Your Management Sucks: Why You Have to Declare War on Yourself... and Your Business

""If you can't say anything nice, say it."" This philosophy nicely summarizes Stevens's approach to executive coaching, not to mention life in general. While the author's blunt truthfulness is welcome in a world of management euphemisms, his self-described ""in your face"" style may not make him a man for all seasons. Here, Stevens presents a 7-day ""battle plan"" that ""challenges assumptions about success and provides a road map for taking your business to the next level."" To get to the ""next level,"" readers are advised to question conventional wisdom, look in the mirror for a leader, develop a personal ""killer app,"" apply ""the universal equation for perpetual growth"" and make ""the journey within."" When Stevens departs from his silver bullet slogans and presents a real business story, he can be captivating; his anecdote about shaking up the circulation department while in temporary control of Success magazine is a star turn, as is his account of Lou Gerstner's unexpected rattling of the entrenched bureaucracy at IBM. Beyond his Pattonesque marketing shtick, Mr. Stevens' suggestion that managers ""get real"" and confront business problems head-on is the practical heart of this book.