How to get to the Top / How to become a Great Boss Jeffrey J Fox

ISBNs: 978-0-09-193542-9

978-0-09-193543-6

Published by Vermillion

American as apple pie

Jeffrey J Fox is a Harvard graduate and founder of a very successful marketing consultancy. He is part of one of the world’s top business school case studies and a best-selling author. And he is an American. Not that you would doubt it when you read these books.

I know, I’m sounding negative and that may be unfair. But then again …

There is much to commend these books. Plenty of down-to-earth, sensible advice; stories that cut to the root; rules; pithy anecdotes and more. And yet I find him difficult to warm to.

Perhaps some of his chapter titles will show what bothers me:

From ‘get to the Top’:

Juggle like Mom / Don’t put General Patton in Charge of the Mess Hall / Buzzsaw the Buzzwords / Muddy Boots are Money Boots

From ‘Great Boss’:

Groom ‘Em or Broom ‘Em / Turn Termination into Determination / “Quit” is for Scrabble / Take a bullet for the team


See what I mean; it’s all just a bit too … American. Sincerity with added schmaltz.

And the pity is the content is generally genuinely useful. So, if you can stand the style, you will get plenty for your money – 55 tips from ‘get to the Top’ and 50 from ‘Great Boss’. At £7.99 (less on Amazon?) that has to be a bargain.

Boat to Boardroom, Alex Alley & Paula Reid

ISBN 978-1-84426-612-8

Published by Fastprint Publishing

Global Challenge to Business Challenge

Alex Alley and Paula Reid took part in the 2004/5 Global Challenge round the world yacht race. This book tells the story of that adventure and is worth the cover price for that alone.

But the race story takes up only 1/3rd of the book (don’t worry you may be short-changed, that accounts for 135 of the 362 pages). The balance concerns relating the experience and lessons learnt from crewing a yacht on one of life’s extreme adventures to running a business. Remarkably, it is almost completely successful. Admittedly there are stretches required here and there to shape the two contrasting realities, but the main thrust of the dialogue crosses the divide believably.

The ‘business end’ of the book encompasses ideas to apply to leadership, teamwork, communication, motivation and more. Unsurprisingly, Messrs Alley and Reid now provide workshops and sailing experiences to business through their company, Velocity Made Good Ltd.

So, would you like to read an exciting, exhilarating, frightening even, tale of eighteen months before the mast? Then this is as good an account of the Global Challenge experience as you will find.

Or would you like to see how these experiences translate to the world of business and discover some valuable ideas that will, if applied diligently, almost certainly improve your, and your firm’s, performance? Then this is as good a set of metaphors as you will find.

Creating Magic, Lee Cockerell

ISBN 978-0-09-192912-1

Published by Vermillion

10 common sense leadership strategies

Lee Cockerell dropped out of college and joined the army where he learned to cook. After military service he went to work at the Washington DC Hilton where he entered the management training programme. Later he went to work for Marriott before being headhunted by Disney for its new Paris resort. He eventually spent over a decade running Walt Disney World Resort operations before becoming an independent consultant. So he should know what he is talking about – and he does!

First a word of congratulation for avoiding the dreaded ‘seven’ syndrome. Mr Cockerell offers us no less than ten strategies, from remembering that everyone is important through advice on training, staying ahead and more to developing character.

By all accounts the author was an outstanding and inspirational leader and he shares his insights and stories in a straightforward and immensely readable manner.

Is there anything world-shakingly new or revolutionary in these pages? Probably not but Lee manages to avoid management-speak and brings a sense of reality to the proceedings. Well worth a couple of hours – and you will certainly find at least some of his advice worth following.

How to manage People. Michael Armstrong

Published by Kogan Page

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

Latest from the Sunday Times ‘Creating Success’ series

Michael Armstrong, management consultant and author of a number of management books, here offers practical advice for managers, supervisors and team leaders on how to get the best results from their teams.

Acknowledging that managers rely on their teams as much as teams rely on their managers, he covers all the main aspects of leadership, motivation, delegation and organisation succinctly and clearly.

This book will be especially valuable for those in managerial positions who do not have the luxury of formal HR support thanks to sections on selection, performance management and rewards.

Though concise (just 150 or so pages) it is comprehensive and the author manages to include ideas on helping individuals develop as well as providing useful advice on dealing with problem behaviour, absenteeism and underperformance.

A useful book for the manager pressed for time – so that would be pretty well all of them.

Discover the Simple way to Success in business, Richard Walters

Published by Harris Walters


Great tips for business owners

The eagle-eyed will have spotted the absence of an ISBN number above. I have a rule only to review books that have some kind of distribution, however feeble, and that generally rules out anything without an ISBN. However I am making an exception in this case because I believe this to be a very useful piece of work.

Harris Walters is a firm of accountants and, according to his biographical notes, partner Richard Walters has written a number of books for the business market.

Why do I like this book so much? Because it keeps the promise of the title – it is SIMPLE. Simple to understand, simple to read and simply covers the basics.

Mr Walters begins by getting the reader to consider what he or she really wants by asking “what is the most important thing to you about being in business?” Being different, asking the right questions, taking one step at a time and13 other vital steps are covered in the first few pages. I fact, in a total of less than 110 pages we cover sales and marketing, business management, people skills and vision and innovation. And it is done succinctly and SIMPLY.

Small enough to slip in your pocket, this book will repay its reading many times over. Not available on Amazon or even, so far as I can find out, from good booksellers, you will have to contact Harris Walters direct and part with about a tenner ($20) for your copy.

Well worth the trouble – http://www.harriswalters.co.uk/

Tales of Talent, Guy Ellis

Published by Bookshaker

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

Talent management from a different perspective.

High profile HR consultant Guy Ellis takes a break from his global client list and turns his hand to writing a fairy story for grown ups. Or, more accurately, a series of short tales designed to help managers understand their role better.

Regular readers will know that stories are not my favourite method for getting messages across; I could tell you what to do with your cheese and your fish! However, Guy’s style has a certain charm and the messages he brings are certainly worthy of consideration.

The story element concerns an ambitious young boy, Janus, who is desperate to become wise. Encouraged by his queen, Janus visits various members of the royal household and each imparts a share of the knowledge he seeks.

Stripping away the layers, this book is all about the importance of people to every organisation; something to which we all pay lip service and yet few take the appropriate actions. Stressing teamwork, planning, motivation, appropriately benign management and, above all, a proper sense of humility, Mr Ellis admirably supports his case that

“Organisations are simply a group of people with shared interests or purpose.”

A useful addition to the manager’s bookshelf – and an easy read to boot!