Leadership the Sven–Goran Eriksson Way: How to Turn Your Team into Winners - Softcover

Birkinshaw, Julian; Crainer, Stuart

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841124192 ISBN 13: 9781841124193

Publisher: Capstone, 2002

Synopsis

In Leadership the Sven–Göran Eriksson Way, Julian Birkinshaw and Stuart Crainer illustrate and analyze the leadership and management skills which Eriksson has successfully demonstrated by building a winning football team. Placing these skills in the context of business, Birkinshaw and Crainer draw out the lessons managers or leaders can learn from Eriksson. These range from one–to–one coaching and building an atmosphere of trust and commitment to strong decision–making and handling talented (if sometimes difficult to deal with) individuals.

• This is the first book to take Eriksson′s unique leadership style and winning techniques and put them into a business context.
• Published to coincide with World Cup mania.
• Serialisation in The Times and extensive coverage elsewhere.
• Perfect author team combines Birkinshaw′s management insights with Crainer′s proven expertise as best–selling author of business books and past contributor to FA publications.

About this title

Review:

Football is a game of two halves but for the moment at least, Leadership the Sven-Göran Eriksson Way appears to suit England. An eventful start to a managerial term in which his team have demolished arch-rivals Germany 5-1--on German soil--and qualified for the 2002 World Cup, has elevated Eriksson to legendary status and caught the attention of commentators Julian Birkinshaw and Stuart Crainer whose sport/business crossover dissects the Swedish soccer guru's techniques and tactics for nuggets of leadership wisdom. "While politics is sullied by cynicism, the sporting world, for all its faults and narrow confines, is perhaps the truest arena for the practice of modern leadership", they argue. Against an entertaining and illuminating backdrop of football and national culture Leadership the Sven-Göran Eriksson Way explores the art of management, cleverly transferring learnings from the playing field to the office.

Birkinshaw, tipped as one of the business gurus of the future and Crainer, a bestselling business writer, clearly know and love both subjects and their obvious enjoyment at having managed to combine the two translates into shrewd observation and insight. Eriksson's brand of soft, people-centred leadership, where attributes like situation-sensing, authenticity and empathy are championed, embodies the evolution towards a new leadership model, they suggest. In this way, Leadership the Sven-Göran Eriksson Way is as much an exploration of the characteristics of the emerging Swedish management movement through Eriksson as it is about the individual himself. "Sven-Göran Eriksson is by no means unique in his leadership style, but he offers us a visible and successful example of this new model of leadership." And if there are any doubts about Sweden's current dominance of enlightened business thinking, Funky Business and Netocracy should set the record straight. The result? Away win. --Iain Campbell

Review:

"..You′ll be sure to score with this one." (The Bookseller, 1 February 2002)

"..an academic from the London Business School and a seasoned management author have studied every move of the England manager and have written a book that will enable you to "Sven yourself".." (Financial Times, 25 February 2002)

"...the authors examine the "mature" form of leadership that Eriksson exemplifies: the level–headed long–termism that learns from failure, encourages responsibility and "keeps it simple"..." (The Business (FT Supplement) 6 April 2002)

"..new role models are emerging. Inspired by optimism about England′s World Cup prospects, Leadership the Sven–Goran Eriksson Way is published this month. The Lesson? Better a Swede than a turnip." (The Times, 11 April 2002)

"..ideals for those wanting to read about football while appearing to digest a management textbook (The Times, 12 April 2002)

"..this does give useful leadership tips and concentrates on successful leaders – including Eriksson. It is interest..and worth a look." (Business Age, April 2002)

"..this book is easy to read.." (Human Resources, April 2002)

probe[s] into the deep recesses of the Eriksson mind and offers a blueprint of how to run not just a football team, but a business or a government.." (Daily Express, 17 April 2002)

"..thought–provoking.." (Independent on Sunday, 14 April 2002)

"..offers a visible and successful example of this new model of leader.." (Media Week, 26 April 2002)

"dissect (Eriksson′s) techniques to discover nuggets of leadership wisdom". (Computer Weekly, 2 May 2002)

"Even football–phobes must have noticed not only that the national team is going quite well at the moment, but that this is also being achieved under a manager who neither rends his clothing in foaming hysteria nor swears at the referee – even at the height of overwhelming interest in his off–pitch activities. At least part of the explanation, according to consultants Julian Birkinshaw and Stuart Crainer, authors of Leadership the Sven–Goran Eriksson Way, lies in Swedish traditions of management, to do with qualitites such as openness and accessibility, combined with caring and nurturing..." (Times Educational Supplement, 17 May 2002)

"..very sound practical approaches to effective leadership...this is a good book to read." (People Management, 16 May 2002)

"..an informative read.." (Accountancy Age, 7 June 2002)

"...After England′s 3–0 victory yesterday, big corporations eager to learn the secrets of Eriksson′s motivational skills are prepared to pay him as much as David Beckham earns...experts in business are quick to draw parallels between football and the city...Stuart Crainer, co–author of their new book said "Basically he [Eriksson] practises grown–up, common–sense management...He does not do anything clever, he just plays to the team′s strengths and keeps expectations low..." (Sunday Times, 16 June 2002)

"...very informative..." (Modern Management, 1 August 2002) 

"...definitely worth a look... an engaging read..." (Yorkshire Post (Leeds), 31 December 2002)

, “...there are many good things in the book...give it a go...” (The Working Manager.com, 6 January 2004)

"..You′ll be sure to score with this one." (The Bookseller, 1 February 2002)

"..an academic from the London Business School and a seasoned management author have studied every move of the England manager and have written a book that will enable you to "Sven yourself".." (Financial Times, 25 February 2002)

"...the authors examine the "mature" form of leadership that Eriksson exemplifies: the level–headed long–termism that learns from failure, encourages responsibility and "keeps it simple"..." (The Business (FT Supplement) 6 April 2002)

"..new role models are emerging. Inspired by optimism about England′s World Cup prospects, Leadership the Sven–Goran Eriksson Way is published this month. The Lesson? Better a Swede than a turnip." (The Times, 11 April 2002)

"..ideals for those wanting to read about football while appearing to digest a management textbook (The Times, 12 April 2002)

"..this does give useful leadership tips and concentrates on successful leaders – including Eriksson. It is interest..and worth a look." (Business Age, April 2002)

"..this book is easy to read.." (Human Resources, April 2002)

probe[s] into the deep recesses of the Eriksson mind and offers a blueprint of how to run not just a football team, but a business or a government.." (Daily Express, 17 April 2002)

"..thought–provoking.." (Independent on Sunday, 14 April 2002)

"..offers a visible and successful example of this new model of leader.." (Media Week, 26 April 2002)

"dissect (Eriksson′s) techniques to discover nuggets of leadership wisdom". (Computer Weekly, 2 May 2002)

"Even football–phobes must have noticed not only that the national team is going quite well at the moment, but that this is also being achieved under a manager who neither rends his clothing in foaming hysteria nor swears at the referee – even at the height of overwhelming interest in his off–pitch activities. At least part of the explanation, according to consultants Julian Birkinshaw and Stuart Crainer, authors of Leadership the Sven–Goran Eriksson Way, lies in Swedish traditions of management, to do with qualitites such as openness and accessibility, combined with caring and nurturing..." (Times Educational Supplement, 17 May 2002)

"..very sound practical approaches to effective leadership...this is a good book to read." (People Management, 16 May 2002)

"..an informative read.." (Accountancy Age, 7 June 2002)

"...After England′s 3–0 victory yesterday, big corporations eager to learn the secrets of Eriksson′s motivational skills are prepared to pay him as much as David Beckham earns...experts in business are quick to draw parallels between football and the city...Stuart Crainer, co–author of their new book said "Basically he [Eriksson] practises grown–up, common–sense management...He does not do anything clever, he just plays to the team′s strengths and keeps expectations low..." (Sunday Times, 16 June 2002)

"...very informative..." (Modern Management, 1 August 2002)

"...definitely worth a look... an engaging read..." (Yorkshire Post (Leeds), 31 December 2002)

, “...there are many good things in the book...give it a go...” (The Working Manager.com, 6 January 2004)

About this edition

• Publisher: Capstone
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1841124192
• ISBN 13: 9781841124193
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 172