Thursday, March 4, 2010

Lessons From The Top - The 50 Most Successful Business Leaders in America--and What You Can Learn From Them by Thomas J Neff and James M Citrin

The authors set out on a big adventure on this book. A research project at its best in my opinion. They took a group of metrics to determine who they believed were the 50 most successful businessmen of the time, interviewed them and took what they learned to turn it into Lessons From The Top. What is so ironic about this book, is that when they were researching highly successful leaders, Enron, MCI Worldcom and numerous financial powerhouse executives had not yet been found to be the frauds we now know them to be. It is interesting to read lessons from someone you now know to be fraudulent. My takeaway from these successful business men and women leave me questioning all that they espouse. Overall I find this to be a good thing for everyone to do anyways, but it makes it easier to grasp some wisdom and throw other advice away, when you question the integrity of the source.

All in all this was a book full of takeaways on leadership and responsibility. A common theme was building the right team of people to build up your company with you. Not everyone gets to be the CEO, but every person in the organization is required to make the CEO and business look good. Take care of your employees was another common theme.

Will you read this book again? I think this book is one to pick up everytime your career and/or business hits a growth milestone to help you maintain humility as your leadership requirements grow.
Would you suggest this book be added to a personal library or leave at the public library? Personal library.

Reviewed By Mike W - Twin Cities, MN

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