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Product Description
Review
"One new book that does deserve praise" (Financial Times Career Point, September 2006)
"As Manfred Kets de Vries, a professor at Insead business school, shows in a new book, the psychological condition of leaders can have a profound impact on all those who work under them." (Financial Times, October 2006)
"Fascinating Freudian look at chief executives and their occasionally rather damaged psychologies. Read this ..." (FTmagazine, December 2006)
"...Manfred Kets de Vries, sets out to change people ... for the better by revealing the ′dark side′ of leadership behaviour..." (Professional Consultancy, January 2007)
Product Description
Despite the proven benefits of emotional intelligence, organizational life has typically been hostile to the inner world of feeling. Rationality is deemed superior to feeling, which can contaminate judgment. But without feeling there is no passion, and no action. This book sets out to change people and organizations for the better, by revealing the ′dark side′ of leadership behaviour and its impact on performance. Tapping into the startling parallels between the journey to emotional intelligence, the process of psychoanalysis, the practice of leadership coaching and the Zen journey to enlightenment, renowned thinker Manfred Kets de Vries helps executives, consultants, and coaches to peel back the layers of self–deception and reveal how inner personality – largely hard–wired since early childhood – affects the way they lead and manage others.
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First Sentence
What could an entirely rational being speak of with another entirely rational being? Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
What could an entirely rational being speak of with another entirely rational being? Read the first page
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Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Using the psychodynamic approach yet speaking in the plainest terms, Kets de Vries has delivered his best book to date. Both de rigeur and timeless, this book is a must for any leader or manager who wants to be more effective in their role. Using recent business cases mixed with ancient philosophy the reader will learn about themself and other peoples motivations from a psychological perspective and by doing so improve their chances of attaining the highest levels both organisationally and personally.
Format:Hardcover
When Manfred Kets de Vries uses stories - from his own experience, history or Zen parables - to show how you can use psychology to understand the workplace, his points are clear and seem immediately applicable. Admittedly, his discussion of the theories that frame and guide his work vary from instructive to somewhat obscure, and his classifications of personality and organizational types may seem arbitrary, but when he explains the processes involved in change, he is realistic and humane. Philosophically or psychologically inclined readers may really want a more thorough explanation of de Vries' concepts, such as how unconscious structures interact with cultural ones. Those who take a less theoretical approach may not be as intrigued. getAbstract thinks that readers who exert some conscious patience will find the author's core points about the role of the unconscious in the business world insightful and useful.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Clinical Leadership Insights
23 Jan 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is a nice compliment to an earlier book by Manfred Kets de Vries, Leaders, Fools and Imposters. It is easy to read, accessible and provides managers and executives important content that should promote self, other and organizational insights. Part One has as its focus leadership pathologies. In particular narcissistic leaders as well as other types such a dramatic, controlling, dependent and self-defeating are described and explained in terms of the workplace problems they generate. Borrowing from Karen Horney, leadership is also examined from the perspectives of moving away and against others. This section is very helpful to anyone trying to better understand life at work that is irrational and at times punishing. Part Two explores ways to change these leadership dynamics including a description of the author's extensive seminar for senior executives aimed at promoting reflective leadership. In particular the chapter on executive coaching reveals the many sobering challenges involved in providing this service and well worth reading. Anyone offering or contemplating providing executive coaching can benefit from reading this chapter including executives who coach others. Part Three describes unconscious group and organizational dynamics that are under appreciated and many times undiscussable without external facilitation. The book concludes with the hope that authentic organizations and leaders can be nurtured into existence. Many elements of an optimal organizational culture are described and are worth noting. They are aspirational in nature. Unfortunately one might wonder if these are attributes are truly realizable in any meaningful way.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Manual for applying the psychotherapeutic approach to organizations.
21 April 2008
Format:Hardcover
When Manfred Kets de Vries uses stories - from his own experience, history or Zen parables - to show how you can use psychology to understand the workplace, his points are clear and seem immediately applicable. Admittedly, his discussion of the theories that frame and guide his work vary from instructive to somewhat obscure, and his classifications of personality and organizational types may seem arbitrary, but when he explains the processes involved in change, he is realistic and humane. Philosophically or psychologically inclined readers may really want a more thorough explanation of de Vries' concepts, such as how unconscious structures interact with cultural ones. Those who take a less theoretical approach may not be as intrigued. getAbstract thinks that readers who exert some conscious patience will find the author's core points about the role of the unconscious in the business world insightful and useful.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
A Clinical Approach to Changing People & Organizations
1 Sep 2007
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wow this book takes identifying the office players to a new level. He gives you an understanding of how they got where they are, what they respond to and what they can do to benifit the organization. Also can be a great mirror for the reader if they are able to accept the results. I look forward to his next book and I won't wait this long to purchase it.
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