Riv pyramiderna!

by Jan Carlzon

Han är 80-talets ledargestalt, en av männen i toppen av pyramiden: Jan Carlzon, chef för SAS med 30 000 anställda. Under hans ledning har företaget genomgått en förvandling som väckt uppmärksamhet världen över.

Här är Jan Carlzons egen bild av det som hände inom SAS och det han tidigare upplevde som chef för Vingresor och Linjeflyg. Hans erfarenheter har lett till den övertygelse som är bokens tema: Den Nya Människan kan inte styras med order och instruktioner. Ge henne information om målet och vägen dit, ge henne ansvar och befogenheter — då frigörs energi. Decentralisera och delegera i företaget! Riv pyramiderna!

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Management, Biography, Buisness

219 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very memorable book about customer-centric service.

[Akira Sasabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several years back. This book describes and witnesses the importance of delegation and trusting your employees to make crucial decisions when they are faced with customers. Operation manuals and corporate training must be tailored to instill visions and missions of the organization so they empower the employees and give freedom to effectively make best decisions on behalf of the organization.

[S©aP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una società, un modo di fare impresa e industria, che in Italia non si possono neanche ...sognare. Se non in piccole, circoscritte, eccellenti realtà.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about leadership, about the importance of having a vision, a strategy, the importance of being bold and taking risks, on having efficient restructuring and effective communication with a clear and a sustainable reward system.

The "𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝" (those brief instants in which customers come into contact with your front-line staff) define the 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚 of your company in the eyes of the 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙧.

A simple read on how Jan managed in turning around the fortunes of 3 different travel companies: Vinegresor, Linjefly and SAS.

@sarah.eunoia

[Mind the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mkt relevant även i vår tid.

Läste under en SAS-flygning, Vasaloppssöndagen, och en av Jannes idéer är att "alltid ha ett Mångsbodarna", d.v.s. viktigt att både belöna och pusta ut på vägen mot Målet.

[Charu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decentralization is the logical thing to reasoning.
Be a good leader, break the barriers of the pyramid, involve everyone, give them the authority, due credit , reward and move ahead....

[Abhishek Shekhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read !!!

[Jackson Darlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read. Overly positive anecdotes with little substance, but told in a as-promised conversation and pleasant tone.

[Mourisham Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and timeless management lessons.

[Helle Paamand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although written in the 80s still relevant for companies today.

[Viktor Ekelund]

A good insight in to organazational culture.

[Dinorah Ramírez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es el primer libro que he leído sobre negocios, realmente pensé que iba a ser como uno de esos libros que tanto salen actualmente en donde te *venden* una idea o ideas que van siempre del mismo tipo como "cambia tu pensamiento", "el verdadero éxito" y otras frases. Sin embargo, Jan Carlzon explica un método no común en el camino hacia el liderazgo preocupandose por lo que la mayoría de la gente olvida, las personas.
Creo que ese tipo de pensamiento es muy importante en la actualidad, con la era de sobre-información e inteligencia artificial nos hemos vuelto una cultura individualista que olvida lo más importante del ser humano, sus valores, principios y forma de relacionarse.
Bien sabemos en estos días, que la gente tiene que estar forzosamente relacionada, ya sea de forma indirecta o directa, todos operamos en conjunto, es por eso que este libro me sorprendió, Jan trata de llevar este concepto de líder no como alguien que solo cumple objetivos y da resultados sino como alguien que esta a cargo de organizaciones, de una visión empresarial y lo más importante de personas que tienen sueños y tratan continuamente de desarrollarse.
Este libro me enseñó que la característica fundamental de un buen líder es (aunque suene soso y repetido) ser humilde, entender el ambiente, entender las necesidades y estar dispuesto a predicar con el ejemplo no con la palabra.
La verdad este tipo de libros no va mucho conmigo, pero lo recomiendo firmemente a aquellas personas que quieran emprender o esten empezando un negocio o como directivo de una empresa, es necesario pararnos un momento para reflexionar y analizar situaciones del entorno y este libro es la excelente representación de ello. :D
Pd. x mi le pondría 2 o 3 estrellas ya q cmo reitero no es mi tipo de libro, pero x otra parte la narración es buena, amena y no te pierdes, lo leí en dos días así q es una lectura muy fácil xd.

[Jesper Svensson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Efter att ha lyssnat på Jan Carlzon under en ledarskapsdag i höstas bestämde jag mig för att göra slag i saken och läsa hans omtalade bok "Riv pyramiderna!". Boken kom ut första gången 1985, men känns ännu aktuell. Carlzons senaste bok, från 2021, heter "Se människan!" och det är även huvudbudskapet i "Riv pyramiderna!" — hans mantra är att människor behöver bli betraktade som individer med kompetens och förmåga att ta ansvar för det arbete de utför. Allting behöver inte processas genom lager av mellanchefer, policydokument och direktiv.

Jag känner igen mycket av det Jan Carlzon beskriver från min egen vardag som chef i en statlig myndighet. Hur man ibland förväntas kommunicera och administrera beslut som fattats "högre upp i pyramiden" och som inte alltid uppfattas som logiska för de som ska utföra dem. Hur vi slits mellan ambitionen att delegera fler beslut och större ansvar till medarbetarna och de förvaltningsrättsliga kraven på likabehandling i kombination med myndighetens förtjusning i att göra instruktioner för varenda liten process.

Det går inte fullt ut att jämföra myndigheter med företag — förutsättningarna ser olika ut. Men Jan Carlzons maximer är allmängiltiga: Det viktigaste för en människa är att känna att hon behövs. När en människa i frihet får ta ansvar frigörs resurser som annars inte är tillgängliga. Det är helt klart en läsvärd bok om ledarskap, oavsett i vilket slags verksamhet man arbetar. Pyramider att riva finns det överallt!

[Dmitry · Rating 3 out of 5]

(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)

Российское издание: Моменты истины: В сервисе нет мелочей
Издательство: Альпина Паблишер, 2015 г.

В этой короткой книге, бывший CEO, описывает свои главные достижения и в компании SAS и в менее известной компании Linjeflyg.

Книга строится по системе «проблема – решение». Трудно сказать, насколько всё это реально отражает действительность, ибо бывший CEO, разумеется, не будет писать то, что его компрометирует. Что означает, что мы получаем идеализированный взгляд на то, что происходило в этих двух компаниях, а если быть точнее, главные решения автора в бытность CEO. Думаю, нет смысла говорить, что решения эти были реакцией на кризисное состояние этих двух корпораций. Автор пишет, что именно благодаря принятым им решений эти две компании и смогли преодолеть кризис, став, как я это понял, прибыльными или более прибыльными чем прежде.

С одной стороны, автор не приводит каких-то сверхновых стратегий, т.е. не предлагает что-то такое, чего не было бы известно маркетологам ещё в XX веке. С другой, автор хорошо объясняет причины своих решений. Да, ориентация на клиента не является чем-то новым, однако речь в книге идёт не о XXI веке, а о событиях 1980-х годов. В те времена подобная концепция смотрелась если не революционной, то определённо новой. И мне понравилось, как автор объясняет каждое своё решение. К примеру, он очень изящно описывает причины фокусировки компании только на одну группу клиентов, так же как объяснение, почему было принято решение о клиентоориентированности. В общем, это большой плюс книги, что автор решил не раздувать свою книгу, добавляя тонные пустого (бессмысленного/малозначимого) текста, ограничившись 160 страницами. И что сами идеи в книге написаны простым и ясным языком.

Разумеется, эта книга частично автобиография и частично - книга по менеджменту. Автор не включает в повествование своё детство, юность и пр. С другой стороны, автор не использует язык или стиль присущий академическим учебникам. Всё это позволяет книге быть похожей на большую статью в таком журнале как HBR.

Является ли книга актуальной спустя столько лет? Я думаю да, ибо идеи, которые предлагает автор, являются универсальными, т.е. то о чём пишет автор, можно найти в любой книге по маркетингу и/или менеджменту даже сегодня. И плюс, книга понравится всем любителям литературы, в которой бывший глава корпорации описывает свои принятые решения. Да, бывало, что автор описывает себя чуть ли не как самого справедливого и мудрого управленца, которого носят на руках подчинённые. Поэтому когда я сталкивался с подобным описанием автора, моё доверие сразу падало, ибо уж очень сильно автор приукрашивает отношение подчинённых к нему. Внимательный читатель заменит, что такая картина противоречит тому, о чём автор пишет в самой последней главе, когда многие сотрудники были недовольны руководством. Однако нужно понимать, что такая проблема свойственна всем книгам написанными бывшими руководителям�� компаний (я – управленческий гений, которого просто обожали все сотрудники компании).

In this short book, the former CEO describes his major accomplishments at both SAS and the lesser-known Linjeflyg.

The book is structured around a "problem-solution" system. It's hard to say how much of it really reflects reality because the former CEO certainly won't write things that compromise him, which means that we get an idealized view of what went on in these two companies, or to be more precise, the author's major decisions when he was CEO. I think it makes no sense to say that these decisions were a reaction to the crisis state of these two corporations. The author writes that it was because of the decisions he made that these two companies were able to overcome the crisis, becoming, as I understood it, profitable or more profitable than before.

On the one hand, the author does not bring any ultra-new strategies, that is, he does not offer something that would not have been known to marketers back in the 20th century. On the other hand, the author does a good job of explaining the reasons for his decisions. Yes, customer orientation is nothing new, but the book is not about the XXI century but the events of the 1980s. At that time, such a concept looked, if not revolutionary, then definitely new. And I liked the way the author explained each of his decisions. For example, the author very elegantly describes the reasons for focusing the company on only one group of customers as well as explaining why the decision was made to be customer-focused the company. All in all, it's a big plus in the book that the author chose not to bloat his book by adding tons of empty (meaningless) text, limiting himself to 160 pages. And that the ideas themselves in the book are written in simple and clear language.

Of course, this book is partly autobiography and partly a management book. The author does not include his childhood, youth, etc. On the other hand, the author does not use the language or style of academic textbooks. All this allows the book to be like a big article in a magazine like HBR.

Is the book relevant after all these years? I think so because the ideas the author offers are universal, i.e., what the author writes about can be found in any book on marketing and/or management even today. And plus, the book will appeal to all fans of literature in which the former head of a corporation describes his decisions. Yes, there were times when the author described himself almost as the fairest and wisest manager. Therefore, when I came across such a description of the author, my confidence immediately fell, because the author embellishes the attitude of his subordinates to him very much. The attentive reader will see that this picture contradicts what the author writes about in the very last chapter when many employees were dissatisfied with the management. However, you should understand that this problem is inherent in all books written by former CEOs (I was a managerial genius who was adored by everyone in the company).

[Suneet Bhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moments of Truth was a good read. Lots of head nodding For a book from 1989, it’s clear if not prescient. I tore through it (no kindle version btw!) But it was worth it.

There’s so much that’s just unimpeachable (wrong decisions vs right ones, designing cathedrals). There’s stuff that’s important (the only formula is orienting companies to the needs of the market it serves — which is why I’m a fan of studying competitors and peers but never copying them or chasing them; the worst thing is to copy the market blindly instead of designing based on your unique approach and perspective).

Love the front line decision making.

He talks less about people than I’d want to see today but wow is he great about it for a book from 1989 and companies in the 80s.

My uncle was an exec at Gore from its founding and I do believe the 70s got a lot right while the late 80s and 90s, in the environment of Reagan and Clinton … got a lot catastrophically wrong that we’re still shaking off.

[Emil Eriksson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about the importance of being a leader, rather than a boss. A boss makes decisions and gives orders to employees, resulting in a trickle down organization where the only people (front line workers) who actually understand the end users' problems don't have the authority to act on it. On the other hand, a leader lays out a vision, communicates information to employees and gives them the authority to realize the company vision.

The book is about 35 years old and while the sentiment is definitely a good one, perhaps enough people have already embraced it because it doesn't feel very insightful or revolutionary nowadays.

[Robert Gistvik · Rating 4 out of 5]

En bok helt klart före sin tid, men trots detta så tycker jag att alltför få organisationer har lyckats med det som boken tar upp - att flytta ansvaret och besluten till där informationen finns och inte tvärtom. Trots att boken är över 30 år gammal nu så är den alltså tyvärr fortfarande högaktuell!

Vad saknas för den sista stjärnan? Hade gärna sett att utmaningar och problem (och hur de hanterades) hade fått mer utrymme. Jan Carlzon framställer sig som ett organisationsgeni (vilket han kanske är) och kanske är det min svenskhet som skiner igenom här, men det hade varit uppfriskande med lite självdistans då och då =)

[Hannes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bra, såklart, men trodde jag skulle tycka den var än mer revolutionerande. Kanske har det som var nytt och banbrytande då boken skrevs så tydligt kommit ut i organisationer? Jobbar på företag där det känns som hans idéer om ansvar, planering nära verksamhet osv är väldigt naturligt så blev inte blåst av stolen så att säga - men inspirerande. Tycker dock det kundfokuserade är mer relevant än ledarskapsbitarna, att våga välja bort, att hålla sig till strategin och att förklara strategin för medarbetarna exempelvis.

[Aaron Keeffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Carlzon’s ideas are no longer as revolutionary in 2024 as they were when the book was written 40 years ago, he succinctly outlines what’s needed to bring a customer-oriented focus your business. This is just as relevant to a 21st century start up that is finding its way, suddenly realising it has customers to service and no idea where to start, as it was to airlines in the 80s.
Reading it re-energised my push to drive change in my CX team, the ideas are succinct, easy to communicate and have very relatable examples.

[المهند السبيعي · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing leadership book, help the reader to understand what does it mean to be a customer-centric company in real world ... how to do smart delegation and wise empowerment for your frontline employees and finally you will understand the real impact of strategy and vision ... although it is written long time ago but all advices within this book is applicable on our current era (era of customers)

this book can be considered as one of the first written books about customer experience

[Brendan Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bold approach to business 30 years ago. Resonates today with the flat organization approach. Key is to empower the operational team in the first-line engaging the customer. I think companies to half the approach over the past 20 years (flat, rally associates with a broad vision), but miss the opportunity to steer organization around customer first.

[Niklas Angmyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intressant tidsdokument. Rubriken är missvisande eftersom Carlzon inte alls menar att pyramiderna ska rivas, de ska bara göras lägre. Men han visar på en problematik som fortfarande är aktuell idag dvs att hierarkier inte är särskilt ändamålsenliga visavi de krav som marknad och konkurrens ställer.

[Eskild Walnum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, mission command in a business context. The story if being bold and daring to go down the narrow path of giving away control. Delegating responsibility and authority takes courage from a leader, Jan Carlzon did it.

[Shryansh Sacheti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlzon gives a cockpit view of how he ran business at three different organization with a different strategy . He also breaks down running the organization in finite parts and how he tackled each part . A fascinating read !

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

School assignment

[Saurin Yagnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Implementing business strategy without any fear brings in sure success! Aviation Stalwart’s milestones are truly inspirational! A must read for a Avaition enthusiast!

[Sid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple , powerful and great concepts !
Worth trying to execute

[Lindzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jag tror inte på hierarkier. Organisation i skolan ska vara platt, demokratisk och ledarskapet ska vara relationellt och empatiskt - då fungerar allt som bäst.

[borgona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den som inte har fått information kan inte ta ansvar. Den som har fått information kan inte undgå att ta ansvar.

[Manoj Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book on management practices