Becoming A Top Manager E-Book

Kevin Kaiser

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 405

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Make the move up to senior management with lessons from world-renowned business school experts Based on themes from INSEAD's popular Transition to General Management programme, authors Kevin Kaiser, Michael Pich, and I.J. Schecter offer sound advice and practical insights for those looking to move to senior general management roles. By following the stories of three managers making the transition to general management, Becoming A Top Manager highlights not only the most crucial aspects of becoming a successful general manager, but also the necessary mindset changes required--both on a personal and professional level--that will ultimately translate into ongoing success. * Provides practical insights, clarity and confidence for those looking to move into senior general management roles * Written by a well-known and experienced international author team * Outlines key skills and executive tools needed for the transition * Online resources also available at www.wiley.com/go/topmanager

Leseprobe

‘The transition to general management can be thorny, but Kaiser, Pich and Schecter make it both accessible and enjoyable. By letting us see through the lenses of three fictional leaders taking on new roles, they bring the journey to life, letting us feel both the growing pains and also the rewards. By the end, you will know these characters intimately, cheering them on when they succeed, shouting at them when they stumble, and smiling along with them as they acquire the practical skills and personal wisdom essential to becoming a general manager in today's global world.’

Laurence Applebaum, Executive Vice President, Women's Tennis Association

‘In Becoming a Top Manager, Kaiser, Pich and Schecter cleverly address the three vital parts of the transformation: managing the business, managing others, and, perhaps most fundamentally, managing oneself. They also integrate the views of many who have attended their programs and successfully applied the lessons in their own careers. The result is a highly engaging, highly readable book that should be mandatory for anyone preparing to take this important step in their professional journey.’

Fulvia Aurino, Brand General Manager, Estée Lauder and Tom Ford Beauty, Italy

‘By creating three fictional characters as chaperones on the journey, Kaiser, Pich and Schecter present the complex, largely unfamiliar world of general management with insight, empathy, and, in the end, inspiration. Anyone about to undertake this critical step in their career path will benefit enormously from reading Becoming a Top Manager and applying its lessons.’

Martijn Bödeker, Managing Partner, CATALPA GmbH & Co. KG

‘Becoming A Top Manager asks and answers all the right questions when it comes to cultivating senior leaders! Kaiser, Pich and Schecter know exactly what it takes to make this journey from functional leader to GM. They outline a path fraught with complexity, but they don't sugar-coat any part of it. So if you're racing down the road to general management, make this book required reading – and doing.’

Hal Gregersen, Executive Director of the MIT Leadership Center and co-author of The Innovator's DNA

‘In Becoming a Top Manager, Kaiser, Pich and Schecter skilfully and cleverly address the three vital pieces of this transformation: managing the business, managing others, and, most important of all, managing oneself. You will not read a book that addresses the transition to general management in a more astute and engaging way.’

Ricardo Ferrero, Global Marketing Lead, Baker Hughes

‘A must-read for those who aspire to become successful GMs. Kaiser, Pich and Schecter have done an excellent job of articulating the essence of general management in a compelling, inspiring and entertaining way.’

Wopke B. Hoekstra, Partner, McKinsey & Company and member of Dutch Senate

‘Becoming a Top Manager is essential reading for anyone making the transition from functional leader to general manager. Readers will immediately relate to and learn from the fictional GMs presented within while being entertained and inspired by their experiences.’

Roger Benson, Cloud & Mobility Multinational Sales Director, Intel EMEA

‘This book hits a powerful nerve in our world of change. Kaiser, Pich and Schecter brilliantly show how to transform into a top manager by not only managing the business, but also managing others, and, perhaps most crucially, managing oneself.’

Lutz Finger, Director of Data Science & Engineering, LinkedIn

‘Becoming a Top Manager is critical reading for those transitioning to general management or seeking to do so. The stories of the three fictional GMs allow one to really experience the transformation, supported by a unique combination of insights and acumen from the authors and their former students – and all built upon the fundamental objective of creating value.’

Ross Evans, Group Manager, Exploration Appraisal & Development, Origin

‘Becoming a Top Manager is a witty, thorough, no-nonsense guide to the tough reality of managing a business, managing others and – most difficult of all – managing oneself. In the journeys of these three fictional GMs, you will surely spot yourself more than once. Keep this book handy!’

Laura Nemaric, Head of Corporate Treasury & Insurance Asia, Solvay

‘Integrating the experiences of many who have attended their programs, Kaiser, Pich and Schecter explain, in a practical and relatable way, how to tackle the key challenges managers in transition must inevitably confront. By introducing three fictitious managers on similar journeys, the authors have devised an unforgettable tool for offering wisdom, flagging pitfalls and enabling success in the next phase of your professional career.’

Arnaud van Oers, CFO, IHC Asia Pacific

‘Many books have been written on leadership development and transition, usually with a topical dissection of the attributes that need to be modified, changed or improved. Most of these books lack a regard for the intangible realities of operating as a leader, particularly concerning the struggles in learning how to elevate one's horizon, consider value to the company before the department and forget about what one learned as a functional expert. Becoming a Top Manager uniquely captures and addresses these challenges by following three new GMs in very real situations that force them to reshape their behaviors, mindsets and priorities.’

Greg Bunker, Global Business Director, Dow Chemical

‘Becoming a Top Manager is compelling because it defies easy categorization. It is a rock-solid business book blended with inspirational fable. It offers both deep insights from its authors as well as illuminating comments from their former students. It is a frank throwing back of the curtain mixed with an encouraging pep talk for those embarking on the complex transition to general management. Read this book.’

Veit Dengler, CEO, NZZ Mediengruppe

‘Take your time reading Becoming a Top Manager. Be open to its teachings. Absorb the information it provides. Make it part of your own journey and adapt it to your personal situation. Kaiser, Pich and Schecter illuminate how to truly become a top manager – and how to position yourself to help those around you.’

Frank Legters, Director Business Unit, Regional and Urban Environment, Royal HaskoningDHV

Becoming a Top Manager

Tools and Lessons in Transitioning to General Management

Kevin Kaiser, Michael Pich and I.J. Schecter

This edition first published 2015

© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kaiser, Kevin, 1964–     Becoming a top manager : tools and lessons in transitioning to general management / Kevin Kaiser, Michael Pich, and I.J. Schecter.         pages cm     ISBN 978-1-118-85857-8 (hardback)   1. Executive ability.    2. Chief executive officers.    3. Management.    I. Pich, Michael T.    II. Schecter, I. J., 1971–    III. Title.     HD38.2.K35 2015

    658.4′2–dc23

2014038165

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-118-85857-8 (hbk) ISBN 978-1-118-85856-1 (ebk) ISBN 978-1-118-85855-4 (ebk)

Cover Design: Wiley Cover Illustration: © kraphix/shutterstock.com

We would like to dedicate this book to the thousands of participants of our executive programmes who have inspired us, motivated us and taught us much of what we know about what it takes to become a top manager and how to do it well.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Key Success Factors for Transitioning to General Management

Note

SECTION 1 MANAGING THE BUSINESS

Chapter 1 Embracing the Why

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Chapter 2 Seeing the Implications

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Note

Chapter 3 Befriending the Numbers

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

SECTION 2 MANAGING OTHERS

Chapter 4 Leaving the Nest

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Chapter 5 Bridging the Gap

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Chapter 6 Walking the Talk

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Note

SECTION 3 MANAGING YOURSELF

Chapter 7 Taking the Reins

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Chapter 8 Passing the Test

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Chapter 9 Sustaining the Journey

Freddy

Nancy

Hugo

Overall Discussion

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

A Final Word

About the Website

About the Authors

Index

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Part

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Acknowledgements

Numerous people helped us make this book a reality, beginning with Rosemary Nixon of Wiley, who first discussed with us the possibility of basing a book on the content of INSEAD's Transition to Management Programme (formerly the International Executive Programme) and worked diligently with us to find the right structure and shape for the manuscript. Thanks also to the rest of the global Wiley team for taking the book all the way to the finish line, including Kathe Sweeney and Ashton Bainbridge for shepherding it through the early stages, Jenny Ng for helping fine-tune it over the course of several months and Holly Bennion for overseeing the entire process, which anyone who has ever written a book knows is neither simple nor quick.

We are extremely grateful to Katherine Philips-Kaiser, who first proposed the idea of crowd-sourcing the content for the book and whose company, AmphiMedia, created and managed the interactive platform that was essential to making this project work. AmphiMedia also did an outstanding job of coordinating all matters relating to the participants and their contributions.

We are also grateful for the financial support of the ABN Amro Managing for Value Research Fund at INSEAD, which covered various costs related to this project.

Thank you to Moriah Productions in Singapore for planning and shooting the videos for that interactive platform, and to the actors who brought to life our fictional general managers, along with the accompanying cast of characters who gave voice to their mentors, sounding boards and foils.

Lastly, we are indebted to all of those who took time out of their busy lives and daily schedules to watch our fictional GMs in action and to provide the invaluable commentary, insights and anecdotes that give the book its true breadth and scope. Our contributors represent 18 different nationalities (including many who have spent time as expatriates) and a wide range of industries, functional backgrounds and roles. It is thanks to the input of this diverse group that we can confidently say our discussion of what it takes to become a successful general manager in today's global world transcends cultures and borders. You have our sincerest gratitude.

Introduction

Functional leaders promoted to executive positions often find themselves lost at sea – unfamiliar not only with the responsibilities surrounding their new role but unsure of the skills and tools necessary to execute them successfully. The marketing manager promoted to partner; the communications lead moved up to the boardroom; the unit head who suddenly finds himself at the executive table. Individuals in such positions tend to quickly discover that the knowledge and capabilities that allowed them to thrive in their previous job have little bearing on the new one, and that a whole new set of skills – or rather, a whole new way of thinking – is suddenly required. They realize that to deliver their new mandate they must change. But how?