Gates . . . they are among the most respected and influential business leaders of all time. Possessing a rare combination of business genius and true grit, these captains of industry have created unprecedented wealth for their companies and themselves, pioneered revolutionary new industries, and, in some cases, directly shaped the destinies of entire nations. Now, The Book of Leadership Wisdom affords you an unprecedented opportunity to hear, in their own words, what these immortals have had to say on the topic of leadership.
The Book of Leadership Wisdom brings together the essays and speeches of more than 50 business legends, past and present. Never before have the writings of such a large and diverse group of legendary business leaders been collected between the covers of a book. From leading change to dealing with adversity, creating vision to inspiring employees, the writings contained in this book span the whole range of essential leadership issues. For instance, you'll hear from Harold Geneen on the difference between leading and commanding, Daniel Guggenheim and William Cooper Procter on the advantages of a democratic workplace, Katherine Graham on the importance of credibility, Jack Welch and Ross Perot on leading in adversity, Ray Kroc on self-appraisal, and Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield on value-based leadership, to name just a few.
For easy reference, the 52 essays contained in The Book of Leadership Wisdom are organized into eight categories covering leadership qualities, dealing with adversity, visions of progress, labor relations, company culture, habits and idiosyncrasies, motivating employees, and leading change. Each essay is preceded by a brief introduction that places it in historical perspective and offers interesting and insightful information about its author's life and career. And throughout each essay, passages have been highlighted that call attention to each contributor's most pithy, profound, or quirky ideas.
Offering timeless wisdom from the most successful business leaders ever, The Book of Leadership Wisdom is must reading for managers at every level, from the junior executive cubicle to the presidential suite.
"For anyone who seeks to understand the nature of effective leadership, in all its many dimensions, this volume will prove invaluable." -Bob Wright President and Chief Executive Officer, NBC
Pearls from The Book of Leadership Wisdom
"You must capture and keep the heart of the original and supremely able man before his brain can do its best." -Andrew Carnegie
"There's an old proverb that says: 'If you are planning for one year, plant rice. If you are planning for 10 years, plant trees. If you are planning for 100 years, plant people.' To that I would add . . . plant them, but don't forget to move them around every seven to ten years. New eyes give rise to new ideas and opportunities." -Michael Eisner
"You must realize that it is more than money that the men want, it is a sense of ownership." -William Cooper Procter
"You can manage inventory, you can manage things, but you must lead people if you want to tap their full potential." -Ross Perot
T. Coleman du Pont, Andrew Carnegie, J. Paul Getty, A. Montgomery Ward, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., Akio Morita, Jack Welch, David Packard, Ray Kroc, Bill Gates . . . they are among the most respected and influential business leaders of all time. Possessing a rare combination of business genius and true grit, these captains of industry have created unprecedented wealth for their companies and themselves, pioneered revolutionary new industries, and, in some cases, directly shaped the destinies of entire nations. Now, The Book of Leadership Wisdom affords you an unprecedented opportunity to hear, in their own words, what these immortals have had to say on the topic of leadership.
The Book of Leadership Wisdom brings together the essays and speeches of more than 50 business legends, past and present. Never before have the writings of such a large and diverse group of legendary business leaders been collected between the covers of a book. From leading change to dealing with adversity, creating vision to inspiring employees, the writings contained in this book span the whole range of essential leadership issues. For instance, you'll hear from Harold Geneen on the difference between leading and commanding, Daniel Guggenheim and William Cooper Procter on the advantages of a democratic workplace, Katherine Graham on the importance of credibility, Jack Welch and Ross Perot on leading in adversity, Ray Kroc on self-appraisal, and Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield on value-based leadership, to name just a few.
For easy reference, the 52 essays contained in The Book of Leadership Wisdom are organized into eight categories covering leadership qualities, dealing with adversity, visions of progress, labor relations, company culture, habits and idiosyncrasies, motivating employees, and leading change. Each essay is preceded by a brief introduction that places it in historical perspective and offers interesting and insightful information about its author's life and career. And throughout each essay, passages have been highlighted that call attention to each contributor's most pithy, profound, or quirky ideas.
Offering timeless wisdom from the most successful business leaders ever, The Book of Leadership Wisdom is must reading for managers at every level, from the junior executive cubicle to the presidential suite.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 1998
8 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Andrew S. Grove
37 books414 followersAndrew Stephen ("Andy") Grove (born 2 September 1936), is a Hungarian-born American businessman, engineer, and author. He is a science pioneer in the semiconductor industry. He escaped from Communist-controlled Hungary at the age of 20 and moved to the United States where he finished his education. He later became CEO of Intel Corporation and helped transform the company into the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductors.
In 1968, As a result of his work at Intel, and from his books and professional articles, Grove had a considerable influence on the management of modern electronics manufacturing industries worldwide. He has been called the "guy who drove the growth phase" of Silicon Valley.Steve Jobs, when he was considering returning to be Apple's CEO, called Grove, who was someone he "idolized," for his personal advice. One source notes that by his accomplishments at Intel alone, he "merits a place alongside the great business leaders of the 20th century."
In 1968, As a result of his work at Intel, and from his books and professional articles, Grove had a considerable influence on the management of modern electronics manufacturing industries worldwide. He has been called the "guy who drove the growth phase" of Silicon Valley.Steve Jobs, when he was considering returning to be Apple's CEO, called Grove, who was someone he "idolized," for his personal advice. One source notes that by his accomplishments at Intel alone, he "merits a place alongside the great business leaders of the 20th century."
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 19, 2024
The chapters reflect some outstanding CEOs and mega-leaders. The content is solid but the relevancy is a little weak because the content seems aimed at the national leader sitting in the major seat of the largest organizations in the land. I am not sure that the typical CEO of a small business will identify with the principles presented.
November 22, 2017
Very good, too short and needs updating. I would love to have one of these from the best minds in business Now. Goes into the mindset of ceos from this time period and what they project to happen and how they are motivated.
September 11, 2018
I listened to the audio book which may be an edited version of the entire thing. Will need to read it again sometime.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2024
Quick read with great insights from brilliant people.
July 25, 2012
Helpful and worth the read if only to get a little insight into some of the most famous business minds, but some of these essays/speeches lean on the side of cheer-leading, though I am by no means a business mind. Good perspectives, though, on how influential CEO's look at their companies, their employees and the world around them.
February 9, 2015
This pick-up subject book has 52 writings from the best business leaders in the world. This is the *perfect* book to put 52 bookmarks in, each one for a week in the year. I read this book this way in 2006 and am starting again the same way. Reading a great business story every weekend without fail is a great way to ensure that your business life is well grounded with reality.
June 9, 2009
It came across mostly dry and lifeless when I first read it. I'll try it again here shortly.
January 1, 2016
Good wisdom and insight but a bit dated. I wouldn't really recommend to spend the time.
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January 23, 2016File Under: Sustaining Long Term Value
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June 3, 2016nice to hear many top business leader and what they think leadership mean to them.
January 7, 2017
Lots of short pieces by various CEOs, sometimes quite good, and sometimes too short.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews