Management from the Masters: From Kautilya to Warren Buffett by Morgen Witzel

Book Summary –

In this engaging guide, Morgen Witzel distills twenty timeless management principles drawn from legendary thinkers and practitioners—from Kautilya and Confucius to modern figures like Warren Buffett, Peter Drucker, Henry Fayol, Andrew Grove, and W. Edwards Deming. Organized into three parts—Laws of the Universe, Laws of Human Behavior, and Laws of Organizations—the book explores enduring rules such as entropy in business, unintended consequences, span of control, the Peter Principle, Parkinson’s Law, and Buffett’s Rule about understanding one’s investments.

Each rule is brought to life with historical anecdotes and modern examples that illustrate the cost of ignoring core wisdom. For instance, Witzel highlights the thread from Kautilya’s Arthashastra written 2,300 years ago to contemporary Indian corporate decisions, and shows how the Pareto principle, Gresham’s Law, and Fayol’s fourteen points remain vital in today’s businesses. The result is a slim yet richly layered book—playful in tone but deeply practical—that invites repeated reading and continual reflection.

About the Author – 

Morgen Witzel (born 1960) is a Canadian-born management historian, consultant, and prolific author. He earned his BA and MA in History from the University of Victoria and began his career as a journalist before transitioning to business academia and writing. He has lectured at London Business School and is currently a Fellow in the Centre for Leadership Studies at the University of Exeter Business School .

Witzel has written more than twenty influential management books—including Doing Business in China, Fifty Key Figures in Management, and editor of The Oxford Handbook of Management Theorists. His scholarship spans historical analysis to practical frameworks, and his books have been widely translated and used in academic and corporate settings globally

Together, Management from the Masters offers a captivating journey through centuries of managerial insight, connecting ancient wisdom with modern challenges. Morgen Witzel’s scholarly yet readable style makes this a powerful and timeless tool for managers, students, and anyone curious about the enduring principles behind effective leadership and organizational success.