What? Another management book? You will find And People? to be refreshingly different. Its Eastern European perspective, enhanced with best practices and research studies, will reveal the secrets for successfully leading and managing people. Part textbook, part handbook, each word is crafted based upon author Ivica Vrancic’s 20 years of experience in management and consulting, which includes working with hundreds of managers from all hierarchy levels.

And People? dares to ask why so many managers spend more time, resources, and consideration on their company cars than the real greatest asset of any business: people. Early chapters explore motivation and organization culture; later, Vrancic examines the challenge of selecting the right people for your organization and developing those people to maximize their strengths. Through practical real-world examples built on respected theoretical foundations, readers will gain new insight into the dual role of both manager and leader.  

And no, a manager and a leader are not the same thing.

From Dave Ulrich’s Foreword:

Ivica does a masterful job in this well written book of simplifying the complex requirements for business success. He offers metaphors and examples of how leadership and management skills both need to exist in a successful business. His insights are particularly helpful in that he adapts them to his experiences in Eastern Europe but shows how they would apply to businesses throughout the world.

The book does a wonderful job with simplicity and clarity. Ivica distils volumes of management ideas into digestible nuggets. He then brings in research from thought leaders with specific findings along with examples that bring his ideas to life. He also makes sure that the reader is responsible to manage the tensions or tradeoffs between leadership and management; between individuals and organizations. Creating and sustaining a successful business is not a linear progression following a how-to guide. Success comes from navigating a more complex set of choices. Ivica offers a thoughtful roadmap that can be used to help executives at any level of a company make informed choices about building a successful organization.