Editorial Reviews:
What?s the difference between CEOs like Lou Gerstner of IBM and Larry Ellison of Oracle? Between basketball coaches Phil Jackson and Bobby Knight? Or media entrepreneurs Oprah Winfrey and Rupert Murdoch?
Gerstner, Jackson, and Winfrey are provocateurs, leaders who are successful not just because they have built a company or an organization, but because they have created a community. Provocateurs are changing both the form and the content of leadership and are in sync with a world being turned upside down by technology, the global economy, and the social landscape.
Success has traditionally been based on command and control, and the model for many leaders was the general who marshaled people and resources to get the product out the door and onto the shelf.
Early in his career, Larry Weber had the opportunity to meet or work with people like Mitch Kapor, the founder of Lotus, and Steve Jobs, the cofounder of Apple. He saw that they were more like the leaders of rock bands (or the directors of theater groups or circus ringmasters), who encourage innovation and individuality. A rock band does have a leader?think of Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones?but one who promotes the group and encourages individuality. And when a rival band comes to town, it?s not cause for head-to-head competition but an opportunity to increase the size of the pie by creating more fans, or customers, for their genre of music.
Provocateurs think and act differently because they put the customer at the center of everything. They are:
* Educators like Patrick McGovern, who built IDG into a publishing and research powerhouse by empowering his employees to think globally and act locally;
* Entertainers like Jeff Taylor, who managed to build a bond with Monster.com employees and customers through talent and charisma;
* Sherpas like Rick Wagoner, who is guiding General Motors into new territories;
* Concierges like Lou Gerstner of IBM, who believe the product is important but so are customer service, delivery, financing, and every other element. They keep everything running smoothly from check-in to check-out.
So, if someone says, ?Your company is like a circus,? Larry Weber wants you to take it as a compliment. After all, who wouldn?t want to be compared with Cirque du Soleil, an organization that combines creativity, artistry, and caring for its people with success and profit. The people running organizations like this circus are provocateurs at the cutting edge of business.
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As more business people stop seeing their jobs in terms of the battlefield and instead consider ways to engage the hearts and minds of their employees, customers, and other stakeholders, books like The Provocateur become increasingly valuable. Larry Weber, founder of the world's largest public relations firm, has seen this shift develop firsthand while dealing with some of our era's most innovative leaders, and now anoints those who embody it with the sobriquet used as his book's title. A provocateur, after all, is an agent that motivates, arouses or otherwise stimulates some defined group into some desirable action--and what better way to describe those who reject the outdated tactics of command-and-control management for more community-minded and collaborative methods of contemporary leadership? Weber contrasts an assortment of corporate bigwigs who personify this new approach (such as Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey) with the so-called Generals, who still follow a passé military model (like Larry Ellison and Rupert Murdoch). He also describes critical characteristics that the former share, in a manner that could help today's companies better prepare for tomorrow's challenges. "Generals were right for their times (but) the future belongs to the Provocateurs," Weber writes. His book offers a convincing argument for replacing old-school battle plans with modern techniques for rallying a workplace that, until now, were more commonly found among educators, entertainers, Sherpa guides, and head concierges. --Howard Rothman
Customer Reviews:
Displaying 1 to 5 of 12 total reviews (Page 1 of 3):
 A great book
This is a book for CEO's who want to win in their industry; most books that try to give insight to winning positional techniques get lost in mundane detail. This author concentrated on the essence of what is important.
Read this first then read: Blue Ocean Strategy by Kim & Mauborgne
 Not nearly as bad as these reviews would lead you to believe
I seriously question the intelligence of the reviewers who trashed this book. With the exception of the first several chapters which are somewhat choppy, it's a great book. Weber's approach to business in a service driven economy is hard to argue with -- let alone disagree with. I found his thoughts about relationship building on an institutional level very helpful and would recommend this book to anyone in a managerial position.  Do not bother reading this book
The quality of this book is truly sub-par. There are virtually no areas of the book that stand out. It is a poorly structured, hashed-together book with little insight. There is a lot of fluff. Do not read this book. Weber's on Point!!!
Anyone who doesn't believe that marketing and emotional connections aren't the basis of modern business, probally still believes that Britney Spears has talent. It isn't about what you got anymore, it's about who you can inspire to believe you got something. And, if you want to call this shallow, be a cynic and dismiss the hype, go Vote for Ike. Times have changed, and while Larry isn't saying anything we haven't heard before, obviously the bellows of corporate spirituals still haven't hit the right notes (E-N-R-O-N). Our livespan has grown into one endless strip mall, and at the end is the only time when we turn around as see open plains. Until then, Larry is speaking truth and one cannot dismiss it and attempt to be successful, without understanding the importance of helping people believe that they have a welcoming place in this world, amist its mighty size and scope. An Insightful and Necessary Book
Ever hate an overbearing, autocratic boss because he made your life a living hell with his monomaniacal demands? Apparently so has Larry Weber, because he advocates a management philosophy that elevates cooperation over tyranny, results over ego gratification. People who categorically reject his philosophy cling to organizational principles that were obsolete in the 1960's. He should be commended for his courage to tell the truth. More Customer Reviews:
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(12 reviews)
