Rules & Tools for Leaders

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Summary: Wisdom is paid for with time, experience, and sacrifice.
Review: As a Performance Development Specialist in the automotive components field, I am always looking for ways to enhance the leadership programs I am associated with. I read the reviews of this book first and then read four chapters randomly to determine if the negative reviews were valid in any way. My conclusion is that the critics of this book do not have an understanding of what leadership is. There is more hard data and usefull information packed into this less than 300 page book than any other single source I have found. Page 108 should be mandatory reading for all Americans. I can only conclude that the few negative reviews were from people who are naturally inclined to be against anything associated with the military or authority figures in general. We in the business community would be much better off if we practiced some of the skills and characteristic behaviors that obviously were acquired through years of sacrifice and contributions. Wisdom is indeed paid for.

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Summary: How is it so BIPOLAR?
Review: I haven't read the book, just the reviews... What is going on here? How is it possible to have such a love or hate perspective on this book? I guess I'll just have to judge it for myself...

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Summary: The Best Practical Guide to Taking Charge I have Read
Review: I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking for practical, down-to-earth ideas covering various phases or chronological events (accepting a new position, hiring, firing, counseling, etc.) in the leadership continuum. This is not fluff, theory or high-level stuff, but practical chapters, well-arranged, that can, in a 15-20 minute read (per chapter), provide you with a number of things you can implement immediately. Lots of common sense, checklists, to-dos, techniques ideas, etc. I have used many, and shared them with members of my staff. I have recommended this book to many and will continue to do so. More than worth the price of the book and the time to read.

If you are a seasoned, leadership professional, you will find some good reminders, fresh ideas, and things you can use. If you are new to leadership, just got promoted, or aspiring to management, you have got to have this book. It will get you started quickly, and moving and thinking in the right direction. It is in my office 24X7 and I make it a point to reread every few months at least parts. I wish I would have had this book 20 years ago.

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Summary: This book is a collection of excellent advice for leaders.
Review: If you are looking for common sense and practical advice for managers to use on the job, this book will be of benefit to you. Perry Smith has put together a series of narratives on timely topics from today's business world. The topics include integrity, ethics, getting the most from your people, how to hire and fire etc. all of which are useful to those who work with and/or manage people. The book also has a number of brief checklists which are tailored for specific situations and high stress events. Gen. Smith has provided a reading list at the end of Rules & Tools for Leaders for those who would like to read additional material on leadership. The author has a broad background, having been career military, an academic, a popular speaker at business conferences, and a consultant to corporations and non-profits. This broad point of view is beneficial, as he is able to provide situations that challenge leaders based on his personal experience. In addition, several of the organizations he has worked with are at the top tier of the business world, including Microsoft and the Harvard Business School. If you are seeking solid ideas that you can use immediately, this book is worth your time.

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Summary: This book is solid food for thought for all managers.
Review: Perry Smith has written a well-organized, easy-to-read book that will undoubtedly assist anyone in a leadership or managerial position, from major CEOs to lower-level managers. The reason I like this book is that it presents invaluable, "common-sense" information in a manner designed to enable the reader both to think and to learn. The author includes numerous concise check lists (meetings, hiring, risk taking, etc.) that provide managers with exactly what they need. The beauty is that one can use or not use what is included in those checklists while resting assured nothing consequential will be forgotten. Another strong point is the number of actual case studies included in the book. What stands apart here is that in the appendix following the case studies appendix contains what really happened in each of the case studies. This is the type of book which should be read and reread many times, because the reader will get something new and worthwhile out of each reading.

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Summary: How to book for managers and professionals
Review: Smith has trained executives in the military and large corporations and through it all has developed a strong knowledge of how to run a business from top to bottom. The book not only goes over the most important aspects of running a business, but also provides best practices type information for each area.
Because each chapter is self-contained it does not depend on you reading prior chapters to understand the current one. So, if you need to jump to the area on hiring and firing then you can do so and understand the chapter. By the same token, if you don't need a chapter then you can just skip it (but I wouldn't advise you to do that because you never know when you may suddenly need it). I liked the thoroughness and depth of coverage of the book. In a world where too many books are nebulous and vague in their advice it is nice to find one that gives practical and useful advice.
Another high point of the book is the checklists. The use of the checklist frees you from having to remember all the steps in a process or all the little problems that can emerge if something is missed.
The book is filled with practical advice and is sure to broaden your knowledge of management and provide you with more tools to manage your business. From any level of management up to the top executives, this is a very useful book and a nice concise summary of the dozen or so separate books from my management courses in college.

Rating:
Summary: How to book for managers and professionals
Review: Smith has trained executives in the military and large corporations and through it all has developed a strong knowledge of how to run a business from top to bottom. The book not only goes over the most important aspects of running a business, but also provides best practices type information for each area.
Because each chapter is self-contained it does not depend on you reading prior chapters to understand the current one. So, if you need to jump to the area on hiring and firing then you can do so and understand the chapter. By the same token, if you don't need a chapter then you can just skip it (but I wouldn't advise you to do that because you never know when you may suddenly need it). I liked the thoroughness and depth of coverage of the book. In a world where too many books are nebulous and vague in their advice it is nice to find one that gives practical and useful advice.
Another high point of the book is the checklists. The use of the checklist frees you from having to remember all the steps in a process or all the little problems that can emerge if something is missed.
The book is filled with practical advice and is sure to broaden your knowledge of management and provide you with more tools to manage your business. From any level of management up to the top executives, this is a very useful book and a nice concise summary of the dozen or so separate books from my management courses in college.

Rating:
Summary: Covers many areas in one nice size book
Review: This book advises you on the day to day basics and the long term requirements to being a good leader. Basics include things like how to hire and fire people and how to keep a pulse on those who work for you. The author advises that being a good leader must also include continued self development. I am reminded of Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" when Covey talks about the URGENT vs. long term ("Sharpening the Saw").

Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile. Valuable checklists
Review: This book is a minimally-rewritten version of "Taking Charge" which Smith published a few years ago. The book contains useful and extremely pragmatic advice for managers and leaders. It is more oriented towards "big shots" than first line managers, but there is value for anyone who manages people. Biggest criticism--There is not an overriding theme in the book, it is a collection of chapters on individual subjects. Biggest attaboy--The book has a number of checklists that are useful. The author is a former military officer, and that shows in his examples, but the advice he gives is broadly applicable.

Rating:
Summary: the best book I know as an introduction to leadership
Review: This is a very accessible and useful book--for those who teach and study leadership and management, as well as for those who practice one or both in government, the military, or the private sector. Perry Smith combines a wealth of experience as a leader, a manager, and a teacher of both skills, with a smooth, easy writing style. The result is the best one-volume introduction to leadership and management that I know. Two chapters I found particularly useful were #14 "Creating a strategic vision" and #13 "Teaching and reading." The former reminds leaders of their continuing need, indeed almost an obligation, to remember where they are headed, where they want to be headed, and where they should be headed--and how to keep their organizations on track. The latter encourages leaders to remain open to and actively to search out the best new ideas available, and to inspire those who work for and with them to do likewise. Also especially helpful is Smith's suggested reading list in the appendices. This book is an ideal starting point for someone in the leadership business, not, as Smith continually reminds the reader, the end point. I recommend it highly to colleagues and friends in the field.