DNA Leadership Through Goal-Driven Management

I read countless books on business topics. I believe the best business books pull ideas together from many sources, add new insight, and provide practical tools. Jim Ball, has brought together concepts and ideas I have found in 20+ books and added useful application. I recommend a lot of books to friends. I often ask - do you want to read about the theories or do you want the tool? This book has both. If you are at the start of your career - this book is the foundation of an excellent start. If in the middle - this book will pull all those great ideas together and you will finally use them. If at the end - it is an excellent tool for a mentor to recommend. I use the information. I talk about this book. I recommend this book.

Dr. F. R. Bosch an apologist, researcher, and lecturer who integrates [Biblical] faith and knowledge, is a full-time university professor in Southern California, U.S.A.There is some merit in reviewing books about leadership methods and proposals after they have been out for some time. As with much that comes and goes in the leadership and management field, one needs to be discerning. Leadership and management gimmicks and fads play themselves out in the course of their life-cycle. Nonetheless, the insights that have substance and value are the ones that prevail.DNA Leadership appears to be the product of integrating some proven classical leadership and management theory with experience, and uses the biological DNA model to present an integrated formula. Given the interest that DNA has generated, especially over the last couple of decades, a DNA leadership paradigm can be intriguing when looking through a telescope. However, when scrutinized through a microscope it may be entirely different.Overall, DNA Leadership gets the point across, although occasionally the analogies fall short from reality, particularly when it comes to the workings of DNA. This is sometimes a weakness when analogies are used. They fail to represent accurately what is being compared. Therefore, one must be discerning especially when analogies are used. In some instances they are made to say what the author wants to say instead of validating what is actually being said.In some respects, DNA Leadership has selectively chosen certain proven management theories and practices, repackaged them, and introduced an edited version. This does not undermine what Mr. James R. Ball presents in his book. It serves to emphasize that absolute foundations exist in the personal as well as in the corporate worlds. It also clarifies that in spite of living in changing times, absolute foundations never change - what actually changes are their application.Ball has simply employed the contemporary DNA vehicle to communicate what leadership and management has been teaching for the past century. The strength of Ball's book is that he used an innovative and creative vehicle to emphasize the long-tested leadership and management theories and applications that work - in spite of the seemingly convenient imprecise parallels made. The imprecise parallels do not greatly detract, but may affect the credibility of the fastidious reader. Unfortunately, some company references (e.g., Arthur Andersen) date the book, as well as may cause the reader to question the effectiveness of theory instead of the application being proposed. This brings about the self-fulfilling prophecy of throwing out the "baby with the bath water" - an unwise choice when it comes to proven leadership and management.

It may seem obvious to manage in such a way that leads to the accomplishment of the organization's goals, but sometimes that's more difficult than it would seem. Ball's book provides excellent and useful ideas and strategies to developing that style of management, one that directly leads to attaining the organization's goals, and, ipso facto, allowing the organization to set new goals. Another book that also supplies useful ways to attain the organization's goals is Guerilla PR: Wired by Michael Levine.

I'm currently on my 2nd reading of this book. Very easy to understand and apply to any facet of your life, whether it's professionally or personally. James Ball has a style which makes the material he is offering compelling and obviously worthwhile. Recommend this book to anyone who is trying to improve business performance or improve the quality of their personal life.