Office Superman: Make Yourself Indispensable in the Workplace

The ultimate guide to becoming an invaluable asset at work, this clever and thoroughly enjoyable business book offers 21 powerful career strategies for getting ahead and staying ahead--presented through the lens of the Superman mythology. Created in collaboration with DC Comics, it equates the image of Superman--an archetypal superhero who symbolizes bravery, heroism, and superiority at its purest--with excellence in the workplace, and features memorable artwork that spans the entire 70-year history of Superman comics. Subjects include working effectively with superiors and coworkers, solving problems, standing out and fitting in, achieving daily excellence, practicing sound ethics, communicating effectively, creating customer satisfaction, and much more.

"The ultimate guide to becoming an invaluable asset at work, this clever and thoroughly enjoyable business book offers 21 powerful career strategies for getting ahead and staying ahead—presented throu"

Publishers Weekly

You don't need superpowers to be an "office Superman," says Axelrod. You just need to prove to co-workers that you're reliable and indispensable. Axelrod (Everything I Know About Business I Learned from Monopoly) certainly knows a lot about the Man of Steel, calling upon 66 years' worth of comic books to tease out lessons on dealing with bosses like Perry White and competitors like Lex Luthor. One would think that the strip's mythology would provide plenty of illustrative examples for Axelrod's career advancement tips, so it's a pity his examples aren't actually illustrative. Though Axelrod describes all sorts of workplace scenarios, he shows barely any pictures of Superman in action, or even Clark Kent being mild-mannered, thereby diminishing much of the rhetorical impact. The deeper problem, though, is that the focus on Superman provides only a superficial distinction from non-superpowered career advice. Axelrod's advice is generally banal and may even strike some as old-fashioned. A chapter on office fashion, for example, is so conservative it bans bow ties and earrings as too provocative. Earrings on men, that is-despite Axelrod's recognition of plucky Lois Lanes in the modern workforce, he doesn't seem to consider the possibility that his wisdom might be applied across gender lines. The concept has a certain gee whiz factor, but the results may have suffered the effects of kryptonite. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; 7-city author tour. (Nov.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Alan Axelrod is the author of numerous books on the subjects of history, business, and management, including Elizabeth I: CEO, Patton: A Biography, and Thomas Jefferson: A Critical Life. He has also been a creative consultant to several television documentaries and series, including The Wild West, for the WB Network, and Civil War Journal, for The Discovery Channel. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.