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FORTUNE MAGAZINE
FEATURE STORY, JUNE 12TH QUOTES TEAMBUILDING EXPERT,
DEBORRAH HIMSEL, AUTHOR LEADERSHIP SOPRANOS STYLE
PHOENIX, AZ—If imitation is the sincerest form of
flattery, then John Davis, Chair of Harvard Business School's family
business program, intended to flatter Deborrah Himsel when he
liberally quoted her 2004 book, LEADERSHIP SOPRANOS STYLE: How
to become a more effective boss,
www.leadershipsopranosstyle.com when interviewed by Fortune
Magazine’s reporter, Corey Hajim for the June 12th issue.
“I’m in Bali,” Himsel explained, “and colleagues have E-mailed me
about Fortune quoting from my book. When I read the story on-line I
was taken aback to see my words with no attribution to
LEADERSHIP SOPRANOS STYLE.” Himsel’s book has been
favorably reviewed by some heavy hitters: Publishers Weekly
wrote: “In an era when good leadership is scarce, the unenlightened
should look not to their politicians, teachers, clergy or family
members, but to the one and only Tony Soprano, the infamous New
Jersey-based Mafioso of the television series that shares his name.
While using the typical management buzzwords--networking,
strategizing, delegating, executing--that generally lead to the eyes
glazing over, Himsel manages to inject some newness into the
business-as-usual theorizing that tends to characterize the many
tell-don't-show works already out there.”
Bookpage added: “Business books don’t have to
be boring…Fans will love the plethora of examples from the show, and
the quizzes and role playing exercises will force you to practice
being direct (dressing like a thug is optional)…A perfect gift for
Sopranos lovers (or spineless friends).” Himsel can be reached
through her website or through her publicist, Carole V.
Bartholomeaux, Bartholomeaux/Public Relations, 602 404 8018 or
Carole@b-pr.com
Himsel returns to the U.S. July 5th.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
“Fictional mob boss Tony Soprano leaves no doubt about who has
leadership responsibility in his New Jersey crime family. ‘I'm the
one who calls the shots,’ he tells his underworld associates… The
chapter on feedback poses the Sopranoesque question: ‘You got a
problem with me?’ A leader who is gossiped about tends to be a
leader who doesn't invite feedback [gossip needs an information-poor
environment in which to thrive.]’ Insights of that caliber abound in
this informative, instructive, witty and slightly risqué treatise.”
HBO’S
mega-hit, THE SOPRANOS, has kept Himsel in demand
nationally and internationally for her well-thought out and
well-received seminars on ways in which the fictional Tony Soprano
is a good business leader “not the whacking part…” She cites
Soprano’s leadership skills – including the simple, clear, adaptive
structure of his organization, his effective coaching, his
techniques for conflict resolution, and his use of common bonding
rituals – all highly-prized in any workplace.
"Organizations today require
leaders who know how to get things done, who are skilled at cutting
through red tape and at finding innovative solutions to complex
problems," Himsel says. "This is one of Tony’s strengths."
Because
of her leadership skills, she is doing workshops for HP and
Citigroup while in
Southeast Asia. Starbucks Corporation recently hired
Himsel to facilitate Teambuilding Sessions. Himsel
is a recognized expert in leadership development, a
change agent, a thought leader, an author, an educator and executive
coach, a stand-up comedienne and sought-after speaker for
conferences and workshops. Himsel has led large-scale
organizational change and HR process realignment, most recently at
Avon Products, Inc. where her work was widely acknowledged in
the field as a best practice. Leadership Sopranos Style: How
to become a More Effective Boss, was released to
critical acclaim in late 2004. She is often interviewed and quoted
on television, radio and in print.
USA TODAY
hired Deborrah to provide weekly expert commentary on the television
series, The Apprentice. Over the last five years,
Himsel has shared her expertise on Fox News,
CNBC and Bloomberg as well as numerous
local business programs. She has written articles and been quoted in
such publications as The New York Times, The
Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times and
HR Executive.
They come in all shapes and sizes
Teams are
where you find them - and just about everywhere you look. What makes
them tick? It all depends.
by
Corey Hajim, FORTUNE reporter
June 8, 2006: 10:08 AM EDT
(FORTUNE Magazine) - Mob rules
Dissension in the ranks. A looming succession crisis. Disruptive
competitors and a fast-changing business environment. Think your
team has problems? Consider the challenges facing America's favorite
mob boss. Will Tony Soprano's crew figure out how to shake down the
chain stores? Will he keep his cut of the construction racket? He
gets it wrong, he gets whacked.
But so far, says John Davis, chair
of Harvard Business School's family business program, he's doing
"pretty good." His goombahs "have been able to stay out of jail,
control their territory very well, and they are extracting good
profits."
When necessary, of course, Tony is
willing to lead by example. Case study: Taking out his cousin who
got on the wrong side of the New York crew.
But the key to Management 101,
Soprano style, is the artful mix of compassion and violence. When
Tony's authority is challenged, he asserts himself by beating up his
young driver. Then he pats him on the back and gives him a few
bucks. When his nephew, Christopher, admits to a drug problem, Tony
sends him to rehab. Tony even refrained from killing Uncle Junior
after the old man shot him in the gut.
The personal touch is necessary in
his low-tech, low-intellect business.
"Tony's not surrounded by a lot of
bright bulbs," notes Richard D'Aveni, strategy professor at
Dartmouth's Tuck business school. "If they get too smart, they'll
end up as a competitor."
And if Tony can't control his team,
there's no such thing as a bloodless coup.
From the June 12,
2006 issue
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