Business Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time

This book is very much to the point and interesting. Some of the interesting things that this book mentions are as follows: A lot of what people claim about leadership is based more on hope than reality. Many times leaders fail themselves, their customers, their stockholders, and their employees. No human being is without fault. All human beings are imperfect. The book mentions that with about $7000 George Zimmer in 1973 founded the Men’s Wearhouse. In 2011, when George Zimmer had reached his early 60’s in age, he and the Board promoted Doug Ewert, a longtime employee to be CEO as George Zimmer stepped into the role as Chairman of the Board Of Directors. In June 2013, George Zimmer was summarily fired. He was thrown out of the company he founded. Employees at the Anchorage, Alaska Men’s Wearhouse walked off the job to express displeasure with the Board’s removal of George Zimmer. The Men’s Wearhouse paid higher wages than a lot of other retail stores. Companies sell out, leaders retire or die, and the new people in charge aren’t the same as the old, particularly in how they relate to and treat employees. If people see they will not get sufficient recognition for good work because the leaders hog all the credit, they may reduce their efforts.

Hard facts, lots of references, well based rational to every affirmation and - if you wish - hints of Machiavellianism? - or just taking the role of being the leadership industry's Cassandra?; I'd better leave that to your judgment. Anyway, a refreshing point of view and a much needed polemist in the face of so much wishful thinking we see every day with regards to this topic.

An honest appraisal of the reality in organizations. An antidote to a lot of the "feel good" fluff out there that discusses leadership. Recommended reading.

The book offers some great insights. More important, it truly calls out the BS without mincing words.What also spills through is the obvious envy of Pfeiffer, the academician. Like all academics, he truly seems to believe his way of research and quantification is the only "right" way.In the end, you're left with mixed feelings. Each rant about the failure of the leadership & coaching industry to deliver results sounds almost like an "apology for academia". Worse, it reminded me of the old saying: "those who can (make money), do; those who can't, teach."

Read "Leadership BS" over spring break.It was shockingly refreshing and succinctly summarized the pains I have felt while working at a big company the last several years.