I am involved in our region's trade industry, known as the Software Association of Oregon (SAO), and next week I am on a panel with two other CEOs for one of the many events we hold for members and non-members in special interest groups that includes leadership, marketing, human resources, etc. This particular one, lead by executive recruiter Pamela Jones, is centered around a new best selling book - or "leadership fable" as it is called - entitled The Five Temptations of a CEO. I just finished reading it, it is about an hour read at most, and I recommend it highly. I must admit I was dubious at first that I would enjoy it or even get anything out of it - but I did. While geared for CEOs, any manager will benefit from this quick read.
Here's the amazon.com review, which also describes the temptations:
Imagine running into the ultimate management mentor late one night on an otherwise deserted commuter train, and walking away from the strange encounter with an encapsulated guide to success in the corporate world. That's exactly what screenwriter and business coach Patrick Lencioni has done in The Five Temptations of a CEO: A Leadership Fable, placing his tale in an easy-reading and thought- provoking kind of self-help novel.
Designed to be read in a single sitting, this book uses the unexpected meeting between troubled high-tech honcho Andrew O'Brien and a mysterious old man named Charlie to explore a series of common traps that can unwittingly ensnare any hard-driven executive. Lencioni hones in on the five "temptations" of the workplace: desires to jealously guard career status, consistently remain popular with subordinates, unfailingly make correct decisions, constantly strive for an atmosphere of total harmony, and always appear invulnerable. A discussion of the story's events and their real-world implications follows, as Lencioni shifts from screenwriter mode to business coach to help answer some of the questions he raises. --Howard Rothman
The net, net of this book for me personally is that I am guilty of all of these temptations to some degree, and expect that tomorrow morning I will begin my day with different expectations of myself and my crew.
Here's the author's web site the table group which includes other books, consulting, etc.
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