Book picks similar to
How's the Culture in Your Kingdom?: Lessons from a Disney Leadership Journey by Dan Cockerell
non-fiction
leadership
disney
business
That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea
Marc Randolph - 2019
Late fees were ubiquitous, video-streaming unheard was of, and widespread DVD adoption seemed about as imminent as flying cars. Indeed, these were the widely accepted laws of the land in 1997, when Marc Randolph had an idea. It was a simple thought—leveraging the internet to rent movies—and was just one of many more and far worse proposals, like personalized baseball bats and a shampoo delivery service, that Randolph would pitch to his business partner, Reed Hastings, on their commute to work each morning.But Hastings was intrigued, and the pair—with Hastings as the primary investor and Randolph as the CEO—founded a company. Now with over 150 million subscribers, Netflix's triumph feels inevitable, but the twenty first century's most disruptive start up began with few believers and calamity at every turn. From having to pitch his own mother on being an early investor, to the motel conference room that served as a first office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-infamous meeting when Netflix brass pitched Blockbuster to acquire them, Marc Randolph's transformational journey exemplifies how anyone with grit, gut instincts, and determination can change the world—even with an idea that many think will never work.What emerges, though, isn't just the inside story of one of the world's most iconic companies. Full of counter-intuitive concepts and written in binge-worthy prose, it answers some of our most fundamental questions about taking that leap of faith in business or in life: How do you begin? How do you weather disappointment and failure? How do you deal with success? What even is success?From idea generation to team building to knowing when it's time to let go, That Will Never Work is not only the ultimate follow-your-dreams parable, but also one of the most dramatic and insightful entrepreneurial stories of our time.
Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World
David Koenig - 2007
The author of the best-selling Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland reveals how Walt Disney's City of Tomorrow evolved into a sprawling resort where?despite extraordinary efforts to control every aspect of the show?everything doesn't always go according to script.
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work
Mason Currey - 2013
Thomas Wolfe wrote standing up in the kitchen, the top of the refrigerator as his desk, dreamily fondling his “male configurations”. . . Jean-Paul Sartre chewed on Corydrane tablets (a mix of amphetamine and aspirin), ingesting ten times the recommended dose each day . . . Descartes liked to linger in bed, his mind wandering in sleep through woods, gardens, and enchanted palaces where he experienced “every pleasure imaginable.” Here are: Anthony Trollope, who demanded of himself that each morning he write three thousand words (250 words every fifteen minutes for three hours) before going off to his job at the postal service, which he kept for thirty-three years during the writing of more than two dozen books . . . Karl Marx . . . Woody Allen . . . Agatha Christie . . . George Balanchine, who did most of his work while ironing . . . Leo Tolstoy . . . Charles Dickens . . . Pablo Picasso . . . George Gershwin, who, said his brother Ira, worked for twelve hours a day from late morning to midnight, composing at the piano in pajamas, bathrobe, and slippers . . . Here also are the daily rituals of Charles Darwin, Andy Warhol, John Updike, Twyla Tharp, Benjamin Franklin, William Faulkner, Jane Austen, Anne Rice, and Igor Stravinsky (he was never able to compose unless he was sure no one could hear him and, when blocked, stood on his head to “clear the brain”). Brilliantly compiled and edited, and filled with detail and anecdote, Daily Rituals is irresistible, addictive, magically inspiring.
The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives
Katie Couric - 2011
Fox, and Ken Burns, who offer advice about life, success, and happiness—how to take chances, follow one’s passions, overcome adversity and inertia, commit to something greater than ourselves, and more. Along the way, Katie Couric reflects on her own life, and on the shared wisdom, and occasional missteps, that have guided her from her early days as a desk assistant at ABC to her groundbreaking work as a broadcast journalist. Moving and empowering, The Best Advice I Ever Got is for all of us, young or old, who want to hear from some of today’s best and brightest about how they got it right, got it wrong, and came out on top—so we can too.Now with additional contributors!
Leadership: In Turbulent Times
Doris Kearns Goodwin - 2018
Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson (in civil rights)—to show how they recognized leadership qualities within themselves and were recognized as leaders by others. By looking back to their first entries into public life, we encounter them at a time when their paths were filled with confusion, fear, and hope.Leadership tells the story of how they all collided with dramatic reversals that disrupted their lives and threatened to shatter forever their ambitions. Nonetheless, they all emerged fitted to confront the contours and dilemmas of their times. No common pattern describes the trajectory of leadership. Although set apart in background, abilities, and temperament, these men shared a fierce ambition and a deep-seated resilience that enabled them to surmount uncommon hardships. At their best, all four were guided by a sense of moral purpose. At moments of great challenge, they were able to summon their talents to enlarge the opportunities and lives of others.
Rock Bottom to Rock Star: Lessons from the Business School of Hard Knocks
Ryan Blair - 2016
In his first book, Nothing to Lose, Blair shared the brutally honest story of how he went from being an at-risk youth, sleeping on a mattress on the floor of a shack, to a self made multi-millionaire by his early twenties. As both the book and his story became a national sensation, Blair realized it was time to share the next piece of the puzzle--a detailed road map on how you can reach financial freedom yourself. Blair has battled extreme obstacles--growing fame, bad press, outrageous lawsuits, making and losing tens of millions of dollars (sometimes all in one day)--and still came out on top every time, and continued his mission to positively impact the lives of millions of people. Now he reveals how he did it; his personal formula for going from rock bottom to "rock star," and being the absolute best at what you do. If you're serious about making the most of your life and you're ready to become the "rock star next door," instead of just looking up to them, this may be the most rewarding book you'll ever read.
Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business
Danny Meyer - 2006
Danny Meyer started Union Square Cafe when he was 27, with a good idea and hopeful investors. He is now the co-owner of a restaurant empire. How did he do it? How did he beat the odds in one of the toughest trades around? In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he learned developing the dynamic philosophy he calls Enlightened Hospitality. The tenets of that philosophy, which emphasize strong in-house relationships as well as customer satisfaction, are applicable to anyone who works in any business. Whether you are a manager, an executive, or a waiter, Danny’s story and philosophy will help you become more effective and productive, while deepening your understanding and appreciation of a job well done. Setting the Table is landmark a motivational work from one of our era’s most gifted and insightful business leaders.
Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
Richard Branson - 2017
Now he's finally publishing his second volume of memoirs, covering all of his fascinating ups and downs of the past two decades. In the two decades since Richard Branson wrote Losing My Virginity, his life and company have changed significantly. Now he brings his life story up to date, including all the successes and failures of ventures such as Virgin Galactic. He also shares his personal, intimate thoughts on five decades as the world's ultimate entrepreneur, and his shift to focusing more and more on public service. Virginity Regained shows how Branson created hundreds of different companies, going from a houseboat to his own private island. Join him as he juggles working life with raising his children, sustaining his marriage, and creating a unique company culture. Discover how he created a new life on Necker Island, while continuing to grow the Virgin brand into all corners of the world. Get the real story behind his encounters with everyone from Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch to Nelson Mandela and Beyonce.Go behind the scenes as Branson creates the world's first commercial spaceline, Virgin Galactic; handles the biggest crisis of his career; and makes world record attempts on land, sea and air. He even discusses what it's like for the original business hippy to become a doting "grand-dude" to his three grandchildren.
Shocking Career Secrets - Basic Edition
Ryan Firestorm - 2013
These secrets will help you get great salary raises, get selected in a job interview, & even get a promotion easily. Here are the closely-guarded secrets that will be revealed in this never-before disclosure. Career Secret # 1: Why would you be fired? Can you avoid the dreaded Pink Slip? And why the most-beloved perk 'Work From Home' is the surest ticket out of the company? For the first time ever, you will be taken behind the scenes of a mass-firing (multiple layoffs). You will understand what prompts a company to fire its loyal employees (this means you). And the biggest insider secret... if you are Working from Home, why you will get laid off in the next few months. You will also learn how to protect your job & make yourself almost 'fire'proof. Career Secret # 2: Job sites are utterly useless Sick and tired of job hunting? Learn why job sites are utterly useless & where you need to focus your energies for a job search. This one strategy will increase your probability of getting a job from a measly 1% to a stunning 60%. Career Secret # 3: Your experience or skills doesn't matter in an Interview! Did you know that your experience or skills doesn't count for the hiring manager? What is the recruiter really looking for? It's this one little thing... Career Secret # 4: Your manager doesn't care what you did the whole year Are you surprised? Or did I confirm what you already suspected? Is everything you are doing in your job, all in vain? Not yet. This secret will tell you how to get on your manager's radar. Career Secret # 5: Appraisal ratings and increments are your manager's headache. Here's how to force your manager to give you a fat paycheck. There is a ton of information on salary negotiation during a job interview. What about salary negotiation during a performance review? This secret will tell you the simplest & easiest way to rate your own performance. And how to make an epic presentation that will force your manager to grudgingly give you a great rating & an excellent salary raise.
If I Can't Have You, No One Can
Don Lasseter - 2006
Sarah Rodriquez, 21, wasn't so lucky. On April 16, 2002, in Orange County, California, she and her true love, Matt Corbett, 20, were forced off the road by Namey, who shot them both at point-blank range with a .357. Sarah was killed. Corbett was paralyzed for life.Real HeroAfter a 42-mile chase, Namey was finally cornered in a drainage tunnel by a police dog. He pleaded manslaughter, claiming he'd really meant to kill himself in front of Sarah. No deal. The man he faced was not your average deputy district attorney: Dennis Conway had pulled himself out of a wayward life torn by seemingly insurmountable tragedy and into law school. He knew all about guys like Namey--and exactly where to find the holes in his story. The verdict: first-degree murder, life sentence. Score one for the good guys.Includes 16 pages of shocking photos.
Anne Williams - With Hope in Her Heart
Sara Williams - 2013
Kevin’s mum, Anne, was not there to answer his call but she never let her son down. From that fateful day, April 15, 1989, she embarked on a remarkable 24-year battle to see justice done. Convinced of a cover-up by the powers that be, she left no stone unturned in her quest to uncover the truth. It was a campaign that she fought to her dying day, succumbing to cancer at the age of 62 in April, 2013. Anne’s efforts had not been in vain. Just months earlier, a historic breakthrough saw the original inquest verdicts quashed, following a public apology to the Hillsborough families by Prime Minister David Cameron. Her daughter Sara, Kevin’s sister, was with Anne every step of the way. Now, with the help of personal recollections penned by her mum in her final months, she tells the real story of Anne’s remarkable journey – her spirit in the face of the many setbacks and her defiant refusal to accept defeat. Anne’s final message before losing her fight for life was ‘I never walked alone’. This book is dedicated to everyone who has ever fought for justice in the name of the 96.Copyright: All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the copyright holders, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent publisher.
Man Up: How to Cut the Bullshit and Kick Ass in Business (and in Life)
Bedros Keuilian - 2018
. ."
"There's no way . . ."
"It's impossible . . ."
Enough. Get off your ass make your "someday" goals a priority—today.
After years of coaching and consulting hundreds of startup rookies as well as seasoned entrepreneurs, executives, and CEOs, Bedros Keuilian realized that most people who want to start a business, grow an existing business, author a book, make more money, or make a bigger impact usually take the long, slow, painful way to get there . . . and more than 80 percent of entrepreneurs never get to their desired destination or achieve their full potential in business. They treat their dream as if it were merely a hobby and dip their toes in the water, but they never commit to diving in—you get the idea. It's time to cut the bullshit excuses. Everyone has a gift, a purpose. It's your duty to figure out what your gift is and how you're going to share it with the world. Man Up: How to Cut the Bullshit and Kick Ass in Business (and in Life) is your guide to doing exactly that. Keuilian, founder and CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp and known as the "hidden genius" behind many of the most successful brands and businesses throughout multiple industries, will show you how to break out of the sea of mediocrity, get singularly focused on your purpose, and do what it takes—not only to achieve but dominate your goals. With Keuilian's no-nonsense approach in both business and personal spheres, you'll be able to define your purpose and have clarity of vision—and a plan—to make the quantum leap. Whether it's creating and growing a company, leaving a legacy, making a difference, or launching a new brand, you will discover how to use your passion, purpose, and sheer grit to overcome any adversity that attempts to derail your progress. If there's an area of your life in which you need to man up, this book will get you there.
The Business of LIFE: How You Can Prosper In The Information Age
Chris Brady - 2004
Sponge: Leadership Lessons I Learnt From My Clients
Ambi Parameswaran - 2018
A challenging customer, in his view, goes from being someone who poses an obstacle to quality work to someone with eye-opening ideas and concepts. Approached as an exercise in listening and learning, these conversations can become long-term lessons. Ambi has worked with some of the most respected brands and names in the Indian corporate world, and each of those assignments were for him masterclasses in leadership development. In this book, Ambi recounts conversations with some of the most iconic business leaders, such as Ratan Tata, Azim Premji, S. Ramadorai, Karsanbhai Patel, M. Damodaran, Dr V. Kurien and many others. He soaked up these conversations, in his own words, 'like a sponge’. This book is an attempt to walk us through some of those dialogues – both the illuminating and the difficult aspects of them – to help us understand how they were learning sessions. For anyone looking at turbocharging their business and career, the ‘Sponge Process’ that emphasises listening is a radical new way of engaging with clients and customers.
Resolving Conflicts at Work: Ten Strategies for Everyone on the Job
Kenneth Cloke - 2011
In the third edition of this text, all chapters are completely infused with additional content, updated examples, and new case studies. Like its predecessors, it identifies core strategies for preventing and resolving both intermittent and chronic conflicts in the workplace. In addition, the bookIncludes a new foreword by Warren Bennis, which represents his most recent thinking about judgment calls and candid communications in the workplace Presents new chapters on leadership and transformational conflict coaching, and organizational systems design This definitive and comprehensive work provides a handy guide for managers, employees, union representatives, human resource experts, and consultants seeking to maintain stable and productive workplaces.