Top 7 books executives loved to read in 2003

READERS of "Executive Read" have varied tastes and interests. The responses of readers-the ever increasing new and the loyal ones-have affirmed the decision of the Sunday Biz editor not to limit books to "strictly business," but to expand coverage to "books executives read."
This has virtually opened up this section to a vast array of books executives read-from the serious to the light-hearted, from the purely inspirational to those that demand analysis and reflection, from those with theoretical framework to personality profiles that flesh out theory with real-life accounts.
As a year-end treat to our readers, we have chosen the top seven books reviewed in the "Executive Read," based on reader responses mainly through e-mails and text messages (from those who know my mobile phone number).
Two more indicators of enthusiastic reader response come from publishers and bookstores - and, yes, request for copies from our growing network of friends and confirmed book lovers!
While some books received more responses than the others, it is not safe to assume that such books outsold everything else. For example, the book on dimensional leadership skills elicited several inquiries via e-mail, including a specific request from a CEO of one of the top five corporations. However, the book on "repairing a reputation" was declared out of stock by all bookstores, leaving me without a copy because I have given mine away.
So, the presentation of the top seven books executives loved to read in 2003 would be chronologica-and they are:
Reputation Marketing, Leading Quietly, Financial Shenanigans, The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Life, Living History: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Leadership Through People Skills, and Anyway.
1. Reputation Marketing. My review of Reputation Marketing, titled "Acquiring a deft hand in reputation repair," appeared early January, 20 days after the President of this country announced her decision not to run for President, calling such act as a "personal sacrifice."
And since the book is all about building a reputation or building a tarnished one, the review took off from the Presidential announcement, lauding such a move as "instructive to practitioners and students of corporate and marketing communication ... to create shifts among power centers and change the configuration of political forces." Almost. (Six months after such a declaration, the state leader made a turnabout.)
Of course, the book offers some hope. Author Joe Marconi observes: "The public has demonstrated an amazing capacity to forgive and, if not forget, to at least allow another chance."
John Rojo, who e-mailed me, and Bobby Manzano from Coca Cola who did not stop until I gave away the book, must have now found out useful insights in the book.
2. Leading Quietly. Subtitled the "unorthodox guide to doing the right thing," the book has received responses from young and promising leaders who found comfort in the review's statement that "there are quiet leaders who, behind the scenes, come up with substantive solutions for big and small problems.
The book brings readers up close and personal with corporate leaders who struggle over ethical issues, who finally end up doing the right thing, were shown the door-but were happy because their "morals were intact."
Readers like Lois Yasay, a pre-law student at University of the Philippines, said she was inspired by the book, perhaps by the statement of Albert Schweitzer quoted in the book. Schweitzer called these quiet leaders the "force that is content with small and obscure deeds, but whose sum is a thousand times stronger" than the "foam" (celebrity leaders) on the waves of a deep ocean."
3. Financial Shenanigans. "Be Sherlock Holmes in detecting accounting fraud" was how we titled an equally explosive title "Financial Shenanigans." The book details the many attempts to "window-dress" financial statements, conceal data, over-value some items, and other practices that auditors must know in order to catch the culprits.
Taking off from the debacle of multinationals Enron, WorldCom and other high-profile accounting crimes, the book-while a bit technical -drew responses from auditors, accountants and CEOs. A comptroller of the Securities and Exchange Commission and a trusted ally of receivers supervising ailing companies wrote to ask about this "eye-opening" book. My only copy was also given away to a senior executive for audit of a large bank-to serve the book's purpose: help detect gimmicks and fraud.
4. The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day. Executives nowadays go for the "soft books" -meaning, those that don't demand too much analysis and require too much cerebral work. In a century where executives seek the "soul" of the corporation and even talk about the "spirit" of golf, we know that the hunger for books that touch the heart must be addressed.
We reviewed one such book, "The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day, and titled it "Leadership is, first, an internal matter." The book by John Maxwell is packaged as a devotional material, to be taken in daily bites by executive readers- brief enough to leave some space for meditation and re-thinking.
5. Living History: Hillary Rodham Clinton. At the time when this book was reviewed, two books were bestsellers-a Harry Potter book and Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History." I made a wise move to reserve a copy at Powerbooks Alabang, and got mine in 10 days-which made the review possible.
The book on Hillary was attended by curiosity at first ("Is there a whole chapter on Monica Lewinsky?" many asked), and ended-after it was read-with a newfound respect and admiration for the famous First Lady of the United States. E-mails and text messages were a-plenty.
We noted that Hillary's formative years-from child to youth to youth volunteer-were consistent, and so we wrote: "Her youthful years showed a character formed by genes and her generation's burning issues."
6. Leadership Through People Skills. This book received the most e-mail and text messages from readers. It goes to show that executives and managers are ever on the lookout for new ways to deal with the most fascinating and inscrutable resource in organizations-people.
The book offers what it calls the "Dimensional Model of Behavior" and introduces a non-linear approach. That's why we titled the review "Calibrate your leadership approach" because the book guides leaders to fine tune the use of dominance and submission on one hand, and warmth and hostility on the other.
The book has its innate appeal. A chairman and CEO of one of the top energy companies expressed interest in the book. Also, I received an e-mail from Myriam Santiago, not our former Senator, but one simply interested in truly calibrating her leadership style- and perhaps gives her namesake a run for her money! The director of Holy Cross Press in the Archdiocese of Davao, Franklin Sanchez also wanted to get hold of the book. Jane David asked our help to locate a copy, since the bookstores either didn't have it or have run out of stock.
These responses give us a key message: Many of our readers continue to perfect their leadership styles and are always open to new ideas.
7. Anyway. This one book, found in Libris, a bookstore in BF Homes Para¤aque with a branch at the RCBC Plaza, has taken the book-reading public by storm. It is simply titled "Anyway." Gym enthusiasts talked about it, and wondered where to get hold of a copy. An enterprising friend made it a Christmas greeting card. My professor in my Ph.D. class in UP, known for her erudition, said the book "might be good"- based on the review.
And what does the book offer? It has introduced "Ten Paradoxical Commandments" which always ended with the word ... "anyway." For example, "Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway."
I tried these in my lectures and other public speaking engagements-and the audience unfailingly responded with a chorus: "Anyway."
And so we bade goodbye to 2003. How did I keep the energy to read and then review a book twice a month? First, a good friend Filemon T. Berba Jr. sent me a New Year's text message saying, "Don't stop reviewing books." Second, I must really be a hopeless book lover. Book reviewing interferes with my Ph.D. studies, my professorial lectures and my public relations and advocacy practice.
However, I regularly turn in my "Executive Read" manuscript. Anyway.