LION TAMING: The Art of Working with Leaders, Bosses and Other Tough Customers

Katz, formerly adviser to four U.S. senators and a staffer in the Clinton White House, has seen his share of "lions" in the government and Fortune 500 companies. These people, he maintains, are the ones who make everyone miserable because they rule their own "jungles" and play by their own rules. Since these lions will not alter their behavior patterns, it is up to their colleagues to learn essential office "taming" techniques: "The lion establishes the territory, but the lion tamer... must maximize the display of the lion's strengths, while managing the risks associated with their possible weaknesses," explains Katz. The author uses anecdotes about business lions along with techniques from both the corporate world and that of actual lion tamers. Rather than fighting the lion in the office, people must learn various strategies to keep the lion happy. These techniques include continually providing a stream of information to the lion, showing off their skills in public so the lion sees their strengths and helping the lion to feel comfortable in the office. Although the author clearly explains his approach to difficult corporate types and some of his strategies seem quite sound, this is a tough book to follow. The jargon related to lion taming slows the reader and sometimes overwhelms the practical advice. Even so, employees who are comfortable with business profiles and management theory may benefit from some of Katz's techniques. (June)