Rating: 
Summary: Great book!
Review: As an author who writes and lectures on success, personal achievement, and leadership I try to crack open as many books on these topics as I can. But separating the wheat from the chaff if often a struggle in the first instance; with all of the books coming out these days you never know what you are going to get! But having read Michael Watkins material before when I was completing my MBA some years back, it was an easy choice.Watkins really has put together a wonderful piece of literary insight that address critical leadership success issues and provides excellent techniques for men and women who have, are about to, or are aspiring to get hold of the reigns. I highly recommended it! Reviewed by: James L. Clark, MBA, MSc., PhD Candidate (Leadership) is a serial entrepreneur, lecturer, and consultant. He is the author of Wading Through The Crap: How To Start Living The Successful Life You Have Always Wanted.
Rating:
Summary: early wins are the key...
Review: As someone who recently moved into my first executive role, i found this book very helpful in focusing on early wins and in developing and accelerating momentum in my new role. It forced me to balance thinking with action...Stongly recommend it for a general mgmt transition. ...tools in the book force you to take an outside-in view of your new role.
Rating: 
Summary: Compressed Fluff No Substance
Review: Did Mr. Watkins write this book because he had something to say or he just had to say something?
Lots of words compressed in very little thought that offers any value... I wonder who these folks are giving this book a rating of higher than a star. If Amazon allowed negative ranking I would have done that as I feel I wasted my money and time reading pure garbage.. Harvard Press needs to be a little more picky in terms of what it publishes associations with books like these will diminish the message of any good ones they come out.
The following is culled out from the book;
"The root causes of transition failure always lie in the pernicious interaction between the situation, with its opportunities and pitfalls, and the individual, with his or her strength and vulnerabilities"
Please draw your own conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: Sun Tzu in plain English circa 2004.
Review: Don't get me wrong, Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is a classic read on accomplishing your goals as a leader. Where Sun Tsu tells you how to wage the war, Watkin's tell you how to wage and win the first and most crucial task of it. Best of all, Watkin's book is very straightforward and easy to understand. No bravado, no bull, no self-inflated ego like so many "leadership" books. Some of his points will make you say, "Duh! Everybody should know that" but he combines those items with other insights that are useful and worthy of consideration. Are you prone to action? Great! What if the leadership role you're taking is with a team that's already successful and you need to build the case to be better? Do you know what the early win is then? What if the team is just starting to stumble but in denial? Do you know your blind spot as a leader? This book answers those questions. The book doesn't provide a sure to fail cookie cutter plan. It provides some needed mental pokes for you to create action items, checkpoints and items to review for yourself. It'll help clarify what your real goals are stepping into a given situation, establish your plan and speed your way to self reinforcing success. Simply, it's excellent reading for anybody taking a new position at any level.
Rating:
Summary: Sun Tzu in plain English circa 2004.
Review: Don't get me wrong, Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is a classic read on accomplishing your goals as a leader. Where Sun Tsu tells you how to wage the war, Watkin's tell you how to wage and win the first and most crucial task of it. Best of all, Watkin's book is very straightforward and easy to understand. No bravado, no bull, no self-inflated ego like so many "leadership" books. Some of his points will make you say, "Duh! Everybody should know that" but he combines those items with other insights that are useful and worthy of consideration. Are you prone to action? Great! What if the leadership role you're taking is with a team that's already successful and you need to build the case to be better? Do you know what the early win is then? What if the team is just starting to stumble but in denial? Do you know your blind spot as a leader? This book answers those questions. The book doesn't provide a sure to fail cookie cutter plan. It provides some needed mental pokes for you to create action items, checkpoints and items to review for yourself. It'll help clarify what your real goals are stepping into a given situation, establish your plan and speed your way to self reinforcing success. Simply, it's excellent reading for anybody taking a new position at any level.
Rating: 
Summary: Not only for leaders, every position can take advantages!
Review: Great book! You don't have to be a leader, new executive, or senior manager, you may be just a new employee joining to a new company. Regardless the position you are, the ten suggested guidelines from this book still provide you a great deal of practical advice, especially the chapter of 'Negotiate Success', which addresses how you should setup and manage the expectation between you & your new boss. Very helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Roadmap for fast start
Review: I am the CEO of a successful holding company involved in diversification. I was drawn to this book because I was looking for a roadmap for leaders to jump start their success. This wonderful book provides the necessary critical strategies. I recommend that leaders on all levels read this book and another, Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self to understand the shortcomings of suboptimal thinking in corporate culture and to create a team of optimizers who optimize every situation. Five stars for each of these books!
Rating:
Summary: Watkins' negotiation book is great too.
Review: I bought The First 90 Days when I was heading into a new VP Sales position. It was a huge help just like the other reviews say. Then I got his Breakthrough Business Negotiation book and it was great too. I bought copies for all my regional and district sales managers. It's the best thing for tough negotiations I've read.
Rating:
Summary: Good advice, wish I'd read it sooner
Review: I bought this book in anticpation of a move that never happened. That said, it was remarkably useful even in my current position. It helped me frame many of my career experiences in a larger context, and when I do make a move in the future, I will be prepared for it. I even bought it for a friend as a "happy new job" gift. She loved it, too.
Rating:
Summary: What a Godsend - absolutely fantastic!
Review: I have recently transitioned into a job - a job from hell!
I wish I had read this book before I took this job. It would have made a whole world of a difference in _every_ aspect of the word and saved me the agony of what I now face - having to dig myself out of a huge hole.
The book covers all - managing 360 degree expectations (plus self), understanding the playing field from technical, cultural and political viewpoints.... all aspects of job transitions.
Concrete questions to make actionable ideas and insights are very good. Some 10 steps clearly articulated in seperate chapters illustrate what actions you should take, situations to avoid and be able to read what/who is coming at you.
I highly recommend this book. On reading it and having gained these insights, I am now acting upon them and ...intend to re-read it ....
While it may be difficult to salvage my situation, I hope by reading this book you will be able to avoid getting into a dire one and realistically, excel at the one you might have worked so hard to get.
Buy the book or borrow it from a friend ... or however you get a hold of it - make sure to read it for your own good.
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