Peter Shaw

Managers are continually faced with new challenges and dilemmas. Getting the balance right is never straightforward, however. We are always having to find the right point of equilibrium between leading and managing, the short and long term, the individual and the team, activity and reflection, and being resolute and adaptable. Leading and managing well requires you to get the balance right by adjusting your style and approach. Success often depends on making conscious decisions about the point of balance on these five key axes. This book is a valuable aid to any manager to help judge when to lead and when to follow, when to press their point and when to concede to others, or when to lead from the front or steer from behind.

The popular caricature of a great leader today is an activist who leads from the front, often through sheer force of personality - the kind of leader who will act as a saviour to a company or organisation. But most leaders are ordinary people who learn wisdom. One key to successful leadership is the ability to reflect - on one's own strengths and weaknesses, and on human nature and behaviour in order to bring out the best in others and build team spirit and morale. This practical and inspiring book sets out an approach to leadership that is more effective in the longer term and explores: the art of reflection, the ability to identify key facts, how to weigh up risks, how to nurture self-knowledge and understanding of others, how to differentiate between knowledge and wisdom, the art of listening, building a common vision and more. From their extensive experience training leaders in business, ministry and public service, the authors offer a wise and reliable guide. *Voted one of the best leadership books of the 21st century by MODEM*

This book provides a detailed summary of bridge loads from an international perspective. The authors cover all aspects from the methodology behind the calculation of bridge loads and the complex interactions between loads and bridges, to economic considerations. A wide range of bridge loads are covered, including highway vehicle loads, pedestrian loads, railing loads and wind loads. The structure and design of bridges to accommodate these loads are examined and examples provided. Different modes of failure and current codes of practice are also covered. This book is unique in its exclusive examination of the loading and will be a useful handbook for structural engineers and designers involved in bridge construction. It is also recommended to senior undergraduates and postgraduates of structural engineering and bridge design.