cover image The Rabbi and the CEO: The Ten Commandments for 21st Century Leaders

The Rabbi and the CEO: The Ten Commandments for 21st Century Leaders

Thomas D. Zweifel, Aaron L. Raskin. Select Books (NY), $16.95 (276pp) ISBN 978-1-59079-150-9

Authors Zweifel, CEO of the Swiss Consulting Group, and Raskin, a long-time Brooklyn Rabbi, join their prodigious knowledge to answer ""the ultimate leadership question: what makes a great leader?"" using the Ten Commandments. Going through the Commandments one by one, the duo use Bible stories and real-world anecdotes to extract smart, accessible leadership ideas without resorting to corporate or religious code-speak. The First, for example, ""I am your God who delivered you from the land of Egypt, the house of slavery,"" tells us not just what a leader does-frees himself and others (""from your limitations"")-but how he achieves and maintains that freedom: by taking responsibility. And, of course, making more commandments-continuing through the balance, Zweifel and Raskin look at respect, the ""power of no,"" ""anger management"" and walking the talk, among others broad topics, each broken down wittily and without recourse to preaching or dogma. Pull-out quotes and side bars provide quick tips, though as a whole the book reads quickly and precisely. Anyone who wants to ""transform their leadership-for good"" will find a smart and upstanding guide in this spirited (if not necessarily spiritual) collaboration.