Lessons from the top : the search for America's best business leaders / Thomas J. Neff & James M. Citrin, with Paul B. Brown.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Neff, Thomas J.

Contributor:

Citrin, James M.

Brown, Paul B.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Leadership.

Executive ability.

Success in business.

Management.

Physical Description:

xi, 432 pages ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York ; London : Currency/Doubleday, 1999.

Summary:

Neff profiles the 50 best business leaders in America, exploring how they make their companies great--and the lessons that can be learned from them.

Contents:

Part 1 The Search for the Best Business Leaders in America 1

Chapter 1 What Makes Business Leaders Great 3

Chapter 2 Evaluating Today's Business Leaders 11

Chapter 3 Methodology: A Closer Look at the Numbers 17

Part II Profiles 29

Overview to Profiles 31

"You've got to have the guts to make a decision." / Mike Armstrong 35

Leading by example / Carol Bartz 41

Creating customers for life / Hans Becherer 47

It's how you'd run an airline / Gordon Bethune 55

"There was a time when I thought brains were everything." / Larry Bossidy 61

Execute / Jim Broadhead 67

You've got mail / Steve Case 73

"Everybody here knows what we want to accomplish." / John Chambers 79

The power of direct / Michael Dell 85

Managing the nation's material, human, and inner resources / Elizabeth Dole 91

"You don't want to be a manager. You want to be a leader." / Bob Eaton 99

"The only real values are the eternal ones." / Bernie Ebbers 105

"What you are striving for is magic, not perfection." / Michael Eisner 111

The Gap Formula for Success is as easy as 1-2-3: luck, common sense, and a small ego / Don Fisher 117

(Earth)Mover / Don Fites 123

Missionary / Bill Gates 129

"Once you think you can write down what made you successful, you won't be." / Lou Gerstner 137

"Working for a higher purpose" / Ray Gilmartin 143

"We hire PSDs: people who are poor, smart, and have a deep desire to be rich." / Ace Greenberg 151

"You look for white blackbirds." / Hank Greenberg 157

The boss must be in charge of training / Andy Grove 163

Rallying

and leading

the troops / Charles Heimbold 169

Keeping everything in balance / Martha Ingram 175

Winning / David Johnson 181

"Culture is your number-one priority." / Herb Kelleher 187

"We have to keep earning the trust of our customers." / Bill Kerr 193

"Keep it simple." / Chuck Knight 199

"There is a lot one person can do." / Dennis Kozlowski 205

"Edicts don't work." / Ralph Larsen 209

The $30 billion corner store / Ken Lay 215

360-degree branding / Shelly Lazarus 221

Taking care of the customers, and the people who take care of the customers / Bill Marriott 229

"You've got to do what you do well." / Lou Noto 235

"The test is how you connect with people." / Paul O'Neill 241

"What do you want to achieve?" / John Pepper 247

Reluctant role model / Frank Raines 253

Sharing success / Howard Schultz 259

"I am the customer." / Charles Schwab 265

"If people feel valued, you have a much stronger company." / Walter Shipley 271

"Not to be an entrepreneur is to begin the process of decline and decay." / Fred Smith 277

"Fads come. Fads go. We concentrate on what we do best." / Bill Steere 285

Bet the company, with everyone's help / Bob Tillman 291

Drive / Alex Trotman 299

"There is only one question to ask: What's best for the customer?" / Dan Tully, David Komansky 307

Serious about business, serious about people / Mike Volkema 319

"You must have a moral compass." / Charles Wang 327

Let's build something together / Sandy Weill 333

"I don't think anyone understands the value of informal." / Jack Welch 339

Focus / Al Zeien 347

Part III Lessons Learned 353

Chapter 1 The 51st Business Leader: Peter Drucker "Yes, you want to manage for results. But what do you mean by results?" 357

Chapter 2 Doing the Right Things Right: A New Definition of Business Success 361

Chapter 3 Common Traits: A Prescription for Success in Business 379.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0385493436

OCLC:

40862207