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First Among Equals
Book

First Among Equals

How to Manage a Group of Professionals

Patrick McKenna and David H. Maister
Free Press, 2002

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

This book is essentially a collection of practical checklists interspersed with quotations and anecdotes. It certainly meets its objective of collecting everything you need to know about managing a professional service firm’s practice group. Patrick McKenna and David H. Maister present the nuts and bolts in a straightforward format. If you feel like you could use some help to do a better job of leading your group of highly trained individuals, if you’ve just been promoted to the ranks of management and want some guidance or, worse, if you feel like you are herding cats - in Maister’s phrase - instead of leading a committed team of professional people, getAbstract.com is pleased to recommend this complete toolbox to you.

Take-Aways

  • A leader is not a boss.
  • The leader’s job is to get professionals to work together. Be clear about your role.
  • Leading a group means turning individuals into a team. This is particularly critical for a professional service firm’s practice group.

About the Authors

Patrick J. McKenna is an expert on managing professional service firms, a partner in Canada-based Edge International and the author of two Canadian Top 10 management bestsellers: Beyond Knowing and Herding Cats. David H. Maister is the author of Managing the Professional Service Firm, True Professionalism and Practice What You Preach and co-author of The Trusted Advisor.

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