The Human Element - by Thomas Cleary (Paperback)

About the Book

Original publication and copyright date: 1994.

Book Synopsis

Insightful lessons from the great traditions of Asian thought on: The essentials of wise leadership. Decision-making without prejudice. Inspiring loyalty and maintaining authority. Determining an individual's true character. Encouraging the best in people. Achieving success without sacrificing happiness.

From the Back Cover

To judge people's true character, pay careful attention to what they do, not to what they say; to develop human resources successfully, first develop your own skills and resources; be exacting without being needlessly demanding; and don't dwell on the present but always look to future goals. These are just a few of the insights revealed in this basic course on how to recognize, organize, and develop human resources. Drawing on essential sources - such as Confucius, Lao Tzu, Sun Tzu, and the I Ching - Thomas Cleary shows what today's business executives, personnel managers, and political leaders can learn from these ancient Asian traditions about the inner dynamics of human interaction. Among the selections are passages from an important but less well-known work, The Thirty-six Strategies, which summarizes the powerful techniques of the Asian "art of advantage". Also provided are short, accessible introductions to Confucianism, Taoism, The Art of War, and the I Ching, along with lists of resources for further reading.

Review Quotes

"A glistening jewel of wisdom that gracefully rearranges the tangles of commercial life. The Human Element contains more practical 'management' advice than the last decade's worth of how-to books. Don't read it once. Not even twice. If you care about your business, work, or family you will want to read it for the rest of your life."--Paul Hawken, author of The Ecology of Commerce and Growing a Business

"Thomas Cleary's new book should be required reading for everyone at IBM and all other endangered corporations. It elucidates the principles of four Oriental traditions including Confucianism and Taoism, to show how they can be useful in the management of human resources. The Human Element is chock full of good ideas for leaders."--Milton Moskowitz, coauthor of 100 Best Companies to Work For in America

About the Author

Thomas Cleary holds a PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. He is the translator of over fifty volumes of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic texts from Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Pali, and Arabic.