Case of the Bonsai Manager: Lessons for Managers on Intuition

by R. Gopalakrishnan

‘Draws on ingenious insights and lessons from nature to emphasize the importance of imbibing, developing, listening to and trusting your intuition – increasingly becoming a differentiator in senior circles – to develop the confidence to take that leap of faith which every risk-bearing decision entails’ – Ratan Tata Managers can become like stunted plants. The absence of intuition – or its inadequate use – has the effect of constricting a manager.The Case of the Bonsai Manager is the perfect antidote for every manager who feels they are not achieving their full potential. Effective leadership is not just about hard facts but also about listening to, and using, your intuition. Using anecdotes from nature and the world of management, R. Gopalakrishnan explores how you can be more intuitive, inclusive and humane.The revised and updated edition of this best-selling book, with its easy-to-read anecdotal style, has additional material to reinforce the key messages, including a new self-help workbook. ‘Exceptional . . . R. Gopalakrishnan is a formidable writer and manager’ – Economic Times‘One of the most refreshing and useful books on management that I have read in many years’ – Business Today

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2016

About the author

R. Gopalakrishnan has been a professional manager for forty years. He has a wealth of practical managerial experience, initially in Unilever and more recently in the Tata Group. He has lived and worked in India, the UK and Saudi Arabia, and has travelled extensively all over the world. He began his career in 1967 as a computer analyst with Hindustan Lever after studying physics at Kolkata and electronics engineering at IIT, Kharagpur. He worked in the marketing function before moving to general management. During his years with Unilever, he was based in Jeddah as CEO of the Arabia unit; later, he was managing director of Brooke Bond Lipton India and then vice-chairman with Hindustan Lever. He has been president of the All India Management Association. Currently, he is the executive director of Tata Sons based in Mumbai. He also serves on the boards of other companies.