Great by Choice

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Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All
by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen

He’s b-a-c-k-k-k-k-k! In 1994, he gave us Built to Last (Successful Habits of Visionary Companies), followed by the worldwide bestseller Good to Great (Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t). In 2009, it was How the Mighty Fall (Any Why Some Companies Never Give In).

With a track record like that, who better to take us to the next level? Now, teaming with co-author Morten T. Hansen and a team of more than 20 researchers, Jim Collins returns with nine years of research, rigorous analysis, and engaging stories focused on the principles for building a truly great business in today’s unpredictable, chaotic, and ever-changing times.

This talented team spent years trying to determine why some companies thrive during unstable times while other companies do not. In previous books, Collins and his associates highlighted some companies that later on lost their way. This, of course, has, can, and will continue to happen for a variety of reasons.

The point is that we, as readers, can learn a great deal from what these companies did during their periods of success, regardless of what may happen to them in the future.

In Great by Choice, Collins and Hansen select just seven companies (out of an initial list of more than 20,000) as examples of those that have thrived during chaotic times. The companies are Amgen, Biomet, Intel, Microsoft, Progressive Insurance, Southwest Airlines and Stryker. These companies are called “10X” companies, given that their stock prices outdistanced the comparison companies by roughly an order of magnitude during the study period.

You might be surprised by some of the provocative study results, such as:

  • The best leaders were actually more disciplined and even more paranoid than most. They weren’t necessarily more risk-taking, visionary, or creative as many may have guessed.
  • Leading in a “fast world” doesn’t necessarily require “fast decisions” nor “fast action.” In fact, both strategies could result in the demise of any organization.
  • Great companies actually changed less in reaction to a radically changing world than their competitors.

Collins and Hansen may catch many readers off guard in their last chapter as they define, quantify, and study the role of “luck” in achieving success. They found that great companies and leaders weren’t necessarily luckier than their competition, but they did achieve a higher Return on Luck.

If you’re familiar with Collins’ work, you know to expect new expressions and buzz words to surface in each new project. This one, of course, is no exception. As the authors challenge conventional wisdom with thought-provoking, practical concepts, you’ll soon get acquainted with the following terminology: 10Xers; the 20-Mile March; Fire bullets, Then Cannonballs; Leading Above the Death Line; Zoom Out, Then Zoom In; and the SMaC Recipe.

If you’re a Collins fan, you’ll more than likely enjoy this book as well. If you’re new to his work and want to learn what makes companies tick, you couldn’t start with a better author. Check out his earlier work as well. You’ll learn that, even in a chaotic and uncertain world, greatness happens by choice, not chance!

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck–Why Some Thrive Despite Them All is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Inside Steve’s Brain

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Inside Steve’s Brain
by Leander Kahney

I like the thought of looking into someone else’s brain … especially someone with the track record of Steve Jobs. The title intrigued me immediately. However, I think there are a few guidelines I should set for myself before I undertake such an enticing journey.

  1. I may very well not understand all that I find there.
  2. I may not agree with all that is revealed.
  3. I should be willing to learn from the experiences of others.
  4. I should search for revelations from which I can benefit.

Under those guidelines, I should benefit greatly from this book by Leander Kahney.

I guess I was also influenced by a frightening statistic I recently read in USA Today:

Apple Inc. now has more cash on hand than the entire United States federal government. As of Wednesday, July 27, the balance sheet for the US Treasury dipped down to $73.768 billion. That compares to the $76.156 billion Apple has in its deep coffers—a difference of $2.388 billion.

Maybe someone should suggest to Steve Jobs that he should run for President.

Paradoxically, Steve Jobs continues to be one of the best-known and yet least understood CEOs in recent business history. The author sums it up best in his introduction: “Jobs is a control extraordinaire. He’s also a perfectionist, an elitist, and a taskmaster to employees. By most accounts, Jobs is a borderline loony. He is portrayed as a basket case who fires people in elevators, manipulates partners, and takes credit for others’ achievements. Recent biographies paint an unflattering portrait of a sociopath motivated by the basest desires—to control, to abuse, to dominate. Most books about Jobs are depressing reads. They’re dismissive, little more than catalogs of tantrums and abuse.”

This book however fills us in on some fascinating aspects in the life of Steve Jobs:

  • Long string of productive partnerships—both personal and corporate: Disney, Pepsi, and the big record labels.
  • His ability to retain and motivate lots of top-shelf talent … and then give them the freedom to be creative and shield them from the growing bureaucracy at Apple.
  • Details on the most important innovations and inventions of the last 20 years.
  • The creative, business, product development, and marketing side of Apple that we actually hear so little about in the media.
  • Why and how they keep things so secret.
  • How the Apple culture influences the creation of world-changing products.
  • The tremendous success of Pixar and plans for its future.
  • Steve’s battle with then-CEO John Sculley which led him to quit Apple before he was fired.
  • His return to Apple after 11 years for what has been said to be the greatest comeback in business history.

Here you’ll learn much about this unique leader who has turned his personality traits into a business philosophy. Journey, if you dare, into the mind of Steve Jobs!

Inside Steve’s Brain is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Who Stole My Customer??

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Who Stole My Customer?? Winning Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Customer Loyalty
by Harvey Thompson

Here’s an interesting title … for a couple of reasons.

The first reason, it’s a question currently being asked by a growing number of businesses across industries. The answers vary of course. I’ve heard a wide variety of responses … everything from “a bad economy” to “growing competition.” I’ve even heard references to a “technical revolution” resulting in the loss of customers. However, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone referring to the subject of “customer service.”

The second reason is even more intriguing! “Who Stole My Customer?” is a question which should be asked by many more organizations than are currently asking it. Many are totally unaware that their customers are even missing. It’s not that they’ve stopping buying … they’re simply buying from someone else! And the reasons are varied.

This book focuses a great deal of its content on the simple but crucial fact that far too many businesses today are focusing on customer satisfaction. You might think that’s a good thing. In reality, it is not.

Times have changed. Customers have changed. Many businesses have not. In today’s business environment, the focus must be on establishing LOYALTY rather than customer satisfaction. Doing so results in continuous repeat business and priceless word-of-mouth advertising … two critical elements contributing to ongoing success in today’s competitive marketplace.

The author, Harvey Thompson, formerly served as IBM’s Global Executive for customer-focused business strategy and design. He previously authored the BusinessWeek bestseller, The Customer-Centered Enterprise.

In his second book, Thompson shares “The Top Ten Myths About Your Customers,” the need for “Customer Visioneering,” and the importance of “Institutionalizing Loyalty.”

At the end of each chapter, the author recaps key learning points with an exercise he calls “You Are the Customer.”

This book pragmatically helps you understand how to design highly successful businesses from the customer view in. You must take care of your customers now or lose them to competitors who are more in tune with your customers’ needs and wants.

If you’re wondering “Who Stole YOUR Customer,” you’ll want to read this book!

Who Stole My Customer?? Winning Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Customer Loyalty is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Rowers’ Code

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The Rowers’ Code: A Business Parable of How to Pull Together as a Team – and Win!
by Marilyn Krichko with Jane Rollinson

I’ve got to be honest here in saying that I struggled a bit when I first heard about a book that shared a rowing metaphor to present a simple actionable set of truths about teamwork and communication that can be applied to every workplace scenario to supercharge performance.

However, once into the content, it made perfect sense. In fact, I was amazed at the similarities which exist between a rowing team and a workplace team as they face the daily challenges which stand between them and their ultimate goal.

The authors are both avid rowers who boast impressive business credentials as well. Marilyn Krichko was formerly an executive at a Swedish paper company and now enjoys a successful career as a corporate consultant. Jane Rollinson has held high-level board and executive positions at major healthcare companies.

This book is based on an overwhelming response to more than a decade of successful workshops based on the Rower’s Code. Its 26 chapters will teach you how to use the seven steps of the Rower’s Code to:

  • Tap into the strength of peers.
  • Maintain synchronicity with other members of your team.
  • Work through issues directly with teammates.
  • Personalize and powerfully leverage change.
  • Unleash the effectiveness of the workgroup.
  • Succeed in an increasingly competitive business landscape.

The authors provide an array of helpful elements that certainly enhance reader comprehension of key concepts:

  1. At the end of each chapter, the authors provide a combination of summary and key concepts which I found very helpful.
  2. They also provide a nine-page team assessment designed to help you evaluate the current state of your own team. You can complete the questionnaire in the book or online as a team on their website where they will tabulate your results and send you a report.
  3. You can also visit their website to print and display Rower’s Code posters and bookmarks, print pages featuring helpful tips and tools, sign up for their free newsletter, and enjoy their blog.

I strongly suggest you get into the boat with the authors and step up to the challenge of The Rower’s Code.

The Rowers’ Code: A Business Parable of How to Pull Together as a Team – and Win! is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Army of Entrepreneurs

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Army of Entrepreneurs: Create an Engaged and Empowered Workforce for Exceptional Business Growth
by Jennifer Prosek

I think you’re not only going to enjoy this book but will find it a tremendous asset as a Start Now—Get It Done—Step-by-Step Guidebook to transforming your organization, regardless of size, into a true Army of Entrepreneurs focused on exceptional business growth.

I enjoyed it for a number of obvious reasons:

The author, Jennifer Prosek, shares not only what she knows but, more importantly, what she’s actually done as the founder and CEO of CJP Communications, an international public relations and financial communications consultancy with offices in New York, Connecticut and London. Much of the advice she shares has led her to be named an “Emerging Power Player” by PR Week Magazine. In addition, her organization was named “Small Agency of the Year” and was recognized as one of the “Top Places to Work in PR”!

She focuses on teaching readers how to insure that every employee becomes a powerful force for growth within an organization. This is so obviously a source of great potential for the majority of businesses in today’s chaotic and competitive environment—one that is so very often overlooked.

Jennifer provides a very clear game plan for building a workforce dedicated to generating new business, creating breakthrough products and services, and sustaining growth. I especially enjoyed the fact that, at the end of each chapter, she offered “Six Steps Forward,” which is advice as to what should be done immediately upon the completion of that particular chapter.

A number of interesting anecdotes and case studies also enhance clarification of key points throughout the text.

The author provides additional resources in the area of books, publications, national and global events, a list of well-regarded MBA programs, as well as thinking from top consulting firms.

Statistics, research, and commentary from experts in the business community adds foundational credibility to this powerful business model.

The author focuses on areas which are instrumental to organization growth and success in a way which is easily understood and motivational in its presentation:

  • the necessity of proper training and an unusual method which has proven to be successful (finder, minder, binder, grinder).
  • the creation of a Talent Pipeline resulting from successful recruiting and retention tactics.
  • technology as a communications strategy.
  • the necessity and action plan for measuring success (why, when, what, how, and the tools required).
  • the strategy of finding and training your future leaders.
  • tips, tools and strategies for maintaining your momentum.
  • managing disasters which may occur.
  • bringing everything together … dealing with doubts, problems and mistakes which may face any organization in the pursuit of growth and success.

At the conclusion of her book, she poses 10 thought-provoking questions for anyone who is ready to amass their own Army of Entrepreneurs. Answers provided to these key questions will certainly separate the talkers from doers!

At a time when old management models are falling by the wayside, this book will show you how to invest in your employees, play to their strengths, and engage them in your business as you pursue growth and success. This formula will work if YOU do!

Army of Entrepreneurs: Create an Engaged and Empowered Workforce for Exceptional Business Growth is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Delivering Happiness

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Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
by Tony Hsieh

For those of you who have read more than a few of the more than 200 book reviews I’ve written on our website, you know that I have a personal policy of never reviewing a bad book. I provide reviews to encourage our readers to discover valuable information that may enhance their business or personal lives. I simply don’t believe in wasting my time in writing a negative review or encouraging you to waste your time reading a book which has no value to you.

This book, however, falls into a rather unique category. Readers of this particular book will either love it or hate it. I’ve decided to share it with our readers because it definitely offers a unique insight into a visionary leader and a corporate culture which has led to unprecedented success. Sadly, many will ignore these words of wisdom because they disagree with the philosophy, beliefs and values of the author. Other will feel he may not have earned his success due to the fact that he was born into wealth and greater status than most.

Nonetheless, there is a wealth of information in the 253 pages of Tony Hsieh’s (Shay) best-selling book. A few weeks ago, I discussed this situation in a blog article (Evaluate Your Choices!) which you may want to review for a little more insight into Tony’s background and track record.

Delivering Happiness examines Zappos.com, a shoe retailer, and the creation of a unique corporate culture dedicated to employee empowerment and the promise of delivering happiness though satisfied customers and a valued workforce.

Yes, this is a book about both customer service and corporate culture and how the two go hand in hand.

Tony Hsieh sold LinkExchange, the company he co-founded, to Microsoft for $265 million. He then joined Zappos as an adviser and investor, and eventually became CEO.

In 2009, Zappos was listed as one of Fortune magazine’s top 25 companies to work for, and was acquired by Amazon later that year in a deal valued at more than $1.2 billion on the day of closing.

The author shows how using happiness as a framework can produce profits, passion, and purpose both in business and in life. Zappos.com is doing more than $1 billion in gross merchandise sales every year. Let me share a few of the unusual concepts which pass as standard operating procedure within this unusual culture. Then you decide if you want to learn more by reading the entire book.

  • Pay new employees $2,000 to quit.
  • Make customer service the entire company, not just a department.
  • Focus on company culture as the #1 priority.
  • Apply research from the science of happiness to running a business.
  • Help employees grow both personally and professionally.
  • Learn to live and deliver “WOW.”
  • Understand the importance of embracing and driving change.
  • Take advantage of creating fun and maybe even a little weirdness.
  • Learn to pursue growth and learning.
  • Top 10 ways to instill customer service into your company

This book is an uplifting tale of entrepreneurial success, personal growth, and redemption.

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Raving Fans

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Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service
by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles

I don’t care if you work for a world-renowned Fortune 500 company or a small family-run business consisting of 6 employees … this 138-page book can have an enormous positive impact on every person in your organization and every customer you serve!

It was originally written in 1993 and continues, to this day, to enhance realities for companies worldwide. Written in the parable style of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans uses a brilliantly simple and charming story of a new area manager who meets his male fairy godmother (don’t even ask!) who appears to reveal the three magic secrets of creating raving fans.

Although written quite some time ago, this message is probably more pertinent in today’s competitive, chaotic environment than it was in ’93. America is in the midst of a service crisis that has left a wake of disillusioned customers from coast to coast. The authors’ message is simple:

“Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better. Just having satisfied customers isn’t good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business, you have to create Raving Fans.”

The fairy godmother escorts the new area manager on a journey to visit fictional companies which have created an environment of delivering awesome customer service. Their phenomenal success is based on three simple principles … Decide, Discover, and Deliver. You’ll learn the intricacies of each illustrated in a variety of scenarios.

Each visit offers nuggets of common sense, startling new tips and innovative techniques that can be implemented in any company that seeks the benefits of raving fans … customers who tell others how wonderful you are. Learn to develop stories your customers will want to share with others. Create those magic moments the book calls “giving symbolic hugs.”

Read the book, share and discuss the examples, tips, tools and strategies with your entire staff. Create a revolution in your workplace as you convert current customers into life-long, devoted, loyal, raving fans!

This book may very well follow the K.I.S.S. theory (Keep It Short and Simple), but its content and message is indeed profound. It is by far the best customer service book to reach book shelves worldwide!

Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The IT Handbook for Business

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The IT Handbook for Business: Managing Information Technology Support Costs
by William C. Couie

I must admit, I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t have chosen this particular book if it hadn’t been recommended to me. Those who know me are aware of the fact that it took me two years to remember what IT stood for prior to working regularly with those who have chosen it as a career.

However, I think someone sent my description to the author prior to his writing this 177-page handbook. I say that because it reads as though it were written for those of us who may admit an ignorance of technology. It’s the author’s intention to educate the less than technically knowledgeable on certain overlooked methods and IT support subjects and procedures.

This is a great handbook for small to medium businesses as the author educates readers on how to reduce or even eliminate a great deal of current expenditures. The author gives us an inside look at what goes on in today’s Information Technology support industry. He shares information seldom available which guides readers to ask the right questions, recognize “red flags” that could later be costly, learn how to spot IT scams and unfair billing practices, how to interview an IT firm, and what a service invoice or quote should look like!

I personally appreciated the lack of techo babble as the author shared valuable information in a way which was easily understood by those of us who may lack extensive experience in this area.

The author, William Couie, has owned his own business for more than 15 years, has more than 20 years of IT field experience and more than 30 years of experience working in the IT industry with consultation, auditing, computers, networking and training. He speaks knowledgeably from his vast experience.

The handbook consists of 17 chapters which I’ve listed below to provide an idea of what you can expect to learn. I will tell you this: You’ll gain valuable knowledge, increase your confidence on technological issues, make better decisions for your organization, and, of course, SAVE a great deal of money in the future!

Scan the chapter list to realize what a valuable asset this handbook can be for you and your organization.

  • Interviewing an IT Firm
  • Being Interviewed by an IT Firm
  • Technical Integrity
  • Three Important People
  • The Internet Acceptable Use Policy
  • Employee Training
  • Lowering IT Costs
  • Corporate User Security
  • Anatomy of a Quote
  • Anatomy of an Invoice
  • Service Call Resolution
  • Phone Support
  • How to Recognize Techno-babble
  • Scams and Unfair Billing Practices
  • Software Piracy
  • Transitioning Between Technical Firms
  • Certifications and Regulations

The IT Handbook for Business: Managing Information Technology Support Costsis available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

“I Love You More Than My Dog”

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“I Love You More Than My Dog”: Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad
by Jeanne Bliss

First of all, you’ve got to love the title! I’ve always admired those authors who could immediately grab you with a title that would make you think or want to delve between those book covers for more of that creativity! This title does just that … especially with a subtitle that reveals content I know I’ll find valuable. The photo of the adorable dog sitting in a shopping cart simply adds charm and respect for the author’s ability to relate to readers.

While many talented authors can weave a fine story based on their experience and expertise, the reader is still faced with the opinion of a single source. In this book, however, Jeanne Bliss offers a vast array of case studies to solidify her sound advice as to how to obtain and sustain customers who love you rather than just like you.

Bliss suggests five basic principles, called decisions, that companies can make that will put them on the road to having customers care about the status of the company they deal with.

She illustrates the power of these decisions by sharing examples from successful organizations which have gained distinction and respect as purveyors of exceptional service to their growing list of customers. Here are just a few: Southwest Airlines, The Container Store, Zappos, Harley Davidson, Wegmans, Netflix, Chick-Fil-A, and IKEA … to name just a few.

In today’s digitized world, the need for authentic, humane, heart-felt connection and service has never been greater. And yet, one has to search to find it. Opportunity abounds for those who really want to obtain new heights of growth and success.

Jeanne’s five decisions will lead you to drive extreme, “for life” customer loyalty in good times and bad. This book provides everyday tips, tools and strategies that you can use to understand how you make the proper decisions to become a beloved company with devoted customers.

I must warn you that the author poses MANY questions that will challenge your thinking. However, they will also provide you with a game plan to achieve superior customer service and inevitable success.

No company is recession proof and immune from dramatic shifts in the economy. We see the growing evidence of that fact almost daily. However, making the author’s five decisions will certainly provide a cushion that will increase your chances of surviving tough times, growing and retaining your customer base, while maintaining quality employees.

“I Love You More Than My Dog”: Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Women Count: A Guide to Changing the World

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Women Count: A Guide to Changing the World
by Susan Bulkeley Butler with Bob Keefe

It might be of interest to readers to know a little bit about this author in order to appreciate the expertise and experience behind the revealing content, case studies, and rallying cry to be found within these 135 pages.

Susan Bulkeley is CEO of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Institute for the Development of Women Leaders (www.sbbinstitute.org). She also made business history as the first woman professional and first woman partner at the company that eventually became Accenture, the $19 billion global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing organization. She certainly knows of what she speaks.

In Women Count, the author enlightens us with the fact that history is filled with stories of women who overcame sexism and other odds to go on to greatness. Readers will learn about:

  • Deborah Sampson, the first American woman to join the Army.
  • Catherine Littlefield Greene who invented the cotton gin.
  • Susan B. Anthony who created the National Women’s Suffrage Association who eventually earned the right for women to vote.
  • Amelia Earhart who became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
  • and many others.

Over the years, we’ve learned that woman have made great strides here in the U.S.:

  •  Fortune Magazine states that the number of Fortune 500 women CEOs has increased four-fold over the past decade.
  • “A Woman’s Nation” report informs readers that 40% of mothers are now their family’s primary breadwinner, and 60% of mothers bring home at least 1/4 of their family’s income.
  • Time Magazine reports that 54% of men and 69% of women say they believe there would be fewer problems in the world if there more women in business and government.
  • Women represent 1/2 of the country’s population, half of the country’s college graduates, and around 51% of the country’s workforce.

While these figures paint a very positive picture of women’s progress over the past decades, it is far from what it should be. Consider:

  • Less than 3% of the top executives in America’s biggest companies are women.
  • Less than 16% of the directors of Fortune 500 companies in America are women.
  • Only 17% of members of Congress are women.
  • As of last year, only 6 of the nation’s 50 governors are women.
  • Four decades after Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, women still earn an average of 75 cents for every dollar men earn!

Author Susan Bulkeley Butler issues a challenge and game plan for women to step into their power and become “women who count.” She believes that then, and only then, can women truly change the world. For those who believe that the world greatly needs the unique abilities of women to lead our country to the greatness it deserves … this is a must read!

Women Count: A Guide to Changing the World is available from Amazon. The AchieveMax® company is an affiliate of Amazon.com.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.