EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE | Contact: Andrea J. Stein 908-522-0332 andreaatwesmanpr@aol.com |
"A breakthrough. This book is packed with useful concepts and case illustrations
on what it takes to be a successful leader in any organization."
-- Noel M. Tichy, Professor, The Ross School, University of Michigan,
and author of Cycle of Leadership
"In a book rich with real life examples and compelling commentary from leading business executives, Menkes shows readers how to identify, measure and acquire
this key ingredient for corporate and individual success."
-- James M. Kilts, Chairman, President & CEO, The Gillette Company
WHAT SEPARATES STAR EXECUTIVES
FROM THE REST OF THE PACK?
FROM THE REST OF THE PACK?
New Book By Justin Menkes, America's Leading Authority on
Executive Intelligence, Reveals The Specific Cognitive Skills
Great Leaders and Managers Must Have
Executive Intelligence, Reveals The Specific Cognitive Skills
Great Leaders and Managers Must Have
Some businesspeople lead and manage so effortlessly that it seems like magic. But if you pull aside the curtain that conceals their artistry, can you discover the specific skills that make them so exceptional? For the first time ever, Justin Menkes, Ph.D., identifies the aptitudes that comprise great leadership and management. Based on eight years of research including interviews with outstanding CEOs, such as Jack Welch, Kevin Rollins, and Andrea Jung, his new book EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE: What All Great Leaders Have (Collins, $27.95, November 2005) delves beneath surface achievement to examine the process by which top businesspeople accomplish their work. By doing so, Menkes reveals the actual cognitive abilities that make up such vague concepts as "business acumen," "sound judgment," and "business smarts."
Dr. Menkes began his research with the premise that managerial work can be broken down into three main categories. Executives must be able to accomplish tasks; understand other people in order to work with and through them; and accurately judge themselves and adapt their behavior accordingly. For each of the three categories, Menkes then set out to identify the core aptitudes that all great executives share. Some of these aptitudes are:
- Accomplishing tasks: Executives who do this well are able to effectively question underlying assumptions, and anticipate unintended consequences of various tactics. They appropriately define a problem, and differentiate essential objectives from less relevant concerns. They also anticipate likely obstacles to achieving objectives and identify sensible means to circumvent them.
- Understanding people: Executives who handle interpersonal situations well are able to recognize underlying agendas; gauge how these agendas may conflict with one another; and anticipate the probable effects and likely unintended consequences of a chosen course of action. They understand how those involved will likely react, and they weigh this information appropriately in their responses.
- Judging oneself: Recognizing one's own mistakes and minimizing the costs of these missteps is crucial for business and career success. Those who can do this well seek out and encourage constructive criticism and use it to make appropriate adjustments to their plans of action. When they blunder, they are quick to see their mistakes and change course to correct the problem.
In EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE, Menkes not only codifies "business smarts," but he takes a hard look at the ways in which executives and job candidates are assessed through personality tests, IQ tests, and traditional interview practices. He explains that while these tools measure important attributes, such as experience or business knowledge, none of these methods measures the specific skills that make up Executive Intelligence. Menkes presents a new means to fill this critical gap. He also shows that the aptitudes that comprise Executive Intelligence can be practiced and improved. "Executive Intelligence is not static and finite," he states. "People can enhance their abilities to perform well at work. But first they need to know what the specific aptitudes are that they should improve – the very skills that make legendary CEO’s so much more effective than their peers. My research gives people a roadmap for getting from here to there. Without it, they would be searching endlessly for an unnamed destination." Offering a new approach to understanding top business performance, EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE paves the way for us to comprehend the "magic" behind exceptional leadership – and – is a must-read for all those interested in personal and business growth.
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