The Executive's Compass

The most difficult issues facing business leaders today are not technical in nature, but are often rooted in differences in social, political, and economic values--questions about which there is no objective truth. In The Executive's Compass, James O'Toole explores the historical and philosophical roots of current values-based conflicts revolving around such issues as the environment, workforce diversity, foreign production, and executive pay. He ranges far and wide in covering a...
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The most difficult issues facing business leaders today are not technical in nature, but are often rooted in differences in social, political, and economic values--questions about which there is no objective truth. In The Executive's Compass, James O'Toole explores the historical and philosophical roots of current values-based conflicts revolving around such issues as the environment, workforce diversity, foreign production, and executive pay. He ranges far and wide in covering a variety of topics: the ideological positions of the friends and foes of business; what is wrong (and right) with our democratic system; and what the role of business is in creating The Good Society. And he presents a practical framework for thinking about these questions: his innovative Executive's Compass--honed at The Aspen Institute's famed Executive Seminar and applied successfully at many FORTUNE 500 firms. For top executives, general managers, and anyone trying to practice values-based leadership, The Executive's Compass offers a practical tool to deal more effectively with the thorny new issues that technical training leaves professionsl ill-prepared to handle.