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.

We Got Fired!

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We Got Fired!We Got Fired!: … And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us
by Harvey Mackay

I’m old enough to remember that getting fired was something shameful and didn’t happen that often in one’s career. When it did happen, one could almost expect dark feelings of depression, doubts of your economic worth, and serious damage to your self-esteem. Today, it’s difficult to keep score of the many victims of downsizing, right-sizing, global competition, off-shoring, mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, restructuring, reorganizations, bankruptcies, and out-sourcing. It’s no longer a disgrace to get fired. However, it still must be dealt with.

You’re not going to find any life-changing information in this book. In fact, you’d get much of the same advice from your local outplacement consultant or firm. What you will get is an entertaining and enlightening read from one of the world’s best-selling motivational and business authors, Harvey Mackay. In fact, you’ll probably enjoy a good number of smiles, a warm feeling or two, and maybe even a little motivation to get back into the race. If anyone can do that, it’s Mackay. He’s the author of four New York Times bestsellers, two of which are listed by The New York Times among the top fifteen inspirational business books of all time (Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive and Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt). He’s a nationally syndicated columnist for United Feature Syndicate, writing weekly articles which appear in more than 50 newspapers across the country. He’s one of America’s most popular and entertaining business speakers and is the chairman of Mackay Envelope Company, a $100 million company he founded at age 26.

Amidst the humor, inspiration, and survival tactics, the author shares some eye-opening “cold truths,” such as:

  • “If you are under thirty, the likelihood that you will be fired in the next twenty years is 90 percent.”
  • “The nicest, most loyal, and most submissive employees are often the easiest people to fire.”
  • “The time to start worrying about what you’ll do when you’re fired is the day you get hired.”

This combination of interviews and short essays could also serve to introduce you to many of the realities of business life, such as the fact that today no one is immune to bad judgment and backstabbing. Mackay shares the stories of a variety of people from all walks of life who share one common thread. Although they all lost their jobs, none of them saw themselves as victims for very long. They share their stories and their abilities to bounce back. This book is hopeful, tough-minded and filled with indispensable advice. At the end of each chapter, you’ll be exposed to another of Mackay’s Morals, a great collection of brief, remarkably quotable life slogans. Frankly, the survival tactics below from the people sharing their wisdom as well as Mackay himself should be taught at new employee orientations so people don’t fall victim to the fantasy that their employers will provide them lifelong security.

Listed below are just a few of the many contributors to what should be the next addition to your personal and/or business library.

  • Larry King (CNN TV host)
  • Michael Bloomberg (mayor of New York City)
  • Billy Jean King (pro tennis champion)
  • Jesse Ventura (former Minnesota governor)
  • Joe Torre (New York Yankees manager)
  • Mark Victor Hansen (co-author of Chicken Soup series)
  • Robert Redford (actor and director)
  • Lee Iacocca (former Chrysler Chairman and CEO)
  • Muhammad Ali (3-time world boxing champ)
  • Jamie Dimon (Bank One Chairman and CEO)
  • Mannie Jackson (Owner and CEO of Harlem Globetrotters)
  • Tom Stemberg (Founder of Staples)
  • Bernie Marcus (Founder of Home Depot)
  • Lou Holtz (football coach)
  • Pat Mitchell (CEO of PBS)
  • Donald Trump (real estate mogul)
  • … and many others

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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 First 90 Days

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The First 90 DaysThe First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
by Michael Watkins

Personally, I can’t think of a modern-day business person and/or organization that wouldn’t benefit from this great read. Let’s face it, can you think of an organization that won’t be experiencing some kind of staff transition in the future? Are you aware of an individual who won’t be dealing with a transition of some sort in pursuit of his/her career track?

Webster defines transition as: “a passing from one condition, place, etc. to another.” Therefore, we’re not talking only about someone becoming a CEO, although that high level transition is certainly covered in this book. Michael Watkins provides a great hands-on guide to anyone dealing with any one of a multitude of transitions ranging from a job change or promotion to launching a start-up or leading a turnaround.

Watkins points out the obvious by noting that as long as there have been leaders, there have been leadership transitions. The changing of the guard and the challenges it poses for the new leader are as old as human society. Those challenges have not gotten any easier given the complexity of modern organizations and the speed at which business is conducted. Watkins knows of what he speaks as he is a noted leadership transition expert as well as an Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

The author said he was struck, as we all should be, by how few companies invested in helping their precious leadership assets succeed during transitions—arguably the most critical junctures in their careers. Why do companies leave their people to sink or swim? What would it be worth to companies if managers entering critical new positions could take charge faster? I guess I’m amazed why this individual author would ask these questions BEFORE all of these companies would consider it. After all, it’s the companies that suffer the losses or enjoy continued growth and prosperity from the gains!

The pressure on new leaders to hit the ground running has never been greater, and the likelihood and cost of failure is escalating. For three years he explored these issues by studying dozens of leadership transitions at all levels, by designing transaction acceleration programs for leading companies, and by developing an outline performance-support tool for new leaders. That work culminated in the writing of this book.

In this hands-on guide, Watkins provides strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter and shows how individuals can protect themselves—emotionally as well as professionally—during what is often an intense and vulnerable period. He provides a road map for creating your own 90-day acceleration plan. The conceptual backbone of the road map is ten key transitional challenges:

  1. Promote yourself
  2. Accelerate your learning
  3. Match strategy to situation
  4. Secure early wins
  5. Negotiate success
  6. Achieve alignment
  7. Build your team
  8. Create coalitions
  9. Keep your balance
  10. Expedite everyone

If you succeed in meeting these core challenges, you will have a successful transition. Failure to surmount any one of them, however, is enough to cause potentially crippling problems. Concise and actionable, this is the survival guide no new leader should be without. The First 90 Days should be incorporated into every company’s leadership development strategy, so that anyone making a transition in an organization can get up to speed quicker and smarter.

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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.

Re-imagine!

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Re-imagine!Re-Imagine!: Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age
by Tom Peters

I’d better come clean on this one. I’ve reviewed 140 books for our web site now and this one has probably been the most challenging for me. I must admit I’ve been mesmerized by the words of Tom Peters and his unique “take” on business, management, leadership and innovation since first reading his renowned In Search of Excellence 24 years ago. I’m proud to say I have his entire “works” in my personal library and, better yet, have actually read every one of them. I’ve always admired the exuberance, enthusiasm, and fervor Tom shares with anyone and everyone who will listen to the issues so dear to his heart. I have yet to read one of his books, this one included, that didn’t provide me with inspiration, extraordinary insight, many laughs, a few “ah-hahs,” and a revitalized dedication to my personal goal of making a difference. I’ve also disagreed with many things he has championed.

Now let’s examine his latest and most ambitious offering, Re-imagine! I’m going to use a different approach to this one by separating my positive observations from my negative commentary. Prior to sharing my review of the content, let’s examine the physical book itself. You’ve got to admit that Tom walks his talk. He has always preached the importance of “re-invention,” risk-taking, and innovation. He tackled them all in creating his latest best seller.

It’s larger than most books at 7″ x 9″ and contains 352 pages, each possessing the potential to blind your eyes, slap your face, shut your mouth, open your mind, sit you down, and force you to take a deep breath as you re-evaluate everything you ever believed to be true. However, that’s just potential. In his effort to “reinvent the business book,” Tom has pulled out all the stops. Some of you may find it stimulating and enjoyable while others may find the chaotic and unconventional design and layout nauseating at best.

This book’s design is indeed a departure from “traditional” business books. It doesn’t look like any management book you’ve seen in the past. Every inch of every page is filled with vivid photos, bold colors (especially Peters’ trademark red), icons and text-laden sidebars. Word size, color and even typeface refuse to stay stable within a single sentence. Exclamations everywhere!!! CAPITALIZED TEXT. Red text and red backgrounds hit you in the face on most every page. Pictures, pictures and more pictures. There are pictures of products, corporate logos, Hollywood stars, politicians, sports figures, soldiers, and countless famous people from every walk of life. Some readers may find it annoying that pictures of Tom himself can be found by the dozens throughout the book—everything from a full-page photo on the cover to every possible cheesy pose you can imagine in every chapter! And before each chapter a page is wasted on a BIG EXCLAMATION MARK!

Now let’s discuss the pros and cons of the content.

On a positive note …

This book is saturated with great pictures, quotes, facts, analogies, examples, reality, challenges and information. In fact, some people suggest you read only four to five pages at one sitting to avoid information overload and total exhaustion.

Tom kicks things off with an inspiring, even startling, introduction. He avoids his usual histrionics and fireworks starting slowly building his case quietly and firmly. It’s quite obvious that he’s creating a firm foundation that can handle the bomb bursts of his later frenzies. Momentum builds as Peters steadily presents his major theme: “We’re in a new business climate and we’d better make some big changes.”

As always, Tom does everything he can to move his readers to take action. You can find it on most every page. He doesn’t care if you agree or disagree with his philosophy. He simply wants you to take a stand, move to action, and make a difference. He feels our country needs many more voices on every front.

Tom admits to previous mistakes as he points out that being correct is not the issue. We need new ideas, new practices, new ways of working before hell arrives in the proverbial hand basket—and the more ideas we can try, the better. We all need to enjoy some excellent failures.

As always, he shares an abundance of his stream-of-consciousness phrases and proves once again that he has a profound understanding of our challenging business climate. He’s known for his bombastic and passionate ideas and certainly won’t disappoint his readers in this best seller. Like him or not, Tom Peters is one of the most influential management gurus of recent times, and this book will contribute much to keeping his legend alive.

At the end of each chapter you’ll find a thought-provoking and very entertaining “Was/Is” comparison.

On a somewhat negative note …

I found that a great deal of the information Tom shares in Re-imagine! is not new. Much of what he says was regurgitated from one or several of his earlier works. This will be quite evident to anyone who has read any of his previous books.

Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. Isn’t that aggravating? I found a great deal of repetition within these covers. Many words, phrases, sentences, strategies repeated page after page, chapter after chapter. Repetition can be productive but only to a degree.

Tom seems to be promoting his new buzzword, “re-imagine,” in the hopes that it will catch on and become part of our business lingo. I don’t know how others may feel about it, but I can’t seem to come to grips with it. I wish him well but honestly feel this one will fall short.

I must admit that I was a bit surprised to find Tom taking a few shots at a few fellow authors. Jim Collins, author of Built to Last and Good to Great, seemed to be one of his favorite targets. I couldn’t decide whether it was truly a philosophy dispute or maybe a tinge of professional jealously. It just seemed out of character for the Tom Peters I’ve grown to know and admire over the years.

In summary, Tom’s focus is obviously on all things NEW. His chapters include New Context, New Technology, New Value, New Brand, New Markets, New Work, New People, and New Mandate. First-time readers of Tom’s material will find this book fascinating and will more than likely become true converts … anxiously awaiting his inevitable upcoming book. Those who have been long-time fans who have read Tom’s previous books may enjoy this offering but probably won’t consider it his best work.

Personally, I’m not sure if this one is as good as it is bad or as bad as it is good. Read it, decide for yourself and let me know what you think.

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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.

There’s a Customer Born Every Minute

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There's a Customer Born Every MinuteThere’s a Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum’s Secrets to Business Success
by Joe Vitale

When many of you read the title of this book, the name P.T. Barnum more than likely came to mind immediately. This famous entrepreneur and showman is perhaps best known today for having said something very similar to this title, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” As a youngster, I was well aware of Barnum’s affiliation with the “Greatest Show On Earth,” the Barnum and Bailey Circus. My grandfather took me to see this spectacle every time it arrived within 100 miles of our home. As much as I cherished every visit to this exhibition of extravagance (give me a break—we had no cable TV or video games), I must admit I had little, if any, respect or feeling for P.T. Barnum. As I look back I’m quite certain it was due to the famed “sucker” comment that was always credited to him. It never set well with me.

Now, decades later, I learn from this book that Barnum never once uttered that statement! In actual fact, he believed that there was a customer born every minute, and this belief—that everyone was a potential buyer—was just one of the many solid business principles that led him to a long and successful career.

The author of this page turner, Joe Vitale, is President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. To create this best seller, Vitale studied books about Barnum, read stacks of his letters, listened to a rare Edison recording of his voice, watched the various movies and commentaries made of his life, visited with collectors of Barnum materials, and reread his lively autobiography, titled Struggles and Triumphs, the primary source to read if you want to know about this fascinating man’s life.

Barnum created what the author calls “10 Rings of Power” for making any business into a money machine. These business principles are straightforward, very effective, and obviously timeless. Vitale shows you how to apply and adapt these key principles to your own business. It doesn’t matter if you lead an established company or plan to start your own entrepreneurial venture; what worked so successfully for Barnum can do the same for you.

In addition to the Rings of Power, this captivating read will provide you with a number of useful new marketing ideas that you can utilize immediately with fantastic outcomes. For instance:

  • Learn the secret of “The King’s Magic Ring.” (It’s as relevant today as it was at the time of its creation!)
  • Discover Barnum’s “Secret for Living at No-Stress Level”
  • Adopt Barnum’s “Secret for Surviving Disasters and Tragedies”
  • Uncover the “Three Steps to Publicity”
  • Understand “What People Really Want”
  • Master the “World’s Oldest Formula” (AIDA)
  • Discover “Ten Easy Ways to Grab Attention”
  • Become an Audacious Idea Generator
  • Acquire the knowledge to “Barnumize Your Business”

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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.

50 Spiritual Classics

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50 Spiritual Classics50 Spiritual Classics: Timeless Wisdom from 50 Great Books on Inner Discovery, Enlightenment and Purpose
by Tom Butler-Bowdon

This is the last in Tom Butler-Bowdon’s acclaimed trilogy. It’s a very unique collection of the very best spiritual works that have stood the test of time. Tom has brought together the world’s classic spiritual writings in one volume. Spanning countries, centuries, spiritual traditions and secular beliefs, the selections in this collection are breathtaking in range.

This obvious kaleidoscope of inspiration lets the reader delve into the ideals that can enrich the mind and heal the soul.

Here are just a few of the classics you’ll find in this edition:

  • The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren
  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
  • The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
  • Doors of Deception by Aldous Huxley
  • Varieties of Religious Experience by William James
  • A Simple Path by Mother Teresa
  • The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
  • The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
  • The Road to Mecca by Muhammad Asad
  • Confessions by St. Augustine
  • The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra
  • St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton
  • Markings by Dag Hammarskjold
  • The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
  • A Course in Miracles by Schucman and Thetford

Autobiographies of:

  • Malcolm X
  • Mohandas Gandhi
  • Paramahansa Yogananda

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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.

50 Success Classics

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50 Success Classics50 Success Classics: Winning Wisdom for Life and Work from 50 Landmark Books
by Tom Butler-Bowden

Here we have the same author (as 50 Self-Help Classics) utilizing the same format to introduce us to 50 of the most important and inspiring books that already have helped legions of readers unleash their potential and discover the secrets to success in work and life.

In this collection, you’ll find such classics as:

  • See You at The Top by Zig Ziglar
  • Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
  • The Spirit to Serve by J.W. Marriott Jr.
  • Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins
  • Magic of Thinking Big by David Swartz
  • Maximum Achievement by Brian Tracy
  • The Art of War by Sun Tzu
  • Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch
  • The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman
  • Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
  • Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger
  • On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis
  • One-Minute Manager by Blanchard & Johnson
  • Good to Great by Jim Collins
  • Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell
  • Direct from Dell by Michael Dell
  • How to Be Rich by John Paul Getty
  • Official Guide to Success by Tom Hopkins

Biographies of:

  • Andrew Carnegie
  • Henry Ford
  • Warren Buffett
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Eleanor Roosevelt
  • Sam Walton

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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.

50 Self-Help Classics

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50 Self-Help Classics50 Self-Help Classics
by Tom Butler-Bowdon

This title is one of an acclaimed trilogy of the “literature of possibility” recommended to me by a client who felt I would definitely enjoy it and want to share it with our readers. I should alert you to the fact that you more than likely will not find these titles on the shelves of your local book store but can certainly order them very easily from the store or online.

Let me begin by explaining a little bit about this author and what he’s accomplished for lovers of great literature everywhere. I’m tremendously impressed with his efforts and overwhelmed at his achievement. This book is one of three very similar offerings that follow the same reader-friendly format. I’ll explain that template here and then share the individual content under each title.

You’ll want to keep this series of books within arm’s length in your office or home library.

Remember the faithful Cliff Notes we denied using in high school? This approach reminds me of a compact encyclopedia of Cliff Notes introducing and/or reacquainting readers with 50 of the greatest self-help authors and their inspirational classics. Tom Butler-Bowden has spent more than six years researching, reading, and analyzing hundreds of works to compile these three guides to the world’s best literature. Tom is a graduate of the London School of Economics and the University of Sydney. He currently lives and works in both the UK and Australia. You’ll want to check out his website at www.butler-bowdon.com.

The reader-friendly format I spoke of is certainly conducive to getting the message of the original book with clarity and ease. Each classic has its own chapter which is reasonably short and to the point while extremely revealing.

The first page of each chapter begins with a few notable quotes from the classic followed by a feature titled “In a nutshell.” This profile summarizes the entire classic in one or two sentences followed by another interesting feature, “In a similar vein,” which lists several other classics that address the same subject. Thus far–one page.

The author then offers the main idea, context, and impact of the book itself followed by a short, interesting biography of the author.

I first thought this collection of classic reviews would save me from having to read the entire book, and I’m sure some may want to settle for that. However, I found that while it gave me an excellent insight to the gist of each classic and author, it also enticed me to want to read or reread the entire content. Either approach will leave you longing for more.

Here are just a few of the self-help classics included in this must-have collection.

  • As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
  • Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
  • The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
  • Real Magic by Wayne Dyer
  • The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck
  • The Power of Positive Living by Norman Vincent Peale
  • Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
  • Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
  • Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain
  • Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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.

If You Don’t Make Waves, You’ll Drown

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if-you-dont-make-waves-youll-drownIf You Don’t Make Waves, You’ll Drown: 10 Hard Charging Strategies for Leading in Politically Correct Times
by Dave Anderson

Prior to every keynote or seminar, we offer the disclaimer that we’re about to share with you what you NEED to hear rather than what you WANT to hear. I guess I always felt that was pretty daring and bold in this day and age of pampering audiences and sharing warm fuzzy antidotes in hopes of inspiring enhanced productivity, profitability, and prosperity. Never again. Our remarks seem insignificant after reading this book.

Two chapters into Dave Anderson’s rantings, I must admit I was angered, insulted, disturbed, embarrassed, offended, irritated and exhausted. I felt abused, almost drawn and quartered. I felt I had been kicked in the shins, slapped in the face, and had the wind knocked out of me. But wait, don’t misunderstand. That’s apparently a good thing. The author actually predicted many of those reactions. In fact, he claims he would have failed his readers if, in fact, he had NOT provoked those many emotions within us. As he says, frustration and dissatisfaction are unequalled motivators, and that’s exactly what is needed in today’s chaotic business environment.

I bought this book at the airport in Los Angeles prior to a long red-eye flight back to Michigan. It shortened the flight dramatically. I discovered very quickly that this is certainly not your typical business book. Anderson’s direct and bare-knuckles approach makes you realize that he has no intention of inspiring you but has every intention of taunting you into action.

He pulls no punches in pointing out that today’s business leaders are running out of time. Look around and you’ll see that our businesses are mired in mediocrity today. You won’t find academic remedies to your business challenges within these fast-turning pages. In fact, you’ll find the opposite—tips on how to be a tougher, take-no-prisoners style manager.

He shows you how to be more direct without being disrespectful; how to give honest feedback even when it hurts; and how to hold employees accountable for results. In short, you’ll learn how to get the most out of your business. Refusing to beat around the bush, the author tells you how to motivate lazy employees, reward the winners, fire the losers, and run a tight and profitable ship. No doubt this advice will be tough medicine for some companies until they consider the obvious alternative which is reported almost daily in headlines from coast to coast.

As a business consultant, I’d like to put this book into the hands of every one of our clients. It’s filled with simple, to-the-point wisdom that only sounds clichéd because it works. This is the perfect book for aligning your company and your employees to grow your organization and exceed customer expectations. Anyone using this book as a template for a bold new business model will clearly reach levels only dreamed of in the past!

Buy this book. Grab a legal pad. Lock your door. Turn off your phones. Climb into a very comfortable chair. Buckle your seatbelt. Don your armor. Open your mind.

If you want real answers to your business challenges, this is the reference book. There is no sugar coating here, just the facts. You’ll find many solutions that will definitely work if YOU have the guts to pull the trigger! This may well be your last chance!

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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.

Character Is Destiny

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Character Is DestinyCharacter Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember
by John McCain with Mark Salter

I must begin this particular review with a confession. I’m not certain I would have purchased this book myself but, after reading it, I’m thankful and proud to have it occupy a special spot in my personal library. I received this collection of morality tales as a Christmas gift from a dear, long-time friend and began reading it more out of obligation than desire or interest. I’m pretty sure that approach stemmed from my dislike and distrust of most anyone involved in today’s political climate … from dedicated liberals to devout conservatives. However, I must also admit that if I were to be in the least tempted to read anything written by a politician, it would be the works of John McCain.

He is one of the few politicians I admire for his courage to speak his mind and do what he thinks is right for the American public. He cares little for the approval of his own party and has an equal number of friends and foes on both sides of the political aisle. Few others can make that same claim and probably fewer have the courage to want to. He is a rare exception to the partisan bitterness in Washington these days, often crafting bipartisan approaches to issues such as smoking and campaign reform.

John McCain is a maverick senator and former Vietnam veteran and prisoner of war. The son and grandson of prominent Navy admirals, John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1958, McCain began a 22-year career as a naval aviator. In 1967, he was shot down while on a bombing run over Vietnam. He parachuted into a lake, breaking both arms and a leg. He was held as a prisoner-of-war in Hanoi for five and a half years (1967-1973), much of it in solitary confinement. He actually refused early release—which he saw as a public relations stunt by his captors—insisting that POWs held longer than him should be granted their freedom first. To me, that act alone speaks volumes of John McCain’s character! Thereafter, McCain was treated much more severely, but he also had an opportunity to bond with his fellow prisoners. Those experiences strengthened his resolve and eased his transition back into civilian life. He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981. McCain’s naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

In Character Is Destiny, McCain and Salter tell the stories of 34 celebrated historical figures and lesser known heroes whose values exemplify the best of the human spirit. He illustrates these qualities with moving stories of triumph against the odds, righteousness in the face of iniquity, hope in adversity, and sacrifices for a cause greater than self-interest.

Each area of this book is titled with a general value. For example, part one is titled with the general value honor. Each individual value has specific character traits that make up that particular value. For instance, honor includes similar areas such as: honesty, respect, authenticity, loyalty, dignity. Then, the authors share a true story of a person who exemplifies the featured value.

Here is the complete set of general values and their specific character traits for each part:

  • Honor: Five character traits indicated above
  • Purpose: Idealism, Righteousness, Citizenship, Diligence, Responsibility, Cooperation
  • Strength: Courage, Self-control, Confidence, Resilience, Industry, Hopefulness
  • Understanding: Faith, Compassion, Mercy, Tolerance, Forgiveness, Generosity
  • Judgment: Fairness, Humility, Gratitude, Humor, Courtesy
  • Creativity: Aspiration, Discernment, Curiosity, Enthusiasm, Excellence
  • Love: Selfishness and Contentment

Each of the stories exemplifying character traits is well-told, beginning with a brief summary about the person.

Each subject area features a cover page consisting of an impressive hand-drawn portrait of the person who is profiled. In addition to the portrait is an insightful quotation from a William Shakespeare play.

His choice of heroes and heroines is diverse enough to please both liberals and conservatives. I think he pretty much says it all in his subtitles. These are indeed stories which should be shared by both young people as well as adults as it is a genuine celebration of the human spirit.

The 25 men and nine women featured in this stimulating collection include: Gandhi, Joan of Arc, Winston Churchill, John Wooden, Abe Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Wilma Rudolph, Mark Twain, Mother Teresa, and Tecumseh to name just a few.

You’ll also learn about the Catholic priest in Auschwitz who offered to take a condemned man’s place; the 66-year-old British Prime Minister who, in a renowned eighteen-word remark that would live forever in annals of history, counseled schoolboys to “never give up”; a nun, formerly a comfortable Beverly Hills housewife, who works with prisoners in Mexico’s worst jails; and the 27-year-old football player whose love of country led him to turn down a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League to enlist in the Army shortly after 9/11 and then make the “ultimate sacrifice” in Afghanistan.

This collection will provide you with hours of enjoyable reading, thought-provoking examination, and cherished inspiration.

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 14.)

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 Five Dysfunctions of a Team

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The Five Dysfunctions of a TeamThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
by Patrick Lencioni

As long as I can remember, business leaders have traditionally borrowed from successful sports strategies to run their companies. Many players and coaches, from a variety of popular sports, have written books that ended up in corporate libraries. However, the proverbial “tables” have apparently turned. I just read a very interesting cover story on the front page of the Money section of USA Today. The focus of this two-page feature revolves around the ironic fact that this book is becoming a must-read for NFL head coaches.

The irony is obvious. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team was written for business executives and managers. A football audience was so far from the mind of author Patrick Lencioni that the parable’s heroine is a 57-year-old female CEO named Kathryn who talks about such sappy things as fear of conflict.

Apparently a large number of coaches and players in the NFL are learning a thing or two from a business book about winning tactics in the workplace. Author Lencioni says he was stunned to learn that his growing list of fans include: San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan, Oakland Raiders coach Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, Miami Dolphins rookie coach Nick Saban, Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel, and Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. Several of the coaches even distributed copies to their assistant coaches and players, and Coach Lewis keeps a four-color printout of the book’s pyramid on his desk to remind him of the five dysfunctions that can cripple a team.

You might wonder why a business book would be of such great interest in the NFL? When you think about it, it’s rather obvious. Head coaches and players are struggling with many of the same challenges that CEOs and employees are forced to contend with in today’s competitive and ever-changing environment.

The popularity of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team isn’t exclusive to NFL coaches. Teams playing everything from cricket in New Zealand to tennis at Northwestern University have employed its lessons.

Published in 2002, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team never rose to the level of best seller. However, more recently, demand has grown, and over the past two years, it has outsold almost all but a few leadership/management books such as Who Moved My Cheese?, Good to Great, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The 8th Habit and Now, Discover Your Strengths, according to USA Today book sales data.

This is a genuinely significant book for anyone who works in a team environment, whether at work, in sports, in the community, at home, etc. Over the years, there have been hundreds of books written on the subject of building teams. This is one of the best for the simple reason that it gets at the ROOTS of team failure. Anyone who has been forced to go through corporate “team building” sessions, forcing you to sing with your fellow co-workers, tip toe across two-by-fours, or swing on a rope like Tarzan knows that this approach doesn’t work! The principles presented in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team are solid and will get results.

These are the five team dysfunctions that Lencioni uses in his leadership fable:

  1. Absence of trust
  2. Fear of conflict
  3. Lack of commitment
  4. Avoidance of accountability
  5. Inattention to detail

This book will be a great asset to team members and leaders alike. You will see yourself and your team in this book. More than that, you will find specific steps you can take to make your team better. Through a real-life fable, the author leads you through the steps you need to take to move a team from dysfunction to health. You will find a clear model as well as examples that are as relevant as your last meeting.

The majority of the book deals with a fictional CEO and her efforts to unite a dysfunctional team that is in such disarray that it threatens to destroy the entire company. Throughout the story, the author reveals the five dysfunctions that go to the very heart of why teams, even the very best, often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles to build a cohesive, effective team.

In the last few pages of the book, the author describes each dysfunction in detail, followed by suggestions to overcome that dysfunction. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team gives a simple message that inspires, energizes, and creates a vision of hope for how thing could be in a team. Coaches agree that there is a lot that goes into a winning team, and no book will ever play more than a tiny role. But in the NFL, as in business, a slight edge can make the difference.

(This book review was originally published in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 13.)

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.