Take Two

a glimpse of some must-reads

Seven steps into the fast lane

Everyone manages someone or something. In his book Your Management Sucks, author Mark Stevens says that at any given time everyone's management fails the test badly. But you can move away from patterns and habits and 'get real' and confront business problems head-on. Start by declaring constructive war on yourself. Look in the mirror and identify the invisible traps and barriers. Then leave the Land of Business-as-Usual and follow Stevens' seven-point plan which, he promises, will get you into the fast lane, where you will soon be overtaking your passive peers.

Vision to assume leadership

Leadership guru Warren Bennis and co-author Burt Nanus say there are four key principles every manager should know: Attention Through Vision, Meaning Through Communication, Trust Through Positioning and Deployment of Self. In this age of 'process', with downsizing and restructuring affecting many workplaces, vision and leadership are needed more than ever. The wisdom and insight in the book Leaders would be appreciated by any manager, whether running a small department or a large corporation.