Rozenzeig, methodically takes apart both the media commentators and business book authors who talk-up certain ‘great’ features of successful leaders and then quote the very same features as bad if those leaders encounter a downturn in fortune.
The litmus test Rozenzweig applies is simple, Do these same writers PREDICT either the success or failure of important business leaders? The evidence shows they do not, they simply create a story to explain the rise or demise of leaders in an effort to have SOMETHING to say about it in order to maintain their ‘expert’ status.
Rozwenzweig clearly demonstrates that all experts can be fooled by randomness especially when its driven by the need to produce a plausible story for a publication deadline or justify a new consulting method to create sales.
This book has serious implications for all business media writers and business book authors, but more importantly for the rest of us who read the statements telling us what happened, we must now take what they say with a bucket of salt and look beyond the story for the evidence.
The book is well written,informative and logical. Every MBA student needs to study this. This book is now compulsory reading for all my staff