Rating: 
Summary: President with a Purpose
Review: As I read this book it hit me right between the eyes as why I think this president has been doing such a good job. He is probably one of the only presidents I know that has defined his values and applies them to his job and his life. Both Carolyn and James has shown us that George "Dubya" has defined and communicated his management style and values to those that work for him. In addition, Carolyn and James has clearly laid out a plan or process I could use with my team to identify our values to assure we are working together. They have shown how not only defining these values and living them by "walking the talk" can make your organization or team successful. Carolyn and James have written a book that not only identifies the specific management style that made GW so successful, they have given me a process to utilize these skills in my own position. They have used all the resources available to them, admitedly most of them are negative, to show specific examples of GW's leadership style and how they have impacted decisions he has made. More important, they have taken examples where GW's critics have taken shots at the prez (and there are several) and used them to show how the president has changed his style and his views not to please the general public but for the common good of the country. I am sure that many of GW's critics won't want to read this book. If you want to learn about your management style and how you can be more successful you should definitely read this book. It is easy to read, humorous, factual, and thought-provoking. I also enjoy how Carolyn and James add sections on how I can improve my management style.
Rating:
Summary: President with a Purpose
Review: As I read this book it hit me right between the eyes as why I think this president has been doing such a good job. He is probably one of the only presidents I know that has defined his values and applies them to his job and his life. Both Carolyn and James has shown us that George "Dubya" has defined and communicated his management style and values to those that work for him. In addition, Carolyn and James has clearly laid out a plan or process I could use with my team to identify our values to assure we are working together. They have shown how not only defining these values and living them by "walking the talk" can make your organization or team successful. Carolyn and James have written a book that not only identifies the specific management style that made GW so successful, they have given me a process to utilize these skills in my own position. They have used all the resources available to them, admitedly most of them are negative, to show specific examples of GW's leadership style and how they have impacted decisions he has made. More important, they have taken examples where GW's critics have taken shots at the prez (and there are several) and used them to show how the president has changed his style and his views not to please the general public but for the common good of the country. I am sure that many of GW's critics won't want to read this book. If you want to learn about your management style and how you can be more successful you should definitely read this book. It is easy to read, humorous, factual, and thought-provoking. I also enjoy how Carolyn and James add sections on how I can improve my management style.
Rating:
Summary: Finally a leadership book with how to do it!
Review: I am an avid reader of biographies and this book provided a biographical sketch of President Bush's lifestyle and then used that foundation to show how his management skills transformed his life. I grabbed a pencil and highlighter half-way into the first chapter and began writing in the margins. I liked this book because I could open to any page and find a nugget of information with a down to earth example. Some of the examples were just real funny and actually made me laugh out loud. Then after reading the first few chapters, I realized that this book was not about President Bush's politics (although there was some strategies revealed) or about his faith (although his personal convictions are the heart of his core values) or even about his IQ level (his emotional intelligence is recognized as highly intuitive). This was a book was about how an average person can become the leader they want to be. I finished the book quickly from a purely biographical point of view and now am going back over each chapter to concentrate on the leadership competencies and how I can learn from the examples. The authors know what they are talking about but they also made it real easy for the reader to put into practice the lessons that need to be learned. After reading this book, I also came to appreciate and admire President Bush and how his personal discipline is one of the timeless principles of his leadership. I am glad that I read this book at this time in history.
Rating:
Summary: Commonsense Approach to Leadership
Review: I am an avid reader of biographies and this book provided a biographical sketch of President Bush's lifestyle and then used that foundation to show how his management skills transformed his life. I grabbed a pencil and highlighter half-way into the first chapter and began writing in the margins. I liked this book because I could open to any page and find a nugget of information with a down to earth example. Some of the examples were just real funny and actually made me laugh out loud. Then after reading the first few chapters, I realized that this book was not about President Bush's politics (although there was some strategies revealed) or about his faith (although his personal convictions are the heart of his core values) or even about his IQ level (his emotional intelligence is recognized as highly intuitive). This was a book was about how an average person can become the leader they want to be. I finished the book quickly from a purely biographical point of view and now am going back over each chapter to concentrate on the leadership competencies and how I can learn from the examples. The authors know what they are talking about but they also made it real easy for the reader to put into practice the lessons that need to be learned. After reading this book, I also came to appreciate and admire President Bush and how his personal discipline is one of the timeless principles of his leadership. I am glad that I read this book at this time in history.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource !
Review: In an enjoyable and insightful manner, authors Thompson and Ware present a compelling analysis of George W. Bush's leadership skills and techniques. In ten (10) concise chapters the reader is presented with an equal number of practical lessons that are applicable to leaders (or potential leaders) within most any type of organization. Starting with an examination of the fundamental core values that drive President Bush, the authors develop a useful guide that is loaded with practical "real world" examples and references. I personally found the chapter on Intuitive Wisdom to be very useful and thought provoking. This book also serves as a powerful and timely corrective to much of the partisan nonsense that has been published in recent years regarding President Bush's capabilities. For all those truly interested in improving their management skills and those seeking diversity in thought and opinion, this one is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Finally a leadership book with how to do it!
Review: There are so many wonderful leaders out there and many books about what they do. Oh yes, this book is about what Goerge W. does but most important for me, it tells step by step how I can be disciplined like he is and develop my personal core values and hold people accountable, etc. If you want to enhance your ability to lead - read this book. Mine is covered with notes and I bought one for each of my staff!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read! You get more than you expect
Review: This book did more for me than just provide insight into President Bush. I am really impressed with his character and values. I am more impressed with his leadership qualities. Much can be learned from this man and this book on great leadership. This book does an excellent job of laying out the lessons and traits of great leadership. I will definitely benefit from adopting these lessons in my own business and personal life. Everyone should have a copy of this book - it will surely improve your relationships and efficiencies in whatever you do!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read! You get more than you expect
Review: This book did more for me than just provide insight into President Bush. I am really impressed with his character and values. I am more impressed with his leadership qualities. Much can be learned from this man and this book on great leadership. This book does an excellent job of laying out the lessons and traits of great leadership. I will definitely benefit from adopting these lessons in my own business and personal life. Everyone should have a copy of this book - it will surely improve your relationships and efficiencies in whatever you do!
Rating: 
Summary: A Flawed but Relevant Stab at Biography
Review: This tome purports to explain why GWB is a talented leader of the American people and the world. In fact, it demonstrates conclusively that the American people suffered a collective fit of hallucination when they voted this singularly incompetent man into office. The book has some nice information about Crawford, Texas and the Bush's dogs -- but it does not tell us anything about the psychology of the Boy Emperor. Perhaps this is becuase the BE has no particular psychological nuance to display? Perhaps. Leadership, as Fred Nietzsche once opined, is about breaking the rules when others think that rule breaking would be a mistake. Bush's "leadership," as noted by the author, consists of learning the rules and efficiently applying them with charm and gingerly worded disinformation. Then again, maybe the book isn't half bad. I learned how to be manipualtive and nice at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: Concise, practical leadership insight
Review: Thompson and Ware deliver a very engaging, extremely informative work with this book. If you aspire to increase your ability to lead successfully at work, get this book! The authors boil the essence of key leadership topics into concise, can't-put-it-down chapters. I particularly appreciated Chapter 10 on getting results and keeping people accountable. Too many managers use "accountability" to mean "don't screw up or else". They use examples from Bush (as well as other leaders such as Jim Collins) to show how to build a culture of accountability that delivers results in practical terms. This is a book I'm telling my subscribers around the world about. I recommend it to you as well.
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