[.ca] McKinsey's Marvin Bower: Vision, Leadership, and the ... (ISBN 0471755826)

Must Read:
Having spent the past 20 years in consulting, I've read alot of business books and always buy a new book with the expressed purpose of learning something new. McKinsey's Marvin Bower did not disappoint. Although I bought it to read about Marvin Bower, the myth, I learned much more about Marvin Bower the man and his impact on principles I had been practicing throughout my career, and without knowing why. This book provides the fundamental lessons on how to do it right -- from creating values that guide an organization to placing customer and client interests first. To me, McKinsey was a side bar, the real story is about Marvin Bower and his impact on 20th century business. As such, it's a must read for everyone and anyone interested in "getting it right" regardless of their profession.

Mediocrity:
In short a decent biographical sketch of Bower's development and leadership experiences, however the whole point of the book has been underminde by "The Firm's" recent involvement in various scandals. It focuses too heavily on 'integrity', which can no longer be harped on in the same sentence with McKinsey due to SwissAir, Enron, etc. All in all, a heavily biased book that provides minimal objective value add. There are MUCH better leadership books out there...Good to Great, etc.

Leadership, Integrity & modern business history:
This is one of the best business history books I have read in years. Elizabeth Haas Edersheim lucidly and delightfully details the vision, values, and leadership techniques of Marvin Bower, the creator of management consulting. Using anecdotes from interviews with prominent business leaders whom he influenced, she illustrates the importance of integrity, communication and responsible business fundamentals -- values which were 'in absentia' during the scandals of the booming '90's. There's a lot to learn here and a lot of fun to be had doing it. This book is a must read.

Inspirational:
This book documents one of the most successful and influential individuals in the business world. Full of case studies and examples, there are lessons here that apply to any business at any size.

A must read!:
A compelling portrait of a leader who seemed to find just the right combination for success - creating value for clients, unwavering integrity, leading from the front, selflessness in the interest of the business' sustainability, consistency of vision and personal actions and continuous communication with and interest in his people. Bower's vision, values and approach shaped a generation of successful leaders. This book leaves you thinking about how you can be a better leader and wishing that you'd been fortunate enough to work for Marvin Bower. In an age of corporate scandals, it's refreshing and inspiring to read about a greatly successful leader with true integrity and how that integrity was an integral part of his success.