In this unprecedented study of America's leading executives, John Kotter shatter
s the popular management notion of the effective "generalist" manager who can st
ep into any business or division and run it. Based on his first-hand observation
s of fifteen top GMs from nine major companies, Kotter persuasively shows that t
he best manager is actually a specialist who has spent most of his or her career
in one industry, learning its intricacies and establishing cooperative working
relationships. Acquiring the painstaking knowledge and large, informal networks
vital to being a successful manager takes years; outsiders, no matter how talent
ed or well-trained seldom can do as well, this in-depth profile reveals.
