Journeys: Short Stories and Tall Tales for Managers

by Enda Larkin

Journeys is a book of stories, real-world and work-related perhaps, but stories nonetheless. They are tales for always about leadership and often about life. Each of the 15 stories is based on actual occurrences and explores a different aspect of management. Many are linked by common themes and characters but all promote the view that our potential for success - in business and beyond - is directly influenced by the interplay between our attitudes, attributes and actions. To excel in any management role, we constantly must reflect upon who we are, how we think and what we do. These tales are shaped by current management theory, the author's extensive experience and by real-world leadership lessons learned from other people and situations. As the themes and characters unfold, they will serve as a vehicle to help you to think about your own performance. Some comments from international business leaders on This book is a must read for anyone in management. Enda Larkin does an excellent job of simplifying the complexities of management through story-telling. Journeys will engage and entertain you from the start whilst providing you with many practical tools and tips. It is a real gem. Deirdre Clohessy, HR Manager, Toyota Ireland Enda Larkin's book on the art of management should be required reading for all managers. Not only is his method of conveying key messages much more interesting (stories!) than the average management book, he avoids the idea that there's a one-size-fits-all approach to management. Rather, he encourages readers to find their own lessons in the stories. An entertaining and thought-provoking read. Siobhan Cleary, Strategy and Public Policy, Johannesburg Stock Exchange Leadership is a great and never-ending learning journey. Enda´s book offers actions and insights from a human, fun and provocative management experience. This is not only a book about making people happier at work but about the way we interact with people in our lives. Marcelo Furtado, Executive Director, Greenpeace Brazil This book provides a powerful insight into management whether you are a rookie or a veteran in the business world. The anecdotal format allows for complex insights to be communicated in simple bite size chunks. A must-read, especially for all aspiring business leaders. Bernard Farrell, Managing Director - CIS Division, Quinn Manufacturing Group Essential reading that, through the medium of storytelling, will assist managers to face the challenge of successfully leading and inspiring teams in today's demanding business environment. Gerard Denneny, Hotel Manager, Jumeirah Essex House, New York

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2012

About the author

Father. Founder. Author. Gooner

Reviews

[Michael Dunne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the author's hotel book, as I work in that industry, but when I saw he had this book out I wasn't sure how the storytelling thing would work - I don't really enjoy the "whi stole my cheese types books". But I was pleasantly surprised when I picked this book up. The stories are believable and relate to everyday experiences, so the author clearly has had direct experience in dealing with common management problems. Maybe one or two of the tales are weaker than others but that's a minor issue, or at least wasn't for me. Now, it's not the type of book that you are likely to get a whole lot new from, and to be fair the author makes that clear from the start, but if you want to think about your own performance as a manager in a realtively informal way then this is certainly worth reading. . Definitely worth a look I think.

[David Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book last Christmas as a present and I had never heard of the author so i was a bit wary to be honest. Plus, I'm not a big fan of 'management fiction' type books but I decided I would read the first couple of stories and if it didn't grab me then I would flog it on eBay or something. I was genuinely surprised both at the quality of the writing, but also in terms of the accuracy of the stories. The author claims they are 'real-world' and they are that becuse I could relate to many of them. It's not a book that you are going to have any great awakenings about but it did help me think about what I do every day as a manager and how I could get better. I would recommend this book to anyone working in management but if you are new to the game then I would say it's something you should definitely read.

[Gary Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently got promoted into a supervisory position and attended a training course with my company. The tutor recommended a few books to us, this one included, and having now read it I found it very useful in making me think about my strengths and weaknesses as a supervisor. You couldn't really say this is a 'how to' book but it does make you think about what you do and from that I recognised areas where I need to improve. The stories are very enjoyable, or at least most of them are...I found one of them to be more a case study than a story, but still the author clearly has managed people before and is a very good writer. So, if you want to read about management but don't want something too heavy then I would really rate this book highly.

[Karen O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as it helped me think about my skills as a manager without feeling too much like hard work. The stories are very well written and even funny in places. The only thing I would say is that it is probably more suited to newer or younger managers than very experienced ones, but that's just my view. Either way, it's well worth reading if you are in management.