Case Of The Bonsai Manager, The

No one sets out to become a bonsai manager, just as no plant is created by Nature to be a bonsai. Managers’ growth can be stunted by their own acts of omission and commission—instead, they should branch out in new directions drawing on their innate genius.

Where two circles—Nature and management—intersect, intuitive leadership is born. Using anecdotes about a vast array of living creatures, and his own experiences in the world of business, the author nudges managers towards letting their gut instinct speak when faced with difficult decisions. Intuition will be a key differentiator for excellence in the future, more than in the past.

Why, when imported into China from Thailand, did crocodiles lose their sex drive? What was the purpose behind the Arab bonding with his falcon all day long? How do squirrel gangs scare off snakes? Why are grizzly bear cubs trained for two years to hook salmon?

There is a management lesson in each endearing story from the animal kingdom.

Drawing on insights from a rich management career spanning forty years, this book gives an idea of the basic characteristics of human nature, the complexities of employee behaviour within organizations and how an agenda for change can be charted out. This is essential because future managers will face vastly different challenges as the world around them changes dramatically. In this world, the inclusive, intuitive and humane style of management will work, not the top-down approach—and here is an author uniquely placed to tell us how.