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The early explorers up through those of the early part of the last century were the supreme users of management practices that have been formalized today. Their expeditions had all the characteristics of a business project: goal setting, strategizing, applying finite resources, risk-taking, keeping people, dealing with competitors, and many others. During actual expeditions, the leaders faced many risks, issues, and conflicts that challenge the best leaders today, from small to large enterprises. Like all projects and business ventures, the expeditions met their goal, either partially or entirely, and in some cases even exceeded it or failed it completely.
Management Lessons from the Great Explorers selects the most famous, and in some cases infamous, explorers to discuss and analyze the good and bad management practices-even though these explorers may have never called them management practices-they used before, during, and even after their expeditions. Each chapter provides historical background about one explorer and the details about their explorations. The chapters then discuss the challenges the explorers faced when planning and executing their expeditions and examine their successes and failures from a management perspective. The book will help managers to
Manage unexpected and potentially catastrophic risks
Set goals that open up new horizons
Communicate effectively with team members
Lead teams through hardships and difficulties
The final chapter gives lessons learned that managers may take from the book and apply to their own business undertakings. These lessons include
Learning from experience
Having a strong sponsor and team
Relying on data and information
Applying risk management and adapting to changing circumstances
Implementing unity of command and defining roles and responsibilities
Identifying and understanding stakeholders
Being decisive
Being willing to say no
List of contents
Preface. 1 George Vancouver: Understanding the Context. 2 Christopher Columbus: Having a Vision. 3 Henry the Navigator: Being a Sponsor. 4 Ferdinand Magellan: Focusing on the Goal. 5 Marco Polo: Understanding the Customer. 6 Roald Amundsen: Planning. 7 James Cook: Integrating. 8 Hernán Cortés: Motivating. 9 Jacques Cartier: Executing. 10 Vasco da Gama: Embracing the Unknown. 11 Vitus Bering: Staying on Track. 12 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark: Adapting to Change. 13 Ernest Shackleton: Leading. 14 Conclusion: A Baker’s Dozen of Lessons from the Explorers. Glossary. About the Author. Bibliography. Index.
About the author
Ralph L. Kliem, PMP (Project Management Professional) and CBCP (Certified Business Continuity Professional), is founder and president of LeanPM, LLC, and has over 30 years of combined experience in the private and public sectors as a project manager and internal auditor. He holds an M.A. in Political Science, a member of social, history, and political science honor societies, a former legislative intern, and artillery officer. He recently retired from The Boeing Company where he conducted enterprise risk assessments and audits of its political action committee; evaluated lobbying activities; managed the development of business continuity plans for its major airplane programs; and taught professional seminars and workshops throughout the corporation and its clients, such as Ford, General Motors, Department of Defense, Internal Revenue Service, and other corporations and public institutions. He has authored more than 15 books with major publishers and over 300 articles for leading business and information technology magazines.
Summary
This book looks at famous explorers to discuss and analyze the management practices they used before, during, and even after their expeditions. Each chapter presents the historical background about the explorers and gives a management perspective on the challenges they faced. The final chapter provides lessons learned.
