When I was asked to review this book, my heart sank a little. I thought this would be yet another management book littered with jargon and theory, telling me how to do the job that I have been doing for the past 20 years.
Inspirational
Yet once I started reading this book I was truly inspired. In fact it's a bit of a page turner. This book is does not deal with management theories, but with storytelling - which is how so many of us learn. It draws on the experiences of real-life inspirational managers (their pictures appear at the back of the book).
Each story is well told and easily remembered so they can be retold in our own places of work. I certainly identified with the managers who were telling their own, real-world stories. The writing sytle is chatty and the text is structured into short chapters. Yet it still imparts insightful and profound messages. Very clever! At the end of each chapter there are specific actions to help readers share their learning in the work place. A very practical use of the effort put in by the reader. I will certainly be making use of some of theses actions to enhance my management style.
A management book that is 'real'
A new style of management book that is practical, real and written in an extremely accessible style. I would highly recommend this book to new managers who are starting out but also to managers who are, like me, a bit long in the tooth. It's never too late to learn to become 'inspirational'.
Enjoy the read and have fun learning.
The Inspirational Manager: how to build relationships that deliver results (second edition) is published by Pearson and is available from Amazon.
Jacky Berry is the librarian at the British Medical Assocation (BMA).