A book that focuses on seventeen commonly accepted management principles and analyses why these should not be accepted as universal truths.
Published by Harper Business
Hardback | 208 pp | INR 599
Available wherever books are sold | Releasing on 17 August 2023
“Preserving the status quo — whether in approach or execution — is not a great business strategy. Busted offers a thought-provoking analysis of several ‘professional truths’ and underscores the importance of constant reinvention in business success.”
– Shantanu Narayen, Chairman, President and CEO, Adobe
ABOUT THE BOOK
Consider the following statements:
It’s lonely at the top.
Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
Fail fast, fail cheap.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
People leave people, not organizations.
People are often heard using these to make a point. Management at all levels is inundated with advice from professional consultants, luminaries and gurus. But the question is if these management truisms hold everywhere, or if they are myths that need to be examined for relevance in today’s rapidly changing world.
In Busted, Ashok Soota and Peter de Jager focus on seventeen commonly accepted management principles and analyse why these should not be accepted as universal truths. Backed by their experience in building and scaling businesses; consulting with organizations across sectors, cultures and continents; real-life examples; and first-person interviews with industry leaders and practitioners, Busted takes into account the changed realities of the workplace and offers a balanced view of what makes the world of management tick.
Here’s a book that challenges, tickles and pokes at accepted, seemingly unassailable management myths and inspires one to question, test and validate all advice, regardless of the source.
Author, Ashok Soota says, “Management at all levels is inundated with advice from management consultants, luminaries, and gurus. Encapsulated in catchy phrases, they soon acquire the status of truisms and myths. We contend that these management myths are products of their time, and when viewed through a contemporary lens, many of them are not tenable. This book encourages and helps readers to challenge these management myths instead of accepting them at face value.”
Sachin Sharma, Executive Editor, HarperCollins India, adds, “Busted is an eye opener for readers who, over the years, have become accustomed to using popular management quotes in common parlance. It challenges readers to think deeper about all ‘management truisms’ regardless of the source they originated from. The authors present compelling evidence, backed by logic, experience and curiosity to challenge and bust popular management myths.”
PRAISE FOR BUSTED
“As the leader of a venture capital firm, I am always looking for people with breakthrough ideas and thoughts. I find Busted compelling as it spurs questioning of the status quo. This book encourages the reader to push the boundaries of accepted wisdom and enables better management decisions.”
– Lip-Bu Tan, Chairman, Walden International
“This is a delightful book that takes a deep dive into popular myths, and challenges them based on experiential insight and the ability to explore, question, and tell stories. And all of this with the ease that comes with mastery and intellectual integrity.”
– Vinita Bali, Independent Director on Global Boards and Former MD/CEO, Britannia Industries
“Feel the need to rethink your management philosophy in today’s dynamic, turbulent world? This book challenges management myths that foster mental inertia, based on colourful observations and wit. The takeaways? Question everything. WHY is the most important word in the managers’ dictionary, and the answer to everything is IT DEPENDS—on logic, of course.”
– Prof. Rajendra Srivastava, Executive Director, Centre for Business Innovation, Indian School of Business
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Ashok Soota is the founding chairman of Happiest Minds Technologies and was the founding chairman of MindTree.
Peter de Jager is an internationally known keynote speaker/writer/consultant on change management.
ABOUT THE CO-AUTHOR
Sandhya Mendonca is the founder and managing director of Raintree Media and an author.
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