Charles Handy - Management Philosopher

I met management philosopher Charles Handy today, as he was in New York to record a webcast interview at AMA, as well as to visit Forbes and the Economist.

Now 75 years old, Handy (who travels with his wife Elizabeth, a professional photographer) is still going strong, appearing on radio and TV, giving interviews, and writing books (his latest is the autobiographical Myself and Other Important Matters). He was just in Boston at the Summit on the Future of the Corporation where he called for a change in the rules of the game, a change of mind, about the purpose of a business organization.

His interests range from business and management, to education and society . . . and the future. Some bits of Handy wisdom:

- On learning to manage: Don't expect to learn it by getting an MBA. Instead, get out there and start managing.

- On the function of schools: The school-day should end at noon, to be followed by a new faculty who engage the students in an afternoon of real projects, artistic, athletic, scientific, social, etc.

- On the purpose of corporations: Profit is secondary to their real purpose, which is to make a difference in the world.

Charles Handy is a very interesting guy.

The Handy interview webcast will be broadcast on January 30.

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Nov 16, 2007