Corporate Behavior & Responsibility, Personal Growth, Psychology - Theory, History & Research, Economic Systems, Ethics & Moral Philosophy

The Hungry Spirit

Name: The Hungry Spirit
Author: Handy
ISBN: 9780767901871

by Handy

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Overview

In The Hungry Spirit, one of the most visionary business thinkers of our age offers a powerful argument for reexamining the role of work in our lives and discovering what we are truly meant to do and to be. Calling on individuals and organizations to find purpose in the journey we take rather than focusing on money and profits, which are simply the means to keep us going, Handy shows how we can all better ourselves and our companies while also contributing to a decent society. As an oil executive, world-renowned economist, consultant, and professor at the London Business School, Handy himself was once no stranger to the trappings and fortunes of capitalism. But several years ago, Handy realized that he, like many of us, had placed too much significance on job titles and career success to the exclusion of his family, friends, and, especially, the fulfillment of his need to become a complete person, not just a worker slaving away in corporate machinery. He set about looking for what he calls his "white stone" - a symbol of the higher self that represents our true destiny, what you can become when you don't let titles and money and societal pressures get in the way. Just as Handy urges all of us to seek our "white stone" and take greater responsibility for shaping our lives, he also entreats companies and organizations to push themselves to new heights by sticking to a clear-cut purpose. Companies, like individuals, can only grow if they embrace risk and break rules and attract people looking to turn dreams and new ideas into businesses that consumers and investors are excited about. Rather than trying to rally coworkers around a quarterly profit goal, companies must treat employees as citizens, as well as behaving as corporate citizens within the wider community. Handy calls for corporations to take a greater role in upholding the moral structure of society and to use their power to distribute knowledge and wealth to those who need the opportunity to develop - wh

About the Author, Handy

Widely recognized as one of Britain's top-tier management writers, Charles Handy is the author of six highly acclaimed business books, including The Age of Unreason, The Age of Paradox, and Beyond Certainty. Educated at Oxford and MIT, he has been an executive of the Shell Oil Company and a professor at the London Business School, where he was one of the early faculty. He and his wife divide their time among London and Norfolk, England, and Tuscany, Italy.

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Editorials

Library Journal

It seems a bit two-faced to argue that money is just a means, not an end, when you're a leading management writer wealthy enough to divide your time among London, Norfolk, and Tuscany, but the point is well taken.