Power Plays: Shakespeare's Lessons in Leadership and Management

Rating:
Summary: Cuts through the [junk], a usable interesting read
Review: Every year there are several flavor of the month management books, whether they be lessons from patton, elizabeth I, sitting bull, goldilocks, lincoln, grant, or peanut butter parents. This book cuts through the novelty [junk]though. Shakespeare is about management. A good manager should know his/her people, policies, practices, and products. Hamlet knew none of these, and failed at management. Shakespeare is about power. Weren't Macbeth and Richard III willing to kill for power? What would Macbeth have done with his power anyway? Did he have any agenda other than the top role? What are the players in Hamlet willing to do just to stay close to the seat of power? What was Casius' lean and hungry look about in Julius Caesar? Was it about Caesar's inability to share power? Wasn't Richard II about the consequences of the loss of power? Why couldn't Henry VI accept power? ... I have been waiting for this book to be published for a year! There are half a dozen business books that use The Bard as a foundation, but this is the best, without a doubt. This book is based on years of actual use in the classroom by Whitney, who has been affiliated with Columbia and Harvard B-Schools, and is one of the most sought after teachers. Not only is he a teacher, but he is a respected turnaround expert and former leader of Pathmark. When Whitney was brought in to be COO of Pathmark, he felt he was in line for the top job. Like a tragic hero, he was blind to the fact that the organization saw him as an outsider, though he was succeeding, and he was unaware that he was being ostracized. Isn't this just like Henry IV who was overthrown by Richard the Third? Henry IV, though he reigned for 14 years, was blind to his competitors. Maybe Whitney should have acted like Prince Hal in Henry IV. Prince Hal ate among the commoners to learn of their intentions. Whitney is excellent at interpreting Shakespeare and applying it to biz. And you dont have to be familiar with the plays, since his prose explains the essential points for the reader. For example, he shows that Coriolanus failed because although he was strong in his conviction, he was too rigid. What about trusted lieutenants? In Othello, Iago was seeking revenge because he was passed over for promotion. The job was given to Cassio. What about Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII. Or Polonius in Hamlet? Polonius says "to thine own self be true", yet he never is true. He is foolish and scheming, and ends up dead. There are many lessons to be learned. The book is worth buying just for the discussion on Falstaff

Rating:
Summary: Cuts through the [junk], a usable interesting read
Review: Every year there are several flavor of the month management books, whether they be lessons from patton, elizabeth I, sitting bull, goldilocks, lincoln, grant, or peanut butter parents. This book cuts through the novelty [junk]though. Shakespeare is about management. A good manager should know his/her people, policies, practices, and products. Hamlet knew none of these, and failed at management. Shakespeare is about power. Weren't Macbeth and Richard III willing to kill for power? What would Macbeth have done with his power anyway? Did he have any agenda other than the top role? What are the players in Hamlet willing to do just to stay close to the seat of power? What was Casius' lean and hungry look about in Julius Caesar? Was it about Caesar's inability to share power? Wasn't Richard II about the consequences of the loss of power? Why couldn't Henry VI accept power? ... I have been waiting for this book to be published for a year! There are half a dozen business books that use The Bard as a foundation, but this is the best, without a doubt. This book is based on years of actual use in the classroom by Whitney, who has been affiliated with Columbia and Harvard B-Schools, and is one of the most sought after teachers. Not only is he a teacher, but he is a respected turnaround expert and former leader of Pathmark. When Whitney was brought in to be COO of Pathmark, he felt he was in line for the top job. Like a tragic hero, he was blind to the fact that the organization saw him as an outsider, though he was succeeding, and he was unaware that he was being ostracized. Isn't this just like Henry IV who was overthrown by Richard the Third? Henry IV, though he reigned for 14 years, was blind to his competitors. Maybe Whitney should have acted like Prince Hal in Henry IV. Prince Hal ate among the commoners to learn of their intentions. Whitney is excellent at interpreting Shakespeare and applying it to biz. And you dont have to be familiar with the plays, since his prose explains the essential points for the reader. For example, he shows that Coriolanus failed because although he was strong in his conviction, he was too rigid. What about trusted lieutenants? In Othello, Iago was seeking revenge because he was passed over for promotion. The job was given to Cassio. What about Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII. Or Polonius in Hamlet? Polonius says "to thine own self be true", yet he never is true. He is foolish and scheming, and ends up dead. There are many lessons to be learned. The book is worth buying just for the discussion on Falstaff

Rating:
Summary: Bla, bla, bla
Review: John O. Whitney managed to relate business strategies to many of Shakespeare's plays; I truly was impressed... Many of his own experiences are related and it might seem as if the author is showing off but the stories he talks about are really interesting.
Before I read this book I really respected and admired Shakespeare and now my admiration goes beyond his literature, with the help of the author, his lessons on leadership and management are essential for any person working in a large corporation.
SHAKESPEARE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CEO!!!

Rating:
Summary: PROBABLY THE BEST IF YOU ENJOY SHAKESPEARE
Review: John O. Whitney managed to relate business strategies to many of Shakespeare's plays; I truly was impressed... Many of his own experiences are related and it might seem as if the author is showing off but the stories he talks about are really interesting.
Before I read this book I really respected and admired Shakespeare and now my admiration goes beyond his literature, with the help of the author, his lessons on leadership and management are essential for any person working in a large corporation.
SHAKESPEARE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CEO!!!

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: O.K., we all know it's a gimmick, but it's such a good gimmick that you can't help but be won over. John O. Whitney and Tina Packer extract timeless truths about human nature from the works of Shakespeare and apply them to today's business world. Theme by theme, the authors tackle power, communication, trust, decision, action, hierarchy and women in management. Linking business dramas and dilemmas faced by today's companies and corporate leaders to those faced by Shakespeare's characters, the authors serve up a treasure trove of valuable insight and guidance in this immensely satisfying book. We [...] recommend this book to anyone in business or outside of it. Because like the works of Shakespeare himself, this book, while aimed at a specific audience, aspires to, and in many cases reaches, more universal truths.


Rating:
Summary: As You'll Like It -- definitely
Review: Shakespeare is about management. A good manager should know his/her people, policies, practices, and products. Hamlet liked to think, but knew none of these four P's, and failed at management. Sure, something was rotten in Denmark; it was a lack of management expertise. Shakespeare is about power and the trappings of power. Weren't Macbeth and Richard III willing to kill for power? What would Macbeth have done with his power anyway? Did he have any agenda other than the top role? What are the players in Hamlet willing to do to stay close to the seat of power? Did Casius appear lean and hungry because Julius Caesar wouldn't share his power? Is Richard II, a play with a weak leader, about the consequences of the loss of power? Why couldn't Henry VI accept power? I have been waiting for this book to be published for a year! There are half a dozen business books that use The Bard as a foundation, but this is the best, without a doubt. This book is based on years of actual use in the classroom by Whitney, who has been affiliated with Columbia and Harvard B-Schools, and is one of Columbia's most popular teachers. Not only is he a teacher, but he is a respected turnaround expert and former leader of Pathmark. When Whitney was brought in to be COO of Pathmark, he felt he was in line for the top job. Like a tragic hero, he was blind to the fact that the organization saw him as an outsider, though he was succeeding, and he was unaware that he was being ostracized. Isn't this just like Henry IV who was overthrown by Richard the Third? Henry IV, though he reigned for 14 years, was blind to his competitors. Maybe Whitney should have acted like Prince Hal in Henry IV. Prince Hal ate among the commoners to learn of their intentions. Whitney is excellent at interpreting Shakespeare and applying it to biz. For example, he shows that Coriolanus failed because although he was strong in his conviction, he was too rigid. What about trusted lieutenants? In Othello, Iago was seeking revenge because he was passed over for promotion. The job was given to Cassio. What about Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII. Or Polonius in Hamlet? Polonius says "to thine own self be true", yet he never is true. He is foolish and scheming, and ends up dead. There are many lessons to be learned. The book is worth buying even if you just read about Falstaff.

Rating:
Summary: As You'll Like It -- definitely
Review: Shakespeare is about management. A good manager should know his/her people, policies, practices, and products. Hamlet liked to think, but knew none of these four P's, and failed at management. Sure, something was rotten in Denmark; it was a lack of management expertise. Shakespeare is about power and the trappings of power. Weren't Macbeth and Richard III willing to kill for power? What would Macbeth have done with his power anyway? Did he have any agenda other than the top role? What are the players in Hamlet willing to do to stay close to the seat of power? Did Casius appear lean and hungry because Julius Caesar wouldn't share his power? Is Richard II, a play with a weak leader, about the consequences of the loss of power? Why couldn't Henry VI accept power? I have been waiting for this book to be published for a year! There are half a dozen business books that use The Bard as a foundation, but this is the best, without a doubt. This book is based on years of actual use in the classroom by Whitney, who has been affiliated with Columbia and Harvard B-Schools, and is one of Columbia's most popular teachers. Not only is he a teacher, but he is a respected turnaround expert and former leader of Pathmark. When Whitney was brought in to be COO of Pathmark, he felt he was in line for the top job. Like a tragic hero, he was blind to the fact that the organization saw him as an outsider, though he was succeeding, and he was unaware that he was being ostracized. Isn't this just like Henry IV who was overthrown by Richard the Third? Henry IV, though he reigned for 14 years, was blind to his competitors. Maybe Whitney should have acted like Prince Hal in Henry IV. Prince Hal ate among the commoners to learn of their intentions. Whitney is excellent at interpreting Shakespeare and applying it to biz. For example, he shows that Coriolanus failed because although he was strong in his conviction, he was too rigid. What about trusted lieutenants? In Othello, Iago was seeking revenge because he was passed over for promotion. The job was given to Cassio. What about Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII. Or Polonius in Hamlet? Polonius says "to thine own self be true", yet he never is true. He is foolish and scheming, and ends up dead. There are many lessons to be learned. The book is worth buying even if you just read about Falstaff.

Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's mirror
Review: This book began 52 years ago in a class on Shakespeare's history plays taught by Professor Franklin Ikenberry at the University of Tulsa. I had returned from a stint in the Army during World War II and was intensely interested in the concept of leadership. As I read Shakespeare's English history plays and later his Greek and Roman tragedies, I began to note dozens of issues that I as a non-commissioned officer and the commissioned officers I worked with had to face almost on a daily basis. As my business career developed, those "dozens" became hundreds. During the years, I stood in constant amazement that a man who lived 400 years ago could speak so forcefully to leaders today, whether they are in the private or public sector. I have spent half of my career as a leader of small start-up companies, and later as a COO or CEO of companies in need of a turnaround. The other half of my career I have spent on the faculty of the Harvard Business School (1967-1972) and Columbia Business School (1985 to the present). As an academic, I have had the opportunity to contemplate my actions as a businessman. During the past two or three years, I began thinking of them in the context of Shakespeare's plays -- constant companions during my career. In 1998 I began teaching a course at Columbia Business School called "In Search of the Perfect Prince." Shortly thereafter, I had the good fortune of meeting Tina Packer who, in addition to her credentials as a fine Shakespearean actor and a superb producer, is also a fine businesswoman. She came to the United States, after a fine career in the British theater which included, among others, the Royal Shakespeare Company, to begin her own production company 22 years ago. She says it was the moment she began heading up her own company that she realized that Shakespeare's tales of power actually had application to her daily living, and that everything that happened to her in the running of the organization had a reflection in the plays. She has built Shakespeare & Company, of Lenox, Massachusetts, into a position of pre-eminence. Although Tina and I are different in so many ways -- she is a political liberal and I am an ardent conservative -- we found that our common interest in Shakespeare and the circumstances in which creativity can flourish superseded political differences. We hope that we have captured those hundreds of issues (which I mentioned earlier) that leaders face today. The force of the Bard's language, along with his compelling dramatizations, literally pummel the audience member or reader into thinking carefully about issues that confront leaders, managers, and, yes, followers. As Tina and I have said in the book, he holds a mirror that makes us see much more clearly the impact of our decisions and our actions. We hope that you receive the same type of rewards in reading this book that we received in writing it.

Rating:
Summary: Bla, bla, bla
Review: This book is great for people just looking for some impressiv Shakespeare phrases to spice up their speeches. The book is full of common sense and does not provide any in-depth analysis of the characters. Beside that the endless desriptions of how the authors succeed in their businesses (good for them!) is boring and do not provide concrete ideas or strategies.