Avery, G.C. & Bergsteiner, H. 2010.
Honeybees & Locusts: The Business Case for Sustainable Leadership
Allen & Unwin: Sydney.
ISBN: 9781742373935
Original Australian version.
Buy: Australia | Rest of world
“Avery and Bergsteiner have identified 23 leadership practices that enable organizations to survive and thrive in both good and bad economies. This is a book worth reading, and using!” – Professor Dave Ulrich, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and Partner, The RBL Group
Since biblical times, honeybees and locusts have represented creation and destruction. Honeybees build community and ecosystems; locusts eat green fields bare. Avery and Bergsteiner use these insects to illustrate two dominant leadership philosophies. Organizational honeybee behaviour leads to more sustainable and more profitable long-term results; locust behaviour can bring short term profit but ultimately diminishes the organization.
Avery and Bergsteiner’s extensive research in companies around the world identifies 23 practices that drive genuinely sustainable leadership. More than a triple bottom line approach, these practices protect a firm’s brand and competitive advantage, create customer and employee satisfaction, drive long term performance and shareholder value and make for a more sustainable world. Honeybees and Locusts is compelling reading for managers looking for an evidence-based approach to achieving quantum leaps in organizational performance.