An excellent study from 26 distinguished thinkers and authors. As written by S.Chowdhury, "the book you are reading reveals the collective thoughts and visions of some of the world's great minds...Management 21C brings together visions for the new millennium in one concise book, allowing you to understand the changes happening now and what changes you can expect. The future of business will be different : whose versions are you reading?...Management 21C is for those who believe in creative war, for those who inspire other people, for those who believe in others and not just themselves, for those who celebrate diversity, for those who constantly search for a dream, for those who want to reshape the world of tomorrow. Someday we'll all manage this way (from the Preface p.xiii)."

In this context, for instance :

* J.M.Kouzes and B.Z.Posner introduce "The Janusian Leader"-the leader with the capacity to look forward and back, to preside over endings and beginnings, sunsets and daybreaks. They also present seven key lessons that stand the test of time and are worthy of being carried with us from one millennium to another (see pp.17-32).

* S.Ghoshal, C.A.Bartlett and P.Moran suggest : "When the solution to a recurring problem is always 'Try harder', there is usually something wrong with the terms, not the execution. So it is time for both managers and management academics to throw out the old paradigm and to start experimenting with new, more fertile possibilities (see pp.121-140)."

* C.K.Prahalad argues : "In the new millennium, the methods and skills needed to manage large and small organizations will be different from those needed to be successful during the past three decades. Newer concepts and tools will emerge." He then discusses the emerging nature of managerial work and suggests that this transformation of managerial work will demand basic organizational innovations (see pp.141-150).

* P.M.Senge and K.H.Kaufer write : "Faced with profoundly new business realities-unprecedented demands from global competition, new technologies, emerging markets, possible mergers and alliances, and growing environmental pressures-many companies are falling back on old leadership habits...Rather than making executives less important, we argue that understanding leadership communities brings the unique roles of executive leaders into much clearer relief, as it does the roles for other types of leaders- all of whom will ultimately depend upon one another in creating successful 21st century enterprises (see pp.186-204)."

* D.Ulrich suggests : "Since the future is unpredictable but coming anyway, we need to prepare as best we can by projecting about context, organization and people." He then gives his observations about the contextual factors impacting on organizations, how organizations will operate, and how individuals must prepare themselves today to respond tomorrow (see pp.235-249).

* R.Moss Kanter argues : "Brainpower is to the global information economy as oil was to the industrial economy...Business leaders increasingly understand that one of their new roles in the 21st century is to contribute to creating such environments in the communities in which their companies operate. World-class leaders will be cosmopolitans who avoid insularity, enjoy the challenge of confronting new and different ideas, encourage cross-fertilization and learning across boundaries, and support their people in developing and using their brainpower in pursuit of innovation (see pp.250-261)."

Highly recommended.