The Advantage

The author states from the start that he aims to get back to management basics and invites us to revise our assumptions about what makes organizations durably successful. He suggests putting emphasis on transparency, as the guarantee, in his view, of a healthy organization. Indeed, when employees become accustomed to conversing freely and discussing their mistakes, they naturally develop themselves and their expertise. Conversely, experts in an organization divided by silos and power games have a lot of trouble coordinating their intellectual aptitudes and working together.

The author himself recognizes that this reasoning may sound simplistic. But after studying a large number of management teams, he observed that clarity, transparency and trust constitute the bedrock of performance, by facilitating consistent action and thus efficacy. When objectives are clear, employees focus their energies directly on what is useful.

This book will be of particular interest to leadership teams seeking to improve the way they work together.