Becoming a Better Boss - Why Good Management is So Difficult (John Wiley & Sons Inc)

Most management books are written with the following three limitations: (1) they are written from the perspective of the person doing the managing, (2) they take a fairly rational view of human nature, and (3) they assume that the work of management is happening within a reasonably sensible organisational environment. The approach in this book in contrast, is from an employee's-eye view of management. Julian Birkinshaw focuses on the needs, motivations, and fears of those working on the front lines of their companies, and asks them what they are looking for in their managers. By focusing on an "employee centred" approach, the author offers great insights into what managers need to do differently -- both as individual managers of others, and as architects of their organisations.