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Overview
Leadership is in crisis. In the rough seas of a borderless economy, the Internet, and outsourcing in turbulent markets, a seismic shift has changed the game. The days of the Great Man-whether a Churchill or Kennedy, even a Gates or Welch-are numbered. Virtually anyone can lead now. But how do you breed principled leaders for the twenty-first century? Is leadership a matter of DNA, culture, or coaching?The answer can be found in the 3,000-year-old tradition of Judaism. Jews are not called the People of the Book by accident. Torah, Talmud, and Kabbalah hold a powerful amalgam of life-and-death leadership stories and astonishingly practical lessons for twenty-first-century managers. In a unique synergy, Dr. Thomas Zweifel, Swiss Consulting Group CEO, Columbia professor, and author of leadership books like Communicate or Die and Culture Clash, teams up with Rabbi Aaron Raskin, Jewish leader, mensch, and author of Letters of Light, to blend the timeless wisdom of the Ten Commandments with a cutting-edge methodology based on twenty-five years of coaching leaders-a mix that provides winning tools for lasting success.
The Rabbi and the CEO was recently honored by being selected as a finalist in the Jewish Book Council's *2008 National Jewish Book Awards *in the "Modern Jewish Thought & Experience" category.
Mazel Tov! Dr. Zweifel and Rabbi Raskin!
Synopsis
Ancient Talmudic wisdom and the modern pragmatism of today's boardroom meet up to find that they have much to discuss. In 'The Rabbi and the CEO', corporate insider and Columbia business professor Thomas Zweifel, Ph. D. engages in a dialogue with Rabbinic scholar Aaron L. Raskin of the congregation B'nai Avraham of Brooklyn, and from this emerges an enlightening synthesis of old vs. new and culture vs. science. Much as the discussion of Japanese culture and entrepreneurial success evoked study, debate and a wealth of literature back in the 1980s, this book will examine those underlying principles by which Jewish and non-Jewish business leaders can lead their companies while remaining true to their values. This is a fun read and a lively discussion as Dr. Zweifel and Rabbi Raskin take us on a tour of Mosaic Law to draw some unexpected conclusions. This book will help readers of all faiths learn that there is not necessarily a great distinction between running an exceptional business and leading a good life.
Publishers Weekly
Authors Zweifel, CEO of the Swiss Consulting Group, and Raskin, a long-time Brooklyn Rabbi, join their prodigious knowledge to answer "the ultimate leadership question: what makes a great leader?" using the Ten Commandments. Going through the Commandments one by one, the duo use Bible stories and real-world anecdotes to extract smart, accessible leadership ideas without resorting to corporate or religious code-speak. The First, for example, "I am your God who delivered you from the land of Egypt, the house of slavery," tells us not just what a leader does-frees himself and others ("from your limitations")-but how he achieves and maintains that freedom: by taking responsibility. And, of course, making more commandments-continuing through the balance, Zweifel and Raskin look at respect, the "power of no," "anger management" and walking the talk, among others broad topics, each broken down wittily and without recourse to preaching or dogma. Pull-out quotes and side bars provide quick tips, though as a whole the book reads quickly and precisely. Anyone who wants to "transform their leadership-for good" will find a smart and upstanding guide in this spirited (if not necessarily spiritual) collaboration.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Authors Zweifel, CEO of the Swiss Consulting Group, and Raskin, a long-time Brooklyn Rabbi, join their prodigious knowledge to answer "the ultimate leadership question: what makes a great leader?" using the Ten Commandments. Going through the Commandments one by one, the duo use Bible stories and real-world anecdotes to extract smart, accessible leadership ideas without resorting to corporate or religious code-speak. The First, for example, "I am your God who delivered you from the land of Egypt, the house of slavery," tells us not just what a leader does-frees himself and others ("from your limitations")-but how he achieves and maintains that freedom: by taking responsibility. And, of course, making more commandments-continuing through the balance, Zweifel and Raskin look at respect, the "power of no," "anger management" and walking the talk, among others broad topics, each broken down wittily and without recourse to preaching or dogma. Pull-out quotes and side bars provide quick tips, though as a whole the book reads quickly and precisely. Anyone who wants to "transform their leadership-for good" will find a smart and upstanding guide in this spirited (if not necessarily spiritual) collaboration.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.