Chapter 12. Management Functions and Skills

New Survey: 10 Most Disliked Companies in America

How much does the public value corporate leadership? Harris Interactive's latest corporate reputation survey, which measures how Americans view some of the world's largest companies, suggests that a firm's brand is even more closely tied to its leadership than many would assume.

The companies with the top ratings, including Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Google and Intel, are all known as much for their products as their first-class management. Here's Robert Fronk, senior vice President, global practice lead and reputation management at Harris:

"In last year's study we saw companies that provided value and a sense of comfort getting strong overall reputation ratings. This year, we see overall corporate governance, performance and leadership driving positive reputation perceptions. Finding two holding companies, Berkshire Hathaway and SC Johnson, in the top five, is a visible reflection of this difference in focus."

The worst ranked companies in the survey, however, tell an entirely different story. And, the results suggest, the American public is still quite angry about the cost of the taxpayer-provided bailouts doled out in the last few years. For nine big bailout recipients, that cost includes a spot in this list of the 10 most disliked companies in America.

Check out the list here:

The Six Core Principles of Good Management

Check out this ten-minute video summary of Awesomely Simply by John Spence. It’s a good overview of the six core principles that determine a company’s fate.

When Good Companies Do Bad Things

The more prominent and financially successful a corporation becomes, the more likely it is to break the law, according to a new study led by a Michigan State University scholar that challenges previous research.

Brad Anderson, CEO, Best Buy

In this interview, learn how Brad Anderson went from being a sales clerk to the CEO at Best Buy.

How to Be an Inspiring Leader

BW Editor Nick Leiber talks to communications coach Carmine Gallo about how to apply the techniques business leaders use to influence staffers, clients, and investors

Crisis Management in a Social Media Landscape

Crisis management expert Eric Dezenhall maintains that many of the tried and true practices of crisis management don't work in the age of bloggers and shareholder activists. He speaks to senior writer Diane Brady about the right way to approach a crisis.

Leaders' Top Ten Blind Spots

We all have blind spots—even the best and greatest of leaders. And too often those unproductive behaviors that are invisible to us but are glaring to everyone else create dire consequences for you, your team, and your company. Here's a look at 10 common blind spots for leaders and managers, and advice for recognizing and overcoming them.

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A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Practices of Business

A lot of leaders think they're doing the right thing when in fact they're undermining themselves and their team. BusinessWeek asked leadership expert Susan Scott, author of the new book Fierce Leadership (Broadway Business), to write about some of the more dubious "best" practices—and what to do instead.

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Oops! 13 Management Mistakes

To achieve management excellence, you need an awareness of faulty practices and a desire to change how you manage your employees. Managing individual behavior is the key to making the whole organization succeed. That requires an understanding of the basic behavior-based principles that drive good performance.

Read on to learn about a baker's dozen of widespread misguided management practices and how you can correct them, courtesy of Aubrey Daniels' Oops! 13 Management Practices That Waste Time and Money (Performance Management Publications, 2009).

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Twenty Questions for Leaders to Ask

Voltaire wrote, "Judge others by their questions rather than by their answers." If you want to be judged well, ask the right questions. Most leaders ask questions with the hopes of generating thought, focus, and action from the listener, but too often their questions are designed to do little more than show off their own knowledge, not solicit meaningful answers.

If leaders gave more attention to their questions, they would get not only better results but also a team of fully engaged co-workers. Here are 20 questions to get you started.

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