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Don Peppers, Peppers & Rogers Group

Peppers: "Management is a science. Leadership is an art."

DESK ESSENTIALS

One book: Lev Alburt's book of 300 chess positions and ideas. I keep a copy of this book in my computer case and continue fantasizing that my chess game is better than it really is.

One newspaper: It is definitely the Wall Street Journal, everything else pales by comparison. I like the editorial page too, even though I used to live in a blue state and now live in the Europe.

One Web site: Because I use Firefox and not Internet Explorer my browser opens every day to four Websites, simultaneously: Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CNN.com, and FoxNews.com.

But the Website I use the most is probably www.1to1.com, which is my company's site and has thousands of pages of content, resources and case studies. Martha Rogers and I write a lot of stuff and give a lot of speeches, and this site is still one of the most up-to-date and exhaustive points reference, even if it does belong to us.

One gadget: My Bluetooth earphone.

One plane ticket: To Athens. I am learning Greek, for no other reason than because it is different enough to be interesting. Ala catalaveno ligo.

GLOBAL OFFICE

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(CNN) -- Global Office talks to Don Peppers, the founding partner of management consulting firm, Peppers and Rogers Group.

Global Office: What are you reading?

Don Peppers: I have just finished "Hot Kid" by Elmore Leonard and "Saturday" by Ian McEwan. I am also in the middle of reading about six other books that are not as compelling, but nice to read on an occasional basis. My favorite book of all time is "Guns, Germs and Steel," by Jared Diamond.

GO: Who's been your biggest influence?

DP: My wife, without question, she is not just the love of my life, but she is a really good person -- an angel. I wish I had half the intuitive skills and judgment about people that she has.

GO: What's your biggest mistake?

DP: Not selling enough of my Internet stocks when they were at the top, or even just half way to the top.

GO: Is management an art or a science?

DP: Management is a science. Leadership is an art. You can study management and get better at it, but no matter how much you study leadership, if you are not a leader you are not going to become one.

GO: What do you reach for on your desk when the fire alarm goes off?

DP: My Diet Coke, in the can, not in a plastic bottle. I never leave home without it.

Curriculum Vitae

For the last 18 months, Peppers has been working on a new book with Rogers called "Return on Customer," (Website: www.returnoncustomer.com). It looks at what companies should think about when managing and growing their business, and what it really means to be "profitable" -- when short term gains must be balanced with long-term value.

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