Put the Moose on the Table : Lessons in Leadership From a CEO's Journey Through Business and Life

"This is the book that needed to be written in this time of tribulation for American business.... a must-read." — Norman R. Augustine, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Lockheed Martin Corporation "Aspiring CEOs and leaders of all kinds — as well as anyone depressed at recent revelations of the dark side of American business behavior — should read this book." — Nannerl O. Keohane, President, Duke University "He has accurately described the critical role that character plays in the leadership equation... and in life. This is a superb book." — General Charles C. Krulak (Ret), 31st Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps Like a moose in the living room, some problems are hard to ignore. Randall Tobias says that whether these problems are in business or in life, it is best to confront them openly and honestly. Put the Moose on the Table sets forth the ethical lessons Tobias first learned as a youth in Remington, Indiana, which continued to guide his upward trajectory through the business world. Among the topics he discusses are leading by example, dealing with wrenching change, the importance of openness versus secrecy, mentoring, and "the vision thing." This is an enlightening and hopeful book about succeeding without selling out, turning change to advantage, and confronting difficult issues, told from the point of view of one who has played a significant role in two of the major corporate transformations of our time. Publishers Weekly Tobias spent decades climbing the ladder at Ma Bell, served as vice chairman at AT&T and in 1993 became CEO of the prestigious pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. One of his book's few interesting anecdotes is his recollection of an exchange he had with Charles Brown (AT&T's then-CEO), when Tobias was a mere underling at the company in the early 1980s. Tobias was preparing a presentation, which Brown canceled, since he was finalizing the monumental splitup of AT&T. Although Brown was busy planning the company's reorganization, he found time to send Tobias a gracious note, apologizing for any inconvenience he may have caused Tobias. Tobias was moved by Brown's thoughtfulness and, as he progressed in his career, made attempts to be as forthcoming with his own subordinates. It's a valuable lesson about the importance of treating your workers well. Unfortunately, the rest of the book, which ostensibly offers lessons on how to communicate effectively and always deal with the problems at hand (keeping "the moose on the table," as it were), is an uninformative mishmash of autobiography and unimaginative "Lessons on Leadership" (e.g., "Leaders almost always think out of the box"; "Keep learning"; "In business as in life, one thing is absolutely inevitable-continuous change"). Tobias has had an esteemed career and has undoubtedly been a good boss (Lilly is justifiably well-known for its benevolent attitude toward employees), but his book fails to engage. Photos. (May 5) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. This is the book that needed to be written in this time of tribulation for American business.... a must-read."Norman R. Augustine, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Lockheed Martin Corporation Aspiring CEOs and leaders of all kindsas well as anyone depressed at recent revelations of the dark side of American business behaviorshould read this book."Nannerl O. Keohane, President, Duke University He has accurately described the critical role that character plays in the leadership equation... and in life. This is a superb book."General Charles C. Krulak (Ret), 31st Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps Like a moose in the living room, some problems are hard to ignore. Randall Tobias says that whether these problems are in business or in life, it is best to confront them openly and honestly. Put the Moose on the Table sets forth the ethical lessons Tobias first learned as a youth in Remington, Indiana, which continued to guide his upward trajectory through the business world. Among the topics he discusses are leading by example, dealing with wrenching change, the importance of openness versus secrecy, mentoring, and "the vision thing." This is an enlightening and hopeful book about succeeding without selling out, turning change to advantage, and confronting difficult issues, told from the point of view of one who has played a significant role in two of the major corporate transformations of our time. "Put the Moose on the Table is an effort to capture the lessons learned by one man over the course of a life and a career in the corporate world. It's about his experiences and the lessons in leadership he learned during a time of unprecedented change in the world of American business. It's about beliefs reinforced, such as the importance of values and character, and about things learned the hard way, especially while managing change in the absence of a clear and compelling strategic vision.". "Put the Moose on the Table is a personal story as well, with some tragic dimensions. But most of all, it is an enlightening and hopeful book about succeeding without selling out, turning change to advantage, and confronting difficult issues, told from the point of view of a man who has played a significant role in two of the major corporate transformations of our time."--BOOK JACKET. In the spring of 1849, David Tobias, a first-generation Welsh immigrant, purchased a small, unpretentious plot of land near the Muscatatuck River in southern Indiana and built a water-powered mill on its banks. Annotation This volume sets forth the ethical lessons Tobias has learned in his career, such as addressing big problems when they appear, a move he calls "putting the moose on the table." 40 photos A personal tale of business success follows a CEO on a personal journey from childhood through his chairmanship of one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies on Earth. (Business & Finance) Annotation The former CEO of Eli Lilly and Company and Vice Chairman of AT & T tells how to confront difficult issues, succeed without selling out, and turn change to advantage