For over fifty years, Charles Handy has set the tone for leadership thinking. In this business classic, he lays out one of his most famous ideas: the four types of organisational culture, as exemplified by the Greek Gods. Culture is central to a company's efficiency and success, whether it is shaped by a Zeus-like central power or the task-oriented focus of Athena, by Apollo's hierarchical assignment of roles or the person-centred preference of Dionysus. Successful leaders know their own styles, and cultivate these qualities to create dynamic, productive teams that are top of their field.

Russell Ackoff's long and distinguished career as the doyen of Design and Systems Thinking was built around a collection of deceptively simple-but often overlooked-principles and observations. In Differences That Make a Difference-the last of his many books-Ackoff determined to distill the wisdom of a lifetime into a "glossary" that would be easily accessible to managers, employees, students, and academics alike. His aim was to dissolve (not solve or resolve) some of the many disputes in professional and private life that revolve around meaning and (mis)understanding. For example, development and growth do not mean the same thing. A cemetery or rubbish heap can grow without developing, whereas a person continues to develop long after he or she has stopped growing. Ackoff understood that getting to the bottom of differences like this one could have far-reaching practical consequences for improving our organizational health. In Differences That Make a Difference, he has succeeded magnificently in creating what Charles Handy in his Foreword calls "a manual for clear thinking." And if the world ever needed clear thinking...

Charles Handy zahlt zur Handvoll weltweit bakannter Vordenker der Geschaftswelt. Handys Buch ist eine Fundgrube fur herausfordernde Gedanken."
Die Zeit

"In grundlegenden Essays analysiert der Professor fur Managementpsychologie mit scharfem Blick die geistige wie wirtschaftliche Situation der westlichen Gesellschaft an der Schwelle zur Jahrtausendwende."
Welt am Sonntag