Author : Justin Hughes
Publisher: ISBN: 978-1-4729-3022-1 :229 Pages
What’s it about ? :Justin Hughes is the former lead flyer of the world-renowned Red Arrows air display team. This book is a collection of his musings on what he’s learned, practised and observed about the quirks of leadership in often tense situations in the air and on the ground.
Who’s it for ? : Anyone who thinks they need some insight into the motivations and inner working of high-performance teams.,
Why read it ? : The publishers picked and paraphrased the Holy Grail of business books “In Search of Excellence,” that Tom Peters and Robert Waterman’s timeless tome from 1982. This book, sadly, won’t stand test of time, but you can glean a few ideas within its 200 plus pages.
What’s the style ? : Hughes calls on his enthusiasm for flying and leading teams. It isn’t a great read, a tad prosaic and pedestrian, not a page-turner. Possibly, like a good pilot, he doesn’t come across as making doing a job very exciting. But he’s what you want in a pilot, a safe pair of hands and no aerobatics
The best advice ? : Chapter 8 ( page 1898) “Missing Sink Holes”. Gives the reader some serious food for thought.
… and if only time to read one chapter ?: We’d plump for Chapter 4 (page 49) “Building the Teams and Organization you Need”. Good on elements of how to structure and create the capability for securing high performance
How MCE rate it? : A little disappointed. Began our read with sky-high hopes, but quickly came down to earth This formation doesn’t grab you and a bit too much of the name dropping. Not a disaster but nothing to get your teeth into and have an urge to make notes. We’ll give it a middle of the road 3 out of 10.
How to buy it ? : You’re the best bet is hit the Amazon search site and just keep clicking.
