<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Where is Philosophy?
Review: Let me start by reminding you of what philosopher Michael Oakeshott (1933, p. 1) has said: 'We seek in philosophy what wiser men would look for in a gospel, ...', but '... philosophy is without any direct bearing upon the practical conduct of life, and that it has certainly never offered its true followers anything which could be mistaken for a gospel'. ... 'Nearly always a philosopher hides a secret ambition, ... , and often it is that of the preacher. But we must learn not to follow the philosophers upon these holiday excursions'.
"Experience and its Modes", Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. If so, we should not follow Koestenbaum upon the leadership excursion in this text, or if one chooses to do so, I suggest with caution! This is because the treatment of philosophy is poor, despite the fact that the approach to use philosophy in business is sound in itself, an approach that I personally favour and use - this induced me to purchase the text in the first place. This poor treatment is not only in terms of the philosophers cited and the references used, but more importantly in terms of the ideas used. The latter seem to be taken simply and purely for granted, especially when a number of concepts that include knowledge, reality, self, other, language, experience - all being management concerns - are high on the agenda of philosophical debate. For instance, the distinction between the 'inner universe' and the 'outer universe' after Plato (p. 31) leaving aside cases when such a distinction does not hold - with language and Wittgenstein for example. This treatment seems to connote a general strategy at play in this text, that of keeping language simple to make the text easily accessible to busy managers and business-people. Yet making language simple is one thing. Deciding upon contested concepts and ideas on behalf of others when such authority has not been given is to restrict choice. It is to fix concepts in the definitional form "X is ...". This seems to be for a clear purpose. To empower the (registered!) Leadership Diamond Model with the expectation that it 'will give individuals and organisations credibility in what they do and speed in getting to the high-leverage issues for effectively managing today's two bid business topics: "change" and "innovation"' (p. 7). Such a claim is however dogmatic, akin to guru preaching, to a gospel that stresses one side of the coin. It tends to undermine plural readings of issues and concerns. Fundamentally, it cannot conceive of the idea that the same premises from where Leadership Diamond Model is derived and which are expected to lead to business success, that is a changed self, can also be the cause for disillusion, intra-organisational conflict, and even bankruptcy. Note that this is not my gospel, but the simple description of my experience! Thus, only in the effort to understand such plural and varied events in a plural manner, as an approach to questioning and suggesting different answers to organisational problems and issues, can philosophy be of help to business and management (in making choice possible). Otherwise, philosophy ceases to exist. Overall, despite the interesting approach that seeks to use a philosophical premise from where business and management issues can be tackled, this text, in tending to transform hotly debated issues and concepts into philosophical lessons that have presumably been settled once and for all, undermines the very purpose of philosophy.
Rating:
Summary: Where is Philosophy?
Review: Let me start by reminding you of what philosopher Michael Oakeshott (1933, p. 1) has said: `We seek in philosophy what wiser men would look for in a gospel, ...', but `... philosophy is without any direct bearing upon the practical conduct of life, and that it has certainly never offered its true followers anything which could be mistaken for a gospel'. ... `Nearly always a philosopher hides a secret ambition, ... , and often it is that of the preacher. But we must learn not to follow the philosophers upon these holiday excursions'.
"Experience and its Modes", Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. If so, we should not follow Koestenbaum upon the leadership excursion in this text, or if one chooses to do so, I suggest with caution! This is because the treatment of philosophy is poor, despite the fact that the approach to use philosophy in business is sound in itself, an approach that I personally favour and use - this induced me to purchase the text in the first place. This poor treatment is not only in terms of the philosophers cited and the references used, but more importantly in terms of the ideas used. The latter seem to be taken simply and purely for granted, especially when a number of concepts that include knowledge, reality, self, other, language, experience - all being management concerns - are high on the agenda of philosophical debate. For instance, the distinction between the `inner universe' and the `outer universe' after Plato (p. 31) leaving aside cases when such a distinction does not hold - with language and Wittgenstein for example. This treatment seems to connote a general strategy at play in this text, that of keeping language simple to make the text easily accessible to busy managers and business-people. Yet making language simple is one thing. Deciding upon contested concepts and ideas on behalf of others when such authority has not been given is to restrict choice. It is to fix concepts in the definitional form "X is ...". This seems to be for a clear purpose. To empower the (registered!) Leadership Diamond Model with the expectation that it `will give individuals and organisations credibility in what they do and speed in getting to the high-leverage issues for effectively managing today's two bid business topics: "change" and "innovation"' (p. 7). Such a claim is however dogmatic, akin to guru preaching, to a gospel that stresses one side of the coin. It tends to undermine plural readings of issues and concerns. Fundamentally, it cannot conceive of the idea that the same premises from where Leadership Diamond Model is derived and which are expected to lead to business success, that is a changed self, can also be the cause for disillusion, intra-organisational conflict, and even bankruptcy. Note that this is not my gospel, but the simple description of my experience! Thus, only in the effort to understand such plural and varied events in a plural manner, as an approach to questioning and suggesting different answers to organisational problems and issues, can philosophy be of help to business and management (in making choice possible). Otherwise, philosophy ceases to exist. Overall, despite the interesting approach that seeks to use a philosophical premise from where business and management issues can be tackled, this text, in tending to transform hotly debated issues and concepts into philosophical lessons that have presumably been settled once and for all, undermines the very purpose of philosophy.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Peter Koestenbaum has integrated centuries of thought and knowledge into a coherent easily understandable and practical guide on how to lead your life, manage your business and consult to leaders. The elegance of his work is that he integrates much of mankind's wisdom with his own business experience in a manner that is easily applied in a community or organizational environment. Peter Koestenbaum and The Philosophic Consultant are gifts to you and your clients--take the time to read and reflect on the wisdom that he provides so freely to each one of us.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Peter Koestenbaum has integrated centuries of thought and knowledge into a coherent easily understandable and practical guide on how to lead your life, manage your business and consult to leaders. The elegance of his work is that he integrates much of mankind's wisdom with his own business experience in a manner that is easily applied in a community or organizational environment. Peter Koestenbaum and The Philosophic Consultant are gifts to you and your clients--take the time to read and reflect on the wisdom that he provides so freely to each one of us.
<< 1 >>
| 
