Vision, Values & Courage

The authors here address American business managers: ``To be effective, executives must adjust their thinking . . . . They must learn to lead, not manage.'' Snyder and Dowd, University of Virginia business school professors, and Houghton, a Washington, D.C., consultant, define the components of effective leadership: vision that allows employees to see the future connected clearly to the present; beliefs and values that give meaning to action; and the courage to act on those beliefs. In scholarly prose the authors assess the total quality management theories of W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran and Philip B. Crosby, and they offer case studies of such noted business leaders as Ray Kroc, Sam Walton, Walt Disney and Michael Eisner. This is a valuable study that will interest general business readers as well as management specialists. (Feb.)