Author Archives: Harry K. Jones

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.

Little-known Facts about Well-known Leaders – Larry Page and Sergey Brin

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Most of those NOT born in a barn have certainly heard of Google. However, the two young men responsible for the world’s largest Internet search engine may not be as well-known to many. Known by those in the technical community as “Geeks Gone Wild,” Sergey Brin and Larry Page, are No. 32 ($18.7 billion) and 33 ($18.6 billion) respectively on the 2008 list of Forbes list of the world’s billionaires.

Obviously, things weren’t always that way. The co-founders first met as Stanford University graduate students in computer science in the summer of 1995. Sergey was in a group of potential new students which Brin had volunteered to show around the campus. They actually weren’t very fond of one another until they found a common interest retrieving relevant information from large data sets. They went on to co-author what is widely considered their seminal contribution, a paper entitled “The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine.” The paper has since gone on to become the tenth-most accessed scientific paper at Stanford University.

In August 1996 the initial version of Google was made available, still on the Stanford University website. Although they don’t quite qualify as a “rags to riches” story, they did share a humble beginning by renting a garage in Menlo Park, California, for $1,700 a month. Today they boast four core buildings, fondly called Googleplex, in Mountain View, California, totaling 506,317 square feet as well as branch offices all over the globe. This complex must be seen to be believed. We’ll tell you more about this unique culture in a future article. The original two employees now lead a staff of about 17,000 full-time employees.

That growth is a result of the fact that this dynamic duo have virtually cornered the search engine market, holding about 58% of the market while their next two competitors, Yahoo and Microsoft, hold 22% and 9% respectively. Even if these two competitors were to join together they would still trail Google by 27%. They also extended ad business into TV, cell phones, and various online venues; they bought Web video portal YouTube for $1.65 billion last year and recently partnered with EchoStar, LG Electronics, Salesforce.com.

Page and Brin ran Google as co-presidents until 2001 when they hired Eric Schmidt to become Chairman and CEO of Google. Now that Google is the world’s entry point to the Internet, Google plans to become the world’s dominant advertising broker, the world’s dominant social network, the world’s dominant mobile supplier, and the world’s dominant product of alternative energy. Talk about ambitious goals!

Now let’s take a look at the co-founders individually:

Mikkhailovich Brin

  • Mikkhailovich (Sergey) Brin is a 35-year-old Russian-born American entrepreneur.
  • Brin was born in Moscow in 1973 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1979 at the age of 6 with his mathematician parents. His father gained work as a mathematics professor at the University of Maryland and his mother went on to work at NASA.
  • He attended grade school at a Montessori School in Maryland, received further education at home, attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School, and enrolled in the University of Maryland to study computer science and mathematics, where he received his B.S. degree in 1993 with high honors.
  • Brin began his graduate study in computer science at Stanford University on a graduate fellowship from the National Science Foundation. He earned his Master’s degree in August 1995 ahead of schedule in the process of his Ph.D. studies.
  • Brin has also received an honorary MBA from the IE Business School.
  • Brin expressed interest in the Internet very early on in his studies at Stanford. He authored and co-authored various papers on data-mining and pattern extraction. He also wrote software to ease the process of putting scientific papers often written in TeX, a text-processing language, into HTML form, as well as a website for film ratings.
  • While studying for his Ph.D., he met Lawrence Page and went on to work with him on a project to organize the Internet and improve the way people search for information. They first nicknamed the project “BackRub” as it relied heavily on the number and relevancy of links pointing to a website.
  • Brin has appeared on television shows and many documentaries, including Charlie Rose, CNBC, and CNN. In 2004, he and Larry Page were named “Persons of the Week” by ABC World News Tonight. In January 2005 Sergey Brin was nominated to be one of the World Economic Forum’s “Young Global Leaders.”
  • In 2007, Brin was cited by PC World as #1 on a list of the “50 most important people on the Web,” along with Larry Page and Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
  • In May 2007, Brin married Anne Wojcicki in the Bahamas. Wojcicki is a biotech analyst and a 1996 graduate of Yale University with a degree in biology. She co-founded 23andMe, a personal DNA genotyping service.
  • He is also an investor in Tesla Motors, which is developing the Tesla Roadster, a 221-mile-range battery electric vehicle. He has also placed an order for the Roadster. It is reported by Conde Nast Portfolio that Brin drives a Toyota Prius.
  • In June 2008, it was announced that Brin had made a $5 million investment in Space Adventures, the Virginia-based space tourism company. His investment will serve as a deposit for a reservation on one of Space Adventures’ proposed flights in 2011. So far, Space Adventures has sent five tourists into space.
  • Brin currently holds the position of President of Technology at Google and has a net worth estimated at $18.5 billion as of March 9, 2007, making him the 26th richest person in the world and the 5th richest person in the United States. He is also the fourth-youngest billionaire in the world.

Lawrence Edward Page

  • Lawrence Edward “Larry” Page is a 35-year-old U.S.-born American entrepreneur.
  • Page was born in Lansing, Michigan, in 1973 to the late Dr. Carl Victor Page, a professor of computer science and artificial intelligence at Michigan State University and one of the University of Michigan’s first computer science Ph.D. graduates, and Gloria Page, a computer programming teacher at Michigan State University. Page is also the brother of Carl Victoer Page, Jr., a co-founder of eGroups, later sold to Yahoo! for approximately half a billion dollars.
  • Page attended a Montessori school in Lansing, Michigan, and graduated from East Lansing High School. He holds a B.S. degree in computer engineering from the University of Michigan with honors and a Master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University.
  • While at the University of Michigan, Page created an inkjet printer made of Lego bricks. He was also a member of the solar car team and served as the President of the HKN, a national electrical and computer engineering honor society.
  • After enrolling for a Ph.D. program in computer science at Stamford, Page was in search for a dissertation theme and considered exploring the mathematical properties of the World Wide Web. His supervisor encouraged him to pursue this idea, and Page later recalled this as the “best advice I ever got.” He focused on the problem of finding out which web pages link to a given page, considering the number and nature of such backlinks to be valuable information about that page.
  • Sergey Brin soon joined Page in his research project, nicknamed “BackRub.” They developed the Page Rank algorithm and realized that it could be used to build a search engine far superior to existing ones.
  • In 2007, Page was cited by PC World as #1 on the list of the 50 most important people on the web, along with Brin and Schmidt.
  • Page is also an investor in Tesla Motors, which developed the Tesla Roadster, a 250-mile-range battery electric vehicle.
  • Page currently holds the position of President of Products at Google and has an estimated net worth of $18.5 billion, placing him at rank 26 on Forbes’s list of the richest persons in the world, together with Brin.
  • The World Economic Forum named Page as a Global Leader for Tomorrow, and The X PRIZE chose Page as a trustee for their board.
  • Page married Lucinda Southworth at Richard Branson’s Caribbean island, Necker Island, on December 8, 2007.

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.

Whew! Let’s Take a News Vacation

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I recently made the challenging trek to Lost Wages, Nevada (also known as “City of Lights” – “Glitter Gulch” – “Sin City” – “The City That Never Sleeps” – oh, and Las Vegas) to speak at an annual meeting. It was 110 to 112 degrees every day! New casinos were going up everywhere. There was no sign of recession or depression anywhere.

I’ve been coming to Vegas for decades, and while it looks different every time you get off the plane, some things simply never change. This town is full of gambling devices … roulette wheels, crap tables, slot machines, and wedding chapels!

I personally don’t drink or gamble and seldom have time to make it to pool side at these events so I skipped the obligatory “Cooks’ Tour” … getting baked in the sun, stewed at the bar and burned at the crap tables!

One of the challenges for anyone flying from east to west is the time change. It’s interesting to leave Detroit at noon and arrive in Vegas at 1 p.m. It certainly doesn’t feel like a mere hour of flight time and, of course, it isn’t. The non-stop flight is actually 4 hours and 11 minutes, which feels more like 4 days and 11 hours. Add the hour you must arrive early prior to the flight, another hour for the usual delay and the eternity between touching down and actually arriving at your gate, and you’re pushing close to 7 hours.

I learned long ago to come prepared by bringing my laptop and the enormous stack of magazines and newspapers I review weekly to keep current on business news, political situations, and world events. However, on this particular trip I think I may have overdosed on negative news. In the future, I think I’ll be limiting myself to just a few sources a day. Here’s some of what I learned on this trip.

12,000 Laptops Lost Each Week! (624,000 Per Year!)

A new study by the Ponemon Institute estimates that about 12,000 laptops are lost every week (based on interviews with officials at 106 American airports). That same study revealed that half of all the business travelers surveyed said they fly regularly with important information on their laptops. Most of them—more than two thirds—don’t use any type of security system in the event that laptops are lost or stolen. Eventually, one of those laptops is going to be loaded with our Social Security numbers and names. I wonder what they do with all those computers?

Growing Trend

The Wall Street Journal reports that many small towns and community colleges are switching to four-day workweeks in an effort to help employees cope with the rising gasoline prices and could soon be joined by some larger local governments. Expect to see this trend become the norm if something isn’t done about oil prices.

Waterless Washing Machines?

BusinessWeek reports that researchers at Xeros, a British company linked to the University of Leeds, have developed a machine that washes a regular laundry load using as little as one cup of water, about 1% of the 10 to 15 gallons a typical washer requires. The machine uses tiny plastic chips and a bit of detergent to rub dirt from clothes, which emerge virtually dry—and extremely clean. According to research, washing machines in Britain alone consume about 120 million gallons daily, enough to fill 145 Olympic-size swimming pools!

Bye-bye, Billy

In one of the most carefully orchestrated transitions in corporate history, 52-year-old Microsoft Chairman William H. Gates, third richest man on earth, walked away from his day-to-day duties at the company he co-founded. He plans to spend more time working on philanthropy. He will continue to play a key role in Microsoft’s biggest long-term technical bets.

Going to the Dogs

Real estate baroness Leona Helmsley apparently earned her famous nickname, “The Queen of Mean,” by the way she treated her staff. However, following her death, she left instructions that her estate, estimated to be up to $8 billion, be spent on the care and welfare of dogs. The Humane Society of the U.S. and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said they will be suggesting programs for applying the funds in the most productive method.

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.

Success Is in the Reframe

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Last month, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of young people who were preparing to move on to the next plateau in their lives after graduation. On my return trip home from the Florida panhandle, I had a layover in Atlanta. My plane was delayed due to local storms so I grabbed a bite to eat. Like most airport restaurants, they had several TV monitors mounted on every wall. Waiting for my meal, I checked my e-mail on my laptop while glancing at the news headlines on the TV monitor.

For some reason, I happened to catch a commercial from start to finish. I’m not what you would call a commercial-lover. In fact, whenever possible, I fast forward through the majority of them. I obviously didn’t have that option in the airport, and I’m actually thankful for that fact. I watched a one-minute commercial which left me with a tear in my eye, a smile in my heart, and a valuable lesson on my mind.

It was so captivating that I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. There was a young boy about 7 or 8 years old standing at home plate on a deserted baseball field. He had a big smile on his face and a baseball cap askew on his tiny head. He held a bat on his shoulder with one hand and a baseball in the other. With enthusiasm he yelled, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world,” as he tossed the ball into the air, swung the bat, missed the ball completely and fell to the ground. He jumped up, replaced his dusty hat, picked up the ball off the ground, repositioned his bat and said, “Strike one.”

Again, with enthusiasm, he yelled, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world,” as he tossed the ball into the air, swung the bat, missed the ball completely once again and fell to the ground. Again, he jumped up, replaced his hat, picked up the ball off the ground, repositioned his bat and said, “Strike two.”

Again, with a little less enthusiasm, he yelled, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world,” as he tossed the ball into the air a third time, swung the bat with all his might, and once again missed the ball by a country mile as he fell to the ground. This time he got up a little bit slower, replaced his dusty hat, left the bat in the dirt and sadly said, “Strike three!”

He stood there at home plate dusting himself off with a sad look of shame and disappointment on his face. Then, as the camera closed in on his face, you could see his frown change to deep thought as he raised his eyes to the clouds in the bright sunny sky.

His facial expression quickly changed from deep thought to total joy as he tossed his hat high into the air and screamed as loud as he could, “I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!”

Now there’s a young man who has obviously learned the true value of a simple “reframe.” I wonder how many times, we, as adults, could share that same joy if we’d just put forth an effort to look at things differently … a simple “reframe.”

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.

Ya Get What Cha Give!

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Everyone claims to understand the significance of communication and the critical role it plays in any successful venture. Why then do we see so many disasters attributed to the lack of or poor communication? Marriage, politics, warfare, negotiation and business success all hinge on the ability to converse with one another.

There are many aspects to productive communication, but the following two are essential factors which have the potential to make or break any situation: respect and empathy (identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings and motives).

Think about the following Generational Gem the next time you want a positive communicative outcome based on respect and empathy.

A man and his wife had been arguing all night, and as bedtime approached neither was speaking to the other. It was not unusual for the pair to continue this war of silence for two or three days. However, on this occasion, the man was concerned; he needed to be awake at 4:30 a.m. the next morning to catch an important flight, and being a very heavy sleeper he normally relied on his wife to wake him.

Cleverly, so he thought, while his wife was in the bathroom, he wrote on a piece of paper: “Please wake me at 4:30 a.m. I have an important flight to catch.” He put the note on his wife’s pillow, then turned over and went to sleep.

The man awoke the next morning and looked at the clock. It was 8 a.m.! Enraged that he’d missed his flight, he was about to go in search of his errant wife to give her a piece of his mind, when he spotted a hand-written note attached to his pillow right next to his head.

The note said: “It’s 4:30 a.m. Get up.”

RESPECT and EMPATHY!

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.

Pause to Say “Thanks”

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The following short test should cause you to pause and hopefully think about one of the more important things in your life. Grab a pad and see if you can answer these questions. You might be surprised.

  1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
  2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
  3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
  4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.
  5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
  6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is none of us remember the headliners of yesterday … and these are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields! But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:

  1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
  2. Name two friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
  3. Name three people who have taught you something worthwhile.
  4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
  5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
  6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier? The lesson? The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.

They are the ones that care. If at all possible, take a moment from your busy schedule and offer them your thanks and appreciation—while you still can.

Then proceed to attempt to get yourself on someone else’s list … mentor, teach, share. You’ll feel as good about your effort as they will.

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.

Payback Is Hell!

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When we usually hear evidence of irony, it’s connected to a negative example. That just seems to be the way things work. However, once in a great while, we come across an example that brings a smile of content and satisfaction to our lips and tremendous delight to our heart. The motives may vary but the results remain the same. This is one of those wonderful stories.

A highly successful Human Resources Manager was tragically stricken by a bus and killed instantly. Her soul arrived at the Pearly Gates, where St. Peter welcomed her by explaining: “Before you get settled in, we have a little problem … you see, we’ve never had a Human Resources Manager make it this far before and we’re not really certain sure what to do with you.”

“Oh, I see,” said the woman. “Can’t you just let me in?”

“Well, I’d like to,” said St Peter, “but I have higher orders. We’re instructed to let you have a day in hell and a day in heaven, and then you are to choose where you’d like to go for all eternity.”

“Actually, I think I’d prefer heaven,” said the woman.

“Sorry, we have rules …” at which St. Peter put the HR Manager into the downward bound elevator.

As the doors opened in hell, she stepped out onto a beautiful golf course. In the distance was a country club; around her were many friends — past fellow executives, all smartly dressed, happy, and cheering for her. They ran up and kissed her on both cheeks and they talked about old times. They played a perfect round of golf and afterwards went to the country club where she enjoyed a superb steak and lobster dinner. She met the Devil, who was actually rather nice, and she had a wonderful night telling jokes and dancing. Before she knew it, it was time to leave; everyone shook her hand and waved goodbye as she stepped into the elevator. The elevator went back up to heaven where St. Peter was waiting for her.

“Now it’s time to spend a day in heaven,” he said.

So she spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds and playing the harp and singing, which was almost as enjoyable as her day in hell. At the day’s end St Peter returned.

“So,” he said, “you’ve spent a day in hell and you’ve spent a day in heaven. You must choose between the two.”

The woman thought for a second and replied, “Well, heaven is certainly lovely, but I actually had a better time in hell. I choose hell.”

Accordingly, St. Peter took her to the elevator again, and she went back down to hell.

When the doors of the elevator opened, she found herself standing in a desolate wasteland covered in garbage and filth. She saw her friends dressed in rags, picking up rubbish and putting it in old sacks. The Devil approached and put his arm around her.

“I don’t understand,” stuttered the HR Manager, “Yesterday I was here, and there was a golf course, and a country club, and we ate lobster, and we danced and had a wonderful happy time. Now all there’s just a dirty wasteland of garbage and all my friends look miserable.”

The Devil looked at her and smiled. “Yesterday we were recruiting you, today you’re staff.”

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.

Are We Just Talking Change?

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Television, radio, books, magazines, newspapers, billboards, seminars, the Internet (sites and blogs) … everywhere you look you’re hearing about change! All the Presidential candidates are preaching change from coast to coast, but do you really think you’re going to see it?

On one hand, I see examples of change every single day. I can’t and won’t argue that point. In fact, I’ve shared many of those changes in this very blog and will continue to do so.

On the other hand, there are many areas in which change has been, for a very long time, predicted, preached and promised but obviously not practiced.

For instance, as we pass the $4-a-gallon gas milestone, we’re hearing a great deal about the importance of energy independence … almost as though this might be an entirely new concept. However, let’s take a glance back a few years and see how other great leaders viewed the subject of energy independence. Remember, these are the words of some of the most powerful leaders on the face of the earth.

Richard Nixon in 1974 said:
“We will lay the foundation for our future capacity to meet America’s energy needs from America’s own resources.” (We didn’t.)

Gerald Ford in 1975 said:
“We cannot afford continued delays. We cannot afford prolonged vulnerability to foreign producers. We must act.” (We didn’t.)

Jimmy Carter in 1979 said:
“We are the generation that will win the war on the energy problem and in that process, rebuild the unity and confidence of America.” (We didn’t.)

Ronald Reagan in 1962 said:
“Energy independence is the best preparation America can make for the future.” (We didn’t.)

George H. W. Bush in 1990 said:
“The Congress should enact measures to increase domestic energy production and energy conservation — in order to reduce dependence on foreign oil.” (They didn’t.)

Bill Clinton in 1998 said:
“We have it in our power to act right here, right now. I propose $6 billion in tax cuts and research and development to encourage innovation, renewable energy, fuel-efficient cars, and energy-efficient homes.” (We didn’t.)

George W. Bush in 2007 said:
“We have got to do something about our dependence on oil — for two reasons. It provides an economic and national security risk and makes it harder to be wise stewards of the environment.” (We didn’t — for either reason.)

Those are fantastic sound bites from seven previous leaders, and you know McCain and Obama are making even stronger statements in light of current economic conditions and the fact that they know they must say something in order to get elected.

It’ll be interesting to see what kind of a sound bite our next President adds to this list of ritual rhetoric. Of course, don’t forget every member of Congress who echoed empty promises to usher in a meaningful energy policy. If we had a barrel of oil for every broken promise made by a Washington politician — we’d be energy-independent!

This is another prime example of a Knowing-Doing Gap … this one may never be closed. Our leaders know we should be taking action to establish energy independence. They even know how to do it as we have a variety of viable options. They know what the consequences will be for us if we don’t take action soon. Yet they do nothing but talk. This happens to be one Knowing-Doing Gap which must be closed — and soon!

As you review the statements above you must admit that there’s been very little change in this area over the last 34 years … regardless of which political party was in charge.

Now take a look at this newspaper editorial that depicts why stress levels escalate.

“The world is too big for us. Too much is going on, too many crimes, too much violence and chaos. Try as you will, you get behind in the race, in spite of yourself. It’s an incessant strain to keep pace … and still, you lose ground. Science empties its discoveries on you so fast that you stagger beneath them in hopeless bewilderment. The political world changes so rapidly you’re out of breath trying to keep pace with who’s in and who’s out. Everything is high pressure. Human nature cannot endure much more!”

Again, not everything is impacted by change. This editorial appeared in the Atlantic Journal on June 16th, 1833 … 175 years ago! One might think it was written yesterday … demonstrating that while many things change — some things simply don’t!

Education, experience, intelligence, budget, research, innovation — all are meaningless unless properly applied to the challenge at hand. We have the resources. However, for some reason we have yet to utilize them and, as a result, are witnessing increasingly negative consequences. One must wonder what it’s going to take before our nation’s leadership initiates action to close this critical Knowing-Doing Gap.

Sadly, these Knowing-Doing Gaps also exist in our organizations, businesses, and communities across the nation. At the moment there seems to be a great deal of knowing and very little doing in far too many areas of our society. It’s going to take individual action at many levels to initiate a collective turnaround of this devastating trend. Why not be one of those individuals?

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.

Og Mandino

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I must admit that I was a little reluctant to draft this piece as part of our continuing series of “Meet the Authors.” To be perfectly honest, I was concerned that I may not be able to do justice to this particular man.

A very long time ago, a CEO gave me a copy of the best-selling book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, and asked me to summarize it at his annual meeting for a large group of sales managers. By the way, this particular book has been used by thousands of sales organizations in training their staffs. I hesitated as I have never really been that interested in the area of sales. I’ve heard all of the traditional spiels and shtick that are guaranteed to provide successful sales. I’ve attended the rallies and heard most of the motivational speakers sharing their wisdom. It just didn’t interest me as I’ve always been a firm believer that the best insurance of great sales is even better service! It always worked for me.

However, I took the assignment, read the book, and made the presentation. It was well accepted by all in attendance and the CEO was very pleased as a faithful follower of “Og” Mandino. End of this story—beginning of another.

I was so taken by the brilliance, clarity, enthusiasm, and spirit of this captivating author and the mystique he utilizes to lull readers into an aura of understanding that I became an immediate and eternal fan of this man and his work. He has written 19 books which have sold more than 50 million copies and been transferred into 25 different languages. He was the President of Success Unlimited magazine until 1976 and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association’s Hall of Fame. Although he died in 1996, he remains one of the most inspirational and best-selling authors today. While his work is admired and supported by many different faiths, those who simply enjoy an inspirational message are also very supportive fans.

A year after reading his bestseller, I had the opportunity of hearing Og speak in person at a day-long motivational rally. Although he shared the stage with six other well-known speakers, it was obvious that he had mesmerized the audience of several thousand in attendance. It was at this time that I realized Og offered more than a rare ability to tell a story. This man had a voice like none other I had ever heard. It was the voice of a story-teller … a voice which could demand and maintain the attention of thousands of people at the same time making each one of them feel as though they were the only one in the room with him. His unique cracker-barrel New England accent transports you to the heart of Massachusetts the moment you hear it.

In fact, if you’d like to hear it for yourself simply visit the following link and you can hear a short version of Og’s life in his own words as you read along or enjoy a variety of pictures from his past.

The mystique that I mentioned earlier evolves from a rare combination of several exceptional characteristics. 1.) enchanting parables 2.) a hypnotic voice and stage presence 3.) and the ability to draw on his own life experiences as he created memorable narratives which provide valuable learning opportunities. That’s quite a package. It was enough to encourage me to add his audio tapes to my collection of his enthralling books.

I have dedicated a special shelf in my library for Og’s works … they’ve had that much of an impact on me. Two of those books contain a personal note scrawled across the page in green ink … a habit he originated early in his career as green had always been his favorite color. Having his entire collection at your fingertips is similar to having access to a college education in your own home. In fact, one of his books is titled The University of Success, and its content certainly provides the promise of the title.

Offering a wide variety of subject matter, Og prepares you for a life of positive planning and positive thinking. He points out the path to success and motivates the spirit within to achieve its full potential. Pick up a Mandino classic and you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve completed it.

I had the privilege of meeting Og on three different occasions and can testify that he was a very humble, charismatic man who was eager to share his wisdom, experience, and insight with any and all who were willing to receive it.

I don’t intend to include any book reviews here. We do that on our web site. However, to demonstrate the variety of content and the power of his storytelling, let’s peek between a few covers.

The Greatest Salesman in the World
This is the book that launched his career and, in the process, transformed the lives of millions of his readers who put the information and learning in this slim volume into their daily lives. This is the legend of Hafid, a camel boy of two thousand years ago, and his burning desire to improve his lowly position in life, as told to his apprentice Erasmus. He attempts to learn how to be a great salesman. In the process of his learning, he makes a decision that will influence his life forever. The book includes the wisdom of “ten scrolls” of learning, which the reader is encouraged to follow.

The Greatest Miracle in the World
In this classic, readers are introduced to a mysterious, long-haired, giant old man, Simon Potter, who calls himself a Ragpicker because he’s spent his life rescuing humans who had ended up on life’s refuse pile. Simon befriends Mandino and reveals ageless wisdom and knowledge as they search for the greatest miracle in the world. These two strangers become the best of friends, only in the end to have never met at all. The chilling conclusion will leave you speechless and wanting more.

The Return of the Ragpicker
He’s back-k-k-k! The title tells it all.

The Twelfth Angel
This is a real tear-jerker about a company president who loses his wife and son in a tragic car accident, a hopelessly uncoordinated little boy, Timothy Nobel, and his baseball team, the Angels. In the end, little Timothy teaches us lessons that will live with us forever. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll share this story of love, courage, persistence and victory.

The Choice
This book focuses on a concept that many people have obviously forgotten … this is the fact that we do, in fact, have choices! We must, of course, choose wisely. We must also correct the choices we’ve made and are not happy with. Most importantly, we must take responsibility for whatever our choices are—and where they lead us. At one point in this revealing parable, the main character is faced with a decision he has to make: his son will die in two months unless he is willing to give up his own life in order for his son to live.

Books written by Og Mandino:
















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.

Is Your Echo Positive?

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Here’s a Generational Gem that should be shared with young people as early as possible. If they understand the message and begin practicing this philosophy, they will certainly experience greater success early and often. They can apply it in school, church, community, and later as they enter the work force. This would certainly be a much better world if it were practiced by everyone.

You’ll note that it was written by quite possibility the most prolific poet and writer of all time … Anonymous.

Read, enjoy, practice, and benefit immediately!

“Echo – This Rule of Nature”

A man and his son were walking in the forest. Suddenly the boy trips and feeling a sharp pain he screams, “Ahhhhh.”

Surprised, he hears a voice coming from the mountain; “Ahhhhh.”

Filled with curiosity, he screams, “Who are you?”, but the only answer he receives is: “Who are you?” This makes him angry, so he screams, “You are a coward!” and the voice answers, “You are a coward!”

He looks at his father asking, “Dad, what is going on?”

“Son,” he replies, “pay attention!” Then he screams, “I admire you!” The voice answers, “I admire you!” The father shouts, “You are wonderful!” and the voice answers, “You are wonderful!”

The boy is surprised, but still can’t understand what is going on.

Then the father explains, “People call this an ‘ECHO’, but truly it is ‘LIFE!’ Life always gives you back what you give out! Life is a mirror of your actions. If you want more love, give more love! If you want more kindness, give more kindness! If you want understanding and respect, give understanding and respect. If you want people to be patient and respectful to you, give patience and respect! This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives.”

Like the ECHO, LIFE always gives you back what you give out. Your life is not a coincidence, but a mirror of your own self.

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.

MBWA (Management By Wandering Around) Still Proves to Be a Strong Strategy

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Last month, I shared an experience I had with an old business associate in which we visited several of his customers. He wanted me to see what had resulted from a book we both read and enjoyed very much decades earlier. It was a Tom Peters’ classic, In Search of Excellence, in which he encouraged MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). My friend applied this strategy within his organization and was so pleased with the results that he decided to extend his execution to his own client base. That’s what he wanted me to see.

Well, it appears that my friend was right on the money and maybe even got a bit of a jump on what may soon become a critical strategy. A recent survey revealed some shocking results which SHOULD act as a wake-up call for any and all organizations trying to deal with the many negative ramifications of today’s chaotic business environment.

24/7 Wall St., LLC is a Delaware corporation set up to run a financial news and opinion operation with content delivered over the Internet. The company publishes about 35 pieces of content a day and has readers throughout North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The company currently has its content picked up at websites including TheStreet.com, AOL Finance and BloggingStocks, The Wall Street Journal online, MarketWatch, and StockHouse.

Looking back over the past 50 years, you’ll discover that some of the most successful companies were led by CEOs that spent a great deal of their time with customers and at company locations around the world. In short, MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). Two of the most famous supporters of this strategy were Willard Marriott and Sam Walton. At one point, Walton visited hundreds of stores a year. If these CEOs wanted to know how they were doing with the consumers who spent money with them, they did not have to check with anyone else in management.

Along these same lines, 24/7 was apparently interested in how this philosophy is viewed by today’s business icons and what impact, if any, those views correlated with the current success of the organizations involved. What they discovered in this latest study is not new. In fact, it’s been known and well-documented for decades. Obviously, few leaders give credence to this powerful strategy at a time when all should do so.

In this article, they examine a good number of companies that are currently making headlines in the media … some good, some not so good. They name the company, give a quick run-down of why they’re in the news, and then compare their current status to the CEO’s philosophy on MBWA. It’s amazing that those leaders who get out to their locations and keep in touch with their employees and customers are doing much better than those who don’t. The majority of these leaders encourage their staff to practice MBWA as well. In short, it becomes part of the culture. This strategy has been proven time and time again over the years regardless of the product, service, or industry. Bottom line—it works. Why then, don’t more leaders, at every level, practice this concept? The excuses are numerous. The results remain the same.

Want the proof? 24/7’s quick review of the following companies will open your eyes: Sears, K-Mart, Ford Motor, Radio Shack, Dell, TDAmeritrade, Sprint, Palm, Target, Wal-Mart, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, McDonalds, Schwab, & CostCo. What you do about it is up to you.

Want to hear more about MBWA? Click and share: Does MBWA (Management By Wandering Around) Still Work?

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.