This Hardcover Book item from Harvard Business School Press was reviewed on 16-Oct-2008.
Search ISBN:1578515823 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. Geeks and Geezers Reference Book. Classifications : Leadership Harvard Business School Press By Publisher Business & Investing Subjects Books Management Harvard Business School Press By Publisher Business & Investing Subjects Books Decision-Making & Pr . Click the following link to view the cover of Geeks and Geezers. Related topics: Leadership. By Publisher. Subjects. Books. Management. By Publisher. Subjects. Books. Subjects. Books. requestid: 069cf6a4-2c52-4901-a5c5-769b4f227f84
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1) Hardcover Book Geeks and Geezers by Harvard Business School Press. I enjoyed Geeks and Geezers. I thought this book was well written and by creditable authors. I think everyone can learn valuable lessons from the life experiences of successful people of today and of the past. This book is a quick read that inspires and motivates.¤ 2) Hardcover Book Geeks and Geezers by Harvard Business School Press. Geeks & Geezers makes for an enjoyable read but is a little short on substance and practical application. The distinction between Geek leaders and Geezers leaders isn´t half as interesting or applicable as the notion of the crucible (life changing moments that create leaders) or the four-point model of leadership comprised of adaptive capacity, engaging others by creating a shared meaning, voice and integrity.
The discussion on Geeks versus Geezers isn´t anything new. There has already been research on Baby Boomers versus Generation Xers and the observations here don´t break any new ground. It is a shame that the entire group of leaders between the ages of 35 and 70 is completely ignored in the process. Even Warren Bennis, in a separate interview, acknowledged that "it is the people who are in the middle group between the geeks and the geezers who are comfortable with the technology but a little wiser and older who have to be the articulating point."
If you do decide to read the book, the best way to get something out of it is to spend some time reflecting on what your own crucible moments have been, how they changed you and what you gained from the experience. At the very least, it might help you create your own story and find your voice.
If the authors´ model of leadership is an indicator of who succeeds and who doesn´t, it would also be worthwhile to reflect on how you fit in the four-point model. For example, I´d rank myself pretty high on adaptive capacity (willingness to learn, to change and be flexible) and integrity but need to develop more in the areas of engaging others and developing a voice.
In terms of real world applications, one of the suggestions made by the authors focused on national service (i.e. volunteering). The authors were bemoaning the lack of nation-wide, federally-supported service organizations and believed that this country could have "vigorous service organizations in every flavor, from those focused on a single activity, like Habitat for Humanity, to those aimed at people with similar styles or enthusiasms." I don´t know what ivory tower the authors live in, but as someone who has worked in the non-profit sector for the past 10 years, I´m here to loudly proclaim that there are vigorous service organizations in every community in this country that are desperately in need of committed volunteer leadership. After reading this book, if you think you might be in need of a crucible experience, this would be a great place to go looking for one.
¤ 3) Hardcover Book Geeks and Geezers by Harvard Business School Press. Some great concepts endure for centuries. Bennis and Thomas present one of these concepts in their fresh, fasted paced book Geeks & Geezers. The paradigm, that some people have profound growth as a result of extreme challange while others do not, is in the christian bible and even more clearly in "Man´s Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl. What is important about Geeks & Geezers is that it allows a new audience to ponder the importance of meaning and its impact on ones life. It might even inspire a person going through one of lifes challanges.¤ 4) Hardcover Book Geeks and Geezers by Harvard Business School Press. Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas offer a new viewpoint on leadership. By interviewing geeks (30 and under) and geezers (70 and older), Bennis and Thomas offer a glimpse into the leadership development of several recognized leaders. The authors have identified the defining experiences (crucibles) and qualities that distinguish these individuals as leaders. And from this information, Bennis and Thomas propose a leadership development model. The authors not only describe the model in great detail but they also show how it is replicated in the development of leaders despite their age. This insightful book ultimately clarifies why certain individuals create meaning out of hardship and thrive, and why others do not.¤ 5) Hardcover Book Geeks and Geezers by Harvard Business School Press. Geeks & Geezers by Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas is about how Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders. And it does an excellent job of pointing out the differences between our generations. This Harvard Business School Press publication is definitely useful in understanding the way folks in my parents´ generation (the Geezers) react to those in my children´s generation (Geek) . Based on their definitions for Geeks and Geezers, I am in between the two, yet most of my acquaintances put me in the Geek category due to my love of and work in the world of technology. The basic premise of this book is that all leaders must go through a "crucible" of some kind. The kind of leadership characteristics we have may be different because of our environments (Geezers defined by WWII, Parental fallibility, etc. and Geeks by abundance, opportunity, technology and globalization), but every leader is tested somehow. The different environments and experiences affects the needs, wants, character and maturation process for these people and therefore define the differences in leadership style. After exploring historical experiences and interviewing both groups, the authors complete their leadership model with Era and Individual factors feeding into the crucible of Experiences. The crucible heats up experiences and organization of meaning that develops Leadership competencies. The crucible might be military service in the case of the Geezer of business failure in the case of the Geeks, but whatever that life changing crucible is, it is the one thing that is common to leadership. This book is worth your time and consideration if for no other reason than to understand the value of the crucible we may now be going through in our contracting economy - this so called job-loss recovery.¤ 6) Hardcover Book Geeks and Geezers by Harvard Business School Press. Today´s young leaders grew up in the glow of television and computers; the leaders of their grandparents´ generation in the shadow of the Depression and World War II. In a groundbreaking study of these two disparate groups - affectionately labeled "geeks" and "geezers" - legendary leadership expert Warren Bennis and leadership consultant Robert Thomas set out to find out how era and values shape those who lead. What they discovered was something far more profound: the powerful process through which leaders of any era emerge. "Geeks and Geezers" is a book that will forever change how we view not just leadership-but the very way we learn and ultimately live our lives. It presents for the first time a compelling new model that predicts who is likely to become - and remain - a leader, and why.At the heart of this model are what the authors call "crucibles" - utterly transforming periods of testing from which one can emerge either hopelessly broken, or powerfully emboldened to learn and to lead. Whether losing an election or burying a child, learning from a mentor or mastering a martial art, crucibles are turning points: defining events that force us to decide who we are and what we are capable of. Through the candid and often deeply moving crucibles of pioneering journalist Mike Wallace to new economy entrepreneur Michael Klein, from New York Stock Exchange trailblazer Muriel Siebert to environmental crusader Tara Church, "Geeks and Geezers" illustrates the stunning metamorphoses of true leaders. It also reveals the critical traits they share, including adaptability, vision, integrity, unquenchable optimism, and "neoteny" - a youthful curiosity and zest for knowledge.Highlighting the forces that enable any of us to learn and lead not for a time, but for a lifetime, this book is essential reading for geeks, geezers, and everyone in between. Warren Bennis is Professor and Founding Chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California, and the author of over thirty visionary books on leadership. Robert J. Thomas is an Associate Partner and Senior Fellow with the Accenture Institute for Strategic Change and award-winning author of "What Machines Can´t Do".¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 13-Nov-2008, 15785158239781578515820, 880-090-291-231-011-QGB-8 
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