Beingfrank

With innovations in business and technology removing so many borders and lifting so many constraints, the questions that business professionals wrestle with move from “How do we achieve things” to “What do we do with all that power?” Best practices do not work anymore, they represent solutions for yesterday’s problems. We need to question and redefine our business philosophy. In his fifth book, Socrates Reloaded, strategy author Frank Buytendijk meanders through 2,500 years of philosophy. In his inimitable style, Buytendijk is surprisingly practical, highly provocative, deeply insightful, very entertaining, and quite contrarian as he challenges common wisdom and beliefs.  In a series of essays he explores how the old philosophers would have viewed modern themes in business and IT. Did Marx predict the end of the Internet giants? Are there moral limits to the power of analytics? What did Plato and Socrates have to say about governance and architecture? Do we depend too much on technology? This and more in Socrates Reloaded. More...

The critics agree, Dealing with Dilemmas contains "inspiring ideas and observations", is "thought provoking", "truly out-of-the-box" and "captures the essence". Dealing with Dilemmas redefines the most nebulous of all management processes: strategy formulation and strategic decision-making. Buytendijk convincingly argues that the key to a successful strategy is the ability to reconcile dilemmas. Moreover, he argues that the instrument we use most, analysis, doesn't work. Analysis only confirms dilemmas. The opposite approach is needed: synthesis. An art and a science that is forgotten. Buytendijk uses philosophy, sociology, operations research and a wide range of strategy topics to show that dilemmas should not be avoided. In fact, embracing them can help you fundamentally move your business forward. More...

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Called "an organizational blueprint", "an unconventional approach", "readable, witty and entertaining" and "an incredibly useful guide to improving your organization's performance", Buytendijk's book Performance Leadership is a must-read for every management professional. Challenging best practices, Frank Buytendijk comes with straight talk about what makes management initiatives fail, and what to do about it. If your initiatives to boost business performance have failed, if you are looking for ‘what’s next’ or if you want to create a jumpstart with your new initiative, Performance Leadership shares practical lessons. More...

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