Prof. Kobi Glazer
Academic Director, Executive MBA programs
Faculty of Management
Tel Aviv University
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011
A new book, written by the Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences, Daniel Kahneman. The book explains with many examples and in a clear and fluent language about our decision-making mechanism and about the rational or irrational factors that influence us when we make decisions. An important book to anyone who makes decisions and to those who manage and live with people.
Prof. Peter Bamberger
Faculty of Management
Tel Aviv University
One of my favorites for managers is Malcolm Gladwell’s WHAT THE DOG SAW (Little, Brown and Company; publication date: October 20, 2009).
Gladwell’s book presents 19 brilliantly researched and provocative essays, several of which relate directly to issues affecting managers in contemporary organizations. For example, one of these essays, entitled “The Talent Myth” examines how companies such as Enron can often place too much reliance on hiring talented people as opposed to developing effective systems for maximizing the performance of those with even limited talents (such as Southwest Airlines). In another, he documents the research underlying the weakness of employment interviews as the primary means of employee selection. Gladwell’s non-academic and user-friendly approach for reporting rigorous scientific research makes this book ideal for managers. Accordingly, several of his essays are “must reads” in the courses that I teach.
Prof. Ithai Stern
Kellogg School of Management
Northwestern University
Do Nothing! How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader
J. Keith Murnighan, Portfolio/Penguin, To be published June 14, 2012
Great leaders don’t work; they facilitate and orchestrate. They think of great strategies and help
In his new book, Professor Keith Murnighan presents a simple and compelling idea: Great leaders do not work- the help and assists. They think about the excellent strategies and help others to implement them. The rest of the time they use to plan the future. They notice the smallest details but look at the greater picture that allows them to navigate the organization into the right direction. In other wards- great leaders do nothing but to think, make great decisions and help others to do their work. But, most leaders do too much and their management teams suffer as a result.
In his book Murnighan he demonstrates practical advice for managers, how to set higher goals to their teams and how to make them to achieve the goals. This book will help to those who want to develop a healthier corporate culture by trusting people who do not expect the trust, and will help the managers to stop "over-mange" and let the team do what they should do. I highly recommend it, especially those with growing organizations who need to get used to the idea that they can't manage everything, a problem that many Israeli managers need to deal with.
