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Lessons From The
Future
From "Managed By the
Mob" By Bob Andelman
"Those who don't
understand history are doomed to repeat it."
-- Tony Soprano, "The Sopranos"
This is something Tony Soprano hears
often on his favorite cable TV channel, The History Channel.
He watches it often, often comparing his travails with those
of history's great generals.
And he's right: If something happened
once, it'll happen again. Learn from your mistakes; don't repeat
them and don't be a victim of errors in judgment. Errors are
for foot soldiers to make and pay for, not bosses.
o o o
"Don't worry, don't
worry. Look at history. Look at the Astors and the Vanderbilts,
all those big society people. They were the worst thieves-and
now look at them. It's just a matter of time."
-Meyer Lansky
Lansky-"the history book reader"-told
this to Frank Costello, who was concerned about his reputation.
Today's cockroaches are tomorrow's nuclear
holocaust survivors, right? So no matter how big a blemish on
society you may be today, tomorrow you may be the toast of the
town. Or just toast.
o o o
"Out there it's the
1990s; in this house, it's 1954."
-- Tony Soprano, "The Sopranos"
This is something Tony told his teen-age
daughter Meadow in a moment of anger, but it has much broader
applications in business. If tradition -and corporate culture-have
always dictated that you do things a certain way, make sure your
employees have a complete understanding of your philosophy on
this. Or they should be prepared for the consequences.
Read a
Sample Chapter:
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About
Bob Andelman
Bob Andelman is the author or co-author of seven books, including
"The Profit Zone" with Adrian Slywotzky, "Mean
Business" with Albert J. Dunlap, and "The Corporate
Athlete" with Dr. Jack Groppel. "Built From Scratch,"
written with the co-founders of The Home Depot, was recently
published in Japan. A paperback edition of "The Corporate
Athlete" was published in January 2001.
Publishers interested in acquiring print rights to "Managed
by the Mob" should contact Judith Hansen at Kitchen &
Hansen Agency, (212) 307-0850 or judy@kitchenandhansen.com.
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