Book Of The Month

 

Fiascos on the scale of William H. Millard's ComputerLand (see main story) are rare. But how many businesses are plagued with equally troubled CEOs? Plenty, say Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries and Danny Miller, authors of Unstable at the Top (NAL Books, 1988). Both the companies and their leaders fall into recognizable patterns.

The authors view these patterns through the lens of psychology. The "depressive" organization's managers are so insecure they can never decide on a new course. The "compulsive" company's executives are obsessed with top-down control. Find a company with these traits -- or with several others the authors analyze -- and you'll find a company in trouble. The book examines businesses that illustrate these disorders. Remember the sad state of Walt Disney Productions before new CEO Michael Eisner took over a few years ago? The founder's heirs had been terrified of tinkering with Disney's formulas, and their inactivity had allowed the company to stagnate.

Unstable is a useful antidote to the sugary books that celebrate executive accomplishments. Just hope that when you read it you don't experience a shock of recognition.