Barbarians to Bureaucrats: Corporate Life Cycle Strategies

Written By Samuel Bonilla

My 3 Sentence Summary 📒

  • A company has a “lifecycle” and different “styles” of leadership will be needed depending on the stage of the company’s lifecycle.

  • Understanding these different “styles” of leadership, knowing when to use the traits of each style, and identifying being to identify the stage of a company’s lifecycle can help an individual to have a synergistic impact regardless of who that individuals works with or the company that individual may work for.

  • People are a company’s most important asset.

Impressions

I originally read this book with the intent of understanding the characteristics of companies that would make great investments. After completing the read, I ended up with insights on how to be bring synergy to an organization regardless of where that company is in its lifecycle or who I would work with. I also found the learnings from this book to be additive to what I learned from after having to take the Insights Discover tool for work.

Who Should Read It?

I think anyone interested in understanding their “style” of working within a company or understanding where their current company may be in its “lifecycle” should consider giving this book a read. Additionally, someone who wants to learn how to bring out the best in others and their company regardless of their own working style would benefit from reading this book (synergy!).

How the Book Changed Me

This book helped me better understand how to synergize with individuals whose working style may differ from mine. I also confirmed which stage of a company’s lifecycle I would prefer to work at and excel at given my natural characteristics. More importantly, I gained a better perspective on how to bring synergy effect to the diverse teams I may work on regardless of which stage that company may be at in its lifecycle.

My Top 3 Quotes

  • “Many corporate leaders fail to understand that the real business of the corporation is innovation.”

  • “Rigidity prevents change and inevitably leads to decline.”

  • “It is striving for the best that creates excitement and sacrifice, nothing less.”

Author’s Note

I want to highlight some books that were impactful to the way I view things, so I hope these high-level summaries entice you dive head first into your latest new book read!

Disclosures

Please note that some of the links that appear on this blog post are from companies which I will earn an affiliate commission if you click a link and make a purchase.

Samuel Bonilla