Gods of Management: The Four Cultures of Leadership

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

It has always been a myth that there is one best way to manage - but it has been a pervasive myth and a damaging one, to both individuals and organisations. Alongside the most successful leaders in history, we can find a new story in the timeless wisdom of the Ancient Greeks. They recognised a variety of gods and, Charles Handy shows, this productive diversity should be reflected in management too.

In this classic of business thinking, Handy draws on decades of experience and the Greek gods to illuminate the different styles of management found in businesses and organisations. Whether the dynamic entrepreneurial spirit of Zeus, or the task-oriented focus of Athena, each god demonstrates the different values and culture that a leader can create. Successful leaders will learn how to cultivate these qualities, work to their teams' strengths and use the importance of culture to foster a productive and happy workplace.

Reviews

Charles Handy is a world-class business thinker * Director Magazine * A forward-looking radical * Financial Times * The UK's management guru * Guardian * A management guru ... his predictions about the way we work could qualify him as a prophet. And he writes "like a dream" * The Times * This is a serious book ... entertaining as well as instructive. * Management Today * A man with a lifetime's experience... One of the more stimulating books on management. * Financial Times * This is stimulating and worth reading * British Business * Handy's jargon-free observations pack more power because of their clarity and prescriptive nature. * Fortune *

Author Bio

Charles Handy is a writer and broadcaster, following careers as an economist, Professor at the London Business School (which he co-founded) and a consultant to a wide variety of organizations. He is widely regarded as the top 'business guru' in the UK, and has been rated as one of Thinkers 50, the most influential management thinkers.