Erika Smith

ADPR 5910/Lariscy

February 29, 2012

Novak, David. Taking People With You. New York: Penguin Group, 2012. Print.

“Taking People With You” Book Review

Summary

                        “You can’t lead a great organization of any size without getting your people aligned, enthusiastic, and focused relentlessly on the mission.” This is just one of the many valuable lessons Taking People With You has to offer. This inspirational management book begins with a personal anecdote from the author, David Novak, demonstrating the importance of appreciating the people around you. As the chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company and owner of the brands KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell for over a decade, Novak offers his years of experience through a unique program entitled “Taking People With You”. The program, which is usually taught in seminars by Novak himself, has taken the form of a book that has received praise from CEOs, chairmen, and university deans at some of the most prestigious companies and institutions across the nation.

            Taking People With You is filled with pages of countless principles that are essential to management at all levels. Novak stresses the all-important message that managers will never make big things happen unless they learn how to get people on their side. Although the author explains how to accomplish this vital task over the course of over 200 pages, the key aspects of leadership can be easily drawn and applied to everyday life:

• ·      Get inside the heads of your people
• ·      Think big
• ·      Practice “extraordinary authenticity”
• ·      Look for good ideas in unexpected places
• ·      Choose a can-do mindset
• ·      Cheer for first downs, not just touchdowns
• ·      Get rid of cynics

Analysis

This book utilizes a hands-on approach to coaching readers on leadership and management. Throughout the book are dozens of exercises, sidebars, and diagrams in which the reader can actively engage. Also, thought-provoking quotes from important figures throughout history are inserted into key points in the book, offering the readers points of view other than just the author’s. Novak offers countless stories and examples from his own career as well as the careers of others to illustrate his points, which adds to both his credibility and the reader’s understanding of the content. The personal anecdotes that I most admire, however, are the ones in which the author demonstrates ability to recognize failures and challenges in his career and share them with his readers. He is aware that he is not a perfect leader and is constantly growing, changing, and striving to improve his performance.

            Novak utilizes aspects from several different management systems to advise other managers and leaders about what he thinks are the most effective management strategies. Specifically, elements of Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory are evident in Novak’s teachings, especially the way in which he uses motivation as a framework for gaining employees’ commitment. Furthermore, collaborative management is emphasized by Novak as a cornerstone in the promotion of a sense of unity and teamwork among managers and supervisors within an organization.

Recommendation

            I would most definitely recommend this book to public relations students.  The easy-to-read text coupled with the hands-on approach and interactive exercises provide an interested way to keep readers engages in the text. Additionally, David Novak’s career is an inspiration to both students and recent graduates; the journey from University of Missouri journalism major to becoming the chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company is no doubt an incredible feat. The advice and inspiration in this book is essential to the success of leaders and managers of all kinds.