Good Business

In psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's definition of leadership, the personal is political. In Good Business, the bestselling author of Flow interviewed several dozen exemplary CEOs whose wisdom provides the radical job description of the book's premise: "Leaders must make it possible for employees to work with joy to their heart's content, while responding to the needs of society". Csikszentmihalyi leverages his definition of "flow"--the capacity for full engagement in an activity--to create a blueprint for a workplace in which bringing out the best in workers comes before products and profit. When leaders select and reward employees who find satisfaction at work, they can create an upwardly moral organisation.

In this view, leadership is a privilege that requires leaving ego at the door and peering into the mirror to ask tough questions. For example, "How do I determine if something is right or wrong?" Or, "What is my business doing to benefit human well being?" He offers some inspiring stories from leaders who engage employees to go with the flow, including Body Shop CEO Anita Roddick, Patagonia crown prince Yvon Chouinard and media mogul Ted Turner. Some of Csikszentmihalyi's advice will sound familiar. Yet he creates a compellingly fresh vision of good business in both a material and spiritual sense. Ultimately, the success of this book lies in its powerful, non-flaky ability to define corporate soul in terms of a company becoming a stakeholder in an entity larger than itself. --Barbara Mackoff, Amazon.com

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View books by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Packed with Knowledge! - Rated
Take a look at the scandal-filled headlines, or just read a Dilbert comic strip about cubicle culture, and the message is clear: the business world is cutthroat, unethical and no fun. But here comes psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi with a contrarian message. Work should be fun, and companies should care about something aside from the bottom line. Using examples such as clothing maker Patagonia and investment pioneer Sir John Templeton, Csikszentmihalyi makes a convincing case that profits must come after meaning. Patagonia, for instance, lets workers take surf breaks, and Templeton became a model of full engagement. We suggest this book to any manager seeking a better way to do things, and to any employee hankering for deeper job satisfaction.

Good Work Makes You Happy - Rated
Although many people view work primarily negatively, it can actually contribute importantly to your well-being, more so than gaining more and more possessions. And because work is so important, it is vital that managers and employees create conditions in which good work can happen. But what is good work? It is enjoying doing your best while at the same time contributing to something beyond yourself. Csikszentmihalyi explains how this can be achieved through two processes: 1) experiencing flow and 2) growth toward complexity. Managers and employees can do quite a lot to advance conditions of flow and complexity. The book contains a great framework, is well written and contains good examples. I think this is a wonderful book, which I probably would have liked even more if it had been still a bit more practical. Still, I recommend this book highly for anyone searching for ways to improve work and careers.
Coert Visser

Good Work Makes You Happy - Rated
Although many people view work primarily negatively, it can actually contribute importantly to your well-being, more so than gaining more and more possessions. And because work is so important, it is vital that managers and employees create conditions in which good work can happen. But what is good work? It is enjoying doing your best while at the same time contributing to something beyond yourself. Csikszentmihalyi explains how this can be achieved through two processes: 1) experiencing flow and 2) growth toward complexity. Managers and employees can do quite a lot to advance conditions of flow and complexity. The book contains a great framework, is well written and contains good examples. I think this is a wonderful book, which I probably would have liked even more if it had been still a bit more practical. Still, I recommend this book highly for anyone searching for ways to improve work and careers.
Coert

Good Work Makes You Happy - Rated
Although many people view work primarily negatively, it can actually contribute importantly to your well-being, more so than gaining more and more possessions. And because work is so important, it is vital that managers and employees create conditions in which good work can happen. But what is good work? It is enjoying doing your best while at the same time contributing to something beyond yourself. Csikszentmihalyi explains how this can be achieved through two processes: 1) experiencing flow and 2) growth toward complexity. Managers and employees can do quite a lot to advance conditions of flow and complexity. The book contains a great framework, is well written and contains good examples. I think this is a wonderful book, which I probably would have liked even more if it had been still a bit more practical. Still, I recommend this book highly for anyone searching for ways to improve work and careers.
Coert Visser, m-cc.nl