Comments

I'm glad to see this kind of post. A great help for people like me, student and on the start of a carrier.

Posted by Cip-Cirip at August 10, 2007 11:10 AM

Remember that "Classics" have a context ... No one would think of playing with a "classic" wooden tennis racquet today.

Posted by Mike L at August 11, 2007 2:37 AM

I like the title of the third book on the list-"In Search of Excellence" which found that the most effective organizations were those that recognized the "irrationality of the humans that inhabited them". Inside (such) companies Peters and Waterman found "small, passionate teams accomplishing big, game-changing feats and meetings taking place in hallways as executives exercised management by walking around." Right now in Scotland we are trying to evolve "A Curriculum for Excellence"; perhaps school leaders ought to be reading this one!

Posted by Jim McD at August 11, 2007 3:52 AM

The comments at Todd's post are worth reading. Several folks, including me, have weighed in. My main change to his list would be to remove Execution (excellent book though it is) and replace it with The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner.

Posted by Wally Bock at August 11, 2007 10:28 AM

Hi, your website is very informative and helpful keep doing the good job. thank you.

Posted by teofilo calle at August 11, 2007 8:14 PM

My Top-5 recommendations would be:

1) Re-Imagine – Tom Peters
2) Bloomberg by Bloomberg - Michael Bloomberg
3) Stretch! How Great Companies Grow In Good Times and Bad – Graeme K Deans & Dr.Fritz Kroeger
4) Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround – Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
5) Winning – Jack Welch and Suzy Welch

Posted by K.Sriram at August 12, 2007 10:26 PM

A top 5 list would be hard, but I don't agree with his list at all. "In Search of Excellence" belongs because it was the book that really spawned the modern business book industry. And you can't argue much with "The Effective Executive." But the others - I think there are far too many other choices that exceed each of those.

Posted by Leonard Klaatu at August 13, 2007 10:00 AM

I would add these to the list:

Know How by Ram Charan

The Winning Performance by Clifford and Cavanagh

P.I.M.S. by Buzzel and Gale

The Practice of Management by Peter Drucker

Competitive Advantage by Michael Porter

Posted by tex sheahan at August 13, 2007 10:52 PM

Best book I've read in 2007 'Screw it Let's Do It' by Richard Branson. A wonderful book underpinned by simplicity.

Question to all business schools - why is this book not top of your reading list?

Posted by Trevor Gay at August 14, 2007 5:31 PM

One of the best books in my opinion, although not exactly on leadership but definitely for anyone in a leadership position trying to focus on growth and understanding their customers and clients is "Hitting The Sweet Spot" by Lisa Fortini Campbell. Besides just books, are there any rankings for leadership or executive coaching programs or seminars that may indicate effectiveness ?

Posted by Rick Lorenzen at August 20, 2007 11:52 PM

But one of the problems of a list of 5 great
management books is that they could all be by Tom
Peters (even if you don't include Robert Waterman
and Nancy Austin).

And if you count each of Shakespeare's plays as a
book, more than 5 could be by ol' Will. (Even if it
takes a different way of looking at the plays to
make use of them for management.)

John

Posted by Shakespeare's Fool at August 21, 2007 3:04 PM