Essentials

Name: Essentials
ISBN: 9787553683133

约翰·汉尼斯 / Yang BinZhejiang Education Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

4.3

Word count: 119K words
Chapters: 70
ISBN: 9787553683133

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Summary

Essentials is a major work by John L. Hennessy, former president of Stanford University, chairman of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Turing Award winner, and the "godfather of Silicon Valley," translated under the leadership of Professor Yang Bin, director of the Leadership Research Center at Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management. Essentials is President Hennessy's leadership course for the new generation who aspire to become leaders. Drawing on his own real-world cases of being "tempered by action," he speaks from experience, distilling what he learned from struggling in the arena "covered in mud, sweat, and blood" into ten down-to-earth, truth-seeking essentials of leadership. Not chicken soup, not formulas, not theory, yet vivid and lifelike, sensible and heartfelt, and gently transformative. This book is by no means "another one" added to the towering shelves of leadership literature; it is destined to be the one you should most read. Nothing is truly known until it has been experienced, and no one gains the essentials without practice. There is probably no second person in the world who can be as successful as Hennessy at the same time in scientific research, university management, and corporate governance. The "ten gains" summarized by President Hennessy are plain and unadorned, yet rich in meaning. A leader's will and resolve are not about issuing orders and enjoying the fruits of others' labor, but about taking responsibility, serving, taking risks, pushing the stone uphill, and using "dissent" and "difference" to make people "see" and together "realize." Essentials is a leadership guide written for those who act, not merely for those who hold office.

Editor's review

What makes this book valuable is that it does not discuss leadership from concept to concept, but distills Hennessy's experience of "learning on the job" at Stanford, at Google's parent company Alphabet, and on the front lines of research management into ten plain yet actionable principles of leadership. The book stresses that leadership is not about issuing orders or reaping rewards, but about taking responsibility, serving, taking risks, and pushing the stone uphill—a corrective to the many books that equate leadership with position and rhetoric. Professor Yang Bin's translation keeps the text clear and restrained in Chinese; it persuades not through motivational clichés or piled-up theory but through real cases that make the principles vivid. It suits people in management roles facing concrete problems, and also university students and young professionals who want to understand early the difference between "those who do" and "those who hold office." Read it as a reflection manual: for each principle, recall your most recent decision or team-leading experience and see what needs adjusting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Mid-level managers currently responsible for teams who want to calibrate their leadership style through real cases
University students and young professionals seeking an early understanding of the difference between leadership and positional power
Key staff in research or educational institutions responsible for organizing and coordinating projects
Readers interested in Stanford and Silicon Valley management practice who want a non-cliché leadership book

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic leadership theory textbook or academic research framework
Those only looking for quick-success rhetoric and motivational slogans
Readers with little interest in university governance, research management, or corporate governance cases

Reading tips

Read through the ten principles first, then select the two or three most relevant to your current work for close reading and note-taking.
After each chapter, write a page on the gains and losses of your most recent related decision to create a comparison.
Read alongside colleagues or friends and hold a discussion around keywords such as responsibility, service, and risk-taking.
Do not rush to finish; keep it at hand and revisit by theme when you encounter management challenges.

About the publisher

Zhejiang Education Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Education Publishing House is a professional publisher focusing on educational publishing while also serving general readers and academic accumulation, with publications covering textbooks, educational readers, popular science, and academic works. Judging from the more than 1,000 titles in the database, the press places considerable emphasis on classics and traditional culture for general readers: modern literature includes Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Wandering and Wild Grass, Xiao Hong's The Story of Hulan River, and Zhu Ziqing's Back View; classical poetry includes Three Hundred Tang Poems and selections from the "Good Chinese Poetry" series, such as the Chu Ci and Qing ci anthologies. Related authors include modern writers such as Lao She, Lu Xun, Xiao Hong, and Zhu Ziqing, as well as classical literature selectors and annotators such as Hengtang Tuishi, Jin Xingyao, Jin Kaicheng, and Qian Zhonglian. Common categories in the database also include social novels, classic works, prose and miscellaneous writings, popular science, and inspirational growth, reflecting a publishing orientation that balances educational service with the popularization of public culture.

版权信息
各方赞誉
推荐序1 领导者的伟大坚守
推荐序2 领导力的内涵
译者序校长的领导力讲义
前言领导力之旅
第1章谦逊，有效领导力的基础
在寻求帮助中学会谦逊
在工作环境中习得谦逊
培养谦逊的品质
谦逊和雄心壮志
谦逊，个人成长之本
第2章本色与信任，有效领导力的核心要素
努力成就自我
坚守本色与受人信任实属不易
为什么坚守本色对领导力至关重要
与合作伙伴建立信任关系
本色领导力：共同成长与相互理解的历程
第3章服务型领导力，理解谁为谁工作
服务何人：眼光放长远
为社区服务的领导者
以组织使命服务社区
倾注服务意识
将他人的服务铭记于心
第4章同理心，塑造领导者和组织的秘诀
界定同理心的个人层面和组织层面
兼顾同理心与理性
平衡同理心与公平
团队中的同理心
可感知的同理心
培养未来领袖的同理心
第5章勇气，为组织与社区挺身而出
牢记核心使命
在社区需要你时挺身而出
有时候勇气意味着坚定不移
不要害怕冒险
第6章合作与团队配合，一个人不能包打天下
建立高效团队
找准你的角色：成功合作的关键
齐心协力，成就大事
与上级合作
选择和管理团队领导者
当合作的努力付诸东流
庆祝团队的成功
第7章创新，打开商业和学术成功之门
积极自由地去开展创新活动
创新驱动创业
创新中的合作伙伴
学术与产业：寻求协同，转化成果
管理创新：伸出引领之手
创新与战略规划
整合战略规划
第8章求知欲，为什么终身学习至关重要
阅读是最好的礼物
从别人的经验中学习
我的书库
第9章讲好故事，愿景沟通
好的故事触动内心
把愿景塑造成故事
故事在商业中的力量
精彩的故事从何而来
第10章遗绩，你留给世人的东西
关注真正有意义的事情
你的角色决定你的遗绩
与时俱进打造你的遗绩
帮助他人创造遗绩
等待机会再做下一步打算
结语培养未来的世界级领袖
附录汉尼斯的图书馆
译者跋心件的力量

FAQ

Is this book suitable for workplace newcomers with no management experience?

Yes. The book discusses the will and resolve of leaders, emphasizing responsibility, service, and risk-taking, and does not rely on job titles. Newcomers can use it to understand the difference between "those who do" and "those who hold office" and to build an early awareness of responsibility and decision-making. However, some cases at the level of university governance and corporate boards require some background knowledge.

Are the leadership points in the book derived from theory or summarized from cases?

According to the source material, Hennessy speaks from his own real cases of "learning on the job" and summarizes ten plain, truth-seeking principles of leadership; the style is plain, not motivational, not formulaic. Readers should treat it as distilled experience rather than a systematic theory textbook.

How is the translation quality? Will it feel remote?

The book is translated under the lead of Professor Yang Bin, director of the Leadership Research Center at Tsinghua SEM. The source material emphasizes that the text is vivid, reasonable, and gently persuasive, with an overall orientation toward clarity and restraint. Readers familiar with management contexts will find few obstacles; for cases set in American universities and tech companies, reading slowly with annotations helps.

How long does it take to read, and is it suited to close reading or skimming?

The source material gives no length information, so time cannot be estimated accurately. In terms of content, it suits thematic close reading rather than one-time skimming: read through to grasp the ten principles, then revisit key chapters in light of your own work, with notes and discussion—this works better than flipping through quickly.

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About the author

约翰·汉尼斯 Author

John Hannes is an author who has drawn attention in the Chinese-language book market for his writing on management. Public information about him is limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, and professional career are not clearly documented. Three of his works are currently included in the catalog: The Essentials, the twelve-volume Practical Wisdom of Leadership series, and the Empowering Leadership series, all commonly classified under management. These works center on leadership, addressing how managers establish principles, make judgments, motivate teams, and translate ideas into daily practice. The writing tends toward summaries of experience and actionable suggestions rather than abstract theoretical exposition. The Essentials is often regarded as an entry point to his thinking, while the series volumes extend the same themes from different angles, making them suitable for readers seeking systematic reading on leadership.

Yang Bin Author · China · 1969

Yang Bin, born in May 1969 in Xinle, Hebei Province, is a professor at Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management and director of its Leadership Research Center. He previously served as Vice President, Provost, and Dean of the Graduate School of Tsinghua University. His research focuses on organizational behavior and leadership, business ethics, and higher education management. He is the author of Strategic Rhythm, Corporate Sudden Death, and In Illustrious Virtue, and the translator of Quiet Leadership, Managers Not MBAs, and The Trouble with Universities and Innovation. His works span a wide range of subjects, including management, leadership, higher education, health, biography, and history, such as Anatomy of Stretching Exercises, Precision Stretching, Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War, and Between the Seas: China and the World in Maritime Asia, combining professional depth with readability.