Bob Lewis (2) (1952–)

Lewis and Lee pull no punches in delineating the inadequacies of the industrial-age business model and practices. But they don’t stop there. They provide a new way to think about business and how to conduct it. It is a business paradigm that puts people at the core of an enterprise, whether those people be internal employees or external customers. They describe how to create businesses that are more human and humane. This is the value of the book. The authors clearly explain the new thinking needed for doing business in the 21st century and how to incorporate that thinking into leadership and management practices. What is unclear is the use of the label “cognitive enterprise.” The authors define such a business as being one that succeeds by being knowledgeable in a collective sense. But the book contains a wider-ranging discussion about doing business in a new era. How each of the many subjects discussed specifically link with a cognitive enterprise model is unclear. Any label is too confining for what the authors have to share. They are providing a new way to conceive of business and how it is practiced. The authors’ let’s-get-real writing style is refreshing and concise. A recommended read for anyone responsible for operating an organization in the 21st century.… (altro)