Herding Cats (Larger Format): Being Advice to Aspiring Academic and Research Leaders - Softcover

"Before leaving office for the Chinese Spring Festival I just want to say to you that your book is very well received by the scientific community, namely the Institute and Lab Directors and scientific administrative people. It is my hope that it will help enhance scientific management in China.”
Jinghua Cao, Deputy Director, Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (on the Mandarin version, translated by the CAS)
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"Thank you very much for your wonderful book, which I have just finished reading. It has given me more insight into how to approach my current position. I think it is a must read for academic administrators."
Professor Mkhululi Lukhele, Head of Dept of Orthopaedics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
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"Thank you!
I have just finished my first read of ‘Herding Cats’.
Magnificent - many aspects resonated. I will recommend it to my 5 leadership mentees!
We also have ‘enduring questions’ sessions - I will make it the focus on a coming one."
Peter Tugwell, Professor of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada
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"While I was recently acting for [the Secretary and our CEO], I saw your book on her desk so I took it home and read it. I really enjoyed it and have now recommended it to everyone I know."  
Sandra Parker, Deputy Secretary, Workplace Relations and Economic Strategy, Department of Employment, Government of Australia
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"I've used your little book on many occasions for the right individuals, a great way of sending a message and always a buzz when I see the light bulb go on!!"
Bob Gee, Deputy Police Commissioner, Queensland, Australia
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"I have just been reading Herding Cats. It is fantastic. So much wisdom and so relevant. A great book."
Dr Clare Nourse, Director of Paediatric Infection Management, Mater Mothers’ Hospitals, Brisbane, Australia and Associate Professor, Faculty of Paediatrics, University of Queensland.
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"Your book arrived yesterday. I have just dipped in here and there to start with and certainly find it resonates!  I love the section on Committees - I did once propose, as a way of increasing productivity, that we abolish all our committees and put back the ones that people miss ..."Associate Professor Grace McCarthy, and Associate Dean (Education), Faculty of Business, University of Wollongong, Australia

It is well known that in their professional lives most academics and researchers will - like cats - seek to exercise as much independence as possible.

In Herding Cats, Geoff Garrett and Graeme Davies combine their top-level experience of leading/managing international academic and research institutions with wisdom gleaned from 50 senior colleagues around the world. They deal with common leadership and management themes, like making tough strategic choices, leading change effectively, dealing with bureaucracy, allocating resources, managing budgets and ensuring effective implementation. Garrett, Davies and their friends paint a picture of the culture of a typical 'cats' environment - replete with remarkable intellects, passion, arguments, politics and prejudice, and where trying to push people to a destination is usually doomed to failure.

Herding Cats guides leaders and aspiring leaders in academic and research institutions through the process of learning to accept and embrace the qualities of their 'cats' so they can tempt them to an outcome with agility and success.

"Herding Cats is brilliant... a 'must read' for all academic and research leaders... The book is full of extraordinary insights... it should not be read once, but again and again, since the strategic guidance it provides is so invaluable." Dr Ramesh Mashelkar, FRS, formerly Director General, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, CSIR, India, and presently President of the Global Research Alliance

"Not only did I enjoy Herding Cats - I laughed out loud at how true it is. Cats indeed. I also enjoyed the novel format: succinct, engaging, and easy to comprehend. Great job." Dr Curtis Carlson, Chief Executive, SRI International, Menlo Park, USA

"This short book is lively, good fun but full of wisdom, eminently readable, great common sense and filled with really good quotes... a useful roadmap for any leader embarking on this tough enterprise." Sir Gustav Nossal, FRS, The University of Melbourne, Australia