Why Smart Executives Fail
And What You Can Learn from Their Mistakes
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $25.78
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Don Hagen
About this listen
A definitive study of executive failures - why they happen and how to prevent them.
There's a scenario that keeps repeating itself in today's business climate. A company is voted one of the most admired in the world. Then three or four years later, it's in dire financial trouble. A CEO is celebrated on the covers of BusinessWeek, Forbes, and Fortune. Soon after, the company is in the midst of a disastrous merger or some other fiasco. What goes wrong in these cases?
Usually it seems that the top management made some incredibly stupid mistake. But the people responsible are almost always remarkably intelligent and usually have terrific track records. Even more puzzling than the fact that brilliant managers can make bad mistakes is the way they so often magnify the damage. Once a company has made a bad misstep, it often seems as though it can't do anything right. How does this happen? Instead of rectifying their mistakes, why do business leaders regularly make them worse?
To answer these questions, Sydney Finkelstein has carried out the largest research program ever devoted to business breakdowns. In Why Smart Executives Fail, he uncovers - with startling clarity and unassailable documentation - the causes regularly responsible for major business breakdowns. Why Smart Executives Fail relates the stories of great business disasters and demonstrates that there are specific, identifiable ways in which many businesses regularly make themselves vulnerable to failure. The result is a truly indispensable, practical, must-have audiobook that explains the mechanics of executive breakdowns, how to avoid them, and what to do about them if they happen.
©2003 Sydney Finkelstein (P)2016 Gildan Media LLCListeners also enjoyed...
-
Superbosses
- How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent
- By: Sydney Finkelstein
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After meeting chef Alice Waters at her legendary restaurant, Chez Panisse, Sydney Finkelstein got to thinking about the dozens of chefs who had come from her establishment to open their own restaurants and gain notoriety as some of the country's most creative culinary figures. Waters, he found, had spawned a family tree of geniuses. Could this pattern exist in other industries?
-
-
Interesting, but not helpful
- By Ben on 03-12-16
-
The Ideal Team Player
- How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues: A Leadership Fable
- By: Patrick M. Lencioni
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Ideal Team Player, Lencioni tells the story of Jeff Shanley, a leader desperate to save his uncle's company by restoring its cultural commitment to teamwork. Jeff must crack the code on the virtues that real team players possess and then build a culture of hiring and development around those virtues. Beyond the fable, Lencioni presents a practical framework and actionable tools for identifying, hiring, and developing ideal team players.
-
-
Lot of talk about a simple concept
- By Andrea on 09-05-16
-
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
- A Leadership Fable
- By: Patrick Lencioni
- Narrated by: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As CEO, most everything that Rich O'Connor did had something to do with at least one of the four disciplines on his famed "yellow sheet." Rich never suspected that it would become the blueprint of an employee's plan to destroy the firm. Best selling author Lencioni brings us a fable that focuses on a leader's crucial role in building a healthy organization.
-
-
A great reminder about the important basics.
- By Joel Ordesky on 03-08-03
By: Patrick Lencioni
-
How the Mighty Fall
- And Why Some Companies Never Give In
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Decline can be avoided. Decline can be detected. Decline can be reversed. Amidst the desolate landscape of fallen great companies, Jim Collins began to wonder: How do the mighty fall? Can decline be detected early and avoided? How far can a company fall before the path toward doom becomes inevitable and unshakable? How can companies reverse course?
-
-
This is not Shakespeare
- By Amygay111 on 05-27-10
By: Jim Collins
-
Getting to Yes
- Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
- By: Roger Fisher, William Ury
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Getting to Yes is a straightorward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting taken - and without getting angry. It offers a concise, step-by-step, proven strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict - whether it involves parents and children, neighbors, bosses and employees, customers or corporations, tenants or diplomats.
-
-
Maybe I Could Go to Four and One-Half Stars
- By John on 01-14-12
By: Roger Fisher, and others
-
Switch
- How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
- By: Dan Heath, Chip Heath
- Narrated by: Charles Kahlenberg
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed best seller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind - that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie.
-
-
Even Better Than Made to Stick
- By Jeremy Devens on 02-24-10
By: Dan Heath, and others
-
Superbosses
- How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent
- By: Sydney Finkelstein
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After meeting chef Alice Waters at her legendary restaurant, Chez Panisse, Sydney Finkelstein got to thinking about the dozens of chefs who had come from her establishment to open their own restaurants and gain notoriety as some of the country's most creative culinary figures. Waters, he found, had spawned a family tree of geniuses. Could this pattern exist in other industries?
-
-
Interesting, but not helpful
- By Ben on 03-12-16
-
The Ideal Team Player
- How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues: A Leadership Fable
- By: Patrick M. Lencioni
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Ideal Team Player, Lencioni tells the story of Jeff Shanley, a leader desperate to save his uncle's company by restoring its cultural commitment to teamwork. Jeff must crack the code on the virtues that real team players possess and then build a culture of hiring and development around those virtues. Beyond the fable, Lencioni presents a practical framework and actionable tools for identifying, hiring, and developing ideal team players.
-
-
Lot of talk about a simple concept
- By Andrea on 09-05-16
-
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
- A Leadership Fable
- By: Patrick Lencioni
- Narrated by: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As CEO, most everything that Rich O'Connor did had something to do with at least one of the four disciplines on his famed "yellow sheet." Rich never suspected that it would become the blueprint of an employee's plan to destroy the firm. Best selling author Lencioni brings us a fable that focuses on a leader's crucial role in building a healthy organization.
-
-
A great reminder about the important basics.
- By Joel Ordesky on 03-08-03
By: Patrick Lencioni
-
How the Mighty Fall
- And Why Some Companies Never Give In
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Decline can be avoided. Decline can be detected. Decline can be reversed. Amidst the desolate landscape of fallen great companies, Jim Collins began to wonder: How do the mighty fall? Can decline be detected early and avoided? How far can a company fall before the path toward doom becomes inevitable and unshakable? How can companies reverse course?
-
-
This is not Shakespeare
- By Amygay111 on 05-27-10
By: Jim Collins
-
Getting to Yes
- Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
- By: Roger Fisher, William Ury
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Getting to Yes is a straightorward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting taken - and without getting angry. It offers a concise, step-by-step, proven strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict - whether it involves parents and children, neighbors, bosses and employees, customers or corporations, tenants or diplomats.
-
-
Maybe I Could Go to Four and One-Half Stars
- By John on 01-14-12
By: Roger Fisher, and others
-
Switch
- How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
- By: Dan Heath, Chip Heath
- Narrated by: Charles Kahlenberg
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed best seller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind - that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie.
-
-
Even Better Than Made to Stick
- By Jeremy Devens on 02-24-10
By: Dan Heath, and others
-
Rebel Talent
- Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life
- By: Francesca Gino
- Narrated by: Tamara Marston
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Francesca Gino has been studying rebels in life and in the workplace for more than 15 years. She has discovered that rebels - those who practice "positive deviance" at work - are harder to manage, but they are good for the bottom line: their passion, drive, curiosity, and creativity raise the entire organization to a new level. And she has found that at home, rebels are more engaged partners, parents, and friends. Packed with strategies for embracing rebellion at work and in life, Rebel Talent encourages all of us to rebel against what’s comfortable, so that we can thrive.
-
-
Empowering!
- By touristth on 10-05-19
By: Francesca Gino
-
No Bullsh!t Leadership
- By: Martin G. Moore
- Narrated by: Martin G. Moore
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the practical, fail-proof tools that will help you to fine-tune your leadership skills, solidify respect among your workforce, and ensure your company's lasting success.
-
-
Easy to understand and follow along.
- By Jackie on 09-06-24
By: Martin G. Moore
-
What It Takes
- Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence
- By: Stephen A. Schwarzman
- Narrated by: Stephen A. Schwarzman, Drew Birdseye
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Blackstone chairman, CEO, and co-founder Stephen A. Schwarzman, a long-awaited book that uses impactful episodes from Schwarzman's life to show listeners how to build, transform, and lead thriving organizations. Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, philanthropist, executive, or simply someone looking for ways to maximize your potential, the same lessons apply.
-
-
A very boring self congratulatory victory lap
- By ---- on 10-26-19
-
The Innovator's Dilemma
- When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
- By: Clayton M. Christensen
- Narrated by: L.J. Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
His work is cited by the world's best-known thought leaders, from Steve Jobs to Malcolm Gladwell. In this classic best seller - one of the most influential business books of all time - innovation expert Clayton Christensen shows how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right - yet still lose market leadership. Christensen explains why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation.
-
-
This book is best read, not heard
- By Andrea Rudert on 09-09-17
-
Misbehaving
- The Making of Behavioral Economics
- By: Richard H. Thaler
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans - predictable, error-prone individuals. Misbehaving is his arresting, frequently hilarious account of the struggle to bring an academic discipline back down to earth - and change the way we think about economics, ourselves, and our world.
-
-
Great book if it's your first about Behav. Econ
- By Jay Friedman on 09-30-15
-
High Output Management
- By: Andrew S. Grove
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The essential skill of creating and maintaining new businesses - the art of the entrepreneur - can be summed up in a single word: managing. In High Output Management, Andrew S. Grove, former chairman and CEO (and employee number three) of Intel, shares his perspective on how to build and run a company. Born of Grove’s experiences at one of America’s leading technology companies, this legendary management book is a Silicon Valley staple, equally appropriate for sales managers, accountants, consultants, and teachers, as well as CEOs and start-up founders.
-
-
All nuts and bolts
- By Rancher on 05-22-21
By: Andrew S. Grove
-
Good to Great
- Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Built To Last, the defining management study of the 90s, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about companies that are not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?
-
-
Good info, over-the-top narration
- By Anaxamaxan on 08-31-10
By: Jim Collins
-
The Lean Startup
- How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
- By: Eric Ries
- Narrated by: Eric Ries
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.
-
-
Informative, mature but not original or essential
- By Jason Comely on 02-19-13
By: Eric Ries
-
Expectations Investing
- Reading Stock Prices for Better Returns
- By: Michael J. Mauboussin, Alfred Rappaport
- Narrated by: Steve Routman
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Expectations Investing offers a unique and powerful alternative for identifying value-price gaps. Rappaport and Mauboussin provide everything the listener needs to utilize the discounted cash flow model successfully. And they add an important twist: They suggest that rather than forecasting cash flows, investors should begin by estimating the expectations embedded in a company's stock price.
-
-
Great book for a more educated investor. Definitely not the first book you should read from this outstanding author Mausboussin
- By BARRY on 11-25-22
By: Michael J. Mauboussin, and others
-
Built to Last
- Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Good to Great, Book 2)
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins, Jerry I. Porras
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.
-
-
Worst audio book doesn’t even read the book
- By Bob on 07-20-20
By: Jim Collins
-
Crossing the Chasm
- Marketing and Selling Technology Projects to Mainstream Customers
- By: Geoffrey A. Moore
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the best-selling guide that created a new game plan for marketing in high-tech industries. Crossing the Chasm has become the bible for bringing cutting-edge products to progressively larger markets. This edition provides new insights into the realities of high-tech marketing, with special emphasis on the Internet. It's essential reading for anyone with a stake in the world's most exciting marketplace.
-
-
Outdated
- By Rebecca Savage on 01-05-15
-
Blitzscaling
- The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies
- By: Reid Hoffman, Chris Yeh, Bill Gates - foreword
- Narrated by: Chris Yeh, Reid Hoffman
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What entrepreneur or founder doesn't aspire to build the next Amazon, Facebook, or Airbnb? Yet those who actually manage to do so are exceedingly rare. So what separates the start-ups that get disrupted and disappear from the ones who grow to become global giants? The secret is blitzscaling: a set of techniques for scaling up at a dizzying pace that blows competitors out of the water.
-
-
not much here.
- By Francis Shanahan on 09-05-19
By: Reid Hoffman, and others
Related to this topic
-
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
- Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround
- By: Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1990, IBM had its most profitable year ever. By 1993, the company was on a watch list for extinction, victimized by its own lumbering size, an insular corporate culture, and the PC era IBM had itself helped invent.
-
-
Moderate Start, Picks up FAST!
- By Art H on 02-08-05
-
The Strategist
- Be the Leader Your Business Needs
- By: Cynthia Montgomery
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on an acclaimed professor's legendary strategy course at Harvard Business School, The Strategist offers a radically new perspective on a leader's most vital role. "Are you a strategist?" That's the first question Cynthia Montgomery asks the business owners and senior executives from all over the world who participate in her highly regarded executive education course. It's not a question they anticipate, but by the time the program ends, they cannot imagine leading their companies to success without being - and living the role of - a strategist.
-
-
Slow going with an odd narrative tone
- By Benson Bumpkin on 08-06-12
-
Attacker's Advantage
- Turning Uncertainty into Breakthrough Opportunities
- By: Ram Charan
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Attacker's Advantage, Charan reveals the upside of uncertainty for those leaders who are nimbly positioned to anticipate the catalysts of disruption and embrace change. He updates and adapts the principles of his previous best sellers to address the current turbulent business environment, cutting through the veil of complexity to concentrate on the new customer needs and expectations and providing the tools for corporate leaders to take their companies to a higher level.
-
-
Fantastic book - volume lower than usual
- By James Gajewski on 06-14-15
By: Ram Charan
-
The Self-Made Billionaire Effect
- How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value
- By: John Sviokla, Mitch Cohen
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine what Atari might have achieved if Steve Jobs had stayed there to develop the first massmarket personal computer. Or what Steve Case might have done for PepsiCo if he hadn't left for a gaming start-up that eventually became AOL. What if Salomon Brothers had kept Michael Bloomberg, or Bear Stearns had exploited the inventive ideas of Stephen Ross? Scores of top-tier entrepreneurs worked for established corporations before they struck out on their own and became self-made billionaires.
-
-
Waste of time!
- By Anonymous User on 05-30-20
By: John Sviokla, and others
-
The Halo Effect
- ...and the 8 Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers
- By: Phil Rosenzweig
- Narrated by: Jim Manchester
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Much of our business thinking is shaped by delusions that distort our understanding of the real reasons for a company's performance. The most pervasive delusion is the Halo Effect. When a company's sales and profits are up, people often conclude that it has a brilliant strategy, a visionary leader, capable employees, and a superb corporate culture. When performance falters, they conclude the opposite. In fact, little may have changed.
-
-
slow start
- By michael on 01-03-10
By: Phil Rosenzweig
-
Good to Great
- Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Built To Last, the defining management study of the 90s, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about companies that are not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?
-
-
Good info, over-the-top narration
- By Anaxamaxan on 08-31-10
By: Jim Collins
-
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
- Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround
- By: Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1990, IBM had its most profitable year ever. By 1993, the company was on a watch list for extinction, victimized by its own lumbering size, an insular corporate culture, and the PC era IBM had itself helped invent.
-
-
Moderate Start, Picks up FAST!
- By Art H on 02-08-05
-
The Strategist
- Be the Leader Your Business Needs
- By: Cynthia Montgomery
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on an acclaimed professor's legendary strategy course at Harvard Business School, The Strategist offers a radically new perspective on a leader's most vital role. "Are you a strategist?" That's the first question Cynthia Montgomery asks the business owners and senior executives from all over the world who participate in her highly regarded executive education course. It's not a question they anticipate, but by the time the program ends, they cannot imagine leading their companies to success without being - and living the role of - a strategist.
-
-
Slow going with an odd narrative tone
- By Benson Bumpkin on 08-06-12
-
Attacker's Advantage
- Turning Uncertainty into Breakthrough Opportunities
- By: Ram Charan
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Attacker's Advantage, Charan reveals the upside of uncertainty for those leaders who are nimbly positioned to anticipate the catalysts of disruption and embrace change. He updates and adapts the principles of his previous best sellers to address the current turbulent business environment, cutting through the veil of complexity to concentrate on the new customer needs and expectations and providing the tools for corporate leaders to take their companies to a higher level.
-
-
Fantastic book - volume lower than usual
- By James Gajewski on 06-14-15
By: Ram Charan
-
The Self-Made Billionaire Effect
- How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value
- By: John Sviokla, Mitch Cohen
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine what Atari might have achieved if Steve Jobs had stayed there to develop the first massmarket personal computer. Or what Steve Case might have done for PepsiCo if he hadn't left for a gaming start-up that eventually became AOL. What if Salomon Brothers had kept Michael Bloomberg, or Bear Stearns had exploited the inventive ideas of Stephen Ross? Scores of top-tier entrepreneurs worked for established corporations before they struck out on their own and became self-made billionaires.
-
-
Waste of time!
- By Anonymous User on 05-30-20
By: John Sviokla, and others
-
The Halo Effect
- ...and the 8 Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers
- By: Phil Rosenzweig
- Narrated by: Jim Manchester
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Much of our business thinking is shaped by delusions that distort our understanding of the real reasons for a company's performance. The most pervasive delusion is the Halo Effect. When a company's sales and profits are up, people often conclude that it has a brilliant strategy, a visionary leader, capable employees, and a superb corporate culture. When performance falters, they conclude the opposite. In fact, little may have changed.
-
-
slow start
- By michael on 01-03-10
By: Phil Rosenzweig
-
Good to Great
- Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Built To Last, the defining management study of the 90s, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about companies that are not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?
-
-
Good info, over-the-top narration
- By Anaxamaxan on 08-31-10
By: Jim Collins
-
Inside Drucker's Brain
- By: Jeffrey A. Krames
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In late 2003, Peter Drucker invited Jeffrey Krames to his home in Claremont, California, for a rare interview. The 94-year-old Drucker who had amassed an unprecedented body of published work, comprised of many hundreds of thousands of pages, spent a full day sharing his insights from a lifetime of management consulting and writing. This resulting audiobook is a simple guide that distills the essential wisdom from Drucker's considerable body of work.
-
-
Learn From the Master
- By morton on 10-24-08
-
The Firm
- The Story of McKinsey and Its Secret Influence on American Business
- By: Duff McDonald
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A behind-the-scenes, revelatory history of McKinsey & Company, America's most influential and controversial business consulting firm, told by one of the nation's leading financial journalists. In The Firm, Duff McDonald uncovers how these high-powered, high-priced business savants have ushered in waves of structural, financial, and technological shifts. With unrivaled access to company documents and current and former employees, McDonald reveals the inner workings of what just might be the most influential private organization in America.
-
-
Warning: Non consultants should avoid
- By R. Jaeger on 11-04-13
By: Duff McDonald
-
The Lords of Strategy
- The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World
- By: Walter Kiechel III
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine running a business without a strategy. It would be akin to driving blindfolded, to building a house without a blueprint. The concept of strategy changed all that, paving the way for the creation of the modern corporate world. The Lords of Strategy provides listeners with a deeper understanding of the world they compete in, and a sharper eye for what works — and what doesn’t — when forging strategy.
-
-
Super Book of Narrow Interest
- By Roy on 08-23-10
-
Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick
- People, Probabilities, and Big Moves to Beat the Odds
- By: Chris Bradley, Martin Hirt, Sven Smit
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To make these big moves happen for your company, you’re going to have to break through inertia, gamesmanship, and risk aversion. You’re going to have to mitigate human biases and manage group dynamics. Eight practical shifts can help you do this, and unlock bigger, bolder, better strategies. This is not another by-the-book approach to strategy. It’s not another trudge through frameworks or small-scale case studies promising a secret formula for success. It’s an irreverent, fact-driven, and humorous take on the real world of strategic decision making.
-
-
Ok beginning, superb finish
- By Rancher on 01-01-21
By: Chris Bradley, and others
-
The Amazon Way: Amazon's 14 Leadership Principles
- By: John Rossman, Tom Alberg - foreword
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 3rd edition of The Amazon Way is one of the rare business leadership books giving actionable insights for innovation and business growth to be the basis for your digital transformation gameplan. The Amazon Way translates Amazon's unique culture and management practices into insights and opportunities, as only an Amazon executive and expert advisor could do for the Amazon Leadership Principles giving listeners one of the essential business leadership books for the digital era.
-
-
If you pay attention…
- By Ken A myhra on 12-08-24
By: John Rossman, and others
-
The Oz Principle
- Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability
- By: Roger Connors, Tom Smith, Craig Hickman
- Narrated by: Wayne Shepherd
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Oz Principle is the groundbreaking work that demonstrates the vital role of accountability in the achievement of business results and the improvement of both individual and organizational performance. With more than a half million copies sold, The Oz Principle has emerged as one of the most influential and useful business ideas of recent times. The Oz Principle shows how to overcome The Blame Game that is so prevalent in organizations today.
-
-
Trustless Accountability
- By Michael on 04-23-17
By: Roger Connors, and others
-
The Reinventors
- How Extraordinary Companies Pursue Radical Continuous Change
- By: Jason Jennings
- Narrated by: Jason Jennings
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eventually every job and every business will become irrelevant. According to Jason Jennings, the past few decades have seen unprecedented shifts: former third-world nations have transformed themselves into high-tech manufacturing powerhouses; technology has democratized business and increased competition in ways never before seen; and customers, used to getting exactly what they want when they want it, are no longer beholden to the corporate giants.
-
-
Good advice
- By Myers on 07-28-18
By: Jason Jennings
-
The Complete Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions
- Process Tools to Support M&A Integration at Every Level, 3rd Edition
- By: Timothy J. Galpin, Mark Herndon
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Merger and acquisition activity across the globe continues to grow, and is also playing a major role in the development of expanding markets. A well-managed integration effort is essential to success, and failure means a tremendous waste in terms of time and money, as well as the rapid destruction of shareholder value. The Complete Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions: Process Tools to Support M&A Integration at Every Level, Third Edition is an invaluable resource to guide firms in managing M&A integration and maximize the value of their deals.
-
-
Sales brochure for the authors
- By J Garner on 04-18-22
By: Timothy J. Galpin, and others
-
Start with Why
- How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
- By: Simon Sinek
- Narrated by: Simon Sinek
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The inspirational best seller 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.
-
-
Useless Dribble
- By Chimdi Azubuike on 03-10-18
By: Simon Sinek
-
Lead and Disrupt
- How to Solve the Innovator's Dilemma
- By: Charles A. O'Reilly III, Michael L. Tushman
- Narrated by: James Foster
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the past few years, a number of well-known firms have failed; think of Blockbuster, Kodak, or RadioShack. When we hear about their demise, it often seems inevitable - a natural part of "creative destruction." But closer examination reveals a disturbing truth: Companies large and small are shuttering more quickly than ever. What does it take to buck this trend? The simple answer is: ambidexterity. Firms must remain competitive in their core markets, while also winning in new domains.
-
-
Very very inspirational to me.
- By Fábio on 06-12-17
By: Charles A. O'Reilly III, and others
-
Think Like Amazon
- 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader
- By: John Rossman
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings, John Rossman
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“What would Jeff do?” Since leaving Amazon to advise start-ups and corporations, John Rossman has been asked this question countless times by executives who want to know “the secret” behind Amazon’s historic success. In this step-by-step guide, he provides 50½ answers drawn from his experience as an Amazon executive - and shows today’s business leaders how to think like Amazon, strategize like Bezos, and beat the competition like nobody’s business.
-
-
A must read if you really want to innovate like Amazon
- By Npino on 05-19-19
By: John Rossman
-
Car Guys vs. Bean Counters
- The Battle for the Soul of American Business
- By: Bob Lutz
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2001, General Motors hired Bob Lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk avoidance. After declaring bankruptcy during the recession of 2008, GM is back on track thanks to its embrace of Lutz's philosophy. When Lutz got into the auto business in the early sixties, CEOs knew that if you captured the public's imagination with great cars, the money would follow.
-
-
Opinionated and one-sided
- By Michael Parks on 06-23-11
By: Bob Lutz
What listeners say about Why Smart Executives Fail
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MD
- 02-07-17
Right in time
This book is surprisingly good. It has very few reviews but I kind of liked it after it was mentioned in another audiobook I listened.
The stories are real and the explanations are interesting and based, according to the writer, on research and interviews.
I think every business executive should listen to this audiobook.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jennifer Hall
- 08-19-17
Old references
The thinking and examples are too old to be relevant now. A new version with post GFC would be far more useful
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!