Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)There are a series of books that I keep on a special - quite small - bookshelf. I try to reread each of them every year or so. While I've gotten to the point that I know what they say, but each time I go through one of them I get an idea or two to try in promoting my business.
This book has made it to that shelf.
It got a decision to be put there while I was reading it at the book store. On page 24 there's a story of a lady wanting to sell helmets in a state with no helmet law. So she started stocking children's helmets. When riders told her they didn't want a helmet she asked, 'What about one for the child, they aren't old enough to make that decision for themselves.' What daddy could resist? Then a month later they were back for a helmet for themselves after the kid was asking, 'Daddy, where's your helmet." So a sale for Daddy, little Jimmy and little Suzie. Three sales for one question.
Then on page 83 there's the advice:
Shoot your web designer if they:
Suggest flash intro pages
Suggest frame pages
Suggest templates.
Yes, Yes, Yes!
One point about the web I do not agree. Learn to do your web site yourself. You may hire a designer to do it at first, but then maintain it yourself. It isn't hard and you won't be nickled and dimed to death over every small change you want.
I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea. All of his ideas won't be applicable, but if you get a good idea or two each time you read through it, the book is worth it's cost many times over.

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Duct Tape Marketing is the small business marketing road map - A collection of proven tools and tactics woven together in a step-by-step marketing system that shows small business owners exactly what to do to market and grow their businesses.

This guide combines insights gained from over twenty years of successfully working, in the field, with real-life small businesses.

There are no theoretical complexities presented in Duct Tape Marketing - just simple, effective and affordable marketing that sticks.

CAREFUL! Duct tape is a serious tool... it sticks where you put it. So are the ideas in this book. If you're ready to make a commitment and are willing to make something happen, John's book is a great place to start. --Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow

For all those who wonder why John Jantsch has become the leading advisor and coach to small businesses everywhere, Duct Tape Marketing is the answer. I have never read a business book that is as packed with hands-on, actionable information as this one. There are takeaways in every paragraph, and the success of John's blog is living proof that they work. Duct Tape Marketing should be required reading for anyone who is building a business, or thinking about it. --Bo Burlingham, editor-at-large, Inc. magazine, and author of Small Giants: Companies That Choose To Be Great Instead of Big

Duct Tape Marketing is a worthy addition to the growing library of how-to books on small business marketing -- concise, clear, practical, and packed with great ideas to boost your bottom line. --Bob Bly, author of The White Paper Handbook

With the world suffering from depleted reserves of trust, a business that sells plenty of it every day tends to create the most value. The great thing about trust as a product feature is that it delivers exceptional returns. With this book, John Jantsch has zeroed in on exactly what small businesses need to sell every day, every hour. --Ben McConnell, co-author of Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force

John Jantsch has provided small businesses with the perfect perspective for maximizing all marketing activities - offline and on. Jantsch has the plan to help you thrive in the world of business today. Read it, all your competitors will. --John Battelle, cofounding editor or Wired and author of The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture

Duct Tape Marketing is a great read for anyone in business. It has fresh ideas laid out in a practical and useable way. I highly recommend this book for growing any business. --Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI and Co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Masters of Networking

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Not Everyone Gets A Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y Review

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(More customer reviews)Bruce Tulgan published his first book about young people in the workplace when he was 27 and arguing on behalf of his own generation. After fifteen years of working with business leaders in companies ranging from Aetna to Wal-Mart, he felt this was the right time to present business leaders, managers, and other grown-ups with a reality check about "Generation Y" employees (those born 1978 and later). And so, at 42, he has assessed the new generation of young workers.
I have rarely resisted a book more. Not because of the book, which is lively and wise and provocative, but because of the attitudes that Tulgan attributes to this generation. I loathed these kids, even though I felt like some descendant of Spiro Agnew ranting against hippies. Bruce knew all about that position --- and why I had it. So when we got together to discuss his book, he not only had a smart answer for every question, he had a trenchant analysis of his interrogator. And, perhaps, you as well.
Jesse Kornbluth: Reading this book now, with unemployment rising and rising, I kept thinking: Bruce wrote this book in a different world. The book is an artifact of a time forever past. For example, you write, "You're not the only one selecting. The employee is selecting you too." That's so 2007 to me.
Bruce Tulgan: Sorry, but it's still true. Ask anyone in health care --- the demand for skilled talent still outpaces supply in certain industries. There will be many casualties ahead, many young kids can't get hired, but competition for the best people will always be fierce. Remember, the title of my book is 'Not Everyone Gets a Trophy' --- not" `cater to the young upstarts.' My message is about giving a wake-up call to the young upstarts. The terrible economy may be just the opportunity managers need in order to make it stick.
JK: You write about the kid who says, "Surfing is really important to me. If the waves are big, I might not come in." Isn't the right response: "Great. Here's the rest of your life to go surfing. See ya..."
BT: If this young person is the best person for the job -- besides being really annoying -- then the right thing for the hiring manager to do is to use the surfing as a quid pro quo. GenYers are very transactional in their thinking. Their parents have been negotiating with them since they were very young with small incremental rewards. Use that to your advantage. Trade the surfing with this young person in exchange for getting tons of work done very well, very fast all day long when he's not surfing.
JK: Yes, but. In 2009 reality, if I didn't have a job, I wouldn't feel that choosy. Why do these kids think they're so valuable?
BT: Well, they may find out they can't be so choosy in this economy. Still, there's a paradox here --- in an environment of uncertainty and rapid change, the playing field is leveled. Long-term payoff no longer is the game. And these kids are smart in a new way. They have more information at their fingertips than any generation in history. They've never been in an environment in which they couldn't find the answer fast. And they are willing to do tons of grunt work very well very fast --- as long as they know somebody is keeping track.
JK: Still, there's a protocol in organizations, and it starts with an appreciation for the hierarchy and the elders. Who told these kids that the rules didn't apply?
BT: Throughout the '60s, '70s and '80s, there was a lot of research about childhood self-esteem. And then came a shift from parents being groovy to kids being over-parented. In the '90s, every kid was a winner at something --- every kid got a trophy just for showing up.
JK: This also makes me want to puke. But you say it like it's a neutral fact.
BT: I'm not in the "good news, bad news" business. I'm just describing the way it is. My personal view: The self-esteem experts are wrong in many respects. They argue that because this generation of kids has been raised this way, we must continue to praise them and find things for them to do that they like. I argue the exact opposite in my book. I believe that most of the experts have it all wrong. And that's the reason companies hire me: I come in and say, `The way to deal with unrealistic expectations is to help show the young upstarts what expectations are realistic. Make the quid pro quo explicit every step of the way.'
JK: Do you say this when kids are in the room?
BT: Yes. And they love it.
JK: Why? Aren't you saying: The party's over?
BT: No. I say: drive a hard bargain. Make expectations clear. Set them up for success. Help them earn more of what they need and want. But hold them accountable every step of the way. Don't tell them they are winners when they are not. But help them win, for real. I'm telling their bosses to say, "You don't want to work on Thursday? Then here's what I need by midnight on Wednesday."
JK: If you made these deals, I'm betting that the manager's inbox will be empty at midnight on Wednesday.
BT: Then hold that person accountable. If you take the time to try to teach them how to succeed, acknowledging the transactional relationship, and then shine the bright light of scrutiny on their performance, it is much easier to hold that person accountable when he fails to perform. After the first empty inbox, maybe you take away the surfing. After your inbox is empty a second time, you might have a difficult conversation. After the third time, maybe it's time to take away the paycheck. But first you have to put in the time up front to try to really try to teach that person how to meet expectations. You have to put in the time to teach that person how to succeed.
JK: That goes against the grain for me. You write about the kid who says, "Surfing is really important to me. If the waves are big, I might not come in." And I think the right response is: "Great. Here's the rest of your life to go surfing. See ya..."
BT: You have to hire someone to do the work. If you send the surfer off to surf, then you'll probably just get another high maintenance young applicant in his place. But remember many young people in this labor market still have plenty of negotiating power. The more schooling you need to do a job, the more leverage the kid has with the employer.
JK: This is a first for me --- I'm taking the side of Management.
BT: You're not. You're taking the side of grownups. But I also say: If you do the transactional math, it may be better to let a high performing upstart take Thursday off and bring his dog to work if that means you get better work out of him. You have to negotiate every step of the way.
JK: But what about: If you give a mouse a cookie...?
BT: It does seem poor taste that Gen Y-ers think of employment relationships as so short-term and transactional, but I teach managers to use that attitude to get more and better work out of every person.
JK: As a boomer, I find this hard to swallow. I feel I should call their parents.
BT: But their parents are likely to be calling you! In our interviews, I hear stories every day about parents calling the boss. At a public safety conference a fire chief told me this story about a young man who became a fireman. After a few weeks his mother called to say he had been working the night shift and he had a hard time sleeping during the day and so he was exhausted all the time. The fire chief snapped, "Ma'am, your son is a fireman" --- and hung up.
JK: If you had to choose between hiring/firing a 23-year-old Gen Y-er who thought he/she was the greatest thing since sliced bread and a 45-year-old who has a family to support and is infinitely grateful for the job, who would you choose?
BT: You need more information to do the business math. All things being equal, maybe you hire the grown-up. But you need more information to know who you really want to hire. I remind employers: Gen Y-ers walk around with a flashing neon sign on their forehead saying "I'm a special case."
JK: And I, of course, think that sign should be on their back: "Kick me hard."
BT: Baby boomers had this attitude too. But they kept it to themselves when they were young. They kept their heads down and mouths shut. But they tell me every day in our interviews, "Hey I want flexibility too. I want a lot of the things that these kids are demanding... and I've been here for thirty years!" Everyone's a special case. It's just that some people are better at hiding it than others. Today's young workers are just really unaware that they seem like such squeaky wheels.


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IT Project Management: On Track from Start to Finish, Second Edition (Certification Press) Review

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(More customer reviews)Have you ever picked up a book which had nothing to do with your profession just to acquire knowledge about another field? Well, I did. I am an engineer with management experience, none of which applies to IT. I was first intrigued by Joe's knowledge of general management tools that apply to all types of managers (i.e. research, defining goals, budgets, etc.). Secondly, his book was the most enjoyable technical book that I have read. He brings life to his book with his subtle sarcasms accompanied by his technical expertise. I felt like I was sitting at his house, smoking a cigar, sipping on some brandy while he was explaining the intricacies of project management. (This is a big PLUS)
After reading his book, I feel that I not only have a greater knowledge of the IT profession and their environment, but I can also apply his reccommended management tools in my everyday management responsibilities.
I feel that Joe's book is a MUST READ not only for IT Managers specifically, but for all managers in general!

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Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers; 50 Strategic Rules Review

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(More customer reviews)
The review which follows is of a book which I read when it was first published in 1999. I recently re-read it. Here are my reactions to it seven years later.
Many of those who read my reviews are owners/CEOs of small businesses. Whenever I receive an e-mail from one of them asking me to recommend books which will be of greatest practical value, I always include a choice of R.L. Wing's or Samuel B. Griffith's translation of Sun Tzu's The Art of War on the list. Occasionally, someone who has read The Art of War asks for a recommendation of related sources. There are several to select from, notably The Art of Business: In the Footsteps of Giants written by Raymond T. Yeh and Stephanie H. Yeh; two books by Mark R. McNeilly, Sun Tzu and the Art of Business and Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare; and this one, which I read when it was first published and only now am I reviewing. Here are a few of the reasons for my rating of Michaelson's book.
First, Michaelson has selected and then discusses 50 "strategic rules" suggested by Sun Tzu's classic. To facilitate and support periodic review, the key concepts are summarized on pages 169-190 and range from" Thoroughly Assess Conditions" to "Practice Counterintelligence." Don't expect any head-snappers. The greatest value of The Art of War is that it helps, indeed insists that its reader think strategically. (Please keep in mind that it was written 2,500 years ago.) Michaelson fully understands that. His purpose is to apply ancient concepts to major perils and opportunities in the contemporary.
I also appreciate Michaelson's provision of several reader-friendly sections such as those in which he quotes a passage from The Art of War and then offers a "translation" of its relevance, followed by a "Manager's Commentary" in which he recommends appropriate application of Sun Tzu's insight. Throughout his rigorous and eloquent narrative, Michaelson also includes checklists such as the one found on page 114 when he identifies "key ingredients" which are common to all growing organizations: customer focus by creating systems that deliver perceived value; selection (i.e. hiring) of decent as well as competent people; and then training them with highly-interactive learning sessions which are both formal and on-the-job.
Finally, I hold this book in high regard because Michaelson also includes 13 brief but insightful commentaries by senior-level executives who share their own real-world experiences. Fort example, Domminick Attanosio (senior advisor, Young and Partners, LLC) explains how a public pharmaceutical company developed a new delivery system to adjustable dosing of oral medications by following each of several of Sun Tzu's basic principles:
"Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight 100 battles with no danger of defeat."
"Travel where there is no enemy."
"Pursue one's strategic designs to overawe the enemy."
"An army can be raised only when there is money at hand."
"The general whose only interest is to protect his people and promote the best interests of his sovereign is the precious jewel of the state."
"The enlightened rulers must deliberate upon the plans to go to battle, and good generals generally execute them,."
"To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence."
Obviously, it would be a fool's errand to manage by slogans but even more foolish to ignore what can be learned from sources such as Sun Tzu's The Art of War. The knowledge these sources provide can -- and should -- guide and inform the careful selection and then effective execution of appropriate strategies and tactics. Credit Michaelson with a thorough understanding and brilliant interpretation of what can be learned from arguably the world's first management consultant.
Bravo!


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Organized around 50 rules for strategic thinking, The Art of War for Managers translates the strategic wisdom of Sun Tzu into powerful 10-minute lessons to enhance your business and personal success. "Michaelson is Sun Tzu's foremost student and interpreter. He brings home the business relevance of this ancient military strategist in down-to-earth language." Al Vogl, editor of The Conference Board Magazine "Brilliant work! The useful commentary in The Art of War for Managers brings Sun Tzu's timeless wisdom to a new level." Gen. Bill Creech, Author, The Five Pillars of TQM--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can't Afford to Miss Review

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(More customer reviews)The best business books are brief, clear and pertinent. Monday Morning Leadership fits all of those requirements.
You can read the whole book in a few minutes . . . and think about and apply what you learned for a lifetime.
The format is around a man who's struggling as a manager. His operation isn't performing well. His boss isn't happy. He's not happy. He doesn't have time to be with his family or to do what he likes to do. It looks like his career has peaked . . . and his job may be in jeopardy. What to do?
If that sounds familiar, almost everyone has had that experience who has taken on a management role.
Jeff decides to do something about it. He contacts an old family friend, Tony Pierce, who has had a very successful business career. Tony has agreed to meet with Jeff for eight weeks on Monday mornings.
In their eight sessions, Jeff learns the following lessons:
1. He has to accept total responsibility for results without excuses and to think like a leader rather than a manager or follower.
2. Be sure everyone knows what the main thing is that they have to accomplish and keep their faith in you as a leader.
3. Get closer to your people and help your top performers improve.
4. Act with integrity and prepare for how to handle problems before they occur.
5. Improve the team you have by only hiring high performers.
6. Manage your time carefully by looking for ways to save minutes wherever you can and by being more effective at whatever you do.
7. Encourage, recognize and respect your people.
8. Advance your learning by reading, being open to trying new things, listening, helping others, setting goals and always being professional and positive.
Those points make it sound like you don't need to read the book. You already knew most of those things, didn't you? But the story will embed the learning into your mind in powerful ways. Don't miss it!
I was especially impressed by Mr. Cottrell's ability to turn a phrase. The book abounds with aphorisms that you will find yourself remembering and possibly quoting as you coach your replacements. Many of the best ways are repeated on pages 97-101. Here's one of my favorites: "People quit people before they quit companies." Key principles are also summarized on pages 102-103.
This book would also make a great gift to some you know who is just starting out as a manager. The gift will be even more meaningful if you offer to coach that person as well.
Make a difference!

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Monday Morning Leadership is a story that can help your career!Everyone likes a good story, especially if there are lessons that can be immmediately applied to life.This book is one of those stories - about a manager and his mentor.It offers unique encouragement and direction that will help you become a better manager, employee, and person.

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Winning Sales Presentations: From Great Moments in History - Develop Compelling Content. Create Unique Selling Propositions and Differentiators. ... Skills. Present Winning Presentations. Review

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(More customer reviews)Winning Sales Presentations blew me away. I was expecting a typical, "look people in the eyes, don't chew gum or put your hands in your pockets" book--but instead learned fantastic techniques and strategies to apply before, during, and after presentations. I also enjoyed how the book is geared for professional presenters and B2B, complex settings. A great book.

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Winning Sales Presentations draws on history's most compelling moments to teach modern presentation principles -- Winston Churchill's blistering attack against The Third Reich, Patrick Henry's declaration of "Liberty or Death," Robert the Bruce's call for arms at the battle of Bannockburn, Lincoln's Gettysburg address, and more. Beginning each chapter with a captivating historical event, Winning Sales Presentations both informs and entertains.Develop Compelling Content. Create Unique Selling Propositions and Differentiators. Master Communication Skills. Present Winning Presentations.

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Getting Change Right: How Leaders Transform Organizations from the Inside Out Review

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(More customer reviews)One of this book's greatest strengths is Seth Kahan's unique ability to focus on the most important "whats" of change initiatives and then explain with both precision and eloquence how to do what must be done to ensure the success of those initiatives. He draws upon a wealth of real-world experience from which he learned a number of valuable lessons. He cites seven in the Introduction to this book, then devotes a separate chapter to each:
1. Communicate so that people get it and spread it.
Comment: Kahan correctly begins with this basic rule because all change initiatives require cooperation and collaboration, both of which depend on constant and effective communication between and among those involved.
2. Energize your most valuable players.
Comment: You already know who they are, the ones you dread losing to illness, retirement, spouse relocation, or (worst of all) to a competitor. The best way to energize them is to recognize them: make them feel appreciated.
3. Understand the territory of change.
Comment: Many (most?) of the barriers to change are cultural, the result of what James O'Toole (in Leading Change) aptly characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." Kahan explains how to create a "map" of what is certain to be perilous "territory."
4. Accelerate change through communities that perform.
Comment: Kahan calls them "thematic groups." Seth Godin calls them "tribes." However described, their members share a common vision and passion to make that vision a reality by creating "systemic pull."
5. Generate dramatic surges in progress
Comment: Kahan recommends special and frequent "face-to-face events" that attract and then energize the most valuable change agents. The objective is to transform believers to evangelists.
6. Break through logjams
Comment: Kahan advocates a "SWAT team mentality": expect trouble (i.e. resistance), anticipate and prepare for it, engage it with sufficient force of conviction and determination.
7. WorkLifeSuccess to sustain high performance in the midst of change.
Comment: "By this, I mean doing whatever it takes to achieve and sustain overall excellence." Kahan envisions leadership at all levels and in all areas. He suggests that change agents must be "practical visionaries," people "with their eyes on the horizon and their feet on the ground."
Kahan himself is a "practical visionary," sustaining throughout his lively narrative a sharp focus on what works, what doesn't, and why. I especially appreciate his skillful use of a number of reader-friendly devices such as checklists and summaries of key points as well as contributions from prominent business thinkers such as Ken and Mary Gergin ("Social Construction and Leading Change"), Steve Denning ("Operating Without Budget or Authority"), Rick Stone ("The Power of the Story"), Jim Wolfensohn ("Talking to Everyone"), Madelyn Blair ("Storylistening for Reconnaissance"), Etienne Wenger ("Communities of Practice"), Lesley Shneier ("The World Bank's Knowledge Fairs"), Larry Forster ("The Competency for Collaboration"), and John Kotter ("The Greatest Positive Impact"). It seems especially appropriate for Kahan to include such a variety of perspectives, given the inherent ecumenical nature of change agency. I also want to commend him for also providing two appendices, "Sample Strategic Engagement Plan" and JumpStart Storytelling."
Congratulations to Seth Kahan on a brilliant achievement. Bravo!

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An innovative communication method for making change happen in any organization

Getting Change Right presents a new view of leadership communication that says change doesn't flow top-down, bottom-up, or sideways, but inside-out. This is how change spreads through a complex system successfully-the other options are force or failure. Based on years of experience with organizations around the world, change expert Kahan presents a new model of communication, one that moves from a transactional view of information exchange to a collaborative construction of shared understanding. When the right people are having the right conversations and interactions, then they act in concert even though the situations they confront independently are impossible to predict or coordinate. This dynamic practitioner's guide to implementing change
Presents the innovative co-creation communication model for creating change
Reveals how communicating with a company's most valuable players is at the heart of organizational change
Draws on the author's wealth of experience with Fortune 100 companies, leading government agencies, and associations

Getting Change Right offers business insights and field-tested, practical techniques that can be put to work immediately.

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Know What You Don't Know: How Great Leaders Prevent Problems Before They Happen Review

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(More customer reviews)
Michael Roberto cites this especially relevant observation by G.K. Chesterton as a head note to the first chapter of this immensely informative book in which he stresses the importance of mastering seven sets of skills and capabilities that are essential to effective problem-finding. Roberto makes the same key point (among several) in his previously published book, asserting that the most effective leaders are those who "cultivate constructive conflict so as to enhance the level of critical and divergent thinking, while simultaneously building consensus so as to facilitate the timely and efficient implementation of the choices that they make." He goes on to assert that "effective leaders can and should spend time `deciding how to decide.' In short, creating high-quality decision-making processes necessitates a good deal of forethought." Throughout Roberto's lively narrative, there is a strong recurring theme: "leaders must strive for a delicate balance of assertiveness and restraint." In this book, he explains, "I argue that leaders must become hunters who venture out in search of the problems that might lead to disaster" for their organizations. Consider what Peter Drucker observed in an article that appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1963: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all."
The title "Know What You Don't Know" has all manner of critically important implications. Here are three. First, it correctly suggests that identifying and then filling knowledge needs requires the same "level of critical and divergent thinking, while simultaneously building consensus" that the problem-solving process requires. And that consensus should be the result of rigorous scrutiny applied to a number of options even if (especially if) some seem counterintuitive and perhaps even contradictory. Only then will it be possible "to facilitate the timely and efficient implementation" of the choice(s) made. The title also correctly suggests that this process requires high-impact leadership, one that insists on both good will and principled disagreement throughout group discussion and consideration while maintaining "a delicate balance of assertiveness and restraint." High-impact leadership also serves as an example of seven critical skills and capabilities that are needed to ensure that problems do not remain hidden (more about them later), to discover "the bad news that typically does not surface until far too late." However, Roberto adds, becoming an effective problem-finder (a "detective") also requires a "different mindset," one that "begins with a certain level of intellectual curiosity, is based on systematic thinking, and meanwhile realize that "every organization, no matter how successful, has plenty of problems [and they] often lie beneath the surface, hidden from view." This is what Andrew Grove, former Intel chairman and CEO, had in mind when asserting that "only the paranoid survive."
With regard to the aforementioned seven critical skills and capabilities, Roberto devotes a separate chapter to each. Actually, I think that (only with minor revision) they could be viewed as strategies as well as skills and capabilities. The most effective problem finders must also be effective navigators and politicians, as the following correctly suggest:
1. Circumvent the "gatekeepers" (i.e. those who control filters and other barriers)
2. Become an ethnographer (observe carefully, ask questions, listen intently, etc.)
3. Hunt for patterns (e.g. identify verifiable causal relationships)
4. Connect the dots (
5. Encourage useful failures (i.e. those that are small, brief, inexpensive, and informative)
6. Teach how to talk and to listen (also when and why)
7. Watch the "game film" of past performance (make adjustments, practice deliberately)
Throughout his narrative, Roberto makes brilliant use of a reader-friendly device that consists of a check-list and brief discussion of key points. For example, reasons why problems remain hidden (Page 9), small problems and failures that can threaten an organization (Pages 19-20), why information filtering takes place (pages 31-34), how to circumvent the filters (Page 36), principles of effective observation (Page 64), seven key questions to use when testing assumptions (Page 85), types of leadership behavior that can encourage more effective treatment of information (Page 108), four ways suggested by Roger Martin (author of The Opposable Mind) to nurture and develop integrative thinking skills (Pages 113-114), how to assess a failure before, during, and after it occurs (Page 125-126), how to speak up more effectively (Page 154), and "Three Dimensions of a New Mindset" (Pages 189-193).
I wholeheartedly agree with Michael Roberto that organizations should commit at least as resources to encouraging, training, supporting, recognizing, and (yes) rewarding their Problem-Finders ("Detectives") as they do their Problem-Solvers ("Firefighters"). Of course both are needed. And both require leaders who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, adopt systematic thinking, and exhibit a healthy dose of paranoia. He goes on to point out, "They do not wait for problems to come to them. They behave much more proactively. They seek out problems. They embrace them...The very best leaders know that speed is critical. The earlier you discover a problem, the more likely you can contain the damage, and the more likely you can solve it readily. Most important of all, successful leaders do not see problems as threats. They see every problem as an opportunity to learn and improve."
Why must the "great leaders" to which this brilliant book's title refers be developed at all levels and in all areas of every organization, whatever its size and nature may be? Problems are equal-opportunity troublemakers. Just as minor scratches can become major infections if ignored or neglected, minor problems can become major disasters unless they are discovered and solved as quickly as possible.

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Talent Is Never Enough: Discover the Choices That Will Take You Beyond Your Talent Review

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Talent is Never Enough.
John C. Maxwell has a wonderful book entitled, Talent is Never Enough. Maxwell outlines thirteen characteristics which must be coupled with intelligence and talent in order to reach long-term success.Belief. Passion. Initiative. Focus. Preparation. Practice. Perserverance. Courage. Teachability. Character. Relationships. Responsibility. Teamwork."You see, people who neglect to make the right choices to release and maximize their talent continually underperform. Their talent allows them to stand out, but their wrong choices make them sit down. Their friends, families, coaches and bosses see their giftedness, but they wonder why they so often come up short of expectations. Their talent gives them oppotunity, but their wrong choices shut the door. Talent is a given, but you must earn success."
Ironically, there is a difference between underperformance and failure. Failure is actually a crucial part of long-term success. Underperformance is not. Maxwell mentions, "there are two kinds of people in this world: those who want to get things done and those who don't want to make mistakes." Believe in your talent. Passionately persue your talents. Initiate your dreams. And then learn from your mistakes.
"One of the paradoxes of life is that the things that initially make you sucessful are rarely the things that keep you successful." This sentence is the premise and outline, the underlying message that sows the bound book together. Focus on your stregnths, never mistake fear for lack of preparation, practice, no rehearse each day as if it is your only opportunity.
The most important section of Talent is Never Enough, is probably the section on Teachability. Too often talent comes with egos, and egos equipt with pride. Egoism and pride are often the strongest bariers to success. If a person can humble herself to learn from every person in their life, every circumstance of their condition, and every relationship, then one will find the people, the situations and the relationships that will help them build each of the 12 other characteristics of the talented success.


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Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within (US Business & Management Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)
By chance rather than by choice, I read this book before reading others previously or subsequently written by Quinn. Deep Change provides an appropriate introduction to any one of them. I value his books so highly because they make substantial contributions to our understanding of HOW to achieve and then sustain meaningful change, both in our personal lives and in our organizations.
According to Quinn, "Incremental change is usually the result of a rational analysis and planning process. There is a desired goal with a specific set of steps for reaching it. Incremental change is usually limited in scope and often reversible. If the change does not work out, we can always return to the old way. Incremental change usually does not disrupt our past patterns -- it is an extension of the past. Most important, during incremental change, we feel we are in control." Does all this sound familiar? Has Quinn described accurately how change occurs within your organization?
Now consider a second brief excerpt: "This book explores a much more difficult change process, the process of deep change. Deep change differs from incremental change in that it requires new ways of thinking and behaving. It is change that is major in scope, discontinuous with the past and generally irreversible. The deep change effort distorts existing patterns of action and involves taking risks. Deep change means surrendering control." Decades ago, David Riesman made the helpful distinction between "inner-directed" and "other-directed" people. The same can also be said of organizations (communities of people) when determining the nature, extent, and location of control. Quinn believes that "one person can change the larger system or organization in which he or she exists." If I understand Quinn correctly, his central assertion is this: If and only if enough individuals achieve deep change individually can their shared organization then achieve deep change.
This is a very dangerous concept. Unlike incremental change, deep change poses a very serious threat to the status quo of an organization and, especially, to those who (you can be certain) will steadfastly defend it. There will also be perils for those who seek to achieve deep change in their individual lives. Cherished assumptions, premises, values, and beliefs will all be called into question and many of them will be found inadequate, if not false. As Quinn describes it, those undergoing deep change will feel as if they are "walking naked into the land of uncertainty." He acknowledges "This is usually a terrifying choice, often involving a 'dark night of the soul.'" In Riesman's view, that person becomes inner-directed. For Quinn, that person is "internally driven...more capable of leading under conditions of continuous change...more organic."
What is the alternative? Quinn's answer: "slow death." I am reminded of a relevant insight expressed by Ernest Becker in The Denial of Death. He acknowledges that no one can deny physical death but there is another death which anyone can deny: the death which occurs when we become wholly preoccupied with fulfilling others' expectations of us. A slow death indeed. If you wish to achieve deep change in your life, and are now involved in an organization which can only tolerate incremental change (if any change at all), I urge you to find another organization.

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The Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally a warrior writes about what really happened and the key life lessons we can all take away: `Always listen to the guy on the ground', `When in doubt, develop the situation', and my favorite, `It's not reality unless it's shared' are all embedded in these amazing real-world mission story's. His underlying premise is that the key to understanding the complex world around us is our ability to recognize, understand, and adapt to the underlying patterns that drive the behavior of everything around us, which I wholeheartedly agree with. But what really amazed about this book about patterns, is how many patterns there are in the book itself. Just about everything he writes about--from his childhood 'bombing cars' to his walk across the Gettysburg battlefield is linked to some other event, mission, or lesson somewhere else in the book. I read this book over the weekend, and I wrote so many notes in the margins on the patterns that I discovered, that I'm now going back through for the third time. He says things like `don't charge the machine-gun nest, go around it', and 'treat life like a movie, not a snapshot', that I have always believed in myself, but had never been able to put in words or phrases before. Pete writes about Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and yes, Montana, with a fresh narrative that makes each mission come to life in a unique never before heard way, while also making what actually happened much easier to understand. The chapter on Gorrilla (not a spelling error) Warfare in Bosnia is magnificent, as was his short story on what we should really have learned from John Walker Lindh--why wasn't this ever covered in the press? The chapter on Ali Mohamed (the wayward terrorist) should be read by our new President, so he doesn't get burned like his predecessors did. Finally, I want to point out that the maps in this book set a whole new standard for battlefield maps. Google earth technology was used to create maps that make you feel like you are flying over the battlefield with a birds-eye view of everything going on below. This may be the best book I've ever read.

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Pete Blaber knows what it takes to survive...and thrive. As a commander in Delta Force—the most elite counter-terrorist organization in the world—Pete Blaber has taken part in some of the most dangerous, controversial, and significant military and political events of our time. And he's learned and experienced more about the real world and how things really work than most people could imagine. Here, the ex-Delta Force warrior reveals his intimate knowledge of warfare: it's not the action—the blinding flash of a concussion grenade, or the stealthy approach of the night- vision clad commando—but the interaction, in the form of the way we think, the way we make decisions, and the way we operationalize those decisions, that provides the keys to success, and the truly meaningful lessons. In this book, you will learn the same lessons he learned, while experiencing what the life of a Delta Force Operator is like—from the extreme physical and psychological training to the darkest of shadow ops all around the world. With each mission he conducted, Pete Blaber has taken a life lesson back with him. You will learn these enlightening lessons as you gain insights into never-before- revealed missions executed across the globe. And when the smoke clears, you will emerge wiser, more capable, and better prepared to succeed in life than you ever thought possible.

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Diamond Quality Leadership: The Six Qualities that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has provided me with some great strategies that I have already begun using and reaffirmed, for my sanity, that some of the things I've been doing were sound techniques.
Besides providing great strategies for everyday leadership issues, there were parts that had me laughing and other parts that inspired me.

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"Denny, what's the biggest learning for you in this process of taking the Diamond Leadership Model throughout your organization?" Bob asked.It was a great question. I thought for a few seconds."The biggest learning for me so far is that leadership development has to be elevated to the level of strategic initiatives—the same as marketing, product development, capital investments and other high level objectives. As a senior manager, the thing that I can impact the most in my business is developing leaders. So far, the results are proving that to be true. And I find that I am having fun again."

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When Fish Fly: Lessons For Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace From the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market Review

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(More customer reviews)Author John Yokoyama, owner of Seattle's World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, explains how he changed his attitude toward his employees, embraced a new way of treating people, led his employees in a fundamental directional shift and built a widespread reputation. This isn't a business "cookbook" that tells you step by step what to do. As Yokoyama insists, you can't just copy someone else's success. You must be an individual. However, the story of his turnaround and triumph at World Famous Pike Place Fish Market is a good read that illuminates the need for leaders to treat their employees, as he says, as people, not as human resources. Although the Market is getting to be as overexposed as a fish left out in the sun, we welcome this first person exposition from the owner. After numerous published accounts about the Market, the saga of how Yokoyama empowered employees, promoted his business and changed his style comes through best in his own words.

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Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung Review

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(More customer reviews)While Mao no doubt had a profound impact on China, it was not for his originality of thought, but for the manner in which he promoted Marxism-Leninism. The only significant change he made in the philosophy was his realization that for communism to work in China, the Proletariat had to be interpreted as the peasantry. Mao's "Little Red Book" was a necessity in the creation of the mystique of Mao, and the cult of Maoism. This was not so much because of the ideas presented, but because the manner in which the were presented to the public, not only in the book itself, but through various other means of propaganda. Therefore the book as an item could be valuable to own for anyone interested in the study of Mao, but only as a tool in his mystique. Granted the book does provide some insight into Maoism, its most profound impact was based on its existence, and Mao would best be studied through his actions rather than through his writings.

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Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter Review

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(More customer reviews)What does a $100 per person, prix fixe', 7 course gourmet dinner have to do with your business? Everything, if you believe Paul Clarke.
For those who might not know, Charlie Trotter's is an award-winning restaurant located in Chicago. I haven't yet been able to save up the $300 needed to eat there, but, from what I hear, it's an experience you'll not soon forget.
Back to the book -- this is a tough call. I like it. I hate it. I can't make up my mind. And maybe that's because it's almost like reading three different books.
First, it's a semi-bio of Charlie Trotter: his restaurant, how he runs it, his marketing strategies, his continual quest for excellence, his ongoing mission to make the dining experience in his restaurant extraordinary.
Secondly, it's an examination of how you can apply the pursuit of excellence to your business. Both these aspects make it an interesting read.
Then there's this underlying, ongoing discussion of having employees 'buy in' to your vision for your business. Though Clarke emphasizes rewarding this loyalty, and Trotter does so, I can say from my own experience, it just ain't so!
I found myself talking back to Clarke as I read. My husband thought I was going gaga. But I was so angry!
Much of what Clarke says feels manipulative to me. When I was an employee I was an excellent employee. I was the one who came in early, stayed late, did whatever it took, asked for more responsibility -- in other words I played the game.
It seems as though all the suggestions favor the employer rather than the employee. And this is where I get bogged down. I'm torn.
As an employee, I was used & abused too many times by the companies I worked for. And I know I'm not the only one.
But, as a small business owner, I'd want my employees to act exactly as Clarke suggests. It feels wrong, although I can't put my finger on exactly why that is.
I suppose any book that elicits this kind of response must be read. That's my recommendation to you. If you hate the management advice, you'll love the discussions about food, wine, & the restaurant experience.

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Charlie Trotter's Chicago restaurant is not only one of the premiere eating experiences in America, it serves also as the model of a thriving business whose cutting-edge approach to management is setting new standards for quality, efficiency, and profitability. In fact, people in just about any field can learn from Charlie's methods. For this breakthrough business guide, journalist Paul Clarke conducted in-depth interviews with Charlie and his associates, distilling invaluable lessons for entrepreneurs and hospitality professionals who are committed to creating highly respected and innovative businesses. Anyone who wants to improve their business will be sure to learn something new from this Midwestern dynamo.

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Cigars, Whiskey and Winning: Leadership Lessons from General Ulysses S. Grant Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is an excellent summation of the lessons learned by Ulysses S. Grant in an easy-to-read format. The book is well-paced and divided, following Grant's victories and defeats in military, civilian and personal battles from his childhood through the Civil War, his presidency, and Kaltman even manages to draw cogent and sobering lessons from his death. For each chapter the author gives a short story and draws a lesson from it. Each lesson is less than two pages, giving the reader an ability to read for a few minutes at a time during a busy day without losing his or her place or train of thought. Because of the length Kaltman does not run his point into the ground like many management books. His simple explanations stand alone. Kaltman's innovative format is now being emualted by many management authors.
Don't be fooled by the easy read--this book contains serious lessons that I will ponder again and again and wish I had learned earlier in life. The oft-maligned Grant is a worthy hero, and Kaltman has extracted invaluable morals from his experiences. If the author's bias that Grant deserves a better place in history than he currently enjoys shows through in some places, it is a sentiment I share. And so will you after you read his book. I recommend this book as a gift for anyone struggling to learn the skills to survive and thrive in the battlefield of business.

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Doing Business by the Good Book: Fifty-Two Lessons on Success Sraight from the Bible Review

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(More customer reviews)Perhaps if someone less successful in business than David L. Steward and Robert L. Shook wrote this guide book, readers would chuckle over the concept that the Bible offers sage advice on business practices. Business ethics seems an oxymoron as the Golden Rule of Wall St. seems that them with the gold makes the rule (look at who has access to Mr. Bush, Mr. Clinton or those fiefdoms we dub Congress). However, cynicism aside, Mr. Steward and Mr. Shook makes a strong case that those who follow biblical guidance have a very high chance of success.
The authors break the self help book into fifty two topics such as good leadership, empowerment, networking, conviction, etc. Each chapter contains a brief definition, scripture quotes, and examples of success. The advice is solid as the topics are relevant and biblical citations and parables fit quite soundly in today's information age. This is an insightful and interesting book that encourages people to conduct business activities in a positive manner straight from the bible. Ye who doubt must not forget Abraham. He was the leading businessman of his time until he hears a voice in his head. Heeding the advice, he sells the business, relocates and gives the choice beach front property to his nephew. Following that lordly voice in his brain he becomes the leading businessman again.
Harriet Klausner

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An indispensable volume that shows how to succeed in business by using the Bible and its lessons as a source of inspiration and guidance n 1990, David L. Steward founded his company, Worldwide Technology, Inc., on a shoestring budget and borrowed money, well aware of the high-risk nature of the venture he was undertaking. Despite the fact that he was a novice entrepreneur, he was certain he would succeed. Steward believed intensely that God wouldn't let him down. Doing Business by the Good Book shares the inspiring lessons culled straight from the Bible, that Steward used to build his privately held billion-dollar company into a global information technology enterprise.

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