Power Plays: Shakespeare's Lessons in Leadership and Management

by John O. Whitney and Tina Packer

Book Overview

Explains why the issues fueling the intricate plots of Shakespeare's plays are the same issues that business leaders must contend with today.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684868873
• ISBN13: 9780684868875
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Why Shakespeare was required reading, and should be now

Are you an English major, a Shakespeare devotee working in business? Or are you a business major who suffered through the required reading and complained, "Where would I use this?" Whichever describes you, Power Plays was written for you. John Whitney and Tina Packer, both of whom are lovers of Shakespeare and business managers, have analyzed lessons in management and communication embodied in Shakespeare's plays. They have enhanced the lessons with examples: some from their own experiences (most interestingly, both successes and failures) and others from well-known cases in recent corporate histories. Any book that causes you to pull the Collected Works down from the top shelf to see what you missed when you read the play so long ago, broadens your awareness of the world. We must always be seeking new and old ways to perceive what is going on in our own lives. There are reasons why Shakespeare holds the foremost position in English literature. This is a good book for those who didn't grasp that fact during their formal education. We were so immature when we were first introduced to Shakespeare. Many of us were so involved in preparing ourselves for careers, that we failed to appreciate the treasures that were being offered to us. So if to you Macbeth was just someone consumed by ambition, Hamlet one who let his chance go by, Henry V a king who made a long speech, Lear a father who failed to recognize hypocrisy - in reading Power Plays you will see more than you had seen, and possibly be inspired to reread these plays with a new perspective. And if you already love Shakespeare, you may see the world with a new perspective.

PROBABLY THE BEST IF YOU ENJOY SHAKESPEARE

John O. Whitney managed to relate business strategies to many of Shakespeare's plays; I truly was impressed... Many of his own experiences are related and it might seem as if the author is showing off but the stories he talks about are really interesting.Before I read this book I really respected and admired Shakespeare and now my admiration goes beyond his literature, with the help of the author, his lessons on leadership and management are essential for any person working in a large corporation. SHAKESPEARE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CEO!!!

Highly Recommended!

O.K., we all know it's a gimmick, but it's such a good gimmick that you can't help but be won over. John O. Whitney and Tina Packer extract timeless truths about human nature from the works of Shakespeare and apply them to today's business world. Theme by theme, the authors tackle power, communication, trust, decision, action, hierarchy and women in management. Linking business dramas and dilemmas faced by today's companies and corporate leaders to those faced by Shakespeare's characters, the authors serve up a treasure trove of valuable insight and guidance in this immensely satisfying book. We [...] recommend this book to anyone in business or outside of it. Because like the works of Shakespeare himself, this book, while aimed at a specific audience, aspires to, and in many cases reaches, more universal truths.

As You'll Like It -- definitely

Shakespeare is about management. A good manager should know his/her people, policies, practices, and products. Hamlet liked to think, but knew none of these four P's, and failed at management. Sure, something was rotten in Denmark; it was a lack of management expertise. Shakespeare is about power and the trappings of power. Weren't Macbeth and Richard III willing to kill for power? What would Macbeth have done with his power anyway? Did he have any agenda other than the top role? What are the players in Hamlet willing to do to stay close to the seat of power? Did Casius appear lean and hungry because Julius Caesar wouldn't share his power? Is Richard II, a play with a weak leader, about the consequences of the loss of power? Why couldn't Henry VI accept power? I have been waiting for this book to be published for a year! There are half a dozen business books that use The Bard as a foundation, but this is the best, without a doubt. This book is based on years of actual use in the classroom by Whitney, who has been affiliated with Columbia and Harvard B-Schools, and is one of Columbia's most popular teachers. Not only is he a teacher, but he is a respected turnaround expert and former leader of Pathmark. When Whitney was brought in to be COO of Pathmark, he felt he was in line for the top job. Like a tragic hero, he was blind to the fact that the organization saw him as an outsider, though he was succeeding, and he was unaware that he was being ostracized. Isn't this just like Henry IV who was overthrown by Richard the Third? Henry IV, though he reigned for 14 years, was blind to his competitors. Maybe Whitney should have acted like Prince Hal in Henry IV. Prince Hal ate among the commoners to learn of their intentions. Whitney is excellent at interpreting Shakespeare and applying it to biz. For example, he shows that Coriolanus failed because although he was strong in his conviction, he was too rigid. What about trusted lieutenants? In Othello, Iago was seeking revenge because he was passed over for promotion. The job was given to Cassio. What about Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII. Or Polonius in Hamlet? Polonius says "to thine own self be true", yet he never is true. He is foolish and scheming, and ends up dead. There are many lessons to be learned. The book is worth buying even if you just read about Falstaff.

Cuts through the [junk], a usable interesting read

Every year there are several flavor of the month management books, whether they be lessons from patton, elizabeth I, sitting bull, goldilocks, lincoln, grant, or peanut butter parents. This book cuts through the novelty [junk]though. Shakespeare is about management. A good manager should know his/her people, policies, practices, and products. Hamlet knew none of these, and failed at management. Shakespeare is about power. Weren't Macbeth and Richard III willing to kill for power? What would Macbeth have done with his power anyway? Did he have any agenda other than the top role? What are the players in Hamlet willing to do just to stay close to the seat of power? What was Casius' lean and hungry look about in Julius Caesar? Was it about Caesar's inability to share power? Wasn't Richard II about the consequences of the loss of power? Why couldn't Henry VI accept power? ... I have been waiting for this book to be published for a year! There are half a dozen business books that use The Bard as a foundation, but this is the best, without a doubt. This book is based on years of actual use in the classroom by Whitney, who has been affiliated with Columbia and Harvard B-Schools, and is one of the most sought after teachers. Not only is he a teacher, but he is a respected turnaround expert and former leader of Pathmark. When Whitney was brought in to be COO of Pathmark, he felt he was in line for the top job. Like a tragic hero, he was blind to the fact that the organization saw him as an outsider, though he was succeeding, and he was unaware that he was being ostracized. Isn't this just like Henry IV who was overthrown by Richard the Third? Henry IV, though he reigned for 14 years, was blind to his competitors. Maybe Whitney should have acted like Prince Hal in Henry IV. Prince Hal ate among the commoners to learn of their intentions. Whitney is excellent at interpreting Shakespeare and applying it to biz. And you dont have to be familiar with the plays, since his prose explains the essential points for the reader. For example, he shows that Coriolanus failed because although he was strong in his conviction, he was too rigid. What about trusted lieutenants? In Othello, Iago was seeking revenge because he was passed over for promotion. The job was given to Cassio. What about Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII. Or Polonius in Hamlet? Polonius says "to thine own self be true", yet he never is true. He is foolish and scheming, and ends up dead. There are many lessons to be learned. The book is worth buying just for the discussion on Falstaff