Book Description
Business today is framed by two global tensions. On the one hand, the age of the Internet has ushered in an unprecedented interdependence. People from far-flung reaches of the globe now find themselves in close contact, and collaboration is the order of the day. On the other hand, we still live in an autonomous world of diverse nations and unique individuals, and the businesses and organizations that we have created to represent us are equally unique. In this conflicting environment, a special approach to leadership is called for, one that tames these two forces and integrates them in a political but ethical way. The Connective Leadership model defines that approach, emphasizing various modes of working with and through other people instead of bowing to authoritarianism. This includes creating short-term coalitions instead of long-term alliances and forming ennobling enterprises to which people want to commit themselves. Based on extensive research analyzing the leadership styles of more than 5,000 leaders and managers world-wide, Lipman-Blumen has developed an innovative strategy that demonstrates how to move beyond competition towards an "ethical instrumentalism" that employs the talents of others to achieve strategic goals. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, this book--originally published under the title The Connective Edge--provides the skills and information needed to move organizations, nations, and people into the emerging era with stellar results.
Customer Reviews:
An Intuitive Vision of the Future of Leadership.......2005-04-28
Jean Lipman-Blumen shares over 25 years of leadership research intertwined with an introduction to her revolutionary thoughts on how to break apart the aspects of leadership into nine distinct categories. The author is none too shy to establish concrete groundwork for the history of leadership in the United States for the uneducated reader. After abruptly slapping her readers in the face with the latest era of leadership - the Connective Era - Blumen presents her leadership style cautiously by saying those who attempt to lead in the manner she presents will be scorned as non-traditional and poor leaders by factions such as the media. The meat of this work is filled with example after example of people displaying certain aspects of her Connective Leadership Model - but none who embodies The Connective Leader. As readers come to the third section of the book, Jean Lipman-Blumen explains the necessary research organizations must do in order to appoint the proper leaders; then, awkwardly wedges in a section about female leadership; and finishes strong tying together this brilliant manual on how each of us can work toward becoming the self-actualized connective leader.
A Post-modern vision of leadership.......2004-08-05
Lipman-Blumen presents a post-modern vision of leadership, evolving from the conflict in society and organizations today between interdependence and diversity. Connective leaders are able to select and apply from several achievement strategies depending on the needs of a particular situation. This flexibility gives them the ability to bridge these two conflict forces.
The book is conceptual very strong...the ideas are insightful and well researched, using a variety of data sources. The two main limitations are that the book is not well connected to other related patterns of thinking in the literature and that it is not the strongest in the direction of how to be a connective leader. In fact, much of the text is really a restatement about how different leaders exemplify a particular strategy rather than how a leader selects and uses a mixture of these situationally. I understand why these limitations exist, but I can certainly not suggest that this is the only book on leadership you should read.
One other comment...the book has a very strong feminist slant, proposing a shift from traditional patriarchical values to a more inclusive world view. I think, on the whole, that is a very good thing. However, the author's understanding of Machiavelli takes his writing and thinking out of context. This is only a minor quibble, but I find it interesting how the author can be so dismissive in her effort to claim a new vision of leadership.
Wisdom, Eloquence, and Circumspection.......2001-08-01
As those who have read Hot Groups already know, Lipman-Blumen is one of the most innovative thinkers now commenting on the contemporary business world. With this book, she makes a substantial and truly significant contribution to our understanding of several separate but interdependent issues: leadership, connectivity, human development, intellectual capital, strategic alliances (both internal and external), and organizational transformation. Yes, yes, I know. There are hundreds of other books already published which discuss several of the same subjects and many of them are first-rate, as Lipman-Blumen would be the first to acknowledge. All of them are listed in her superb "References" section and key ideas from several are woven into her crisp narrative. One of the several reasons why this book is different is the provision and explanation of what she calls "The Connective Leadership Model" which is the focus of Part II. Typical of Lipman-Blumen, she does not suggest that hers is the only model to consider; in fact, she strongly urges her reader to correlate her or his organizations needs and interests with the structure of the model, selecting whatever is most important. However, I presume to offer a caveat: Although by now an overworked buzz word, "integration" of any combination of components is absolutely essential. Whatever the model, its components must be cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective as are those which comprise "The Connective Leadership Model."
Wisely, following a precise and eloquent Preface, Lipman-Blumen focuses in Part One on "The Changing Dynamics of Leadership" which, inevitably, have changed at least to some extent since she wrote this book, first published in 1996. Nonetheless, her rationale remains rock-solid. Then and now, organizations need (and will continue to need) leadership which is "more politically savvy and instrumental, yet more ethical, authentic, accountable, and particularly, more ennobling." She calls this new approach "connective leadership" and suggests that it can "potentially transform the destructive tensions of diversity and interdependence into constructive leadership action." I hasten to add that, in most organizations where leaders tend to be identified by title, political and economic leverage, degree of authority, the "connective leadership" to which she refers can -- and should -- include everyone involved in a given organization. Stated another way, what she seems to be advocating is what I call "collaborative initiative" which can (and should) function at all levels. Those organizations which achieve and then sustain such initiatives (e.g. Southwest Airliners) have a "connective edge" over their competition. Lipman- Blumen provides an excellent discussion of this point in Chapter 10 and Noel Tichy also has much of value to say about this in his own book, The Leadership Engine.
Lipman-Blumen organizes her material within three Parts: The Changing Dynamics of Leadership (a review and examination of "the origins and evolution of the human need for leadership"), The Connective Leadership Model (more about that in a moment), and Bridging to the Stage 3 World (an exploration of the "empirical organizational results and the philosophical implications of the Connective Leadership Model"). The nature of leadership which she advocates is "both provocative and savvy, yet pragmatic and honorable." I wish it were possible to reproduce in this brief commentary the model she presents in Part Two. Essentially, it consists of three separate but interdependent components:
DIRECT : The intrinsic, competitive, and power styles of leadership
RELATIONAL: The collaborative, contributory, and vicarious styles of leadership
INSTRUMENTAL: The personal, social, and entrusting styles of leadership
Lipman-Blumen correctly points out that the most effective leaders are those who possess an appropriate combination of all three. As I read Part Two, I thought about the striking differences between the leadership styles of Gandhi and Patton. Relying entirely on active (not passive) strategies and tactics of non-violence, Gandhi helped India to achieve independence. Patton was required to use entirely different strategies and tactics to rescue the American troops at Bastogne. For me, one of this book's most insightful chapters is Chapter 11, "Women Leaders: An Oxymoron? Or Does Gender Make a Difference?" Lipman-Blumen poses and then addresses a number of gender-specific issues. Once again, as I read this chapter, I thought about leaders such as Joan of Arc, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth I, and Catherine the Great...each of whom possessed a combination of direct, relational, and instrumental leadership styles in appropriate balance. That was their "connective edge."
Within the context of explaining the need for what she calls "connective" leadership, Lipman-Blumen examines the theme of the contradictory pulls of two global tensions, interdependence and diversity. The former demands collaboration and mutuality while often seeming to threaten the independence and individualism required by the latter. "Connective" leadership is needed to integrate or at least coordinate these two sometimes adversarial forces. The leader with a "connective eye" can help groups or parties who must work or live interdependently (through geography, industry, etc.) with those who often have quite different agendas and goals, to focus together on problems that the enlightened leader recognizes they share even when, especially when others don't "get it." Lipman-Blumen believes that these two global tensions will be with us for some time to come. Leaders who don't develop the understanding and skills to deal with them effectively are almost certain to fail. I am reminded of what Edison once said about innovation: It is the ability to make connections. That is as true of the Gaza Strip as it is of an incandescent light.
I highly recommend this book to senior-level executives, of course, who seek that "edge" for themselves as well as for their organizations. But I also highly recommend this book to others whom Lipman-Blumen may not have had primarily in mind when she wrote the book: Clergy, teachers, coaches, and (especially) parents. Youth ages (let's say) 6-16 also have a great need for the "connective" leadership which Lipman-Blumen advocates. The impact of their leadership on young people may well have much greater impact than that of anyone else, especially now when the world is more interdependent than at any prior time in human history.
If you read just one book on leadership, this is it!.......2001-07-31
The Connective Edge is a remarkable book, one of my very favorites. In it, Jean Lipman-Blumen presents the the Connective Leadership model, consisting of nine "Achieving Styles." She advocates developing all of the styles and merging them into a balanced leadership approach that can address any challenge in our increasingly complex world.
This book has enabled me to better understand myself, my colleagues, and the organizations with which I interact. The Achieving Styles are presented in a way that allows the reader to understand the components of leadership and to identify his or her preferred styles. Dr. Lipman-Blumen also shows how to strengthen one's less preferred styles and how to apply the concepts of Connective Leadership to effective relationships with people, organizations, and society.
The Connective Edge, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, works on every level. The model it presents is balanced, flexible, and practical. Professionals or students in any field will learn a great deal from it.
A brief review can't do this book justice -- a rating of 5 stars is not high enough! I have given or recommended it to friends, family, and colleagues, and the feedback has been 100% positive. This is a winner!
Far Reaching, Insightful.......2001-05-26
There is no shortage of books out there that try to categorize leaders into different leadership styles. Often, the leadership styles delineated seem arbitrary. That is the difference between Lipman's book and other books: Lipman has outlined some really useful categories for leaders. These styles are: instrumental, relational, and direct. These styles are further divided into three categories each. Lipman also makes it clear that the most successful leaders use a range of these styles and do not overuse the one style they are best at. Lipman uses dozens of examples to make her ideas easily understood. And many of the leaders (like the Brazilian activist Chico Mendes) she mentions are ones I haven't found in other leadership books.
The chief prediction of the book (that leaders who do not foresee the consequences of a connective world will not succeed in tomorrow's world) is brilliant and far-reaching...
Book Description
"Blog" is short for "Web log"-an online site with time-dated postings, maintained by one or more posters, that features links and commentary. But that is like saying a car is a means of transportation featuring four wheels. Millions are changing their habits when it comes to information acquisition, and the blogosphere has appeared so suddenly as to surprise even the most sophisticated of analysts. In
Blog, best-selling author Hugh Hewitt helps you catch up with and get ahead of this phenomenon.
Up until now no influential blogger has written a definitive book about this phenomenon. Since Hugh Hewitt's blog site-
HughHewitt-was launched in early 2002, more than 10 million people have visited this site. Why does this visitor traffic matter? People's attentions are up for grabs. If you depend upon the steady trust of others, suddenly you have an audience waiting to hear from you. The race is underway, though, to gain mindspace and to be part of the blogosphere readers' habits and to position yourself as well as your business or organization at the forefront of this information movement.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book on Blogs.......2007-07-21
Hugh is one of the pioneers of blogging. He presents a good summary of what blogging is and how blogging will impact our future.
The big picture, from a political junkies slant.......2007-03-18
This impeccably well-written book (this dude can write!) is about blogs and how they are melting down mainstream media's influence and importance.
Hugh Hewitt asserts that "People's attentions are up for grabs" and blogs are capturing much of that attention. He is a national syndicated radio host and has one of the most popular political opinion blogs with over 100,000 unique visitors some days. His knowledge of the blogoshere is apparent. He examines recent events that have brought blogs into the mainstream consciousness including Dan Rather's recent disaster involving forged documents.
Hugh doesn't hide his political opinions or the fact that he is a political junkie. Although this book is a quick and fun read, those not interested in US politics may end up skimming some of the later sections including the 41-page appendix A, "Early Writings on Blogging."
Part 1 contains historical information on significant blogging events, all political in nature, a fascinating comparison of the development of the movable type printing press and blogs, and a brief history of text as it relates to blogging. Although I ignore politics as much as possible, each of his examples were familiar to me as they were "big deals" in the news. His concept of "blog storms" is interesting; when many blogs start examining the same events or story, an opinion storm brews and if it breaks, fundamentally changes the public's perceptions. Examples include John Kerry's Vietnam service in August 2004 and Dan Rather's blind faith in his forged documents in September 2004.
Part 2 focuses on the meltdown of mainstream media due in part to their extreme leftwing political bias and loss of trust with most news consumers. Hugh also comments briefly on a large number of influential and widely read blogs, primarily political in nature. He makes a good case that blogs have gained the trust that mainstream media has lost. "Why bloggers blog?" is an interesting question. Hewitt believes that bloggers are vain and blog for two reasons: to persuade, and to leave a record of having been there. He claims that both pursuits are a blast in real time and I concur. In the recent past, those who wanted to persuade had to persuade someone to let them persuade, for example a magazine or newspaper editor. Today the gatekeeper is gone. Anyone can start a blog, and if they have something interesting to say and some luck, might generate an enormous audience. The public takes on the role of editor by choosing what to read or not read. Bloggers have the same authority as big name columnists for the mainstream media, whether they have 10 or 10,000 regular readers.
Part 3 is the most fascinating but by its nature least detailed section. It concentrates on blogs and business uses, which are in their infancy. Hewitt suggests first developing a defensive blog strategy, as the destructive power of the blogosphere is immense. He then moves onto ways to use blogs for public relations and marketing purposes, including suggestions on finding appropriate bloggers for organizations, and advertising on blogs. Hewitt's "A Dozen Blogs I Would Start If I Were . . ." contains some fascinating thoughts on uses for blogs. The last chapter, "Getting Started: The Technology," contains very little technical advice as Hewitt isn't a technologist, but does have a superb list of key rules of "blogging success and significance."
I fully enjoyed this book despite despising politics. Since much of blog's recent rise into the public consciousness has been due to political events, some political content is unavoidable. Hewitt makes no apology for his political views or focus, and he shouldn't. He simply uses his experiences with blogs, which are unabashedly political, as his primary view into the blogosphere. The book is worth reading just for Hewitt's many insights, for example that bloggers run the spectrum from pure aggregators of other's materials to pure analysts, "blogs are about trust," and bloggers are part of a new culture of hyperscutiny.
Too Political.......2007-03-06
Too much right-slanting political dribble in this book. Do we really need another book about blogging?
The Power of Blogging - I Think You Already Know ;).......2006-12-07
One of my current interests is "how to blog successfully", and when I came across Hugh Hewitt's book Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World, it inevitably peaked my interest, wanting to look for insights that can help me become a better blogger.
However, this is the wrong book for that - or rather, this is a prequel to the howto's that I was wishing for.
Hewitt's book is intended as a business justification for individuals and businesses that are still undecided on the virtue of blogging. He started the book by providing real world examples where the blogosphere generated impacts at national and world stages. That used to be the realm of influence for the Main Stream Media (MSM), but the toppling of Trent Lott and the Rathergate incident opened the door for the blogosphere as a legitimate alternative media outlet. Hewitt then further extrapolate the trend and draw parallels to Gutenberg's printing revolution to predict an oncoming media revolution, and ask reader to prepare and utilize for oncoming blog swarm. And finally, he shared some thoughts on what can people blog, and how to prepare a blog strategy for businesses.
While Hewitt gave extensive treatment and account on the historical blogosphere events and formulate his thesis on the blog revolution, it provides little information on implementation. Of course, the title of the book does not suggest an in-depth analysis of successful blogging, so it would be unfair of me to say this book did not meet an objective that it should not meet, but it would be interesting to see if the author would publish a sequel on that particular topic.
Now - I did not know of Hugh Hewitt before I pick up the book, and I was surprised to the amount of political overtones and the despise toward MSM in the book. He is definitely not shy about his views on some of these subjects, and it feels "in-you-face". If you are not a Hewitt fan already or you are not used to hearing people speaking in tones of "I know better than you", then you might not enjoy this book too much.
Who will get benefit from this book?
If you are thinking of blogging, either for personal or business reasons, but are still unsure about the possible impacts (or returns), then this book should do it for you.
On the other hand, if you are already blogging, or decided to start blogging, then you can safely skip this book without losing much. But of course, you can always buy the book for an interesting recount of what happened to Lott and Rather ;)
Don't waste your money or valuable reading time!.......2006-09-05
Quite simply, I just couldn't get through the boorish political slamming. The author did not deliver on the promise "Understanding The Information Reformation That's Changing Your World". It's more about Hughy Hewitt's political tyrants than a serious inquiry on Blogs. He should take a course in writing, or run for office. Wish I could get a refund.
Customer Reviews:
A must read - The History of a revolutionary technology .......2006-07-10
"Imagine a technology so revolutionary that it gives computers the ability to make decisions more like human beings"
This is a book about the history of this technology, but be aware this is not an academic, scientific or engineering book.
An excellent reading if you like to know a little bit about the behind the scenes, the lives, and stories that surround the development of this fascinating technology. Fuzzy logic is a technology so great, that in my opinion, it single handed advanced the science of artificial intelligence, in a way that it wouldn't have been possible without the concepts that support Fuzzy Logic.
As Earl Cox Said: "If you are curious about fuzzy logic, buy this book. If you are working with fuzzy logic, buy this book. If you have never heard about fuzzy logic, buy this book....The Rosetta Stone of fuzzy logic".
Again,...be aware....this is not an academic, scientific or engineering book about mathematics or logics. Its just a Hot science book about the history of Fuzzy Logic.
Disapointment; this is not a book on logic.......2004-12-23
The book claims to be a introduction to fuzzy logic. Though I now know something about the development of fuzzy logic, it has not developed my understanding of fuzzy logic. This introduction is just too simplistic. It lets you think you understand, but you really do not. The book do not contain any logic at all, no proofs, no methods and no exercises. It should not be taken as a book on logic, but a book ofn the history of logic.
Excellent.......2003-09-10
McNeill does a great job in picturing the initial introduction of Fuzzy Sets, rejection by US companies, and the developments of Japanese companies. This book contains the best historical recolection on Fuzzy Logic.
History and Philosophy of Fuzzy Logic.......2002-08-05
'Fuzzy Logic: A Revolutionary Computer Technology that is changing our world', a book by Daniel McNeill and Paul Freiberger, is all about the history and philosophy of fuzzy logic. This book was written nearly a decade from now and the main body consists of 275 pages of text (pp. 9 to 283). It took me 2 weeks to finish reading this book since I underlined important terms, concepts, and names of the people who contributed to the development of fuzzy logic. Without underlining, I think anyone can read this book in less than a week. The book has the following advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
1. It has quotations from famous people at the beginning of each chapter.
2. It is comprehensive.
3. It has been a major source of reference of most websites on fuzzy logic.
4. It is lightweight and measures approximately 7' x 5' inches.
Disadvantages:
1. It contains only a few diagrams.
2. It is monochromatic (lacks color).
3. It is generally non-technical.
I understand its predominantly non-technical approach (3rd disadvantage) because I assumed that there has been a lack of English technical references for fuzzy logic in the early 90's. Therefore, these are my comments/suggestions:
Comments/Suggestions:
1. I suggest that the authors revise the book to include 2 parts:
a. Fuzzy Logic: History and Philosophy
b. Fuzzy Logic: Concepts and Applications
2. The revised version should include more mathematical diagrams/models, sample problems with solutions, and exercises with odd-numbered solutions.
3. The revised version should include technical references such as 'Heaven in a Chip: Fuzzy Visions of Society and Science in the Digital Age' by Bart Kosko, 'Learning and Soft Computing: Support Vector Machines, Neural Networks, and Fuzzy Logic Models' by Vojislav Kecman, 'Genetic Fuzzy Systems: Evolutionary Tuning and Learning of Fuzzy Knowledge Bases' by Oscar Cordon, 'Fuzzy Engineering' by Bart Kosko, and Fuzzy Logic and Neuro Fuzzy Applications Explained' by Constantin Von Altrock.
4. The revised version should include sample applications with simulation using free downloadable fuzzy logic software/program from the internet such as FuzzyLib 2.0 and Simple Inference Engine 1.0 which are currently both available...
Starts off good but fizzles.......2001-08-28
This book tries to cover the subject area of fuzzy systems, starting at the origins and working forward. I did enjoy the beginning and the writing style made me keep reading even when the subject matter was thin but towards the end of the book I was floundering. I came away with a desire to learn more about fuzzy systems and a good idea as to what are their concepts and limitations. I think this book could have used another 10 years of subject matter to fill the pages though.
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The One Minute Manager
ASIN: 0312133952 |
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Despite the wealth of technical advances in the 1990s workplace, managing, motivating, and communicating remains a challenge. The Leader in You adapts the simple, time-tested management theories of Dale Carnegie to this high-tech environment with refreshing results. Read in an engaging but direct tone, the tape's pace is varied with excerpts from recent management studies and anecdotes from contemporary business leaders. It's a sound introduction to leadership skills for anyone working in the public, private, or nonprofit sector. (Running time: 1.5 hours, one cassette) --Sharon Griggins
Book Description
For eighty years, Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc., has been training people at all levels to get the most out of what they put into their careers. Now, drawing on insights from some of this century's most important voices, two of its top executives bring the Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc., time-tested human relations principles to a new level of relevance in today's unpredictable business environment.
The ability to communicate and motivate people will determine who wins and who loses in the next decade.
THE LEADER IN YOU builds on the fundamentals of human relationships to help you develop your own innate leadership skills and discover how to:
* Achieve goals and increase self-confidence
* Gain the respect you deserve
* Build trusting relationships
* Control your worries and energize your life
* Become a team player
Three generations of students and business people have benefited from Carnegie's timeless, essential wisdom. Now, you can apply these basic techniques and lessons in your own life -- and find the leader in you to succeed in today's fastchanging world.
Customer Reviews:
rehash but may be a useful reminder.......2007-10-14
Stuart Levine and Michael Crom of Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. discuss their perspectives on the principles that Dale outlined earlier.
1. Be yourself, identify your strengths.
2. Be open, create an environment conducive to trust, see things from other person's point of view, listen well, and communicate tirelessly
3. Express genuine interest in others, recognize a job well done.
4. Teams: create a shared purpose, invite participation, share the glory and accept the blame, build team's confidence, be and stay involved.
5. Be quick to admit mistakes, slow to criticize. Be constructive.
6. Set goals that are clear, challeging and obtainable.
7. Focus, discipline, tenacity.
8. Balance work and leisure.
9. Positive mental attitude.
10. Reduce worry - focus on present, work out the odds of the event happening, accept the inevitable, keep problems in perspective, action.
11. Develop enthusiasm.
Reading the book will help you identify and act on several improvements.
Collection of condescending cliches stressing the obvious.......2006-10-12
I found this book (I listened to the audio version) to be a major disappointment. The tips offered by Carnegie may have appeared insightful and provocative to assembly line supervisors back in the 1930s, but in the more enlightened 21st century a lot of his "good advice" comes across as irritatingly simplistic and sometimes even downright condescending and offensive. It's so easy and straightforward: Be nice to people, remember their first names, always be positive and you will instantly be liked by everyone. Overly obvious and trite - hardly the kind of stuff that would find its way into today's Harvard Business Review. Adding to the sense of irritation is the voice of the reader who tries to sound upbeat and optimistic, giving the whole performance the hollow feel of amateurish propaganda better suited to "Pleasantville" than to "Wall Street".
For more insightful, relevant and up-to-date advice, I recommend "How to become CEO" by Jeffrey J. Fox.
Back to Basics.......2006-10-12
This little book is recommended reading in the company I currently work for and unlike some of the other recommendations, Fish and Moving My Cheese for instance, this has some value.
It is, in essence, an updated version of How to Win Friends and Influence People, adapted for the present day and readers who have read the former work will gain little from this except some familiarity with more contemporary case studies.
What struck me as I was going over it was how central the basic messages are to most of the useful management books on the market today. Certainly among the more academic books you will findmore material which is inherently useful to higher level managers and professionals but in the context of middle and line management, the central tenents hold true. To name just two, good listening skills, and trying to see things from the perspectives of others are golden rules from which none of use should deviate.
Indeed, one is almost tempted to say that these are the sort of things that should be taught in schools as components of civics classes except that I am sure many others would agree, schools should concentrate on getting basic skills right before they release students into the world of work.
The leader in you is a useful book to read. It is an easy read and one that shoul not take too long to work through and the simple down to earth homily approach works well with most people.
While not the be all and end all of all management books, this slim little volume contains some simple lessons that all managers would do well to digest and apply in all their dealings with other people and I can think of a few who need to rediscover this book right now.
Great "Beginners Guide"--Well Worth It........2006-06-18
As a 20 year veteran business consultant I strongly recommend this one because it presents the "meat and potatoes" of leadership. I personally am tired of all the "fad" books out there trying to put a spin on leadership when what is important are the essential skills of leadership. This book captures those skills and is great for a new leader.
Mick Hager
Author of MONKEY BUSINESS, 7 Laws of the Jungle for Becoming the Best of the Bunch! A Short Tale of a Company That Gets It!
Gibbs Smith Publisher, March 2007
Simple albeit important.......2006-06-12
THE LEADER IN YOU is authored by Stuart R. Levin & Michael A. Crom, executives of the DALE CARNEGIE & ASSOCIATES, INC. The book is a fairly good read but is very fundamental. I think the book is an excellent read subsequent to reading Dale Carnegie's masterpiece, HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE.
The book covers the essentials of leadership, from communication, motivating others to tactics on handling criticism. I admittedly found the exerpts in the book from Dale Carnegie's HOW TO WIN FRIENDS & INFLUENCE PEOPLE to be somewhat vital. That is, Dale Carnegie is brilliant in terms of his understanding of human relationships and managing individuals.
As a total, I believe the book is simple albeit almost vital. The book is an excellent primer for individuals embarking on a management/leadership role, whether it be as a coach, a parent, or supervisor. I recommend the book.
Cheers,
Clovis
Book Description
Five core assumptions characterize invitational rhetoric: (1) the purpose of communicating is to gain understanding; (2) the speaker and the audience are equal; (3) different perspectives constitute valuable resources; (4) change happens when people choose to change themselves; and (5) all participants are willing to be changed by the interaction. The goals of invitational rhetoric are to clarify ideas and to create an environment in which growth and change can occur for both audience and speaker. Speakers can facilitate the exchange of ideas by creating conditions of freedom, safety, value, and openness. Freedom is at the heart of an invitation to transformation--the freedom to choose to change; safety generates confidence for all participants to express ideas; value recognizes and appreciates the intrinsic worth of all participants; and openness is a willingness to explore diverse perspectives. This ideal environment increases the possibilities of achieving mutual understanding. The authors designed the book as a concise guide for becoming adept and creative presentational speakers. Sample presentations reflect the diversity of interactional goals, focus, frames, organizational patterns, forms of elaboration, and connections discussed in the text.
Customer Reviews:
Unbridled Silliness, Not Apt For Adults.......2007-01-27
This book is rubbish. It begins with the very old (and very absurd) argument that words ARE reality (as differentiated from the idea that words DESCRIBE reality); and very few contemporary students will recall how Dr. Johnson, when confronted with this absurdity, became so angered that he said "I refute it thus!" and kicked a rock so badly that he hurt his foot. Anyone forced to read this tripe -- as too many students are -- will sooner or later envy Johnson's ability to dismiss this blather with ONLY a hurt foot. The book allows for no other alternatives...it several times intimates or directly states that an individual's truth is unassailable or inviolate, without regard to whether that "truth" is delusional, provably false, or a complete crock. This is a splendid device for making everybody feel good, but sadly inadequate and inappropriate for the needs of those wanting to understand and become proficient at rhetoric and/or public speaking. It is a thinly disguised effort to bring the world into compliance with the somewhat ding-bat idea that thought, debate, and human intercourse can all be safely set aside in the name of making sure that even the idiots among us feel comfortable. Nothing...I say again, NOTHING...in this book provides guidance or instruction in the skills necessary for effective public speaking, or for the analysis of good/bad public speaking, or, really, how to speak in public outside of the nah-nah nu-nu feel-good blather that one might have hoped would by now have left the American scene. The idea, held by some, that this cloud-coo-coo-land type of thinking will contribute to the intellectual development of students is one of the most astounding examples of how far off the track is our educational system. If you want to play patty-cakes with your brain, buy this book. If you want something serious or effective, look somewhere else: this book is for weak people who want to feel good about themselves without doing the work necessary to change themselves or their worlds.
This text makes a difference!.......2001-10-09
If you are interested in helping your students move from average to really engaging, effective, and ethical public speakers, you really ought to check out INVITING TRANSFORMATION.
Finally, here's a public speaking text that teaches sound theoretical principles for communication in a contemporary context. Students are provided with scores of explanations and examples to help them create presentations that are dialogical (speaking "with" audiences) rather than monological (performing "for" audiences). The result is that students' presentations are more focused and engaging--not "cookie cutter" or trite.
The theory of inviting transformation is one that makes sense to students, and it shows, as their presentations are markedly improved after learning it. My colleagues across our campus have told me that they can identify the students who have had my public speaking course by their effective presentations. I attribute this success to Foss and Foss' ideas in INVITING TRANSFORMATION.
Certainly, this text will be a part of every public speaking course I ever teach. You really ought to check it out.
Thank you for the unique invitation!.......2001-09-19
Finally, a public speaking text unlike all the others. Foss and Foss offer students and teachers an approach to communication that privileges values so vital to out country's multicultural landscape such as safety, value, freedom, and openness.
One of the difficulties in teaching public speaking has always been the fear factor: most people are terrified to speak in public. Because "Inviting Transformation" conceptualizes the role of the speaker in partnership and community with the audience, rather than in control of them, the students see themselves working WITH an audience rather than against them. By focusing on concepts such as safety and value in a communication context, I have also discovered that this approach has helped make students more reflective of their listening and participation skills. Overall, we begin to see how all aspects of our communication can be conducive to an environment of dialogue.
A different look at public speaking.......2001-09-08
Sonja and Karen Foss give a different perspective on presentational speaking. The audience is to be valued and invited to change -- just as the speaker is valued and comes to a speaking situation willing to change. This book gives us the opportunity to look at all types of communication not just public speaking. A great text for any speaking course or anyone looking to improve their presentational speaking.
It's not like the others -- and that's the point.......2001-08-02
I've read and taught from many different texts on public speaking. If you need or want a traditional approach to public speaking, then you have dozens from which to choose. This text takes a refreshingly different route.
The authors stress the relationship between the speaker and the audience, and emphatically do NOT define communication as persuasion. Instead of focusing on the speaker's individual goals, for example, they focus on the goals that can be reached WITH the audience, thereby allowing for the possibility that all parties can be transformed through the interaction.
One chapter that I've found especially beneficial is the chapter on speech designs ("Constructing Connections"). Most texts give the exact same five or six major speech designs (problem-solution; categorical; chronological; etc.) This text gives twenty. Many texts use the same speeches as examples (from Ronald Reagan, Barbara Bush, Martin Luther King...). This text uses non-traditional examples from various speaking contexts.
You get the idea.
Some folks will find this approach surprisingly challenging. But that, in itself, is part of its appeal to me.
Book Description
This engaging new text introduces students to the world of media through a unique structure that makes the material easily intelligible and meaningful to their lives. Each chapter is divided into three-part narrative sections: history, industry, and controversy. Mass Media in a Changing World is the story of where the media came from, why they do what they do, and why those actions cause controversies.
Each new copy of the text is
packaged with a free Media World CD-ROM as well free access to PowerWeb--a unique collection of course-specific current articles, real-time news, interactive exercises and assessment tools, research links, and more!
Book Description
Word count: 771.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Communication World, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2007. The length of the article is 608 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Case study: changing financial habits among employees at Scotiabank Mexico.(SPECIAL REPORT: Latin America and the Caribbean)
Author: Elsa Mercado
Publication:
Communication World (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 24
Issue: 2
Page: 22(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from LAN Product News, published by Worldwide Videotex on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 430 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: CHANGING STANDARDS DEFINE DIRECTION OF WORLD WLAN INDUSTRY.(according to Frost & Sullivan)(Industry Overview)
Publication:
LAN Product News (Newsletter)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: Worldwide Videotex
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Page: NA
Article Type: Industry Overview
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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