“Jeffrey Pfeffer has a rare combination of academic rigor and practical genius. Grounded in research, a revered pioneer in his field—yet dedicated to helping leaders lead—he stands as one of the sparking gems in the field of management.”
—Jim Collins, author, Good to Great, and coauthor, Built to Last
“A wise book of penetrating intellect wrapped in readable prose that every student, practitioner, and even expert in business must read. If they don’t, it is their grand omission.”
—Jack Valenti, Former President, Motion Picture Association of America
“I work with real executives every day. An executive is seldom a God, Devil, Genius, or Idiot: an executive, like the rest of us, is a human being. What Were They Thinking? Clearly explains why executives make human mistakes and how these common mistakes can be avoided. You may well think of your own mistakes and answer the question, “What was I thinking?’”
—Marshall Goldsmith, executive coach and author, What Got You Here Won’t Get YouThere
“Jeffrey Pfeffer is one of the leading organizational behavior scholars of our time. What Were They Thinking? provides an accessible and insightful integration of theory and pragmatism developed through the thoughtful lens that only Jeff could provide. You will consume this book like a good Chinese dinner—pick what you want to eat from a rich menu, and expect to be hungry for more in a few hours.”
—Gary Loveman, Chairman, President, and CEO, Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.
“I can think of no scholar who has done more than Jeffrey Pfeffer to document how much a company’s success depends on how well that company leverages the strength of its human resources. In What Were They Thinking?, Pfeffer provides numerous examples of the companies that get it wrong and the companies that get it right. The result is a theoretically grounded, practical guide for managers on how they can get the most from their people.”
—Joel M. Podolny, Dean and William S. Beinecke Professor of Management, Yale School of Management
“What Were They Thinking? is a collection of snippets, most of which are good common sense. Yet, given how uncommon good common sense can be in corporations, this anthology makes for a very useful reference volume.”
—Shona L. Brown, SVP Business Operaitons, Google, and coauthor,Competing on the Edge
“Beyond Managing with Power, beyond Hard Facts, this latest book from Jeffrey Pfeffer takes the principle of ‘learning from the mistakes of others’ and helps put it into applied practice for business leaders. Combining solid theory with plenty of practical examples, he relates cautionary tales of situations where short-sighted managers have accidentally wandered off the path to success. This helpful book taps into the voice of experience so that we don’t all have to learn these lesson the hard way.”
—David Kelley, Cofounder and Chairman, IDEO
