Opinions vary as to what defines a “classic” business book. My own opinion is that it offers insights and counsel that are of timeless value. To paraphrase Bernard of Chartres, a 12th century monk, their authors are the shoulders upon which each new generation of leaders stands. For example:

The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action
Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton
Harvard Business Review Press (2000)

“We wrote this book because we wanted to understand why so many managers know so much about organizational performance, say so many smart things about how to achieve performance, and work so hard, yet are trapped in firms that do so many things they know will undermine performance.”

That’s a pretty wonderful question.

To answer it, Stanford professors Pfeffer and Sutton embarked on a four-year research project. Among the culprits they discovered: an emphasis on words rather than deeds; a reliance on old ways of doing things; and distrust of management.

This is a great book for managers to read and then pass down to their reports.