The Three Financial Styles of Very Successful Leaders: Strategic Approaches to Identifying the Growth Drivers of Every Company.The Three Financial Styles of Very Successful Leaders: Strategic Approaches to Identifying the Growth Drivers of Every Company. By E. Ted Prince. McGraw-Hill, 324 pages. $29.95. There's more than a germ of genius in this book, assuming that the labels work as advertised and the concepts aren't overly simplistic sim·plism n. The tendency to oversimplify an issue or a problem by ignoring complexities or complications. [French simplisme, from simple, simple, from Old French; see simple . That may be in the eyes of the reader. Certainly, author Prince--CEO of the Perth Leadership Institute, which offers consulting services Noun 1. consulting service - service provided by a professional advisor (e.g., a lawyer or doctor or CPA etc.) service - work done by one person or group that benefits another; "budget separately for goods and services" to companies on leadership improvement--makes a highly readable and intriguing in·trigue n. 1. a. A secret or underhand scheme; a plot. b. The practice of or involvement in such schemes. 2. A clandestine love affair. v. case for his theories. From nine "financial signatures," or propensities for fundamental financial strategies, Prince develops three different types of financial styles, which he labels Surplus, Puzzler and Deficit. Simply put, Surplus leaders are highly effective, Puzzlers are middling and Deficit leaders can lead their companies down the garden path to ruin. Former Tyco International For the unrelated division of Mattel, see . Tyco International Ltd. NYSE: TYC is a diversified manufacturing conglomerate incorporated in Bermuda, with United States operational headquarters in New Jersey. CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Dennis Kozlowski Leo Dennis Kozlowski (born November 16 1946, Newark, New Jersey) is a former CEO of Tyco International, convicted of misappropriating more than $400 million of the company's funds. He is currently serving at least eight years and four months in prison. , for instance, fits into Prince's Deficit category. What's most useful here--and not that Prince is a psychologist who can divine behaviors--is his observation that different companies have different financial signature requirements for leaders, and that those signatures may change at various stages of the company's evolution. By knowing a leader's innate behavior, Prince writes, outsiders can discern a company's preferred approach to creating value. Prince brings these theories to life by attaching well-known examples to each of these signatures and how their approach has impacted the company's financial results. All it would take for investors, he seems to suggest, is to discern which style a CEO has and invest (or bail) accordingly. This implies that outside events or forces mean little, however, which seems more than a tad naive. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At any rate, Prince offers a provocative and easily understood vision of what distinguishes companies: it's in their stars (here, CEOs). His aim, he says, is to allow leaders to figure out what to do "before they fail," and get active intervention. However, that implies a level of self-awareness and even humility Humility See also Modesty. Humorousness (See WITTINESS.) Bernadette Soubirous, St. humble girl to whom Virgin Mary appeared. [Christian Hagiog.: Attwater, 65–66] Bonaventura, St. washes dishes even though a cardinal. that we've learned over time that many corporate pooh-bahs just don't have. |
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