This book serves as a guided introduction to the richly diverse perspectives on leadership throughout the ages and throughout the world. Each of the selections, introduced by the editor, presents enlightening thoughts on a different aspect of leadership. Writings by Plato, Aristotle, Lao-tzu and others demonstrate that the challenges of leadership are as old as civilization. Machiavelli, Tolstoy, Ghandi, and W.E.B. Du Bois provide a wide range of insights into the eternal practice and problems of leadership. Modern masters of leadership such as James MacGregor Burns, John Kotter, and Warren Bennis join such leading practitioners as Max De Pree and Roger B. Smith in discussing contemporary issues in leadership theory and practice.

A practical approach to business transformation Fit for Growth* is a unique approach to business transformation that explicitly connects growth strategy with cost management and organization restructuring. Drawing on 70-plus years of strategy consulting experience and in-depth research, the experts at PwC’s Strategy& lay out a winning framework that helps CEOs and senior executives transform their organizations for sustainable, profitable growth. This approach gives structure to strategy while promoting lasting change. Examples from Strategy&’s hundreds of clients illustrate successful transformation on the ground, and illuminate how senior and middle managers are able to take ownership and even thrive during difficult periods of transition. Throughout the Fit for Growth process, the focus is on maintaining consistent high-value performance while enabling fundamental change. Strategy& has helped major clients around the globe achieve significant and sustained results with its research-backed approach to restructuring and cost reduction. This book provides practical guidance for leveraging that expertise to make the choices that allow companies to: Achieve growth while reducing costs Manage transformation and transition productively Create lasting competitive advantage Deliver reliable, high-value performance Sustainable success is founded on efficiency and high performance. Companies are always looking to do more with less, but their efforts often work against them in the long run. Total business transformation requires total buy-in, and it entails a series of decisions that must not be made lightly. The Fit for Growth approach provides a clear strategy and practical framework for growth-oriented change, with expert guidance on getting it right. *Fit for Growth is a registered service mark of PwC Strategy& Inc. in the United States

The inspirational bestseller that ignited a movement and asked us to find our WHY Discover the book that is captivating millions on TikTok and that served as the basis for one of the most popular TED Talks of all time—with more than 56 million views and counting. Over a decade ago, Simon Sinek started a movement that inspired millions to demand purpose at work, to ask what was the WHY of their organization. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, and these ideas remain as relevant and timely as ever. START WITH WHY asks (and answers) the questions: why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who have had the greatest influence in the world all think, act and communicate the same way—and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.

Don’t Blame the Demons of Distraction—Conquer Them!On average, dealing with interruptions at work consumes more than two hours a day—or 28% of your whole workday.Is that true for you, too? Do mysterious forces thwart your efforts to be productive at work and beyond? How many times have you said, “I wish I weren’t constantly interrupted” or “I need to stop wasting time on the computer” or “I’m misplacing my keys and glasses all the time”? Don’t dismiss these concerns. They matter. And you definitely don’t have to “live with them.” You don’t have to let your life spin out of control. Take action against your distractions now! Whether you’re a business person, community leader, stay-at-home parent, or retiree, play an active role in enhancing your quality of life—distraction free! You’ll find the systematic approach especially helpful if you constantly:• Struggle to find or maintain a job• Need greater focus to return to school• Strive to keep ahead of competitors• Fight the battle with rushing and over-commitmentUse Actions Against Distractions to help you:• Discover your strengths and vulnerabilities• Go from “good intention” to “effective action”• Gain and maintain improved attention, memory and organization• Ultimately enjoy greater peace of mind and life satisfactionDon’t let your life spin out of control! Take advantage of this guide’s:• Self-Checks and Engaging Worksheets• A Personalized 5-Step Action Plan• 7 Strategies to Implement Your Plan• Actions Against Distraction: technology, others, activities, spaces, stress, fatigue, medication/illness, and an unruly mind “This book can benefit everyone. . . . professionals, business owners, artists, musicians, parents, and anyone trying to juggle a busy life. Dr. Markel’s book is remarkable in that it helps you identify your own ‘Demons of Distraction,’ and through reflection, to mobilize yourself to overcome both internal and external interferences in achieving your goals. I found it funny, profoundly truthful and enormously helpful.”—SALLY ROSENBERG, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor,Department of Psychiatry, Michigan State University

The second edition of The Public Administrator’s Companion: A Practical Guide examines the most important elements of public administration. The authors provide readers with a keen understanding of how government works, useful for both students and practitioners of public administration. The book discusses governmental structure, human resources, and public funding. It delineates administrators’ actions in strategic planning, consensus building, budget development, performance measurement, and public policy assessment and implementation. This edition includes new chapters on nonprofit organizations and leadership for administrators, as well as an appendix about preparing and making presentations. The previous edition’s appendix on getting a job in local government has been revised to include interviewing and hiring from the perspectives of both the agency and applicant. Real-world examples and cases from the local, state, and federal level reinforce key topics. Each chapter ends with a “Practicing Public Administration” section that provides helpful exercises for building the skills described in the chapter and a “Bibliography,” which provides useful source materials that can broaden the reader’s comprehension of the chapter.