Robert Townsend (author)

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Robert Townsend
Townsend in 1970
Born	Robert Chase Townsend (1920-07-30)July 30, 1920 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	January 12, 1998(1998-01-12) (aged 77) Anguilla
Education	A.B., Princeton '42
Occupation(s)	Author, businessman

Robert Chase Townsend (July 30, 1920 – January 12, 1998) was an American business executive and author who is noted for transforming Avis into a rental car giant, and writing Up the Organization on business management, which spent 28 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list upon its publication in 1970.^[1]

Townsend was born in Washington, D.C., in 1920. His parents moved to Great Neck, New York, where he spent his childhood. After high school, he was accepted to Princeton University, graduating in 1942. After graduating from college, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy, serving for the remainder of World War II.

After the war, he was hired by American Express (1948–1962).^[2] By the time he left the company, he was the senior vice president for investment and international banking. In 1962, Lazard Frères bought Avis, a struggling auto rental company that had never made a profit in its existence. One of the partners, André Meyer, convinced Townsend to leave American Express and become the chief executive of Avis (1962–1965).^[2] Under his direction as president and chairman, the firm became a credible force in the industry, fueled by Avis' agency Doyle Dane Bernbach copywriter Paula Green's^[3][4] slogan "We Try Harder" and its advertising campaign (1962–65). Avis also began to have profits, which Townsend credited to Theory Y governance.

"Townsend was inspired by Douglas McGregor, professor at MIT, and author of the highly influential 'The Human Side of Enterprise' (1960)."^[5]

When Townsend went on vacation, he instructed his assistant to forward all memos intended for him, to a subordinate or the best person to handle the memo, rubber stamped with "Please handle this in your own personal way", delegating his work to his team.^[6]

In 1965, ITT acquired Avis, leading to Townsend's departure as president. After leaving Avis, he became advisor and a senior partner of Congressional Monitor^[7][8] in 1969.^[2] The company was later renamed The Washington Monitor, Inc. (1995–2018), and subsequently Leadership Directories, Inc., and Leadership Connect (2019–).^[9] He wrote the essay on business management, Up the Organization, which spent 28 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list upon its publication in 1970.^[1]

Decisions should be taken at the lowest level possible in the organisation.^[10] - Robert Townsend

In 1990, Townsend had a triple-bypass surgery. During the late 1990s, he was the chairman of the executive committee of Leadership Directories (Washington Monitor). On January 12, 1998, while vacationing in Anguilla, he had a massive heart attack, and subsequently died. Townsend was married to Joan Tours. He had three daughters, executive and attorney Claire Townsend (1952–1995),^[11] actress Jill (b. 1945). and Joan P. Townsend, as well as two sons, Jeffrey and Robert Jr.^[12][13]

• Townsend, Robert C. (1970). Up the Organization: How to Stop the Corporation from Stifling People and Strangling Profits. Knopf. LCCN 72-98654.
• Townsend, Robert C. (1988). Further Up the Organization. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0060971366.
• Townsend, Robert C.; Bennis, Warren (2007). Up the Organization: How to Stop the Corporation from Stifling People and Strangling Profits. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0787987756.

• Paging Robert Townsend