Includes bibliographical references and index.

Managing organizations -- Harness the power of a business mission : learning from bill gates -- Create customer value : learning from Lou Gerstner -- Make effective decisions : learning from Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. -- Recognize the true nature of the problem : learning from M. C. Escher -- Make the right compromise : learning from King Solomon -- Just do it! : keep fine-tuning the right strategy : learning from Phil Knight -- Structure your organization around the customer! : learning from Michael Dell -- Be productive : learning from Frederick Winslow Taylor -- Demand effective management : learning from Warren Buffett -- Understand profit, strive for independence : learning from Coco Chanel -- Harness information : learning from Paul Julius Reuter -- Understand your sphere of action : learning from James Wilson -- Recognize inflection points and utilize performance indicators : learning from Andy Grove -- Secure feedback : learning from James Watt -- Managing innovation -- Implement ideas : learning from Steve Jobs -- Remember, innovations are rarely welcomes with open arms : learning from Gustave Eiffel -- Question every assumption : learning from Nicolaus Copernicus -- Innovate systematically : learning from Thomas Edison -- Exploit success : learning from Dietrich Mateschitz -- Practice purposeful abandonment : learning from Herbert von Karajan -- Practice creative destruction : learning from Joseph Schumpeter -- Combine existing know-how with other knowledge to create something new : learning from Ettore Bugatti -- Exploit opportunities arising from new technologies : learning from Larry page -- Recognize the future that has already happened : learning from Ray Kroc -- Managing people -- Focus on a single objective : learning from Michelangelo -- Create a perfect whole : learning from Simon Rattle -- Be results driven : learning from Michael Schumacher -- Draw on your strengths : learning from Albert Einstein -- Manage by objectives : learning from Gustav Mahler -- Plan meticulously : learning from Napoleon Bonaparte -- Be true to your own values : learning from Winston Churchill -- Surround yourself with good people : learning from Jack Welch -- Create a culture of effectiveness : learning from Herb Kelleher -- Nurture and develop people : learning from David Packard -- Invest in training : learning from Alexander von Humboldt -- Seek wise dialogue partners : learning from Camille Pissarro and Paul Cézanne -- Clearly define jobs and assignments : learning from general George Patton -- Establish effective cooperation : learning from Joe Biden -- Recognize the most important promotion : learning from Barack Obama -- Embody integrity : learning from general George Marshall -- Harness the potential of women : learning from Hillary Clinton -- Make intelligent use of your time : learning from Stephen Hawking -- Perfect your own working methods : learning from Benjamin Franklin -- Create trust : learning from Levi Strauss -- Make a life plan : what will your most important contribution be? : learning from Peter F. Drucker -- Be demanding of yourself and strive for perfection : learning from Giuseppe Verdi -- Find meaning, then use it! : learning from Viktor Frankl -- Harness the power of discipline : learning from Thomas Mann -- Motivate yourself : learning from Roger Federer -- Derive enjoyment from your profession : learning from Leonard Bernstein -- Think constructively : learning from Niki Lauda -- Act responsibly : learning from Hippocrates -- Foster creativity all life long : learning from Pablo Picasso -- Assume responsibility : learning from Harry Truman -- Look after yourself : learning from Jamie Oliver -- Commit yourself to more than just your own well-being : learning from Muhammad Yunus.