Customer Reviews:
Essentials of Entrepreneurial Marketing in Building a Company's Enduring Value.......2007-08-21
The tangible value of marketing is well illustrated for both the aspiring and established entrepreneur in this perceptive, well-organized textbook by Len Lodish, a Wharton marketing professor; Howard Morgan, former vice chairman of leading internet incubator Idealab, and Shellye Archambeau, chief executive of MetricStream, a company focused on compliance and governance solutions. The co-authors succinctly show how the days of marketing as a discretionary expense are obsolete, that it is as much a business driver as operational efficiency and innovative product development. Moreover, they bring to light how marketing can shape the success of not only actual products but also a company's stock and corporate image.
The book revolves around a straightforward, cross-selling matrix, which shows that every venture has three key things to sell - products/services, shares and image - to five different constituents. These constituents include customers, the one who give money in exchange for something they want, but there are separate targets identified as users who may or may not pay, investors, employees and others such as suppliers and strategic partners. Only when there is a conscious effort to address every type of constituent across the three dimensions does a company have a probable chance toward sustaining success. More often, companies focus so much on marketing the product that little effort is made in marketing, for example, the stock to the investor. Toward that end, the co-authors delve into critical questions regarding pricing and the importance of knowing why customers will pay you for a product.
They point to smart marketers like Victoria's Secret, who investigate and experiment, learning not only what competitors charge but also precisely why customers value a particular product or service. When possible, these companies try different prices and strive to charge more if their offerings have distinctive qualities valued by customers. That's how Victoria's Secret took a simple product and repositioned it as desirable, naughty female apparel and elevated the brand into a $3.2 billion-a-year business. Through adaptive experimentation, the company has significantly changed the perception people have of an already established commodity into a relatively inexpensive way for women to feel good about themselves. Looking at price by itself, according to the co-authors, is a precarious exercise, especially when the price point is well known by the public.
The natural urge to match a competitor's price has to be counterbalanced by a heightened attention to the brand and measuring its value within a marketplace that could be changing in value itself. A company that epitomizes this broader approach is Apple, which under Steve Jobs' leadership, has figured out how to build products that transcend their functionality into a direct tie-in to people's enjoyment and sense of empowerment. Renowned examples like Victoria's Secret and Apple bring home the co-authors' points about maintaining differentiation in an evolving marketplace that encompasses globalization, corporate mergers, stricter government regulations, increasing interests for "green" issues, sensitivity around privacy and security. Lodish, Morgan and Archambeau have put together a helpful marketing primer for the future.
Geat Guidance for the Young Entrepreneur.......2007-05-24
"Marketing that Works" is a quick read that provides very valuable insight into how to properly position your company, product, services, etc... The examples that are used are both personal triumphs (and failures) of the authors as well as companies that you've probably heard of (or should have, had the companies heeded the advice in this book).
If you are thinking big, then even one small kernel of guidance from this book will pay you back in spades and more than cover the cost of the book. I am already applying some of the wisdom the book imparts to my current entrepreneurial enterprise and can see a significant difference in how I will successfully sell my product. And when I do, I expect my company to be mentioned in the Second Printing of this book.
The Power of "Entrepreneurial Marketing".......2007-05-16
Marketing "works" if it creates or increases demand for whatever is offered for sale, be it a product, a service, or both. Hence the importance of Peter Drucker's widely quoted observation, "If you don't have a customer, you don't have a business." In fact, you don't have (or won't have for long) a business if you don't have enough customers who purchase enough of what you offer, for a sufficient profit. In this volume, the co-authors (Leonard M. Lodish, Howard L. Morgan, and Shellye Archambeau) explain how entrepreneurial marketing can add sustainable value to any sized company. The term "entrepreneurial" refers to a mindset that stresses speed, agility, resilience, independence, unorthodox, etc. In other words, what Jay Conrad Levinson characterizes as "guerilla marketing."
The authors carefully organize and then present their material within 14 chapters whose subjects range from "Marketing-Driven Strategy to Make Extraordinary Money" to "Building Strong Brands and Strong Companies." Along the way, they help their reader to answer questions such as these:
1. Does the market segment want the perceived value that my positioning is trying to deliver more than other segments?
2. How can the segment be reached? And how quickly?
3. How big is the segment?
4. What are likely impacts of changes in relevant environmental conditions (e.g. economic conditions, lifestyle, legal regulations) on the potential response of the target segment?
5. What are current and likely competitive activities directed at the segment?
I agree with the authors that each marketing venture must answer the "what am I selling to whom, and why will they buy?" question before it can create a successful marketing strategy and plan. With regard to the term "customer-oriented marketing," the stakeholders may also include investors, supply chain/channel partners, and employees. "Each stakeholder needs a relevant value proposition on why to stay engaged with the firm. So the same concepts of segmentation and positioning apply to them."
In Chapter 9, Lodish, Morgan, and Archambeau shift their attention to an important but often neglected element of sales: marketing initiatives that help to shorten the sales cycle, increase win rates, and protect margins. Salespeople are not marketing people. They need marketing tools to support the process of selling. For example, lead generation, target customer description, product collateral (i.e. datasheets and brochures), customized presentation materials, product demonstrations, and competitive intelligence data. Lodish, Morgan, and Archambeau offer a number of practical, cost-efffective suggestions insofar as marketing tools to support the sales process are concerned.
When concluding this valuable chapter, they observe that marketing plays a crucial, but often overlooked, role in properly enabling sales success. "From identifying prospective customers through lead generation, to providing sales tools to the sales force to handle prospect objections and close deals, marketing needs to be in lock-step with sales. Marketing needs to understand the sales process to close as well as sales does. Ensuring that the right tools are created to assist sales at each step is a critical responsibility of marketing." I could not agree more.
Presumably Lodish, Morgan, and Archambeau would be among the first to agree that it would be a fool's errand to attempt to execute all of the strategies and tactics examined in their book. It remains for each reader to absorb and digest the material with meticulous care, then select those concepts that are most appropriate to the needs and objectives of her or his own organization. When completing that selection process, I consider it imperative to keep in mind that the sales mindset and the marketing mindset are quite different, and those differences must be fully understood and (yes) respected. That said, it is also imperative that - as the authors correctly insist - "marketing needs to be in lock-step with sales" to sustain effective and productive communication, cooperation, and most important of all, collaboration if both marketing and sales are to be successful.
How marketing should be done.......2007-05-09
I must confess that I have historically had a low opinion of the marketing people that I have firsthand knowledge of. They always seemed to be overstating glad-handers, over-promising to land potential customers and not really interested in learning how difficult it is to implement their promises. When I was writing code full-time, we referred to it as the "couldn't you just" condition. As in "couldn't you just put in this feature" and ignoring any rational response explaining that while the feature appears simple, it could take weeks to add it to the software. I was personally the recipient of a marketing person telling everyone how I was negatively cynical and not a team player when I strongly voiced my objections to an absurd promise that the marketer had made to a potential customer.
Therefore, it was with a great deal of skepticism that I opened this book and began reading. It did not take long before I was sold on the ideas of the authors. They reject the over-promising and blast the world nonsense that so many marketers consider the way to sell their products. Their approach is that of the entrepreneur that lacks a great deal of money for marketing, and that you must avoid an overstatement at all costs. It is better to understate and be proven wrong than overstate and be considered (or proven to be) an unreliable fool. They consider marketing to be a way to add sustainable value to the company, much like the delivery of a quality product.
If I am ever again in the situation where I am confronting a marketing person who values unjustified hype over honest accuracy, I will give them a copy of this book, ask that they read it and then offer to discuss it with them.
A very practical, well organized and concisely written book on marketing for practical entrepreneurs.......2007-04-26
I think that this book is a terrific resource for an entrepreneur who is working on the marketing aspects of his business. One of the common misunderstandings of those not formally trained in business is confusing marketing with advertising or that part of the sales process that directly connects with the customer. While advertising and selling are a portion of the subject in marketing, in reality it is much more than this.
What I appreciate most about this book is that it is a resource of great information, ideas, and practical illustrations from real world business experience. It is not a method that the authors want you to accept whole. Very few methods actually work for people fighting for business in the real world because each businessperson has to find a solution to the problem they are facing in a constantly changing business environment. As businesses compete they are actually changing the environment in which they compete and this is often lost on those who espouse very specific "dance steps" for businesses to follow rather than providing principles. This book is about ideas that have proven themselves and can be adapted or applied to your situation as you see fit.
Most entrepreneurs have to manage every aspect of their small and growing company. Very few are expert in every field and marketing is such a broad and vital topic that it would benefit almost everyone to study the breadth of the topic to learn what it is they should study more deeply. This book has fourteen chapters covering the necessity of multiple marketing strategies (and why), how to generate ideas and screen the good ones from those that might be land mines, pricing, distribution and channel decisions (a very good chapter), launching products to maximize long term profitability, advertising (another fine chapter), public relations, adding value through sales management, marketing-enabled sales (quite interesting), entrepreneurial promotion, resource deployment and allocation (a topic that trips up many young businesses), marketing for financing activities, and building strong brands & strong companies.
The chapters are written in a very organized and concise way that lay out the authors' ideas, back it up with stories of real businesses, usually some graphs and charts, a list of principles or a checklist to use, and a conclusion. This organization and concise writing is helpful because most entrepreneurs are very practical people and have a lot to do every day. The very idea of sitting down to read long chapters of theory and abstract prose would be not only distasteful for such practical people, but impossible from a time management perspective. This book is written with these realities in mind.
As an entrepreneur, I found the book quite helpful. As a person who has studied business as the graduate level, I found the information sound. Recommended.
Average customer rating:
- A Community of Butterflies in East Peoria
- Should-be-required-reading
- mailed fist, velvet glove, and
- James E. Despain was a Body Guarded, Union Busting Dictator
- Recommended Book For Job-Seekers
|
And Dignity for All: Unlocking Greatness with Values-Based Leadership
James E. Despain , and
Jane Bodman Converse
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ASIN: 0131005324 |
Download Description
And Dignity for All is about leading with values, leading by example, and - in so doing - unleashing the astonishing commitment and innovation that are buried within your organization right now. Discover how Jim Despain and his colleagues used values-base
Customer Reviews:
A Community of Butterflies in East Peoria.......2003-07-20
We all know that what we (really really) believe and believe in determines what our values are; they in turn determine at least our conscious behavior. (It is human nature to resent being required to act against our beliefs and our values. Some people have died rather than doing so.) If you agree with me so far, then perhaps you will agree that the meaning of "values-based leadership" depends almost entirely on what a given leader believes. Moreover, her or his leadership behavior will be determined by those values. They could include greed, arrogance, and contempt for others or generosity, humility, and respect for others. All this seems pretty basic, indeed obvious to me. Throughout history, the range of leaders is wide and diverse. Evil leaders in the 20th century obviously include Hitler and Stalin. Other leaders contemporary with them obviously include Churchill. All three had very strong beliefs, were committed to quite specific values, and behaved accordingly. I mention all this by way of suggesting the context of the remarks which follow.
What we have here is a profile-narrative (rather than a biography) which focuses on the life and career of James Despain up to, of course, the completion of this book's manuscript. Like most of those who read this book, Despain's parents and childhood experiences had a significant impact on his values as he worked his way through the Caterpillar organization, rising to a senior-level executive position while marrying and then starting a family along the way. Of special interest and value to me are the the lessons he learned during his attempts to change the culture of the workplace in which he and his associates struggled to achieve the objective set for them by management. In time, he became an important part of the same management structure (in and of itself a culture resistant to change) and learned other lessons from his involvement with it.
The Appendix (pages 189-198) offers a series of summaries of key points. As Despain learned to his dismay, frustration, and occasional disappointment, it is far easier to formulate lists such as "Our Common Values" and "Our Common Values Leadership Guide" than it is to (a) achieve a consensus of agreement on the points listed, (b) effectively engage everyone in a collaborative commitment to the values, and finally (c) to sustain that shared commitment over an extended period of time, especially when there are serious problems to be solved. My own rather extensive experience with culture change has convinced me (and perhaps Despain) that the single greatest barrier is what Jim O'Toole characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom."
Although there are no cutting-edge ideas in this book, it does offer a comprehensive explanation of how and why effective leadership focuses on people; also and more importantly, how and why the process of value-based leadership -- if the values affirm trust, mutual respect, teamwork, empowerment, prudent risk taking, a sense of urgency, continuous improvement, and commitment to the highest quality of customer service -- can enable any organization (regardless of size or nature) to achieve "unbelievable, sustainable performance and the personal joy it brings." I agree with Despain that value-based leadership so defined can thus unlock greatness in every individual and thereby ensure dignity for all.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out David Maister's Practice What You Preach: What Managers Must Do to Achieve a High Achievement Culture, O'Toole's Leading Change: The Argument for Values-Based Leadership, Ronald Heifetz's Leadership Without Easy Answers, and Danny Cox's Leadership When the Heat's On (Second Edition).
Should-be-required-reading.......2003-06-20
First when our children are young we read them "The Little Engine That Could". This book, "And Dignity For All", is the adult version of that inspirational classic. This book should be required reading for every high school student. This knowledge could help everyone through life.
mailed fist, velvet glove, and.......2003-06-17
Having read this howler twice, three points must be mentioned:
One, the author suffers from "water walker complex"; all of the great achievements belong to he, and his followers; everyone else is simply a bit player in a supporting role.
Two, the author discovered "Japanese management" - a synonym for worker/management unity in the shared value of profitability - works, especially in Japan. This, more than anything else, was responsible for the Japanese productivity miracle, which seems to have gone flat.
Three, the author discovered you can do miracles with cheap, unskilled, foreign labor - "excellencia" - if they can be trained to do things your way. Caterpillar's Mexican plant epitomized what it seems Despain wanted for Caterpillar's manufacturing - 1920's labor laws, with 1990's manufacturing technology.
Despain's silence is telling. The strike he refers to was only one of a series of historically brutal strikes that broke the back of the UAW at Caterpillar. "My way, or the highway..."
What does Caterpillar think of Despain's program?
There's no mention whatsoever of Despain's program - or Despain - on Caterpillar's corporate website, and rightly so.
This book misses more boats than Antarctica.
"Manangement" has quickly evolved past Despain's childish programs, and his "my way or the highway" management style; his book is like reading Taylor on management.
The serious, substantive issues this book avoids are deal with in great stories, told in great detail, in other books. For the cutting edge, look to Ricardo Semler's "Maverick," which scares business faculties, and consultants, to death. Read Chapter 24, and realize the extent to which your organization chart puts the cart of form before the horse of substance. Amazon has it.
For the workable balance between worker responsibility, and corporate productivity, get Jack Stack's books, "The Great Game of Business," and "A Stake In The Outcome." Amazon has them.
THESE books discuss complex issues in clear, honest terms. They even have a philosophy, and a "Great Game Of Business" website. An outfit called DIALOG, which posted on Amazon under "Books" - search for "balanced scorecard," and their ad comes up - makes great, easy to use, Balanced Scorecard software. This software does a tremendous job of modeling the dynamic problems businesses face.
Get these books - and this software - and leave Despain in the past.
James E. Despain was a Body Guarded, Union Busting Dictator.......2003-06-10
In my opinion, You should "BUY THIS BOOK" because this is a "GREAT BOOK" of what "Should and Could be", and an Excellent "LIFE VALUES (Common Values) BASED Leadership Book". However, it DOES NOT portray True Facts of how Despain managed the East Peoria Plant, are "Nothing" like what Despain said in the book and my facts can be verified and backed up. Throughout this entire book, it talks about "Excellencia Performances and Situations", supposedly, managed by a Great People Person Leader (Despain), of which the East Peoria Plant was managed exactly the opposite. In East Peoria it was "Despain's Way" or "The Highway". I really believe Despain wanted the East Peoria Plant operated in a "Fair and have Dignity for All, Environment", yet Despain ruled as Iron Fisted Dictator with such a ferocious fist, that if you got in his way, his "AX" beheaded the best and the brilliant. It was truly "Despain's (his) Way or the Highway".
In Chapter 16, "The Struggle is On", Despain never mentions the "Breaking of the Union". Despain was --"Well Noted"-- for breaking the back of the Union in East Peoria by hiring Vance Security Guards during the strike and having 2 - 4 body guards most of the time (24-hours a day) during the 17 month 1994-1995 Union strike, and these Thugs continued to body guard him after the strike was over?? He even had guards at his house!!! These guys looked like HULK HOGAN!! This was not even mentioned in the book!! These body guards, along with around 200 other thugs hired by Caterpillar, Inc., intimidated, threatened and used bodily force to FORCE the Union People to COOPERATE in the 1994-1995 strike. Why didn't he mention the Thugs in his book, he helped hire them?? If everything was the way the book portrayed, why did he need protection? Vice President Robert Dryden did not ever have any body guards, to my knowledge, and Mr. Dryden managed manufacturing bldg's & shops, adjacent to Mr. Despain's shops, in the same East Peoria Plant in Building KK.
I believe this book reflected Bob Gordon's feelings and it is Bob Gordon who was the "Brilliant One" that Originated "The Common Values", Despain even admits this in "Gordo's Group Vision" on page 135-136. I should know, I worked for both of them. Gordon wanted to exemplify, bring out and identify the Brilliant, the Individual Thinkers, Entrepreneurs, Self Starters, and truly your Future Leaders and Superstars. But what actually took place, was opposite of this book. I believe Despain used this tactic, of the "Common Values", by this despotic dictator, to "Identify or Bring out the names of these free thinkers and individuals so he could eliminate and dispose of, what he thought was, his foes, as he broke the Union and all the free spirit of which he was trying to promote!
The descriptions and representations, throughout this book, are figments of a man's imagination, and are truly "NOT" representative of what actually took place within the walls of the East Peoria Plant, but what kind of place Despain wanted, in my opinion.
On pages 136, 191 and many others it talks of "Risk Taking" and mistakes should not be punished but made learning experiences. If his feelings toward Risk Taking were like he said in his book, why would he terminate an employee after this employee saved him an annual $1,000,000.00 cost savings/reductions by re-writing his computer manufacturing complexes in the East Peoria Tractor facility. These Common Values and value-based leaderships, described in his material, are "Great" if they are in the proper hands, however, they were never implemented, as far as I could see.
I was in the middle of my Residency for my Ph.D. at the U of I, with five classes to go, when he fired me, with no warning, no meeting, no conversation, no nothing! Is this the "Common Values" and "Values Leadership" that Despain talks about in his book? Despain, says, "There should never be any punishment for making a mistake"!! Isn't termination punishment?? Despain never one time talked with me or told me I was doing poorly, let alone enough to terminate me, because he gave me free rein to do what I thought best, just like the 1 million dollar cost savings.
Is this what Despain meant when he said we were given the freedom to do what we thought we needed to do, then terminate you without any communication, after 22 years of service to Caterpillar? These "Common Values" were ONLY COMMON to Despain!!
I felt Mr. Despain was A "True Iron Fisted", "My Way or the Highway" Despotic Dictator. I give this book 1 Star for its intent to promote "Common Values", but it truly has many "Fictional Parts"!
Recommended Book For Job-Seekers.......2003-06-04
The uniqueness of this book is how Jim Despain shares his career journey ? warts and all. It makes a great motivational read as it candidly highlights his fears in picking up a skill to not even getting his commission. He does not just spouse out management concepts; he lives his beliefs. It is surprising how down to earth he comes across. There are a few sections that are particularly memorable:
1) How Jim?s dad shot?s their family Dalmatian in the head -; the phrase ?break the rules, pay the price? really stands out
2) How Jim stands up against the union because he believes in achieving his full abilities
As a career counselor, I feel that this book is suitable for all job-seekers as it speaks out their deepest fears and rejoices their career high. It is like a career journal and is a must read for all."
Colin Ong TS...
Book Description
"One of the ways companies are looking for competitive advantage in this frenetic [business] environment . . . is through the use of a tactical technique called shared services. . . . In this book, we bridge [the] chasm between the theory of how a shared services operation 'ought to' work and the practical issues involved in how to make it work, how to carry out a successful implementation of a shared service operation in your business."-from the Preface.
Gaining competitive advantage in today's fierce business environment requires focus throughout the company on value, as measured by quality, cost, speed, and service. In the quest for superior performance, a growing number of companies are now turning to shared services, a tactical technique by which corporations can organize financial and other transaction-oriented activities to reduce costs and provide better service to business unit partners. Written by four authorities, three PricewaterhouseCoopers consultants and the executive who has directed the shared service efforts at Lucent Technologies, this comprehensive resource-the first of its kind-examines shared services from the macro issues that compel senior management to embrace this approach through the design and implementation of a shared services environment that leads to increased customer and shareholder value.
Of all the tools available for gaining competitive advantage, why shared services? One of the principal reasons is that it creates, through consolidation of often disparate activities, more of a "one company" feel among business units. The benefits of this are twofold: one, it enables companies to show a consistent face to clients and customers, vendors and suppliers, shareholders and potential shareholders; two, it provides increased flexibility to all of the business' operations, allowing corporate leaders to maintain a global perspective while at the same time allowing business unit leaders to take strong, customer-focused actions.
Providing both a domestic and global view, Shared Services addresses the full spectrum of issues, including:
* Assessing whether shared services is right for you-issues to consider, goals to be reached.
* Getting started-building support, establishing an effective organization, instituting continuous communication.
* Setting up the infrastructure-billing shared services to business units, dealing with tax and legal entity issues.
* International challenges-complexity, time zone, legal issues, currency stability, and security.
* Program and project management-structures, planning, execution, and control.
A groundbreaking book that examines a timely and important topic, Shared Services is an accessible and thorough guide to what could be a critical component in achieving long-term business success.
This comprehensive resource is the first to introduce, explain, and explore shared services, an innovative business strategy that involves centralizing various business units, including accounting and transactional operations, to reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction. Presenting a practical and easy-to-follow blueprint for the smooth and sound implementation of shared services in your organization, Shared Services: Adding Value to the Business Units covers all the fundamentals, from how to get started to proper management techniques.
Customer Reviews:
A useful book.......1999-05-19
There isn't much around on this subject and so it was good to find a book that was reasonably comprehensive. Apart from the advertising for a large CA firm and the message as to the necessity for consultants (shared services is after all a product and a money spinner for them)I thought it was useful.
Book Description
FINANCE FOR EXECUTIVES: MANAGING FOR VALUE CREATION, 3e is ideal for the future manager or experienced executive who recognizes the importance of using financial information to maximize firm value. Respected authors Gabriel Hawawini and Claude Viallet have translated their wealth of experience into a concise, analytically sound introduction to financial management that is neither too simplistic nor too theoretical. Based on modern finance principles, the book presents the most recent financial data and latest references with a level of practicality and rigorous analysis appropriate for today's experienced executive - without complicated formulas that have no direct application to decision making. Each chapter is self-contained - providing ultimate flexibility for teaching and making the book an excellent source for reference or self-learning beyond the traditional classroom. This book is perfect for executive education, executive MBA courses, or any course where you want to translate theory into practice or use a case approach. A strong problem-scenario approach presents concepts within the context of financial management problems that executives commonly face. In addition, consistent case studies analyze the same set of companies throughout the text to provide a common thread that reinforces learning.
Customer Reviews:
Readable , practical and ..maybe the best..........2004-02-10
In my humble opinion ,this maybe one of the best books of Finance... It is practical,direct to the point,the examples are clearly stated so that you can follow the concepts and central ideas and most important : you really can understand everything in an easy way....no sweat here..
You can apply almost everything in this book to your daily practice. No matter your years of experience , FFE will refresh you and reinforce your knowledge. I always have this book on my desk for reference.
Excellent for Corporate Finance practitioners.......2000-08-08
Finance for Executives' is invaluable for everybody who needs to analyse companies and wants to know whether investment, financing or business decisions create value. It is written very clearly and is therefore easy to understand. It offers plenty of practically relevant examples, mostly based on one company which is being analysed in its different aspects throughout the whole book. Moreover, every chapter finishes with review problems (including solutions) and useful references. Some chapters offer appendices with mathematical proofs or additional in-depth analysis. - You will not be satisfied with this book if you are looking for a scientific, theoretical text. However, your expectations will be exceeded if you are a practitioner who wants to make an impact in a consulting or investment banking environment. - What does make this book so special? After working through it, you will be able to easily put into practice what you read.
Great overview in simple terms and easy to follow.......1999-07-30
This book is great as an introduction to the major concepts of finance. If you are looking for an advanced refernce book, this is not the one. But if you want to refresh your memory, or want a quick overview of concepts and methods, I can't think of a better book.
A readable, relevant reference for every business person........1998-09-23
Every business owner, executive, accountant, banker and maybe even your lawyer should have this valuable book on their desktop! The authors demystify the art of finance and suggest pragmatic approaches and solutions for every day capital uses and needs. This attractive and attractively priced book is written in an innovative way, making it a useful quick desktop reference as well as an MBA level finance text. The glossary by itself is worth the price of the book. How astounding that the authors are both French, yet write with more clarity in English than any American finance writer I have read of late! Vive la readability!
Exceptionally clear and up-to-date text on Corporate Finance.......1998-08-31
This is an exceptionally clear book that provides an up-to-date treatment of Corporate Finance that is accessible and practical. A must have!
Book Description
Practical strategies for building strong managerial skills!
With the new Fourth Edition of Becoming a Master Manager: A Competency Framework, you can build practical skills in every area of managerial competency--skills you'll need to thrive in the diverse situations and challenges of the new millennium! The text guides you through eight interactive learning modules covering different leadership roles, including director, producer, mentor, facilitator, coordinator, monitor, innovator, and broker.
Features designed to help you become a master manager:
* The text's Competing Values Framework helps you develop new ways of thinking about the competing tensions and demands that are placed on managers.
* The authors' unique skills-based approach prepares you for today's management challenges.
* A highly effective five-step learning model (assessment, learning, analysis, practice, and application) helps you develop core leadership competencies.
* Real-world managerial examples illustrate key concepts and offer insight into the roles that managers play in real companies.
* Coverage of timely topics such as emotional intelligence, mentoring/coaching, and life balance will help you keep pace with today's rapidly changing workplace.
Book Description
On the heels of a decade of scandals and the new pressures brought on by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, corporations expect far more from their CFOs than simply managing the numbers.
They expect decision-making support and performance insights that can improve bottom-line results. Unfortunately, the complexity and detail inherent in CFOs’ jobs keep them shackled to budgeting and transaction-processing systems that leave little time for value-adding activities.
Grounded in extensive research, Reinventing the CFO outlines seven critical roles—from streamlining redundant processes to regulating risk to identifying a few key measures—that CFOs must take on in order to successfully transform the finance operation.
Customer Reviews:
A Great new angle of Financial Visiton.......2007-09-07
I just received this book last week and started reading. This has been an easy read with lots of good pointers. I kept a highligter close by the entire time I have been reading. As a CFO I often feel buried in beurocracy but this book gives ways the CFO can free themselves from some of this drudgery.
Well-written proposal for a new role of the CFO.......2007-04-13
Jeremy Hope's well-written and well-documented proposals deserve careful reading by every financial executive. It is no news that the job of the Chief Financial Officer is changing. However, he points out, few CFOs understand or accept the steps they should take to prepare themselves for the demands of a new role. Hope explains what they need to do clearly and concisely, mincing no words about the troubled state of the CFO profession today. We recommend this book to CFOs and other financial professionals who want to become strategic partners in their organizations.
Required reading for leadership.......2007-03-09
I'll be brief given the previous detailed reviews. My view is that the author provides great insight based on my experience working for large companies struggling with many of the issues described in the book. The author did his homework. The principles are clear and nicely discussed. This reading is valuable to those aspiring to finance leadership.
I don't agree with everything the author states; more tangible examples would have been helpful; and some, important points were noticeably left out (in my view). Nevertheless, it is a great, insightful piece of work worth serious consideration by those in the business.
Reinventing or sidelined.......2006-12-02
I have read this book. I would like to offer a brief review. A solid book to challenge the accounting profession to be more relevant, strategic and value-adding in view of current business environment. Indeed, CFOs need to re-invent their roles and functions or else they will be sidelined (extinct? probably not due to statutory provision).
I always don't see eye-to-eye with traditional accountant in its approach and emphasis and after reading this book, I am glad I am not alone!
Excellent re-inventing materials but in my working context would be difficult to implement in companies I worked in (I am a Malaysian and have been working in Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia) as the companies I have worked in were "top-down" command and control type. They expect CFOs/Accountants to behave in the traditional way (details complexity, conservative and bean counting).
Dear author Mr. Jeremy Hope, do write more books to guide and challenge us! More books on "how to".
How to redefine a role "that is fast becoming obsolete".......2006-09-25
I agree with Jeremy Hope that those who are -- or who aspire to become -- a CFO need to understand that, as Hope explains, "too many CFOs...remain prisoners of dysfiunctional systems and mental models that were developed for a role that is fast becoming obsolete." That is to say, the position of CFO must be reinvented. However, my own opinion is that that will not happen unless and until governing boards and CEOs insist that CFOs be centrally involved as part of the senior-management team running the given business. The same is also true of CIOs and heads of HR. Today, CFOs face a number of extrernal pressures. For example, new success drivers such as strategic planning, resource allocation, and performance measuring systems as well as a new regulatory environment and more demaning shareholders. With regard to internal pressures, they include too much detail and complexity, inadequate forecasting capability, too little understanding of how to reduce costs, and a lack of risk management expertise.
In this volume, Hope addresses with rigor and eloquence a number of key issues that the CFO and her or his finance team must accommodate to transform the finance operation. He suggests that the CFO be viewed in several different roles:
As a "freedom fighter" who liberates both finance and business managers from "huge amounts of detail and the proliferaion of complex systems that increase their workload and deny them time for reflection and analysis"
As "analyst and adviser" who, by breaking free from detail and complexity, "creates time for finance to provide the information that managers need to make effective decisions"
As "architect of adaptive management" who enables managers to be liberated by releasing them from "the chains of the detailed annual planning cycle" by replacing targets and budgets with "effective steering mechanisms, including continuous planning reviews and rolling forecasts, that enable managers to sense and respond more rapidly to unpredictable events and to changing markets and customers"
As "warrior against waste" who with her or his finance team is able to focus on "huge swathes of costs that have remained unchallenged for years"
As "master of measurement" who brings measurement back under control and provides clear guidance about its meaning to managers at every level who, with rare exception, only need six or seven measures
As "regulator of risk" who provides an effective framework for good governance and risk management "by using multiple levers of control that support corporate governance controls, internal controls, strategic controls, and feedback controls"
In the final chapter, Hope focuses on the CFO as "champion of change." He cites a number of exemplary CFOs who have transformed their finance operations, examining how they started, what vision or goals they set for themselves, how they got buy-in from key people, and how they implemented the changes. His case examples include American Express, Tomkins, and the World Bank.
Hope devotes a separate chapter to each of these "roles," explaining how the reinvention of the CFO inolves a multi-dimensional process of increased involvement in management at the highest level. To repeat, this will not happen unless and until the governning board and CEO insist upon and support, then sustain that process.
In this context, I am reminded of what Robert Kaplan and David Norton characterize as "the strategy-focused organization," one which is guided and informed by five core initiatives: translating strategy to operational terms, aligning the organization to the strategy, viewing strategy as everyone's job, making strategy a continual process, and mobilizing change through executive leadership. The first four principles focus on the Balanced Scorecard tool, framework, and supporting resources; the importance of the fifth principle is self-evident. "With a Balanced Scorecard that tells the story of the strategy, " Kaplan and Norton suggest, "we now have a reliable foundation for the design of a management system to create Strategy-Focused Organizations."
Hedre's a key question: When embarked on the reinvention process, how to gain the support of key people? In response, Hope stresses the importance of involving operating people in the change process, avoiding more complexity, showing some "early wins" (i.e. picking "low-hanging fruit"), and being patient while maintaining momentum. He makes a convincing case that financial managers really can "transform their roles and add greater value" but only if they are allowed to do so. Moreover, they must be actively involved in a process, a "journey," shared with others. Only then can everyone on the senior-management team, working effectively together, establish and then strengthen "a more adaptive, lean, and ethical organization."
That is a journey all senior-level executives in a given organization must complete together, with the active involvement and solid support of governing board members. Hope explains not only why that is imperative but also how to do it effectively, to the substantial benefit of all stakeholders.
Well-done!
Product Description
Glenn Greenwald was not a political man. Not liberal, not conservative. Politicians were all the same and it didnt matter which party was in power. Extremists on both ends canceled each other out, and the United States would essentially remain forever centrist. Or so he thought. Then came September 11, 2001. Greenwalds disinterest in politics was replaced by patriotism, and he supported the war in Afghanistan. He also gave President Bush the benefit of the doubt over his decision to invade Iraq. But, as he saw Americans and others being disappeared, jailed and tortured, without charges or legal representation, he began to worry. And when he learned his president had seized the power to spy on American citizens on American soil, without the oversight required by law, he could stand no more. At the heart of these actions, Greenwald saw unprecedented and extremist theories of presidential power, theories that flout the Constitution and make President Bush accountable to no one, and no law. How Would a Patriot Act? is one mans story of being galvanized into action to defend Americas founding principles, and a reasoned argument for what must be done. Greenwalds penetrating words should inspire a nation to defend the Constitution from a president who secretly bestowed upon himself the powers of a monarch. If we are to remain a constitutional republic, Greenwald writes, we cannot abide radical theories of executive power, which are transforming the very core of our national character, and moving us from democracy toward despotism. This is not hyperbole. This is the crisis all Americansliberals and conservatives--now face. In the spirit of the colonists who once mustered the strength to denounce a king, Greenwald invites us to consider: How would a patriot act today?
Customer Reviews:
Acurate and well researched!.......2007-10-03
Great book, very well researched and documented. Greenwald does a great job identifying the root causes of the Authoritarian Presidency.
Packed With Facts.......2007-10-02
Written by an apolitical person, this book chronicles a disgusting abuse of power. A must read for every American citizen...if we truly hope to regain all we have lost in the past seven years. To ignore what this administration has done would be a travesty.
We Owe This to Ourselves.......2007-09-13
This is a book for all those who believe that we must be behind our president 100%, for those who think criticism of the president is mindless bashing, for those who think that criticism of the same is a lack of patriotism, treason, and undermines our troops' morale. Because if you do believe these things, author, Glenn Greenwald will provide a new perspective on what it really means to be a patriot and how one would act. It is clear that he takes aim at George Bush and Richard Cheney, and those who support him.
Starting with a brief background on the FISA law, Greenwald explains how it came about, and how it has worked in a world of a Soviet threat through the present, until this president decided to bypass the law while telling Americans that he was abiding by it. He illustrates how he and Gonzalez were pedaling a pattern of deceit daily.
Next, there had to be some justification for such unilateral action. Enter, John Yoo, assistant attorney general in the Justice's Department's Office of Legal Counsel which "produces legal memoranda that, upon issuance, become the official position of the Justice Department and the entire executive branch." Yoo, a firm believer in the power of the president, wrote exactly what the White House wanted to read. According to Yoo-know-who, the president had the power to do whatever he wanted to do, without the consultation of congress or constraint by court. All this for the security of the United States. In other words, the President of the United States was now above the law, and the checks and balances were no longer in place with an executive that now assumed power over the other two. Bush was king, accountable to no one for his decisions or his actions.
Armed with a justification, Bush wasted no time in exercising it. He arrested American citizens by signing secret executive orders that deprived them of liberty, charges, counsel, trial, and even communication. He ruled that he could hold them indefinitely. He took it up a notch by doing this to an American citizen, in particular, Jose Padilla who was not only an American citizen arrested on American soil, but on "evidence" obtained by torture.
So important was torture to his policy that he threatened to veto an anti-torture bill introduced by Senator John McCain (R) of Arizona. When it passed overwhelmingly in the both houses of congress, the president went to Plan B where he added a signing statement that he would only apply the ban on torture in a manner consistent with his constitutional authority. With John Yoo telling him, his power as president could not be challenged, he could disregard the will of congress and the bill in its entirety. The bill specifically passed to control his use of torture was the same bill he declared he could ignore.
When the liberal and the widely denigrated New York Times exposed Bush's illegal eavesdropping AFTER the presidential election which was several months after the NY Times first learned about it, the administration defended its actions stating that the president's powers included "the right to use war powers against Americans on US soil," and "the right to use them even if Congress makes it a crime to do so, or the courts rule that doing so is illegal." How's that for being above the law?
And this is what began to generate a conservative backlash from those who were his ardent supporters. The rabidly supportive Supreme Court judge Antonin Scalia eviscerated the administration in an opinion on executive excesses. Other well-known conservatives such as congressman Bob Barr (R) of Georgia and George Will, journalist, have spoken out against the chief executive's flounting of the law and his disregard of our constitutional rights. Faced with growing opposition, Messrs. Bush and Cheney moved to Plan C.
While most of our famous leaders have instilled in us confidence and fearlessness, Bush and Cheney have gone in the opposite direction. Instead of telling us that terrorism is not our greatest threat, is not so great as being destroyed by the British empire before the nation can be born, by Naziism and imperialism, or by nuclear annihilation in a Cold War, we must remain in mortal fear (or terror) of terrorism, and put our trust in the wisdom and knowledge Big Brother Bush as the safest course for the American people. "Invoking the threat of terrorism and the president's proclaimed commitment to `protect' us from those threats in the administration's sole and all-purpose defense of its conduct." In addition to the fear tactic, Bush and Cheney accused their critics of "actually wanting to help the terrorists attack America." (Where have we heard that before?!) "The tacit assumption is that one can only oppose terrorism by endorsing whatever the administration wants."
Adding emphasis to this administration tactic, the author also quotes Senator Cornyn (R) of Texas, former judge who has doubled as dupe and dope for George Bush, and who is also known for more than one controversial and revealing gaffe when he added, "None of your civil liberties matter much after you're dead." Senator Pat Roberts (R) of Kansas has also said about the same thing. Greenwald allows the reader to connect the dots between these statements and that of Patrick Henry's famous, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
When Senator Rockefeller (D) of West Virginia attempted to initiate an investigation of Bush's warrantless eavesdropping early in 2006, the administration that always insisted it had nothing to hide and welcomed any investigation went into overdrive to quash it. In this they succeeded. Even though they threatened to prosecute the paper and its journalists, The NY Times ran the story that Rockefeller attempted to investigate and the government's reaction, but again, the story broke after the national election.
Greenwald asks us to put terrorism in perspective, that the United States has faced far greater threats in our history without sacrificing liberty for security, that "excess loyalty to an individual or party is the very antithesis of patriotism, as it places fealty to that individual or party over allegiance to the country, its interests, and its values."
This is review number 137 for me. It is also my longest because I was so taken with the message of this book. As the author emphasizes, it is our Bill of Rights that is our most cherished ideal. It is more powerful than the fear of terrorism, more important than being conservative or liberal or being a supporter or detractor of Bush and Cheney. No one is more important than our constitution. That document and the Federalist Papers are filled with that belief of those who wrote them, those who believed that just as people must be held to account for their actions, so should their magistrates.
We the people, not a president, are the stewards of our constitution and our legacy. It is up to us to claim it, protect it, and cherish it above any other. That is what this book explains, and that is why I recommend it highly. Please read this and "The Genius of Impeachment" by John Nichols and "Articles of Impeachment Against George W. Bush" by the Center for Constitutional Rights.
These are short books with powerful messages. They are about our responsibility as citizens, what being a patriot really means.
We owe this to ourselves.
Informative but depressing.......2007-04-17
Greenwald explains with clarity and precision the various ways the Bush administration has been abusing the power of the presidency. That's the informative part. The depressing part is the lack of interest this country's corporate media shows on the topic. A cynical person might believe that the corporate media are deliberately ignoring this subject because they support Bush's agenda. But of course, I am a stranger to cynicism.
Worse Than a Monday Morning Quarterback.......2007-04-13
After reading a copy of this borrowed from the library, I see why its price has been slashed to $5.40. This book is an excellent compilation of thoughts that are "in vogue". As such it has no value. There is nothing original in this book and it omits the relevant actions of previous presidents. Even Clinton trod on Americans' privacy rights (were any of you awake during ECHELON?). If Bush had ordered the internment of all Americans of Middle Eastern descent after 9/11 (yes, F. Roosevelt apparently did fear fear itself by interning everyone who had the wrong type of eyes), this whipper-snapper of an author (could have been any undergraduate trying to make points with his left-wing professor) could have something to stand on. There have been no attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11 and yet self-righteous tyros like this still complain.
Book Description
Can you imagine how rewarding it would be, each day, to truly enjoy going to work? Most people spend the better part of their waking hours in jobs they do not enjoy. The happiest, most productive employees are those who have either found a job they truly enjoy, or found ways to make their current jobs more enjoyable. If we can get more pleasure and satisfaction from our work time, it would immeasurably improve the quality ofour lives. For more than 30 years, authors Joan Goldsmith and Kenneth Cloke have worked with teams and employers to create positive work environments in which communication between all levels is respectful, creativity is encouraged and people are acknowledged and supported. Thank God It's Monday! provides real-world examples and exercises to stimulate employees and employers into creating better work lives. Thank God It's Monday! identifies 14 core values that will make any work more stimulating and satisfying, including: Inclusion of everyone; Celebration of diversity; Open and honest communication; Risk taking; Opportunities for personal growth; Thank God It's Monday! will be valuable to employees seeking to increase satisfaction in their current jobs, displaced employees searching for the work situations that are best for them, and employers and organizational leaders looking to keep their best employees by creating energetic and vibrant workplaces. Thank God It's Monday! provides scores of ready-to-use activities, worksheets and exercises that will help transform the workplace into a second home that everyone wants to return to each day.
Customer Reviews:
it is good for you.......2000-09-09
this book is one of the greatest book that you have to read so read it and tell me what you tought. syed omar the American University in Cairo- egypt
Good book on how to make workplace better.......1999-01-19
When I started Class 27 of the Command College I was repeatedly exposed to the concept of a post-industrial leadership model, a new organizational paradigm for the 21st century. Over the past several months the concept of a new organizational model has been repeatedly visited, as it is throughout Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmiths very enjoyable book, Thank God It's Monday! 14 Values We Need to Humanize the Way We Work.
After laying a good foundation (with many of the same tenants as other organizational authors of the day) Cloke and Goldsmith lay out a number of self assessment steps for the reader who is persuaded to shift to what they see as the new organizational and leadership model of self directed work teams. One of the main reasons the authors see this paradigm shift is because they see work as a relationship that needs to provides personal fulfilment.
The book is packed with a number of lists and fill in the blank assessments to help the reader make the transition to a more humanized and empowered organization. The fourteen values they believe will humanize organizations, empower workers, reduce conflict and increase employee satisfaction includes: INCLUSION - involving everyone in the process, COLLABORATION - working together for consensus, not compromise; TEAMS and NETWORKS - small work teams; VISION - toward something better and worthwhile; CELEBRATION of DIVERSITY - diversity valued as a source of richness, vitality and strength; PROCESS AWARENESS - the value of process (listening, ability to work with others, ...) more then technical ability; OPEN and HONEST COMMUNICATION - and how destructive poor information sharing can be to an organization's health; RISK TAKING- and the need to trust those we work with; INDIVIDUAL and TEAM OWNERSHIP of RESULTS; PARADOXICAL PROBLEM SOLVING - willingness to solve problems with outside the box solutions that are not necessarily consistent with popular notions of the problem; EVERYONE is a LEADER - shift from a leader to everyone playing a role in decision making; PERSONAL GROWTH SATISFACTION - seeking to make work personally and emotionally rewarding for employees; SEEING CONFLICT as an OPPORTUNITY - the positive value of conflict; and EMBRACING CHANGE.
If the various concepts described in Thank God It's Monday! were applied collectively, in the manner described, and with a group of people who could work under this model, I have no reason to doubt that the workers and those who were the recipient of their service/product would see the efforts of the leader as a success. If these types of cooperative, self led work groups became a work model of the future, our work places would be very different. Creativity and employee satisfaction would no doubt increase. Customer satisfaction would likely also improve, as would profit because of a better work product and a reduction in overhead costs (less managers, less oversight, less litigation, less conflict management).
Two of the themes that Cloke and Goldsmith explore are, "Who Selects the Managers and How do the Manage," and "Who Gets Promoted, How and by What Criteria." If our organizational structures shifted along with our selection processes to those of a self managed group, our para military, hieracical organizations would no doubt change dramatically.
This text does a very good job of making a case for more humanized, employee operated work units. Even the skeptic should find himself closing the back page and asking, "Could we really be more effective and have less employee trouble and the associated costs with a model like this?" Given that possibility, I think the forward looking leader will seek out opportunites to implement the concepts communcated in the 233 pages of this publication. The transition might be difficult, and the model may not work in every police situation, but it defintely could improve our work environments and improve many of the distracting situations we deal with daily.
The success of this effort would fit well with our community oriented policing efforts. Organizations would be able to easily see self directed work units identify and resolve community problems in a manner that was not only prompt, but also with a degree of creativity that our current structure likely inhibits. The success of this model could also be measured by reductions in management problems, such as worker's compensation claims, medical retirements and grievances. The humanized, self managed work group should reduces the numbers of these actions (and when they do arise they will typically be handled at the work group level) and the management time/cost required to address them.
While participative management has for some time been the mantra of leadership experts, the level to which this proposal for humanized organizations takes it, will likely push the comfort level of not only police managers but line level personnel as well. To expect that such a dramatic shift could occur quickly and without some serious transitional problems is unrealistic. However, we live and work in a changing environment. There is no reason to believe that we should not at least have a role in choosing the battles we want to fight. Would we rather have conflict over trying to keep operational a model that will no longer work with the employee of the 21st century, or do we want to deal with conflicts moving us in the direction of making work and our organizations better than they were in the 1990's?
If we choose to move forward, and retool our organizations to optimize the potential of our personnel, we will more likely be able to keep pace with an ever increasing work demand and externally imposed mandates to do more with less.
Lest it not yet be apparent, I would highly recommend this text for any manager or aspiring leader. The concepts are thought provoking and helpful, and the format of the book is such that it can be used as personal or organizational assessment tool.
The book was a must read for ALL working people........1998-12-11
T.G.I.M. provides a type of How-To discussion for the enrichment of your personal and professional life. It discussed some major issues commonly facing individuals both at work and at home: values, conflict, relationships. The underlying principles, if applied in daily life, could improve current situations making your life much more successful. Cloke did a fine job at bringing some 'real' issues to light in his enjoyable book, Thank God It's Monday.
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- Clear directions for moving to values centered leadership
- Tom Chappell Should Be A World Role Model
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Managing Upside Down: The Seven Intentions Of Values-Centered Leadership
Tom Chappell
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The Soul of a Business: Managing For Profit And The Common Good
ASIN: 0688170692 |
Book Description
Tom Chappell has created one of America's most extraordinary success stories by turning a mom-and-pop natural personal care products company started on a $5,000 loan into a nationally recognized brand with $28 million and counting in sales. Chappell achieved his rapid growth and profitability by "managing upside down" --focusing on social values and respect for the environment to increase customer satisfaction and the bottom line. Now, Chappell shares his straightforward and practical business advice in seven easy-to-follow steps. They show how anyone can:
Manage for social aims and profit
Redefine leadership in a values-driven company
Develop a competitive advantage around shared values among customers, owners, employees, and communities
Businesses throughout America are already using Chappell's Seven Intentions and proving that pursuing a broader social mission can actually strengthen a company's financial performance. Managing Upside Down brings this important message to an even wider audience.
Customer Reviews:
Clear directions for moving to values centered leadership.......1999-10-12
How many CEOs do you know who are willing to spell out the personal challenges leading them from the brink of selling their company to reinventing it? This book wrestles with the paradox and conflicts of leadership in a broad review of juggling the internal conflicts between one's business, making a profit, fostering a strong family while searching for meaning; an fate facing many business executives today. How not to cave in to profit as told from a profitable leader's actual life experience. Pathfinders rejoice! In this, Tom's second book, he relates anecdotes from the mind of an original entrepreneur - how to make qualitative decisions based on values, before there are any statistics on market and consumer demand. How fortunitous circumstance plus a little friendly advice can help a company relate its products directly to its mission and core values. The book's account of the SALTWATER INSTITUTE, to develop values centered leaders, provides a real-world example of what happens when he applies his own suggested principles on "venturing out". This book does the best job yet for a busy executive who wants to grasp the underlying characteristics of great people. The discussion of "destiny" is one of the first mainstream explanations related directly to its role in the success of established businesses or new ventures. The guidlines put forth in this book may well provide the foundation for sanity others are seeking as they plunge in a breakneck dive into leadership and reinvigorating their businesses.
Tom Chappell Should Be A World Role Model.......1999-09-25
Tom Chappell not only oversees a company that makes fabulous products, but he's written a book that should be the blueprint for world business. Doing what's right, and making money in the process. Not making money at any cost. His business advice is solid, and the autobiographical elements running through the book offer a rare insight to genius.
Download Description
"Next time someone tells you business can't be done ethically-corners must be cut, negotiations can't be honest-hand them Jon Huntsman's new book. Who's Jon Huntsman? Just someone who started with practically nothing, and built a world-class business that carried him to Forbes' list of America's wealthiest people. Here, he presents the lessons of a lifetime: a passionate, inspirational manifesto for returning to the days when your word was your bond, a handshake was sacred, and swarms of lawyers weren't needed to back it up.
This is no mere exhortation. It's as practical as a book can get. It's about how you listen to your moral compass. It's about how you build teams with the highest values...share success...take responsibility...earn the rewards that only come with giving back. Huntsman built his career and fortune on these principles-from his refusal of the Nixon administration's corrupt demands, to his lifelong commitment to charity, to the way he approaches his biggest deals.
You don't live these principles just to ""succeed"": you live them because they're right. But in an age of many business scandals, Huntsman's life proves honesty is more than right: it's your biggest competitive differentiator."
Customer Reviews:
A Very Important Business Lesson!.......2007-10-22
Jon Huntsman runs through his successful business career showing the reader that you can become a billionaire 'Honestly" and with integrity.
The thing that struck me the most from this book is that Jon Hunstman is a man of true character.
Easy Read and Well Worth It.......2007-02-14
I blew threw this book. It is such an easy read and it held my interest the whole way through. Now, I consider myself different for even having an interest in this book because I think the people who NEED to read this book would never even consider it. Jon Huntsman calls for a return of old time values where your word is your bond and you consider giving more than hoarding.
It was an excellent book and it helped me look at all aspects of my life and work and find room for improvement throughout. I highly recommend it to everyone with a conscience.
A Diamond In The Rough.......2006-04-15
"Play by the rules. Keep your word." This is, easier said than done. But it's still a vital principle to stand and abide by. Honesty and integrity are certainly not always followed in the competitive business world. However integrity, trust, and reputation, is an ideal. And in some industries, the only ones that survive and prosper are those that cultivate, trust.
When someone ascends to the stratosphere in any niche, profession, or circumstance they can advise the rest of us, and base this advice largely on past anecdotal experiences. Author Jon Huntsman has achieved many things and he's had a lot of experiences in life. He worked as a staff assistant to Richard Nixon, on H.R. Halderman's staff. Not willing to cow-tow to unethical requests, he didn't last long in in Nixon's administration. He was also one of the few upper-level staffer to emerge out of Watergate unscathed. Huntsman didn't like Nixon because he didn't give enough to charity. He became a billionaire in the international business realm -- He also came from nothing. The world has grown more complex and fast-paced in recent decades. And appropriately, this book does NOT say that the world of business competition is all roses, because it isn't the case. But the value of integrity is very powerful.
Beginning with Chapter One: Lessons from the sandbox to the philosophical points of this book vs. reality in 2006:
Huntsman strongly advocates building and maintaining employee loyalty. This has proven to be the most productive model. Turnover does lessen it today, however. In recent years there have been several instances of unethical behavior in U.S. business. Indictments and convictions for fraud, and numerous other crimes committed. Is this corruption and criminal activity in U.S. business practices increasing? Or, was it just not as exposed as much in the past? Is the American business mind-set and model changing for the worse? Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever the case, the recent crimes have resulted in a substantial loss of public, regulatory, and legal faith and trust, in accounting, basic transparency. Workers' incomes have declined for decades, but CEOs give themselves multi-million dollar salaries, lump-sum pay raises, and bonuses - even after - pensions are wiped out. The Board prospers even in companies that are losing millions and even billions of dollars, per year.
Who should be reading this book?
I do like Huntsman's withdrawal from Mitsubishi business project in Thailand he'd invested in, by refusing to pay bribes. Unfortunately, companies that want into East Asian markets have to grease some elbows to be allowed in. The corporations and business people that pay, get in. Those that don't, are excluded. It's not right, but that's the way it is. Huntsman did note that he'd made "handshake deals" on price, securing his position, even though later the the price increased shortly thereafter before purchasing. In the U.S. and most places in the world today, "handshake deals" don't work because of the risk and potential loss involved. As for Huntsman take of the high road, when someone "talks about himself" in a self-congratulatory way, my red flags go up a little. Especially if they are an American.
Again, the concept of "Winners never cheat," is an ideal. In reality there are many of the victors who do cheat. But it still....is an ideal....one of which we must abide by, espouse, and practice, if the U.S. will continue to be the dominant player in international business in our global, economically interdependent, and ultra-competitive, world. I strongly believe as studies suggest, that U.S. dominance of economics, creativity and innovation, are because Americans in general, play by the rules, and can be trusted more than many foreign individuals, organizations, and institutions.
Huntsman deserves credit. He recognizes his faults and works toward being a better person. Many of us don't do this.
This book is a positive diamond in the contemporary business rough.
Self-Made Billionaire Justifiably Looks Inward for Unyielding Strength in Character.......2006-01-20
Having just read Senator John McCain's book, "Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember", I can see how Salt Lake City billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman can get passionate about the same subject. Both books contain the overriding message that there is nothing circumstantial when it comes to people who achieve greatness, that in fact, they achieve greatness as a result of their own character. Whereas McCain uses a diverse gallery of 34 real people as his examples, Huntsman looks more inward toward his own experiences to illustrate the same conclusions. In so doing, he offers a "moral compass" by which business leaders and others can live.
Huntsman reflects on his childhood in Blackfoot, Idaho, where his father imbued him with the ethical standards by which he runs his corporation. He contends that children raised without an emphasis on honesty and virtue will find their truth in evasions and loopholes. Because they get away with it, they grow up to employ the same feeble excuses in their business and professional lives when they are caught doing something we knew we shouldn't be doing. We rationalize that immoral behavior is accepted practice. Shifting responsibility away from ourselves has become an art form. Parental example, whether for good or bad, is undoubtedly the most powerful influence on a child's moral and social development, especially for those not exposed to other role models or a caring educational environment.
It's a compact book, 185 pages, and the ten chapters have titles that seem more appropriate for a Gail Sheehy self-help manual. However, the truths that he espouses have great value and show Huntsman to be someone who lives by his rules. In particular, on his chapter about the obligation to give back, he is not afraid to expose Richard Nixon as someone who did not epitomize character. As his White House special assistant and staff secretary, he saw that Nixon gave only $500 to charity on a declared income of over $400K in 1971. Whether "that pittance was more onerous than Watergate" is arguable, but at least the author infers a valid point about how Nixon's alleged lack of character marked his Presidency.
Today we see leaders who willfully cast off the moral and ethical values they had inherited given the opportunity for personal economic betterment. The dissemination of acquired ethical standards may be more gradual in some cases versus others, as ambitious entrepreneurs succumb to the unrelenting pressure and intensely com
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