Simple Art of Greatness: Building, Managing, and Motivating a Kick-Ass Work Force

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Overview

Jim Mullen says, "The American employee is born energetic and raised to be competitive. Why treat him like an idiot?" He believes that the best way to make a company reach its full potential is by employing a "dangerous workforce" and imbuing it, individual by individual, with the power to make the company great. What Mullen (a self-styled iconoclast who counts Aristotle among his business heroes) offers in The Simple Art of Greatness is a brutally straighforward, hard-nosed formula for making money - and being ...
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1995 Hard cover New in fine dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 216 p. Audience: General/trade.

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More About This Book

Overview

Jim Mullen says, "The American employee is born energetic and raised to be competitive. Why treat him like an idiot?" He believes that the best way to make a company reach its full potential is by employing a "dangerous workforce" and imbuing it, individual by individual, with the power to make the company great. What Mullen (a self-styled iconoclast who counts Aristotle among his business heroes) offers in The Simple Art of Greatness is a brutally straighforward, hard-nosed formula for making money - and being happy while doing so.
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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Cahners\\Publishers_Weekly
In this study of leadership, Mullen, a Massachusetts advertising exec, ponders how to build an effective organization while keeping employees focused on "achieving greatness." Relying on personal business experiences and "a handful of great teachers," he maintains an "absolute belief" in such "principles" as employee capability, delegation of authority and entrepreneurship. Claiming that the most reliable way to achieve long-term profitability is to foster long-term employer-employee relationships based on fairness, loyalty and trust, he espouses a "hard-nosed" formula for making money and being happy while doing so. In Mullen's view, everyone should be an entrepreneur; he has little to say to the legion who just want to do their jobs. Replete with nostrums-"Hire people who are smart"; "build greatness into your organization at least five years before the calamity happens"-the text invites us to treat it as a candy sampler and to take a nougat or walnut cream as our taste dictates. Some may prefer a more nourishing nosh.
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
In this study of leadership, Mullen, a Massachusetts advertising exec, ponders how to build an effective organization while keeping employees focused on ``achieving greatness.'' Relying on personal business experiences and ``a handful of great teachers,'' he maintains an ``absolute belief'' in such ``principles'' as employee capability, delegation of authority and entrepreneurship. Claiming that the most reliable way to achieve long-term profitability is to foster long-term employer-employee relationships based on fairness, loyalty and trust, he espouses a ``hard-nosed'' formula for making money and being happy while doing so. In Mullen's view, everyone should be an entrepreneur; he has little to say to the legion who just want to do their jobs. Replete with nostrums-``Hire people who are smart''; ``build greatness into your organization at least five years before the calamity happens''-the text invites us to treat it as a candy sampler and to take a nougat or walnut cream as our taste dictates. Some may prefer a more nourishing nosh. (Mar.)
Library Journal
President of his own small but upscale advertising agency, Mullen outlines his life and what he considers to be the secrets of his business success. Though not among the largest advertising agencies in North America, Mullen's company has continued to flourish, boasting increased revenues during volatile times when other agencies have lost money. Operating a lean workforce, Mullen emphasizes employee control of the corporation, giving responsibilities and the accompanying rights to hand-picked associates. Mullen advocates giving away power and control in the workplace in order to gain a stable, creative, involved group of employees. Since Mullen has snared such clients as Rolls-Royce and BMW from larger competitors, overcome the complete destruction of its headquarters by fire, and maintained an emphasis on quality, he can be forgiven for the sometimes self-congratulatory tone of his book. Recommended for public libraries.-Randy Abbott, Univ. of Evansville Libs., Ind.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780670852116
  • Publisher: Viking Penguin
  • Publication date: 3/28/1995
  • Pages: 224
  • Product dimensions: 3.52 (w) x 2.28 (h) x 0.37 (d)

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