As summer approaches, HBS Working Knowledge begins its annual quest to find the ideal beach-friendly management text. Consultant Graham Alexander's Tales from the Top fits the bill: It's light in style but informative in substance, easy to abandon as the tide comes in and pick up again when high ground is secured, with points that are easily grasped, even as a hot sun and cooling breeze vie for your attention.
Alexander's intention is to increase the effectiveness of leaders by promoting self-examination and questioning why leaders do the things they do. C-level executives, the author writes, are constantly searching for answers, and asking the right questions is often the best way to get to the heart of the matter. The ten questions that are the backbone of the book are: What's life all about for you? Who are you, and who do others say your are? What's the point for you and your people? What would happen if you did less? What can only you do? Would you do anything differently if you knew you only had a year to live? If people are your biggest asset, why don't they know who you are? Who pays your salary, and why are you ignoring them? Are you running your business or is it running you? So now how will you live your life differently ... or is it business as usual?
Many of the themes here have been dealt with effectively elsewhere, themes like work-life balance, understanding the needs of employees and customers, and recognizing personal limits. But Alexander also addresses less common issues such as self-doubt and determinants of success. Alexander boils it all down to actionable items, a to-do list we happily agree with and hope to remember when we return to the office.
- Sean Silverthorne