A book by Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations Professor Samuel C. Bacharach has been named one of the 15 best business books of 2005 by Fast Company magazine. The book is "Get Them on Your Side: Win Support, Convert Skeptics, Get Results" (Platinum Press, 2005). An expert on organizational behavior, Bacharach is the McKelvey-Grant Professor of Labor Management at the ILR School.

Business leaders need more than good ideas to get things done in organizations, the book maintains. When putting agendas in place, executives need the ability to win allies and head off resistance. Using illustrations from business, government, academia and nonprofit organizations, Bacharach shows how to build political competence and develop specific leadership skills to get results.

Fast Company called the book "a powerful primer on succeeding politically in the workplace. … This book helps you get [your] great idea to see the light of day. … Think of it as Brooklyn meets Harvard Business School."

Similar recognition came from the national Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, which praised the book for its "captivating storytelling and rich insights into management" in a Dec. 14, 2005, article on top business books of the year.

In addition, Harvard Management Update discussed the book in its January 2006 issue, in the article "Debriefing Samuel Bacharach: Sharpening Your Political Competence."

Bacharach is director of three New York City ILR programs: the Institute for Workplace Studies, Master of Professional Studies and Smithers Institute for Alcohol-Related Workplace Studies. He conducts certificate-based seminars for labor and business leaders on proactive leadership. Most recently he published studies on the effects of workplace stress on New York City firefighters and transport workers.