Apples Are Square

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

Apples Are Square: Thinking Differently About Leadership
by Dr. Susan Smith Kuczmarski and Thomas Kuczmarski

This is one of those publications that grab you at the cover. Come on, the title Apples Are Square tickles your intrigue just a bit now, doesn’t it? And who doesn’t want to think differently about leadership? If the book is as good as the title, the Kuczmarskis, the husband and wife team of business consultants, trainers and authors, have another winner on their hands.

The inspiration behind this attention-grabbing title comes from a professional football player, Christopher Zorich, who played for both the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. He shares his memories of how his mother took rotten apples and literally reshaped them into something edible and appealing. The authors use that analogy to suggest that we, as a society, need to take bruised work environments and reshape them into dynamic, inclusive, and collaborative organizations.

The strategies involved to do so are derived from people other than those which seem to appear in every leadership book. The authors interviewed 25 leadership pioneers from many walks of life: Susan Anton (Broadway star and actress), Chris Zorich (NFL star), Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist, the Internet classified ad service), Mary Ellen Weber (former NASA astronaut), Dean Kamen (inventor of the Segway scooter), Charles Lewis (founder of the Center for Public Integrity), and others from many different work settings―media, the arts, government, sports, education, and business.

Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll find to help you move toward a new definition of leadership at a time when it is obviously sorely needed:

“Peopleship”… cultivating multiple leaders in an organization by invoking six critical values which will strengthen individuals and connecting employees and managers in building strong relationships.
“7 Step Approach”… for creating a compassionate work culture.

For far too long, leaders have been operating with a “command, control and compete” mindset. Many organizations have proven that this strategy no longer works. We’re seeing a totally different leader emerge as a collaborator rather than a controller. These successful leaders are “square apples” who are daring to reshape the workplace in unexpected ways. The authors share with you the secrets of how to become a “square apple” in your organization.

Examine today’s business environment, and you’ll quickly discover that leadership, or the lack thereof, is one of the most pressing issues facing organizations today. Reshaping a bad apple is not easy, but in the end you will hold in your hand the fruits of a more dynamic, inclusive, and collaborative organization.

(This book review was originally published in 2008 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 17.)

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.

Broken Windows, Broken Business

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

Broken Windows, Broken Business: How the Smallest Remedies Reap the Biggest Rewards
by Michael Levine

This is one of those books promoting a theory that appears to be extremely obvious, easy to support, and somewhat difficult to argue with. Common sense, if you will. Or maybe uncommon sense better describes this theory. I say that because we see resounding evidence every day in every industry across the country that would suggest that a large number of organizations either don’t believe or choose not to practice this philosophy.

The theory itself was first published in 1982 but is probably more relevant 26 years later than ever before. The message is very clear and, indeed, simplistic. The author’s premise is one that we have espoused many times as a result of our research, consulting and training experience. Sweat the small stuff!

Levine’s premise suggests that what you pay attention to determines what you miss as well. If you only “focus” on the major issues in your business, you neglect the minor issues, and the neglect of the “small stuff” is a path to organizational demise.

Essentially, Levine is “challenging” the 80/20 MBA B.S., and invoking a new mantra, which probably should be called the “100/0” rule … EVERYTHING MATTERS!

In all honesty, every organization has “broken windows” in one form or another. They are inevitable. Think about those you yourself have witnessed in a typical day.

Litter on the grounds.
Improper or impolite telephone procedure.
Confusing web site.
Dead plants in the lobby.
Filthy rest rooms.
Dimly lit rooms.
Poor signage.
Peeling paint.
Long lines.
Poorly maintained restrooms.
Incompetent personnel.
Lack of follow through.
Poor communication skills.
Poor employee appearance.
Dirty windows.
Worn carpets.

Levine’s key point is that organizations whose culture demands perfection in all operations and cordiality in all relationships will (a) minimize the number of their “broken windows” and (b) immediately repair those few which occur.

Too many managers are trained, like dogs, to robotically look at spreadsheets, improve metrics, and number crunch regularly. Of course, numbers do matter.

Levine’s emphasis is to get beyond just the numbers, open your eyes, and LOOK, really NOTICE the details, because it doesn’t matter what your current numbers show, if you are missing the big picture which is CUSTOMER PERCEPTION!

There is compelling evidence that problems in business, large and small, typically stem from inattention to tiny details! And you can be certain that customers spot those details every time!

In March 1982, criminologists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling introduced the “broken windows” theory. Social psychologists and criminologists who agreed that if a window in a building is broken and left unrepaired, soon thereafter the rest of the windows will be broken—and the perception will build that crime in that neighborhood is out of control. The same principle applies to business. Constant attention to detail not only demonstrates corporate competence, but also shows that the company cares about what the consumer wants. A company’s metaphorical “broken windows,” whatever they may be, send the opposite signal: that the business doesn’t care and this obviously repels customers!

So what does the author recommend to remedy this very serious situation? His advice is fairly routine:

Deploy mystery shoppers to ferret out shortcomings.
Remember that first impressions are lasting.
Strive to “exceed expectations.”
Request, respond to and appreciate customer feedback.
Cultivate “the obsessive, compulsive, almost violent need to find the flaws.”
Refuse to tolerate employees who don’t smile or are otherwise “coasting, doing their time, merely existing” and infecting other workers with their “virus.”
Communicate clearly the Broken Window theory to your staff along with your expectations of them and the role they play in this philosophy.
Seek out and immediately repair every “broken window” throughout your organization.

Almost everything Levine recommends should require little (if any) expenditure of hours or dollars.

I read of a man and wife who would patronize only one local car wash. The pricing was competitive. What differentiated it from its competition? Those who work there were friendly, the interior and exterior waiting areas were always impeccably clean as well as well-lit, and most important of all, every car was always thoroughly cleaned inside and out. One final point, just before the attendant waved his or her towel, the side windows were rolled down an inch or two so that no water line is left. An insignificant detail? Not to this couple and obviously many others. No broken windows here! And the employees played an intricate part of supporting this theory.

Using dozens of corporate “broken window” case studies, including McDonalds, Kmart, Google, JetBlue, and more, the author argues that by integrating the solutions to small problems into a much larger plan, the resulting combined solution can stimulate overall business growth and keep customers coming back for more.

Again this theory is obviously true. It is indeed simple. Experience proves it to be advantageous for everyone involved. Then why don’t we see more organizations practicing this theory? Could there possibly be a knowing-doing gap here? More than likely.

If so, indifference may well be the largest “broken window” in need of repair.

(This book review was originally published in 2008 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 17.)

About Harry K. Jones

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (And Their Employees)
by Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni has done it again. He’s provided still another of his celebrated fables that both entertain and educate with equal success. This author is the president of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in executive team development and organizational health. As a consultant and keynote speaker, he’s worked with thousands of senior executives ranging from Fortune 500s and high-tech start-ups to universities and nonprofits.

This priceless experience is personified in the subject matter Lencioni has focused on in each of his best-selling leadership fables. A quick review of his titles will reveal that he knows how to strike at the heart of the matter when guiding leaders to ultimate success in their chosen fields.

The Five Temptations of a CEO
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Death by Meeting
Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars

And now this gifted author adds to that impressive compilation with his latest offering, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. As you can plainly see, Lencioni knows well the barriers, road blocks and speed bumps which hinder both individuals and organizations as they journey onward to obtain their objectives in an ever-growing chaotic business environment. Many executives, hampered by ego and/or denial, struggle to acknowledge the obvious truths and explicit strategies Lencioni shares via his vivid fables and targeted counsel. Those who check their ego at the door, overcome their denial, and heed his advice reap monumental benefits and move on to undertake other challenges.

In a mere 257 pages, his latest fable tells the inspiring tale of a high-flying, but deeply dissatisfied CEO who ditches the power and perks for career bliss as the manager of a pizzeria! In this unusual and inspiring story, Lencioni convincingly demonstrates how career happiness (or misery) is the direct result of the manager-employee relationship.

His years of consulting has led him to a vivid realization—job misery is having a devastating impact on individuals and on society at large. In fact, the stories and anecdotal evidence confirming job misery are overwhelming. Misery spans all income levels, ages and geography. A recent Gallup poll found that 77% of people hate their jobs. Gallup also contends that this ailing workforce is costing employers more than $350 billion dollars in lost productivity.

The primary source of job misery and the potential cure for that misery resides in the hands of one individual―the direct manager. There are countless studies confirming this statement, including both Gallup and The Blanchard Companies. Both organizations have found that an employee’s relationship with their direct manager is the most important factor in determining employee satisfaction … more so than pay, benefits, perks, and work-life balance.

In this book, Lencioni reveals the three corners of the employee unhappiness pyramid. I won’t divulge them here, but I can assure you that you’ll immediately recognize and relate to each of the three “signs.” The author shatters several myths about workplace satisfaction and offers some real advice on how to turn the daily grind into daily fulfillment.

When asked why managers don’t address the three obvious “signs” of misery, Lencioni reveals a number of reasons:

Few managers take a genuine interest in their people.
Few managers remind their people of the impact that their work has on others.
Few managers help them establish creative ways to measure and assess their performance.
Many managers think they are too busy to do these things.
Many managers see themselves primarily as individual contributors who happen to have direct reports.
Many managers fail to realize that the most important part of their jobs is providing their people with what they need to be productive and fulfilled (a.k.a. not miserable) in their jobs.
Many managers simply forget what it was like when they were a little lower on the food chain.
Many managers are embarrassed or afraid to try. They fear that their employees will see them as being disingenuous or manipulative, or that by taking an interest in their personal lives they will be stepping into inappropriate territory.

As Lencioni shares his examples and insights, you might very well surmise that he’s talking about your own workplace. The “signs” are that universal and obviously that prevalent.

The final appendix-like chapter provides a helpfully stripped-down version of the author’s model and strategies. He also provides a web site where you can find job tools, downloads, and helpful products. Lencioni provides a powerful message to all who lead people, one that will produce exceptional loyalty and results.

(This book review was originally published in 2008 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 17.)

About Harry K. Jones

Pour Your Heart into It

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time
by Howard Schultz and Dori Jones Yang

I’m going to share very little about this book. Instead, I’d like to tell you WHY you should read it. It’s all about a very unusual man and even more unusual company—both of which continue to defy conventional wisdom on what appears to be a daily basis!

I must admit that I, myself, have never been a coffee lover. In fact, I don’t drink it at all. I began to pay attention to Howard Schultz and Starbucks about five years ago and did so quite by accident. I read a piece in a magazine about the unusual phenomenon of our country seemingly willing to accept the presence of an overpriced coffee shop on what seems to be every corner in the nation. For instance, in Manhattan alone, you can find 171 Starbucks! In Denver there are 45, in Boston there are 55, in Seattle there are 89 and in Chicago there are 97. How many companies offering any product and/or service continue to saturate our country at such an astonishing pace? Few, if any.

Let me tell you why you want to know more about this unconventional man and his distinctive organization.

Howard Schultz

He’s an American businessman and entrepreneur most widely known as the Chairman and Chief Global Strategist of Starbucks and former owner of the Seattle Supersonics.

Howard was born in 1952 and grew up in a subsidized public housing project in Brooklyn, New York, as the eldest of three children. A football scholarship to faraway Northern Michigan University was his ticket out of the projects and he became the first in his family to earn a degree.

After graduating, Howard worked at a variety of jobs for six years before becoming the manager of U.S. operations for Hammarplast, a Swedish maker of stylish kitchen equipment and housewares.

At this point, I find a critical portion of Howard’s career to somewhat shadow that of Ray Kroc inasmuch as they were drawn to their destinies in much the same way. Schultz was working for a Swiss company that sold kitchen items. He noticed this small little specialty coffee store in Seattle was buying more plastic filters than anybody, and he decided to see why. What started as curiosity quickly grew to a obsession that he had to leave his job as vice president, move from New York and start working for them. Ray Kroc did much the same thing in discovering McDonalds as a result of noting their constant need for the malted milk machines he sold for a living.

Schultz, like Kroc, had a keen business sense and a rare ability to create a vision much greater than anything existing leadership could hope to offer. Both icons took their respective companies to heights never imagined by the original leaders.

In sharing his vision with Starbucks decision makers, he was informed that they had no interest in getting into the restaurant business. He left Starbucks and started his own small, friendly café in Seattle, which soon became a gathering place for notable locals. Five years later, he bought out the Starbucks partners for $3.8 million and hasn’t looked back since.

Taking great pride in his knack for “Thinking Outside the Cup,” Schultz developed a series of practices that were unprecedented in retail. He insisted that all employees working at least 20 hours a week get comprehensive health coverage, including coverage for unmarried spouses.

Then he introduced an employee stock-option plan. These moves boosted employee loyalty and led to extremely low employee turnover, even though salaries were fairly low. To this day, leaders in every industry claim these benefits simply aren’t feasible. Last year, Forbes Magazine ranked Schultz as the 354th richest person in the U.S., with a net worth of $1.1 billion!

Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks is a dominant multinational coffeehouse chain based here in the U.S.
Named after the first mate in the novel Moby-Dick, Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world!
Boasting 7,521 company-owned and 5,647 licensed stores in 41 countries, worldwide locations total 13,168.
Industry experts predict a future of 50,000 stores, trumping even McDonalds. Think about that for a moment.
Last year they registered revenues of $7.786 BILLION!
They are currently opening coffee shops at the rate of 3½ a day worldwide and that figure is expected to increase soon!
They currently employ over 147,436 employees!
They are currently hiring 250 people a day!
Their subsidiaries include Starbucks Coffee Company, Tazo Tea Co., Seattle’s Best Coffee, Torrefazione Italia, Hear Music, and Ethos Water.
Starbucks brand ice cream and coffee are also sold in grocery stores and they have ventured beyond refreshments into books, music, and film.
Here’s the most amazing fact. At a time when this country is facing financially challenging times, this company bases its success on the fact that they are selling a product that averages $12.88 a gallon while consumers are complaining about $3 a gallon gasoline!! More power to them.
Starbucks has managed to blossom without national advertising.
Despite their tremendous success, they have less than 6% market share of coffee consumption. They are in the infant stages of growth in this business!

Now you know about the Man and his Machine. I highly recommend that you read this book to gain a remarkable insight into this extraordinary journey by a very unique leader. The book contains dozens of revealing quotes by some of the world’s greatest minds. This is a very rare and enthralling book about true passion, dealing with the challenges of rapid and significant growth, truly serving and caring about the customer, nurturing employees, helping people from the heart, and experiencing true success to its fullest extent. Upon completion, you’ll see your neighborhood Starbucks in a new light.

(This book review was originally published in 2008 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 17.)

About Harry K. Jones

The Janitor

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

The Janitor: How an Unexpected Friendship Transformed a CEO and His Company
by Todd Hopkins and Ray Hilbert

It somewhat stands to reason that if you’re in search of effective business strategies and insights, you’re not going to find it in a book with the word “janitor” in the title, right? Ah, but we all know better than that by now, don’t we? Over the decades I’ve learned some of life’s best lessons in places and from people I would never have expected to find such wisdom. Such it is with this 160-page parable by two unlikely co-authors, who may very well have a motivational classic on their hands.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet a good number of CEOs who would easily identify with the CEO we meet in The Janitor. His business is out of control, his marriage obviously suffers as a result, he seldom gets to see his children, his clients are difficult to say the least, he’s working ridiculous hours putting out fires, and he’s not coping well with the many changes he must deal with while under increasing stress.

While working late as he so often does, CEO Roger Kimbrough has a chance encounter with an elderly janitor one evening. Roger spills his guts to janitor Bob Tidwell, a retired businessman, and the kind janitor promises to provide guidance that will turn the CEO’s business and personal life around.

The janitor’s counsel is based upon six basic principles, which are easy to overlook based on their simplicity alone. This fable follows not only their weekly meetings at Roger’s office but also the application and challenge of each principle in the process.

I’ll let you discover the principles on your own, but I can assure you that this narrative will hold your attention and provide you with well-defined, easy-to-remember steps to improving your life regardless of your career and personal challenges. If you find yourself experiencing any of the conditions mentioned earlier in your business or family life, check out this inspiring and compelling story of six keys that can and will lead to life-changing success.

(This book review was originally published in 2008 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 17.)

About Harry K. Jones

The Other Side of the Card

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

The Other Side of the Card: Where Your Authentic Leadership Story Begins
by Mike Morrison

Knowing a little bit more about this author may explain the powerful content of still another of those many small books that seem to appear on our local bookstore shelves with regularity. However, don’t be mislead by the dimensions of the book itself nor the low number of 125 pages. The story is an eye-opener, the lessons are many, and the impact has the potential of changing the way you view leadership.

Back to the author for a moment. Mike Morrison, Ph.D., played a key leadership role in the development and launch of the University of Toyota, one of the leading corporate universities in the world today. Toyota is currently the talk of the automotive world as they recently moved ahead of Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers to assume the coveted title of the world’s No. 1 automobile company. Don’t think for a moment that the University of Toyota didn’t play a key role in that accomplishment. In addition to supporting Toyota employees and partner organizations, Dr. Morrison is engaged in major global leadership development initiatives to advance new ways of leading. Currently the Vice President and Dean of the University of Toyota, Dr. Morrison is one of the most influential thinkers on leadership principles today.

The Other Side of the Card is an easy read—short, packed with great lessons, and full of specific tools you can put to use immediately. It’s a compelling parable on finding one’s true leadership voice. The author uses the typical everyday business card as a symbol of personal identity and power. You will soon understand that the blank side of your card—much like the hidden part of your identity—is not empty space but limitless possibility.

Through the voice of a retiring CEO struggling to define his new future role in life, we learn how to define deeper meaning in our work and personal life. The lead character is easy to relate to, and the story of his challenges will certainly be familiar. You will immediately relate to the characters as they manage the slings and arrows of an accelerating world. Through lively discussions and engaging exercises, Morrison introduces the principles and practices of personal leadership development.

The author introduces the foundational principles and practices of the “Me” and “We” paths of personal leadership development. The “Me” path is the inner journey of developing our leadership voice. The “We” path is the outer journey of serving others.

The six steps create a real world pathway for the journey we must all take to make a difference in our work and personal lives. The transition from “me to we” is directly relevant to the pace of change in today’s challenging business environment.

This book will profoundly impact your view of leading and living each day. It’s for everyone who needs to or wants to lead others in this world today.

As an added bonus, Dr. Morrison offer free downloads, inspiring thoughts, and practical tips from his website to help sharpen the skills you’ve learned within the pages of this best seller—www.theothersideofthecard.com.

(This book review was originally published in 2007 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 16.)

About Harry K. Jones

The Self-destructive Habits of Good Companies

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

The Self-Destructive Habits of Good Companies: … And How to Break Them
by Jagdish N. Sheth

Think back over the years and recount the number of very flourishing businesses that were promoted in magazines, on TV, and in management courses as great companies destined for successful futures. Many of them are no longer with us or are struggling to survive.

In fact, the companies profiled in Tom Peters’ business classic In Search of Excellence would not be selected for such a book today. Nor could the same lessons be drawn from their current position and behavior in the marketplace. Were they poor choices at the time or was it “good gone bad”? Obviously it was the latter as those companies appeared to be doing everything right at that time.

Now look at the current marketplace as we note similar organizations that are flying high one minute and wondering what happened the next. For example, consider Sears, General Motors, Xerox, Jet Blue, Enron, AT&T, Motorola, Kmart, IBM, Arthur Anderson, Tyco, Ford Motor, Health South, Global Crossing, WorldCom, A & P, Firestone, Krispy Kreme, Kodak, Intel, Digital, Chrysler and the list goes on and on. Once all hailed as ultimate examples of excellence, their future success not only seemed assured but inevitable. Yet, before anyone saw it coming, the wheels came off, and these companies were fighting to survive. Some may not recover, some have already somewhat rebounded, and some may take years to reach the level they once enjoyed. What happened?

This book talks about what happens to successful companies that leads to their getting into serious trouble. The author identifies seven dangerous habits even well-run companies fall victim to—and helps you diagnose and break these habits before they destroy your company.

Through case studies from some of yesterday’s most widely praised corporate icons, you’ll learn how companies fall victim to these self-destructive habits seemingly overnight. He sheds light on why some never turn around and how others achieve powerful turnarounds, moving on to unprecedented levels of success.

For decades we have suggested the tremendous value of learning priceless lessons from observing both good and bad habits of other organizations. Far too few take the time and energy to do so. However, they will later find themselves investing far more resources in an effort to recover from situations they could easily have avoided had they been more proactive. Go figure.

In addition to identifying these critical self-destructive habits, the author more importantly provides specific, detailed techniques for “curing”—or, better yet, preventing—every one of these self-destructive habits.

The last chapter discusses why it is better to never need the “cures” he describes in each of the chapters. Look over the following seven habits in search of any which may exist in your current environment. I think you might be surprised as to what you find. If so, you’ll want to share this list with your associates, discuss each in depth, and formulate the proper strategy before it’s too late. It is much better to wake up before the crisis and keep your company alive and thriving by preemptive action.

Because habits (both good and bad) are learned behaviors, not inevitabilities, it is possible to acquire them or eliminate them. The choice is yours.

The “cocoon” of denial: Find it, admit it, assess it, and escape it.
The stigma of arrogance: Escape this fault that “breeds in a dark, closed room.”
The virus of complacency: Six warning signs and five solutions.
The curse of incumbency: Stop your core competencies from blinding you to new opportunities.
The threat of myopia: Widen your view of your competitors—and the dangers they pose.
The obsession of volume: Get beyond “rising volumes and shrinking margins.”
The territorial impulse: Break down the silos, factions, fiefdoms, and ivory towers.

(This book review was originally published in 2007 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 16.)

About Harry K. Jones

New Ideas from Dead CEOs

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

New Ideas from Dead CEOs: Lasting Lessons from the Corner Office
by Todd G. Buchholz

In a recent blog article,”Tips for Choosing a Great Book,” I shared five elements I look for when searching for a good book. One of those five elements happened to be a “Catchy Title.” It’s not the title alone that impresses me. A catchy title simply reflects the author’s creativity as well as his/her ability to capture the attention of potential readers. If the author can capture my attention with the title, he/she can do the same with the content. This title obviously does just that.

When it comes to benchmarking, people either enjoy it, or they don’t. There is seldom anything in between. If you happen to enjoy it and are able to transfer what you learn to your own personal challenges and opportunities, you’ll enjoy this book.

The author, Todd G. Buchholz, is a former White House director of economic policy, an award-winning Harvard professor, and managing director of the Tiger hedge fund. He was also a co-producer of Broadway’s Tony Award-winning Jersey Boys. He’s also written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Reader’s Digest. He’s also authored a number of other best sellers.

This unique history book blends both the lives and the business challenges of the featured CEOs in order to expose their strengths and the circumstances they had to overcome. You’ll gain some very interesting insights into the lives of each of the following CEOs:

Ray Kroc — McDonalds
Sam Walton — Wal-Mart
Mary Kay Ash — Mary Kay Cosmetics
Estee Lauder — Estee Lauder
Walt Disney — Disney
Akio Morita — Sony
Thomas Watson Jr. — IBM
David Sarnoff — RCA
A.P. Giannini — Bank of America

The author chose these particular CEOs by deploying several criteria.

They had to be innovators, not just outstanding managers. These CEOs felt it is better to make yourself obsolete than to wait and let your competitors do it for you. These CEOs did not wait.
They had to be interesting to the author. The CEOs in this book teach us about the forces that made the 20th Century so uplifting in its technology and brutal in its politics.
Third and most important, the author chose to focus on CEOs who teach us lessons that we can apply today, either as managers or as investors.

Interestingly, each of these CEOs failed at some point. I’ve always believed we could learn as much, if not more, from individual and/or organizational failure as we could from obvious success. Faced with bankruptcy and defections, they could have succumbed to psychological depression or the siren of politicians offering class warfare. But they pushed on, energized by passion, ego, money, and the promise of glory.

I think you’ll enjoy this intimate look and fascinating insight into the professional and personal lives of these CEOs. You’ll also learn how we can apply their ideas to the present-day triumphs and struggles of Sony, Dell, Costco, Carnival Cruises, Time Warner, and numerous other companies trying to figure out how to stay on top or climb back up.

(This book review was originally published in 2007 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 16.)

About Harry K. Jones

Seduced by Success

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

Seduced by Success: How the Best Companies Survive the 9 Traps of Winning
by Robert J. Herbold

This is my kind of book. I really enjoy it for a number of different reasons:

For those in the early stages of their careers, this particular book is like taking a terrific leadership and management course.
For more seasoned readers, it’s a wake-up call strongly suggesting that you re-evaluate your current situation to avoid the obvious traps that caused other organizations to lose their way.
Rather than hearing one person’s opinions, which may or may not be valid, this book is based on detailed case studies involving 44 different companies that have dealt with the nine traps of success.
It’s written by someone who has lived and worked among the companies and challenges he writes about. Bob Herbold, the former Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft, is a 26-year-veteran of Procter & Gamble who lived through each of the nine traps. He explains how to survive them or avoid them by understanding how others have survived them.

The author demonstrates with clinical precision that a company’s fall from grace can frequently be traced back to its time of greatest achievement. This has become even more evident over the past few years to most everyone other than those falling victim. It’s amazing that precisely the same elements which result in a given company’s success can often be the causes of its subsequent decline.

Do they become so successful and complacent that they grow blind to the obvious? The victims of these nine traps of winning are usually the last ones to recognize their failings. Think about that as you take a quick inventory of your own organization in the following areas.

The nine traps every successful organization must avoid are:

Neglect: Sticking with yesterday’s business model.
Pride: Allowing your products and/or services to become outdated.
Boredom: Clinging to your once-successful branding after it becomes stale and dull.
Complexity: Ignoring your business processes as they become cumbersome and complicated.
Bloat: Rationalizing your loss of speed and agility.
Mediocrity: Condoning poor performance and letting your star employees languish.
Lethargy: Getting lulled into a culture of comfort, casualness, and confidence.
Timidity: Not confronting turf wars, in-fighting and obstructionists.
Confusion: Unwittingly conducting schizophrenic communications.

These mistakes cut your business legs off at the knees, destroying your ability to recognize and meet the need for change. Why is it that so many companies have had so much trouble remaining successful while others have been capable of sustaining their success? Herbold provides focused examples, both good and bad, involving well-known companies such as: General Motors, Toyota, IBM, Sony, Wal-Mart, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Kodak, Starbucks, Fidelity Investments, Porsche, Harley Davidson, Apple, and Harrah’s … to name a few. For each success trap, the author provides illuminating examples of top companies that were seduced by their success, as well as others that managed to maintain and even broaden their achievements.

Herbold shows you how to avoid these landmines by

Continually revitalizing your brands and products.
Demanding new approaches to “proven” practices.
Maintaining speed and agility through strong leadership.
Making sure employees are empowered to achieve and are not handicapped by bureaucracy.
Using an exciting new product to overhaul your culture.

Reading this book will inspire you to develop a culture that constantly questions all practices at all times. To sum up, there can be no continuous improvement, much less continuous and sustainable success, without relentless skepticism.

(This book review was originally published in 2007 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 16.)

About Harry K. Jones

Talent Is Never Enough

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

Talent Is Never Enough: Discover the Choices That Will Take You Beyond Your Talent
by John C. Maxwell

This talented writer is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold more than 12 million copies. He’s written dozens of great books. I have them all in my personal library and have reviewed four of them already for our web site. I would more than likely have shared even more of his work, but I’m running out of things to say about this man’s ability to write, reveal, share, clarify, simplify, educate, motivate, and inspire his readers to take the necessary actions for personal growth and success.

Just when I think there’s nothing else for him to focus on, another of his best sellers hits the bookshelf. He has this very unique ability to take the obvious and make it even more so. When you finish one of his books, you can’t wait to apply the many new strategies you’ve acquired and internalized. He’s done it again with Talent Is Never Enough. I knew early on that I was going to add this book to my list of “favorites” when, on page 10, I came across a quote from one of my all-time favorites, Dr. Seuss’s Oh. The Places You’ll Go! It’s only four lines, but they speak volumes:

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose.

Maxwell’s latest book is filled with great quotes you’ll enjoy, appreciate and want to pass on to others.

One could easily be mislead by the title. You might even think the author is denigrating the value of talent. Actually, he focuses on what we can do to amplify our talent, whatever that may be, to an even greater degree. Simply put, having talent is just the beginning. Achieving success with your talent is the real challenge, and Maxwell shares 13 key choices you must make to actualize that goal.

Fear not that you’ll be overwhelmed by the wisdom of the ages. You’re about to discover an abundance of common sense in this game plan, but that’s exactly why most people forget or simply ignore these key choices.

However, couple this baker’s dozen with intelligence and talent, and you are well on your way to achieving long-term success.

Maxwell combines his outstanding insight, great quotes, challenging questions, interesting stories, simple action steps, and a great enthusiasm for the subject matter as he delves into each of these crucial elements: belief, passion, initiative, focus, preparation, practice, perseverance, courage, teachability, character, relationships, responsibility, and teamwork.

He’ll explain in great detail and clarity exactly how each of these significant elements can and will intensify your proficiency, allowing you to stand out in a sea of talent. He points out that if talent were enough, then the most effective and influential people would always be the most talented ones. But that is often not the case as the author asks us to consider the following facts:

More than 50% of all CEOs of Fortune 500 companies had C or C- averages in college!
65% of all U.S. senators came from the bottom half of their school classes.
75% of U.S. Presidents were in the Lower-Half Club in school.
More than 50% of millionaire entrepreneurs never finished college!

Clearly, talent alone isn’t everything. If you want to be a “Talent-plus” person in today’s very competitive environment, add this “soon to be classic” title to your reading list. And don’t just read it—live it!

(This book review was originally published in 2007 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 16.)

Book Reviews

Book reviews written by professional speaker and consultant Harry K. Jones.

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