Reading the management classics inspires many good ideas that you should keep in mind when running our business, department or unit.
Harold Geneen, at the time CEO of ITT, wrote “Managing” a book that nailed down many of the habits that a manager must take into account when leading. Here, simply and by way of summary, a series of ideas that have personally given me food for thought as a trainer and consultant in Management and as the creator of a Leadership by 8 Habits® model. What things do I do that I should stop doing? What things do I not do that I should start doing? What do I need to change to enrich my job?
Each one will be inspired by different things than me, and even someone will be inspired by some ideas and not by others. Here I summarize my reading of the classic.
You cannot run a company based on a model or a theory. The fundamental proof is in the large number of people who without business administration studies run their own business and earn money. Business is not an exact science nor is it predictable like a machine.
How to run the company then? Common sense must prevail when applying management theories, and learn from daily practice. Read a book and direct the other way around. Start at the end and do what you have to do until you reach the goal, because the only criterion is the goal: performance.
In the business world, you pay in two ways: a) with experience and b) with money. There is a level at which money no longer matters so much, work experience, challenge, personal worth, enjoyment, fun, self-realization are more desirable… Leadership cannot be taught, you only learn from experience. Out of MBAs come great managers, but not leaders.
Be among the 20 people with the highest level of activity. Trade your current business for one that you can get into and be successful at.
Management has to lead and achieve results; instead of spending the night awake in the office.
A person is known for the kind of table he has. When the table is clean, the director is away from the realities of his business, he has deserted so that someone else is the one to direct.
"The monotony of numbers will set you free." The difference between a well-managed business and a poorly managed one is attention to numbers. To expand the business you have to get into debt.
The entrepreneur does not have to be creative, it is enough that he invests in something and is able to make it work.
The key is to search for "incontrovertible facts". It is more convincing than good reasoning.
