Sex, Leadership and Rock'n'Roll: Leadership Lessons from the Academy of Rock [Paperback]

None would doubt that we live in a Rock 'n' Roll Age--so what makes more sense than a brilliant, original, rockin' Rock 'n' Roll model of business management and leadership? Sex, Leadership and Rock 'n' Roll is a marvelous book, which closes the door on the tidy, hierarchical, know-your-place 'Orchestral Age' and ushers in a new, creative era of challenge and change. Hooray! Tom Peters, author of Thriving on Chaos and In Search of Excellence --Tom Peters, author of Thriving on Chaos and In Search of Excellence

'his book rocks harder than early period Sabbath. I gulped it down quicker than Ozzy Osbourne used to down a bottle of bourbon. Phil Beadle, Columnist Education Guardian, Award winning teacher, and author of 'Could do Better' --Phil Beadle, Columnist Education Guardian, Award winning teacher, and author of 'Could do Better'

Peter Cooks approach to the fundamentals of business management using a Rock and Roll model is hilariously practical. One of the major problems that I find as a lecturer is helping students find ways of remembering and, more importantly, applying appropriate management techniques. Peter Cook s book can bridge that gap by providing students with an up to date and relevant language of expression that uses musical idioms and practitioners that most students have heard of and can remember easily. The next step of linking the words and music to the appropriate business practices is made very much easier. The examples expressed in contemporary language will, I am sure, encourage students to use their new knowledge rather than tuck it away in their subconscious. This is a very readable and useful addition to the business bookshelf that I will be pleased to recommend to students. David Moss, MSc, Cert Ed, MCIPD --David Moss, MSc, Cert Ed, MCIPD

An intriguing approach to delivery leadership concepts and very different from traditional MBA style teaching.

.. a fresh approach which gives permission to deal with the real
issues facing people in organisations these days.

Peter Cook provides an unusual musical insight into Leadership.
It's light, funny and offers new ways of understanding a complex subject.

At last, a book that cuts through the jargon of leadership and personal development. It offers a real world source of inspiration and provocation in areas such as: creativity, innovation, relationships, motivation, leadership, high performance, learning and reinvention. The unique approach springs from the mix of leading edge concepts with the wisdom of the street in the form of rock music. This is served up in a quirky, challenging but intelligent way. Peter Cook has been able to skilfully synthesise these diverse viewpoints because of his background, both as a business academic, MBA graduate and tutor, strategy consultant and thought leader and also as a musician, writing and performing music, in rock bands. The book examines the issues using the language of 'Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll' rather than that of prophets, consultants and gurus. In this context, the letters MBA stand for Management By Attitude. Let there be Rock 'n' Roll Leadership!

I was lucky enough to have access to excellent formal
training but noticed that programmes like the MBA failed to prepare me
adequately for what I call the 'attitude' necessary to get things done. My
antidote was performing in rock bands where you learn a compeletly
different set of skills that are needed in a modern business. Over the
years, performing with bands such as Wilko Johnson, The Fall,
Splodgenessabounds, John Otway, Classix Nouveau, Altered Images and most
recently with Lorraine Crosby, who sang on Meatloaf's classic rock anthem
'I'd do anything for love but I won't do that'. I found that the skills
you learn in the 'School of Rock' are complementary to those you learn on
personal and management development programmes, so I decided to bring them
together! This is the result. Although Sex, Leadership and Rock'n'Roll is
a seriously good read, it has its moment of irony and wit, with a healthy
dose of 'rock cheese.'

I designed the book as BOTH a long read and a short one - length to explore
ideas in some depth and pithy short summaries on the right hand pages to
give you instant gratification. You get tips from and eclectic range of
gurus: Einstein, Madonna, Stravinsky, David Bowie, Spinal Tap, Bill Nelson,
Prince, Mintzberg, Frank Sinatra, Oscar Wilde, Abraham Maslow, Britney
Spears, Oasis, Mahatma Ghandi, George Michael et al

For those about to lead, I salute you!

Peter Cook started in Pharmaceuticals, bringing multi-million
pound life saving drugs to market. He also spent a good deal of his early
career travelling the world starting up factories and acting as a
troubleshooter to failing enterprises. He is Managing Director of Human
Dynamics, who offer high level management consultancy and superb
conferences and events based on book themes.

Peter holds an MBA and tutors on various MBA programmes, is a Chartered
Chemist, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and
NLP master practitioner. He is also well qualified in rock and still
performs from time to time with his punk - country and glam - punk bands.