| Lessons from the Top: The
Search for the Best Business Leaders in America
By Thomas J. Neff & James M. Citrin
New York: Random House, Inc., 1999 414 pp.
Reviewed by Emily Donahue
"Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what
we know we could be." Ralph Waldo Emerson's words open Neff
& Citrin's enlightening collection of stories behind some of
the most successful business leaders in the nation. The authors
have compiled examples of strategic genius and inspirational leadership.
Neff & Citrin are thorough in their task, keeping an important
point in mind: "…when it comes to leading, one size does not
fit all. We all need to learn from someone."
Lessons from the Top shouldn't be read with the intent of finding
a formula for success. Each story's history is unique, each organization
built in its own way. The authors went to the source in nearly every
case, and interviewed these top business leaders individually. Want
to know Michael Eisner's vision for entertaining fami-lies in the
next 10 years? Interested in what innovations Bill Gates and Microsoft
came up with that have never been known? How about what role the
Internet is having on Charles Schwab? Answers are in Lessons, along
with notable endeavors of such high-profile corporations as AT&T,
America Online, The Gap, Southwest Airlines, Mobil, Starbucks and
Pfizer. Can't hurt to take a lesson from the top.
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