Dirk Schlimm - Influencing Powerful People: Engage and Command the Attention of the Decision-Makers to Get What You Need to Succeed

Praise for Influencing Powerful People

I would definitely recommend this book to others. Having worked for such powerful people in my past experience, I learned the hard way many of the lessons Dirk Schlimm has been able to capture in his book. He has clearly articulated the challenges and offers practical insight for effectively managing, and ultimately influencing, these type-A personalities. A must-read for all business school graduates looking to advance their careers.

Joel Schulman, Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing, Genzyme Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts

In the business world, often the most creative entrepreneurs have strong personalities and prove very difficult, if not impossible, to work for or with. However, to successfully grow their businesses, these very talented entrepreneurs almost always need a strong counterbalancesomeone with unique skills to be a positive interface and make an impact. Dirk Schlimm has the experience and success in this capacity, and his book offers invaluable help to others in this type of environment.

John Doddridge, former Chairman and CEO, Intermet Corporation; former Director, Penske Corporation; and former President, Magna International

Dirk Schlimms book provides a compelling analysis of people in power and what it takes to deal with them. Whether you are an emerging senior executive, an experienced director of a publicly traded company, or a fundraiserknowing how to deal with powerful (and self-absorbed) people is a key to success.

David Beatty, Conway Chair of the Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics and Board Effectiveness, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Having seen the eff ectiveness of Dirk Schlimms methods firsthand in a tenuous situation, I can say only one thing: buy this book!

Daniel Marks, President, Stonehouse Capital Management, Toronto, Canada

I wish I had read Dirk Schlimms book twenty years ago! There are many powerful leaders in Europe, and I had to find out the hard way many of the lessons Dirk shares in his book. His book certainly would have put me on a steeper learning curve.

Tom Haak, Group Director Human Resources, ARCADIS, Arnhem, The Netherlands

The ability to work with and influence key decision makers becomes more critical as executives move higher on the corporate ladder. Dirk Schlimms insights will prove invaluable for both those aiming for the top of the pyramid and those who just want to do well where they are. These skills are transferable across continents and extremely important in a globalized business world.

Katherine Zheng, Director, Greater China, Spencer Stuart, Beijing, China

Influencing powerful people is an art. It is a mix of technical skills, experience, instinct, empathy, and creativity. It may be difficult but, in the end, also very rewarding, both intellectually and professionally. There are many biographies or business cases regarding powerful people, but it is rare to find a book that helps you deal with them, influence them, and prevent the risk of being too complacent. Dirk Schlimms book is a survival manual that is both interesting and very useful.

Giuseppe Addezio, Head of Human Resources and Organization, Pirelli Tyre and Part Group, Milan, Italy

Working with powerful people, no matter if entrepreneurs or top leaders of corporations, is a great experience. It is a hard learning curve, however. While individually these people are all different, they do share many characteristics, such as intelligence, vision, and instinct. Having had the chance to work with many powerful people, I wish I had been better prepared. Influencing Powerful People is not another management or leadership book but a unique guide for all people who will experience these situations.

Volker Neuber, President, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Knigsbrunn, Germany

Most people during exit interviews say they leave an organization for better prospects. In reality, most good people leave because of their managers or poor management. If there was a strategy to understand how to influence or, at best, work better with demanding people, we would start to empower these individuals who are valuable intellectual assets. Dirk Schlimms book is both timely and of great value to every one of us who has had to deal with overbearing individuals and not been able to put in place an effective strategy in overcoming these adversities.

David Tan, Program Director, Trenium, and Program Founder, Camp Discovery

Dirk Schlimm is a noted author and speaker on issues related to power and politics in organizations. He has distilled a wealth of knowledge gained from years of engaging a wide array of leaders from different cultural backgrounds into a book that will prove indispensible to practitioners and students keen on learning the soft skills necessary to engage powerful people. This is an extremely relevant work that meets a long-standing need for a readable and comprehensive view of the practical methods for influencing those in power.

Leonard C. Sebastian, Associate Professor, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore

Influencing Powerful People provides a unique perspective and fills a gaping hole for anyone responsible for improving organizations and their performance. With his insights and recommendations, Dirk Schlimm delivers the guide to making leadership effective, especially in organizations that overflow with powerful egos.

Friedrich Blase, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Holland & Knight LLP, New York, New York

Taming of the Shrewd may be a more apt title for this must-read book for those trying to channel the energies of a difficult boss. Dirk Schlimms well-presented case studies provide valuable insights to optimize any working relationship.

Bruce Haas, Partner, Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto, New York, New York

ENGAGE AND COMMAND THE ATTENTION OF THE DECISION MAKERS TO GET WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

DIRK SCHLIMM

Copyright 2011 by Dirk Schlimm. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07-175405-7

MHID: 0-07-175405-9

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