NY Times Business Hardcover Best Sellers – November 2008

Posted on November 9, 2008 by TheManager

New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – November 2008

An historical election behind us and a bleak short-term future ahead, we find ourselves at a very interesting time. When will the market hit bottom? How high will unemployment ultimately reach? Will Chrysler and GM survive to see 2010? Can Barack Obama and a Democratic Congress do anything to solve the credit and housing crises?

With so many economic questions facing us, it seems natural that the NY Times list would have more than a few economic tomes in the mix. (We count nine.) Below you’ll find the Top 5 on the New York Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list for November 2008 – to see the complete list (and to see an interesting economic read at number 14 this month) follow this link.

At fourteen on the November list (second in October) is a good read by T. Boone Pickens. Part autobiography and part Boone’s plan for America’s energy independence, The First Billion is the Hardest is interesting if for nothing else than it provides a pretty solid plan for reducing our dependency on foreign oil. Obviously his views are less interesting to America now that gas is relatively cheap – though we believe it won’t take much for oil to top $140 a barrel again. (Last we checked Pickens was the only one putting forth a real plan.)

Number 1 this month brings a great Warren Buffet biography by Alice Schroeder. In fact, The Snowball is not only number 1 on the NY Times list, it was also named to our list of the 10 Best Warren Buffet Books of All Time last month. At last count, there are forty-seven Warren Buffet bios currently in print, so you need a guide to decide which ones are worth your time. To see our list of the 10 Best Warren Buffet Biographies, follow this link.

This Month		Last Month
1	THE SNOWBALL, by Alice Schroeder. (Bantam, $35.) The life of Warren Buffett.
2	HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.95.) How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.	1
3	WHO, by Geoff Smart and Randy Street. (Ballantine, $24.) How to attract and hire the right people for your business. (†)
4	THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson, $24.99.) Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host. (†)	6
5	THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferriss. (Crown, $19.95.) Because life isn’t all about work. (†)	3

The 25 Most Annoying Business Phrases

Posted on November 8, 2008 by TheManager

The 25 Most Annoying Business Phrases Managers Use

From the overused to the clichéd, we are inundated on a daily basis with annoying and ridiculous business phrases from the lips of well-meaning managers.

Why so many of us, present company included, rely on the latest catch phrases or tired business jargon to relay a particular message is unclear. Whether lazy, blocked or we really think it makes us sound important, we too often reach for the prepackaged word grouping instead of constructing an original sentence.

Tired of the constant use and misuse of worthless wordings, we decided to assemble a list of formulaic business phrases still in (over)use today. Of course, simply compiling a list of the worst or most annoying business phrases was too easy – narrowing that list to just twenty-five proved to be the hard part.

To add a little complexity to this project, we decided to author a single speech using all twenty-five of the most annoying business phrases. That speech, which you are encouraged to deliver at your company’s holiday party this year, is located at the bottom of this article.

After countless hours of debate, here is our list of the 25 Most Annoying Business Phrases Managers Use. For those wishing to sound more like true leaders, we included very simple replacement expressions for each.

Think Outside of the Box – We cringe even writing this one. Inarguably the very worst, most annoying business phrase of all time, Think Outside of the Box has become such an overused cliché that Taco Bell coined their own version for a national ad campaign: Think Outside the Bun. Once the likes of Taco Bell, Sears, General Motors or 7-11 latch onto a popular phrase and add it to their lexicon, that phrase has officially become a caricature of its former self. The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Think Creatively.
Give 110% – Our problems with this phrase are both the impossibility of giving 110% and the sheer belief that somehow, if you could actually give 110%, that this would be good enough. Why stop at 110%? What are you, a slacker? We know Nigel Tufnel would give 111%, anyway. The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Do Your Best.
Hit the Ground Running – Meant to energize a team to start work on a project immediately, this overused idiom generally has the opposite effect. Usually the person telling their team to “hit the ground running” is some do-nothing who only hits the ground running when five o’clock rolls around. The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Get Started Immediately.
The 30,000-Foot View – Though not the only use or misuse of this phrase, “the 30,000-foot view” is often uttered by pompous managers who believe they see the big picture that the rest of us are somehow missing. We get it, okay, you want us to believe you’re considering every outcome of a particular decision. The origins of this phrase, which is meant to describe the view from a commercial airplane (flying at 30,000 feet), have become so misunderstood that we often hear our colleagues refer to everything from the 5,000-foot view to the 100,000-foot view – clearly different views. The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: The Big Picture (we know this is also clichéd, but at least everyone will understand the meaning).
FYI – The overused acronym meaning For Your Information, has become such an annoyance to hear uttered (writing FYI is sometimes useful) that one of our editors believes FYI actually means Fornicate You, Idiot. (Of course, he replaces “fornicate” with a common expletive.) He claims that it becomes a little more palatable to hear someone say “FYI” when you think of it in his context. Like putting the words “in bed” after your read the saying from a fortune cookie, this immature habit of his works well and is quite funny. The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: nothing (uttering “FYI” adds no value and does not need to be replaced – just stop saying it).
Blocking and Tackling – Whenever someone in your business skips the basics and fails, managers will often say “it’s just blocking and tackling” to signify that the simplest of tasks were not completed. Of all the overused sports analogies applied to business, this is the most annoying because it implies that blocking and tackling are easy tasks. In football blocking and tackling are the most important tasks, and not necessarily the easiest. Without blocking, the offense cannot score. Without tackling, the defense cannot stop the offense. Since we don’t actually block or tackle at work, let’s drop this silly misuse. The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Primary Tasks or Basic Tasks.
800-Pound Gorilla – Used in business to mean some entity so dominating or uncontrollable (because of their power or size) that others must show respect/consideration, the term “800-pound gorilla” is so overused we feel like throwing poop. Given that the average gorilla weighs about 400 pounds (and usually likes to throw poop at zoo visitors), you can imagine the damage that an 800-pound gorilla would cause. Annoying because it is unnecessary, this phrase is so often misused (like 30,000-foot view) that we once heard “200-pound gorilla” and “1,000-pound gorilla” uttered in the same meeting – ugh! The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Industry Leader.
Throw Under the Bus – Often correctly used to describe acts of betrayal in the workplace that provide a minor advantage to the one doing the throwing: “he really threw him under the bus,” this relatively new business phrase has quickly become an annoyance by its watered-down overuse. The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Sacrifice.
Rightsizing – This politically correct term for “cutting expenses” vaults into our top ten by virtue of a recent explosion in usage. The current economic climate has forced businesses to make tough decisions, and these decisions most often include expense reductions and layoffs. Managers who feel uneasy using real world terminology to describe their actions take the coward’s course and declare they are rightsizing their organizations. If it was truly “rightsizing” we were doing, then we’d be doing it during good times too, wouldn’t we? The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Downsizing (that’s if you’re afraid of the word “layoff”).
Reaching Out – This phrase is probably most annoying because it seems no one calls or emails anymore, they just reach out – its usage has certainly exploded. The image of someone reaching out to us is more than a little creepy, and yet more and more of our colleagues tell us they are “reaching out” to us – we’d prefer they just email. The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Contact.
Low-Hanging Fruit – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Easy.
Incremental Improvement – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Improvement.
My Two Cents – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: My Opinion.
Solutions Provider – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Vendor.
Bring Your “A” Game – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Arrive Prepared.
Tear Down the Silos – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Remove Barriers.
Paradigm Shift – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Fundamental Change.
Take it to the Next Level – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Improve.
Light a Fire Under Him/Her – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Motivate.
Client Engagement – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Meeting.
Take it Offline – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Discuss it Later.
At This Point in Time – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Now, Currently or Today.
Give You a Heads Up – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Provide Notice.
Synergy – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Collaboration.
Action Item – The AskTheManager replacement phrase leaders should use: Task.

As promised, here is a speech you can deliver at your holiday party this year that will surely make you sound like either the most intelligent or most pompous person in the room. Intelligence is in the ear of the receiver.

I’m reaching out to you today to thank you for helping us make 2008 a solid year for our business. Despite the economic turmoil we face at this point in time, your dedication to synergy and out of the box thinking has allowed us to make incremental improvement in our rightsizing efforts. FYI, In order for us to take it to the next level, we need everyone to hit the ground running on their ‘09 action items and give 110%. As I take a 30,000-foot view of our industry, I see competitive solutions providers who must light a fire under their teams, tear down their silos and make significant paradigm shifts if they expect to catch us, the 800-Pound Gorilla. To these companies I say, “let me give you a heads up, you’d better bring your ‘A’ game if you want to beat us.” We are the industry’s best because we are superior in every way. We are better at blocking and tackling, we are better at gathering the low hanging fruit and we are better at exceeding expectations during client engagements. If we have disagreements, we take it offline – we never throw each other under the bus. If you want my two cents, I would rather work with this group than with the finest people on earth.

Now sit back and bask in the applause.

The Best Rolling Briefcases Money Can Buy – Laptop Cases for the New Millenium

Posted on October 29, 2008 by TheManager

The Rolling Briefcase – A Leader’s Most Important Tool?

Not since Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) and his coworkers marveled at the color, font and texture of one another’s business cards in 2000’s American Psycho has a business tool garnered as much admiration and created as much jealousy as the rolling briefcases being dragged through America today.

Whether tooling through the airport or navigating their office hallways with their pull-behind laptop luggage, American business leaders have begun to make both coworkers and strangers take notice.

While there are still those who choose to lug a laptop case by the straps, the editors of AskTheManager.com are convinced these bag-draggers and over-the-shoulder-computer-holders secretly suffer from briefcase envy when they spy us with our new Victorinox, Kensington or Wenger.

As with any fad or fashion, the market has become littered with both good and bad rolling briefcases. We did our homework, checked out the bags available at the mall luggage stores and office supply outlets, and we’ve decided that pound-for-pound and dollar-for-dollar, these are the 5 Best Rolling Briefcases money can buy:

Victorinox Werks Traveler 2.0 Expandable Wheeled Computer Briefcase
The King of Rolling Briefcases, show up to work with this Victorinox and you’d have Patrick Bateman plotting your death. This one stores up to a 15″ laptop, and comes with two mesh pockets for storing computer peripherals along with lots of other cool and useful pockets and compartments. While the front compartment expands 2.5″, the rear compartment features a file divider which unzips to lie flat when not in use. Comes with a nifty zip-away water bottle pocket. Fully expanded, this great case is monster of storage at 16.5″ x 15.5″ x 11.5″. Retails for around $290.

SwissGear by Wenger Black Rolling Briefcase
This great SwissGear by Wenger lists for over $270, but generally can be had for under $100. We found this one on Amazon for $85 with free shipping. Wenger makes a very durable bag; in fact one of our editors has pulled his through airports for more than three years and over 300 flights – and it still works and looks great. Wenger, for those of you who don’t know, is considered the “Genuine” provider of Swiss Army Knives and Victorinox is considered the “Original” provider of these. Long story short, both are great brands and both have been around for more than 110 years. In fact, Victorinox purchased Wenger in 2005, but decided to keep and market both brands. You cannot go wrong with either, though Victorinox is a bit more durable and certainly more respected in the water cooler discussions.
Kensington 62348 Contour Roller Carrying Case
Kensington is one of the original providers of protective laptop cases and unlike the other top maker (Targus), they’ve done a terrific job of taking what they learned with the old sling-style cases and converted them into great rolling briefcases. This case is huge (19” x 17” x 9.5”) and is great for the road warrior who takes most of their office with them when they travel. As for bags with list prices under $100, this one is the best. We found it on Amazon for $65 with free shipping.
Samsonite Business One Mobile Office
Not many wheeled laptop bags can handle a 17” laptop, but this great Samsonite can do this and still provide plenty of room for virtually everything else you need for the short or long trip. A durable bag from a great maker of durable luggage – it won’t turn heads like a Victorinox, but it’s well worth the money. We found it on Amazon with free shipping for under $120 ($200 list).
Patriot from SwissGear by Wenger
A very deep and rugged rolling briefcase, the Patriot is probably the most common of the great bags that you’ll see in airports today. Because of its depth (11”) and the removable laptop tote (included at no charge) this is the most versatile bag available. You’ll never have to pack a second bag for that overnight trip, since you can fit a change of clothes and your toiletries in the rear compartment. A great buy at its $129 list price; though you can find it for under $90 (like we did at Amazon).

The Ten Best Warren Buffett Books of All Time

Posted on October 26, 2008 by TheManager

The Best of Warren Buffett

With the recession looming, the stock market in the tank, and worldwide economic uncertainty, it’s nice to know America has a man like billionaire Warren Buffett to turn to for investment advice. Buffett is to the stock market what Tiger Woods is to golf. He’s the best and second place really isn’t that close.

Unfortunately for American readers looking to learn from the Oracle of Omaha, there are 47 books about Warren Buffett still in print today. Since it would be impractical (and a bit redundant to read all 47), you have to wonder how in the world would someone know which book to choose?

The truth is; they wouldn’t. That’s where the editors of AskTheManager.com come in. We decided to do the homework for you, and we picked our Top Ten Best Warren Buffett Books of All Time.

In no particular order (because these are all great reads), here are the 10 Best Buffet Books (still in print):

NY Times Business Best Sellers – Hardcover October 2008

Posted on October 16, 2008 by TheManager

New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – October 2008

With the economic meltdown seemingly getting worse by the day, we’re not sure how many of our readers can scrape together enough cash to purchase a Business Best Seller. For those of you with an extra $10 to $30 in your wallet, you may want to consider one of the Top 5 on the NY Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list for October 2008. To see the complete list (and to see a great choice at Number 7 this month) follow this link.

At seven on the October list (eighth last month) is a terrific read on the most perplexing problem in business today: execution. Specifically, Six Disciplines® Execution Revolution: Solving the One Business Problem That Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier by Gary Harpst deals with businesses’ inability to execute strategy – a decent deal this month at $10.15 on Amazon.com. To learn more about this book, follow this link.

While there are some great reads among the 15 on this month’s list, truly none of them are as valuable for Leadership Development as the ten books featured in the AskTheManager.com’s Top Ten Leadership Books of All Time. To see our list, follow this link. There is one book on this month’s list that came close to cracking our own Top 10. Now, Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton; number four this month and priced at a bargain $19.80 on Amazon. This book delivers great lessons in both leadership development (for you) and people development (for your team).

This Month		Last Month
1	HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.95.) How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.
2	THE FIRST BILLION IS THE HARDEST, by T. Boone Pickens. (Crown Business, $26.95.) An account of Pickens’s career and his views about energy policy.
3	THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferriss. (Crown, $19.95.) Because life isn’t all about work. (†)	1
4	NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. (Free Press, $30.) How to identify and develop your talents and those of your employees. (†)	3
5	BAD MONEY, by Kevin Phillips. (Viking, $25.95.) How the financial sector has hijacked the American economy, aided by Washington’s ruinous faith in the efficiency of markets.

NY Times Business Best Sellers – Hardcover September 2008

Posted on September 16, 2008 by TheManager

New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – September 2008

Here are the Top 5 on the NY Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list for September 2008. To see the complete list (and to see a great choice at Number 8 this month) follow this link.

At eight on the September list (seventh last month) is a terrific read on the most perplexing problem in business today: execution. Specifically, Six Disciplines® Execution Revolution: Solving the One Business Problem That Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier by Gary Harpst deals with businesses’ inability to execute strategy. A real bargain at $7.12 on Amazon.com. To learn more about this book, follow this link.

Back in the top five this month is Freakonomics. Although it’s not a leadership development or management training book, Freakonomics is both a fun read and an eye-opener into real world economics. More social commentary than leadership, Freakonomics is being made into what will surely be a must-see documentary by independent producer, Chad Troutwine. To read more about the documentary, which is currently filming, follow this link.

This Month		Last Month
1	THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferriss. (Crown, $19.95.) Because life isn’t all about work.	2
2	THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson, $24.99.) Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host.	4
3	NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. (Free Press, $30.) How to identify and develop your talents and those of your employees.	6
4	DEBT CURES “THEY” DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT, by Kevin Trudeau. (Equity, $25.95.) How the credit industry is rigged against you, and how to fight back by changing your financial habits.	5
5	FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. (Morrow, $27.95.) A scholar uses economics to explore the incentives that drive such disparate groups, including crack gangs, sumo wrestlers, school teachers, campaign fund-raisers and real estate agents.	8

Obama, McCain, Biden or Palin – Who’s the Best Leader?

Posted on September 9, 2008 by TheManager

Which Presidential or Vice Presidential Hopeful Would Make the Best Leader?

Over the past several days, the editors of AskTheManager.com released their leadership ratings and rankings of all forty-two US Presidents from Washington to Bush. We examined how these men would perform as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company by using what we believe are some of the most important leadership characteristics: humility; delegation; integrity; vision; success (during their term); and (impact on) future (generations).

(To see our first article, ranking the Presidents from Worst to First, follow this link. To read the detailed comments showing why we ranked each President where we did, please follow this link. If you’re interested on how each President scored in the six weighted categories, please follow this link.)

As we grow closer to the November 4, 2008 Presidential Election, the real question for America is where would Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin rank on this list? With the current economic climate and uncertain foreign affairs, it’s clear we need a leader. Because of this, it becomes more and more important each day for Americans to ask hard questions about their candidate of choice.

Where would your candidate or their running mate rank in terms of business leadership in the new millennium? Could he or she successfully run a large corporation today? Do they have what it takes to be a true leader or are they more concerned about themselves and their legacy?

More importantly, will their decisions be sound and founded on unwavering principles, or will they constantly be swayed by the winds of political expediency and public opinion?

Running the United States and running a large, for-profit corporation have more similarities than differences. Because this is a website dedicated to developing business leaders, we needed to know who would we choose to run our company if we had our pick of the four candidates vying for President and Vice President.

The Rankings – Worst to First

4. Joseph Biden

A single allegation of plagiarism could be partisan politics gone awry. More than one, and we start to see a pattern. While we really like Joe Biden, we cannot help but be put off by his alleged lack of integrity and the appearance of political machinations. Similar to McCain in that he’s served many years in leadership roles in the Senate, Biden is no maverick and tows the party line to a fault. Of the four Presidential and Vice Presidential hopefuls left in the race, Joe Biden is clearly the least qualified leader. His score of 67.5 (see the category ratings below) would put him well below average at number 31 on the all time list.

3. Barack Obama

We’re always worried when we see a potential leader who wants nothing more than to be in charge. Often they will say or do anything to get the job. Once there, they find they lack the necessary skill set to truly lead. While Obama clearly has the most vision of this foursome, we’re concerned that an Obama Presidency will not lay the proper groundwork for future success. We do believe his integrity is greater than that of John McCain, but he’s still no Lincoln. With a score of 77.5, Obama would rank as an above average Presidential Leader.

2. Sarah Palin

A total and complete surprise when selected as the Vice Presidential candidate for the Republican Party just last week, there is little we really know about Sarah Palin. What we do know and what we’ve heard, we actually like. Palin clearly does not tow the party line. Even more so than McCain, Palin is a true maverick. Her decisions seem to be based on what is best for her constituents and she seems unafraid to make enemies in Washington – something America has needed for the last two decades. Her perceived lack of humility hurts her, though on our list Palin would still rank as the 24th best Presidential Leader of all time (just behind another leader without humility – Theodore Roosevelt).

1. John McCain

The most humble leader of the four, we believe McCain will also do the best job at delegating responsibilities (not completely unlike Ronald Reagan). What we like best about McCain is that most in his party would prefer to have someone else to vote for – he does not tow the party line (despite what the Obama commercials say). Of course, he is not without blemish, and the alleged backroom dealings around the Central Arizona Project and Charles Keating make us question his integrity. That said, with a score of 82.5, John McCain would rank as the 20th best Presidential Leader of all time (just behind James Madison).

How Did They Rate?

To determine the final rankings, we graded each Presidential and Vice Presidential hopeful in six weighted categories (below), awarding a score of 1 to 10 in each category. A score of 10 indicates this candidate shows true and complete leadership in a particular skill set.

Humility (H) – Great leaders today avoid the spotlight (unless it benefits their company), give credit to their subordinates, and generally drive their businesses through character and vision rather than ego and pride. We considered the amount of unhealthy ego and overbearing pride in each of the four hopefuls to determine the grade in this category.

Delegation (D) – No one person can do it all, that’s why great leaders are also great at delegation. They thrive on allowing others to make decisions, and they empower nearly everyone through their words and their actions. We graded each candidate on what we believe is their ability to let go and leave some of the duties to their staff.

Integrity (I) – Great leaders are principled, and they adhere to a strict moral and ethical code. They exude character because of their honest, forthright nature; and they never put themselves above the needs of their team or company. Our assessment and category grades are based on each candidate’s record with respect to character and honesty.

Vision (V) – True leaders have the ability to see beyond the current reality and project an ideal future. They not only create a vision, but they share it, live it and carry it out. We analyzed each candidate’s ability to share their vision, though we have no idea on which ones can truly execute and which ones are just blowing hot air.

Success (S) – Great leaders don’t just make everyone feel good, they also execute (i.e., they get the job done). Proper execution leads to success, and great leaders understand this. We graded each of the candidates on their level of success enjoyed during their previous and current positions.

Future (F) – When a great leader departs a company, they leave it in better shape than when they arrived. Additionally, because they were driven with an eye on the longer term, the decisions they made during their time in the position continue to have a positive impact into the future. Our assessment of the candidates includes a grade for how we feel their decisions would impact future generations.

H	D	I	V	S	F	Total	Rank	Candidate
8	9	7	8	9	8	82.5	1	John McCain
6	7	9	9	8	8	78.0	2	Sarah Palin
7	8	8	10	8	7	77.5	3	Barack Obama
6	7	6	7	7	7	67.5	4	Joseph Biden
*6.8*	*7.8*	*7.5*	*8.5*	*8.0*	*7.5*	*76.4*	-	*Candidates’ AVERAGE*
*7.9*	*8.0*	*7.2*	*7.8*	*7.3*	*7.4*	*75.3*	-	*Presidential AVERAGE*

We were careful to ignore the popularity of these four, and attempted to judge them solely on the traits that we feel make a good leader. Will they have the ability to execute? Do they possess the necessary honor; intelligence; character; and, most of all, service required to lead the free world? Are any of them capable of true leadership, or will they be just popular pawns of their party?

It’s important to note that these rankings are based on how these Presidential and Vice Presidential hopefuls and their decisions would impact a Fortune 500 company. Of course, we know that the task at hand for the next President will prove much more difficult than taking over a large, troubled company.

The question every voter needs to ask themselves is this: Is my candidate up to the task?

Ratings & Rankings of the Presidents of the United States

Posted on September 8, 2008 by TheManager

How Do US Presidents Rank as Business Leaders? (Part Three of Three)

(This is the third article in a three-series post. Please see the first and second articles in this series by following this link for our notes associated with each President, and this link for our “worst to first” rankings of the US Presidents as leaders.)

Where does your favorite President of the United States rank in terms of business leadership in the new millennium? Could all or any of the US Presidents successfully run a large corporation today? Did they have what it takes to be a true leader or were they more concerned about themselves and their legacy? Were their decisions sound and founded on unwavering principles, or were they constantly swayed by the winds of political expediency and public opinion?

Running the United States and running a large, for-profit corporation have more similarities than differences. Whom would we choose to run our company if we had our pick of the 42 men who served as Presidents of the United States?

The editors at AskTheManager.com scoured the history books and looked deeply at each President’s record as a leader. We ignored the popularity of their decisions and judged these men solely on the traits that we feel make a good leader: the ability to execute; honor; intelligence; character; and, most of all, service.

To determine the final rankings, we graded each President in six weighted categories (below), awarding a score of 1 to 10 in each category. A score of 10 indicates this President showed true and complete leadership in a particular skill set.

The Six Measures of Presidential Leadership

As promised, we bring you the leadership rankings of the Presidents, and the raw scores from each of these six weighted categories:

Humility (H) – Great leaders today avoid the spotlight (unless it benefits their company), give credit to their subordinates, and generally drive their businesses through character and vision rather than ego and pride. We considered the amount of unhealthy ego and overbearing pride in each of the 42 Presidents to help determine the scores in this area.

Delegation (D) – No one person can do it all, that’s why great leaders are also great at delegation. They thrive on allowing others to make decisions, and they empower nearly everyone through their words and their actions. We graded each of the 42 Presidents on their ability to let go and leave some of the duties to their staff.

Integrity (I) – Great leaders are principled, and they adhere to a strict moral and ethical code. They exude character because of their honest, forthright nature; and they never put themselves above the needs of their team or company. Our assessment and category grades are based on each President’s record with respect to character and honesty.

Vision (V) – True leaders have the ability to see beyond the current reality and project an ideal future. They not only create a vision, but they share it, live it and carry it out. We analyzed each President’s ability to both share their vision and execute it, and based our grading on these results.

Success (S) – Great leaders don’t just make everyone feel good, they also execute (i.e., they get the job done). Proper execution leads to success, and great leaders understand this. We graded each of the 42 Presidents on their level of success enjoyed during their term.

Future (F) – When a great leader departs a company, they leave it in better shape than when they arrived. Additionally, because they were driven with an eye on the longer term, the decisions they made during their time in the position continue to have a positive impact into the future. Our assessment of the Presidents includes a grade for how their decisions impacted (or are expected to impact) future generations.

It is critical that we remember that all 42 Presidents were great men (if not necessarily great leaders). They each held the highest office in the land and (good or bad) each brought their own flavor to the job. Every President deserves some measure of respect – if for nothing else than the sheer odds they defied to occupy the office of President.

(The editors of AskTheManager.com are humbled that we live in a country that allows and encourages the criticism of political leaders. We feel truly blessed.)

H	D	I	V	S	F	Total	Rank	President
9	9	9	10	10	10	96.5	1	George Washington (1789-1797)
10	7	10	9	10	10	96.0	2	Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
9	9	10	10	9	10	95.0	3	Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
10	8	10	9	10	9	94.0	4	Harry S Truman (1945-1953)
10	9	10	10	9	9	93.5	5	John Adams (1797-1801)
10	9	10	9	8	10	93.0	6	Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
10	9	10	10	8	9	91.0	7	Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
9	9	9	10	10	8	90.5	8	Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
8	8	8	10	10	9	90.0	9	James K. Polk (1845-1849)
9	8	10	8	9	9	89.0	10	Grover Cleveland (1885-89; 93-97)
9	10	9	9	9	8	88.0	11	Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
9	8	8	10	7	10	87.0	12	Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
9	8	9	9	8	9	86.5	13 (tie)	William Howard Taft (1909-1913)
9	10	9	10	8	8	86.5	13 (tie)	James Monroe (1817-1825)
8	8	7	10	10	8	86.0	15	John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
10	9	10	8	9	7	85.5	16	Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
10	9	10	7	9	7	84.5	17	Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
8	8	9	10	6	10	84.0	18	John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
10	7	9	8	8	8	83.0	19	James Madison (1809-1817)
8	7	6	8	10	8	82.0	20	Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
8	7	7	7	9	8	79.5	21	George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)
9	10	8	9	7	7	79.0	22	Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
4	6	7	10	9	9	78.5	23	Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
8	9	5	8	7	8	75.5	24	William McKinley (1897-1901)
*7.9*	*8.0*	*7.2*	*7.8*	*7.3*	*7.4*	*74.5*	–	*AVERAGE*
8	8	7	6	7	7	71.5	25	Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
6	6	9	8	7	7	70.5	26	Chester Arthur (1881-1885)
10	9	6	7	6	6	70.0	27	Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
9	9	10	9	4	6	69.5	28	Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
5	8	1	9	9	7	69.0	29	Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
9	8	9	7	4	7	68.5	30	William Henry Harrison (1841)
8	7	4	7	7	6	65.5	31	Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
6	7	8	7	6	6	64.0	32	Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
8	8	7	6	5	6	63.5	33	James A. Garfield (1881)
7	7	3	5	6	6	58.5	34	Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)
6	7	2	7	6	6	58.0	35	Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)
6	6	5	7	5	5	54.5	36	George W. Bush (2001-2009)
5	7	4	6	4	6	52.5	37	Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
8	10	8	4	3	3	50.5	38	Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
5	3	6	5	5	5	49.0	39	John Tyler (1841-1845)
5	9	1	4	4	5	46.5	40	Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)
5	8	2	5	4	4	44.5	41	James Buchanan (1857-1861)
2	6	1	1	6	6	44.0	42	Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

It’s important to note that these rankings are based on how these Presidents, their traits, their character and their decisions would impact a Fortune 500 company. Are they capable of true leadership or were they just popular pawns of their party?

As we grow ever closer to the November 4, 2008 Presidential Election, the real question for America is where would Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin rank on this list? With the current economic climate and uncertain foreign affairs, it’s clear we need a leader. To view our fantasy rankings of these four Presidential and Vice Presidential hopefuls, please see our post from September 9, 2008 by following this link.

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