Ram Charan is a name that is becoming synonymous with leadership in the boardroom. His latest, Leadership in The Era of Economic Uncertainty (McGraw Hill, 2009), is a timely title as companies and individuals alike scramble for answers to solving our economic questions. Written from a strategic viewpoint high above the corporate landscape, Charan discusses critical issues on a sweepingly wide array of topics from Managing Your Inventory to Guarding Shareholder Interests - all in a tightly written 127 pages. 

What made the book noteworthy was the even-handed treatment of issues that typically force authors to choose a polar stance such as:

·      Staff reduction where Charan recommends swift action, but cautions against cutting jobs or people you'll need to replace quickly.

·      Reshaping rather than cutting your training program, with a focus on the specific problems leaders are facing.

·      Synchronizing your supply chain and shifting vendor relationships into partnerships

·      Getting your managers closer to the ground and managing more intensely 

·      Reviewing your CEO and CFO responsibilities and compensation

The author doesn't spend much time on any one issue, with the aim of the book pointing more towards creating thought and conversation points for executive boards, followed by a small dose of guidance on how the organization might begin to solve the problems given our economic state. In summary, the book serves one of its own pieces of advice - to get out of our canned way of learning how to deal with issues, take the initiative to move boldly forward, and to find the pieces of information that will help to guide your organization through these tough times.