From Berry's exacting study of fourteen mature, highly successful, labor-intensive companies comes an astonishing revelation: the single most important factor in building a lasting service business is not a matter of savvy business practice, but of humane values. In all fourteen award-winning companies -- Bergstrom Hotels, The Charles Schwab Corporation, Chick-fil-A, The Container Store, Custom Research Inc., Dana Commercial Credit, Dial-A-Mattress, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Midwest Express Airlines, Miller SQA, Special Expeditions, St. Paul Saints, USAA, and Ukrop's Super Markets -- values-driven leadership connects with strategic focus, executional excellence, control of destiny, trust-based relationships, generosity, investment in employee success, acting small, and brand cultivation to drive customer satisfaction, innovation, and growth. Dedicating a chapter to each of these nine drivers, this book is the most far-reaching and insightful vision ever presented of the principles and step-by-step actions that continuously bring success to life in a company. Berry's comprehensive model reveals the soul that underlies the strategies and day-to-day operations of great service companies, guiding the thousands of daily decisions of individual employees. Clear, compelling, pathbreaking, Discovering the Soul of Service is essential reading for managers everywhere.

    . . whether you’re running an entire company or in your first management job.Over the past seven years, Procter & Gamble has tripled profits; significantly improved organic revenue growth, cash flow, and operating margins; and averaged earnings per share growth of 12 percent. How? A. G. Lafley and his leadership team have integrated innovation into everything P&G does and created new customers and new markets. Through eye-opening stories A. G. Lafley and Ram Charan show how P&G and companies such as Honeywell, Nokia, LEGO, GE, HP, and DuPont have become game-changers. Their inspiring lessons can help you learn how to:• Make consumers and customers the boss, not the CEO or the management team• Innovate to grow a mature business• Develop higher growth, higher margin businesses • Create new customers and new markets • Revitalize a business model• Reach outside your own business and tap into the abundant brainpower and creativity of the world • Integrate innovation into the mainstream of your managerial decision making • Manage risk• Become a leader of innovationWe live in a world of unprecedented change, increasing global competitiveness, and the very real threat of commoditization. Innovation in this world is the best way to win—arguably the only way to really win. Innovation is not a separate, discrete activity but the job of everyone in a leadership position and the integral, central driving force for any business that wants to grow organically and succeed on a sustained basis.This is a game-changing book that helps you redefine your leadership and improve your management game.

    Recommended!--Jay Baer, founder of Convince & Convert and author of Hug Your Haters Once upon a time, storytelling was confused with talking at people. Not anymore. Shane and Joe are your narrators in a journey that will transform how you talk to other human beings to be more believable, relevant, compelling and unforgettable.--Brian Solis, experience architect, digital anthropologist, best-selling authorShane Snow and Joe Lazauskas spend the overwhelming majority of their time thinking, writing, and theorizing about brand storytelling - so you don't have to. They're smart and they know this topic inside out (and sideways). Read their book. While I can't guarantee you'll rise to Shane and Joe's ridiculously obsessive level, you will be infinitely better prepared to tell your own brand's story. Promise!--Rebecca Lieb, Analyst, Author & AdvisorThe Contently team understands the power of story, and how to craft and spread a great narrative, like no other. In an era where brand, design, and mission are a competitive advantage for every business, Contently underscores the importance of stories and how they transform companies and industries.--Scott Belsky, Entrepreneur, Investor, & Author (Founder of Behance, bestselling author of Making Ideas Happen)I can't think of a better way to illustrate the power of story telling than by telling great stories. This book should be required reading not just by those with content in their titles, but by anyone in Marketing AND Sales. Then, when you're done, give it to your CEO to read... but make sure you get it back, because I guarantee you'll refer to it more than once.--Shawna Dennis, Senior Marketing LeaderNeuroscience, algorithms, illustrations, personal anecdotes and good, old-fashioned empathy: This entertaining and informative tome journeys to the core of how we communicate and pushes us, as marketers and humans, to do it better, speeding the reader through and leaving us wanting more.--Ann Hynek, VP of global content marketing at Morgan StanleyTransform your business through the power of storytelling.Content strategists Joe Lazauskas and Shane Snow offer an insider's guide to transforming your business--and all the relationships that matter to it--through the art and science of telling great stories.Smart businesses today understand the need to use stories to better connect with the people they care about. But few know how to do it well. In The Storytelling Edge, the strategy minds behind Contently, the world renowned content marketing technology company, reveal their secrets that have helped award-winning brands to build relationships with millions of advocates and customers.Join as they dive into the neuroscience of storytelling, the elements of powerful stories, and methodologies to grow businesses through engaging and accountable content.With The Storytelling Edge you will discover how leaders and workers can craft the powerful stories that not only build brands and engage customers, but also build relationships and make people care--in work and in life.

    Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership delivers a thought-provoking and in-depth analysis of this signature model. Pragmatic and handson, it explains how the model helped Welch to consistently spot 4e leaders--individuals with energy, the ability to inspire others, and the talent to consistently make the difficult decisions and meet financial goals.Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership reveals how the 4e model helped GE's best and brightest eliminate bureaucracy, hire and promote energetic people, find new ways to increase the organization's customer-centricity, and more. Beyond the nuts and bolts of the 4e model, however, it outlines a step-by-step blueprint anyone can follow to stock an organization with performance-ready leaders and leaders-in-training.Examples include:How to recognize and encourage each of the 4e's--Energy, Energizers, Edge, and ExecuteLeadership theories of Drucker, Senge, and others, and how they support and validate Welch's 4e modelSeven rules for successfully driving change, and leveraging it to gain long-term competitive advantageLeadership lessons of the 4e all-star executive teamValuable implementation insights on virtually every page, along with a 4e leader to-do listJack Welch is universally recognized as the greatest CEO of his era. In Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership, bestselling author Jeffrey A. Krames examines Welch's seminal 4e leadership model and provides a penetrating and uncompromising look at how to recognize and develop authentic leaders.

    If you're asking this question, it's probably too late: you didn’t see this important new development coming, or didn’t understand it well enough to take it seriously, and now you must play the most dreaded game of all—catch-up.In How Did We Miss That?: How to Forecast the Next Big Thing, Amy Webb shows you how to avoid having to ask that frightening question. Successful business leaders seem to have a sixth sense about what's next; an uncanny ability to predict the next big trend or market development. But it's not magic. Webb teaches you how to spot today the signs of tomorrow's trends; specifically, the trends affecting your world—your market, your products, and your competitors. She demonstrates how the future doesn’t arrive fully formed, but rather emerges step-by-step, appearing first around the fringes of society. But that future is easy to miss unless you know where and how to look.Books about the near-future, not to mention countless blogs, postings, seminars, and conferences, simply tell you what the author thinks is coming, leaving you to pick the prognostication you prefer. Amy Webb shows you where and how to look in the present for harbingers of the future. Her book is an invaluable resource for leaders of all kinds.

    To achieve any goal, you need other people to help you do it. -- JUDY ROBINETTAs anyone in business knows, strategic planning is critical to achieving long-term success. In How to Be a Power Connector, super-networker Judy Robinett argues that strategic relationship planning should be your top priority.When you combine your specific skills and talents with a clear, workable path for creating and managing your relationships, nothing will stop you from meeting your goals. With high-value connections, you'll tap into a dynamic power grid of influence guaranteed to accelerate your personal and professional success.Robinett uses her decades of experience connecting the world's highest achievers with one another to help you build high-value relationships. She reveals all the secrets of her trade, including proven ways to:Find and enter the best network ecosystem to meet your goalsReach even the most unreachable people quickly and effectivelyGet anyone's contact information within 30 secondsCreate a 3-D connection that adds value to multiple people at the same timeAccess key infl uencers through industry and community eventsSubtly seed conversation with information about interests and needsUse social media to your best advantageRobinett has based her methods on solid research proving that social groups begin to break up when they become larger than 150 people, and that 50 members is the optimal size for group communication. As such, she has developed what she calls the 5+50+100 method: contact your top 5 connections daily, your Key 50 weekly, and your Vital 100 monthly. this is your power grid, and it will work wonders for your career.Nothing will stop you when you learn How to Be a Power Connector.PRAISE FOR HOW TO BE A POWER CONNECTOR:Unlike many books in this genre, this one is written by a woman who has lived it.. . . Judy Robinett offers guidance on how to form authentic relationships that bring mutual benefits. -- ADAM GRANT, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and TakeHow to Be a Power Connector is like an MBA in networking: an advanced course in finding and developing quality relationships with the people who can make the biggest difference in your professional success. -- IVAN MISNER, founder and chairman of BNITalk about power! Follow Judy Robinett's logical, straightforward, and helpfully detailed advice, and you can be a 'Power Connector' yourself! Great ideas, well presented, with no 'wasted space' in her argument! -- DON PEPPERS, coauthor of Extreme Trust: Honesty as a Competitive AdvantageAbsolutely brilliant. A step-by-step guide to building a network that will be both invaluable to you and just as valuable to those whose lives you will now have the opportunity to touch. I can't imagine a more powerful book for one who truly desires to be a Power Connector. -- BOB BURG, coauthor of The Go-Giver and author of Adversaries into AlliesIn the C-Suite or in your personal life everything comes down to the quality of your relationships. Judy's book helps you attract and maintain the relationships that will get you what you want most. Be a super connector now! -- JEFFREY HAYZLETT, TV host and bestselling author of Running the Gauntlet

    Merchant gets the new reality--leadership fails not so much from flawed strategy as it does from failed processes of engagement from those responsible for implementing the strategy. In high-performing organizations, everyone acts like a leader, and they own the strategy and take actions to ensure its success. If you care about making a difference, read this book." --Barry Posner, author of The Leadership Challenge "Collaboration is a powerful, competitive weapon: this book shows you how to use it to win markets." --Mark Interrante, VP Content Products, Yahoo, Inc. "In a world in which the pace of change is ever quickening, collaboration, not control, is the route to a successful organization. This book tells you how to make your organization collaborative. And Nilofer Merchant's writing is a model of clarity." --Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less "Want to transform your organization into a collaborative enterprise? Nilofer Merchant provides insightful and practical strategies in The New How." --Padmasree Warrior, CTO, Cisco Systems, Inc. "Merchant's book is a practical guide for the journey from strategy to implementation. The collaborative tools described here can help companies reach strategic success--and avoid pitfalls along the way." --Tom Kelley, General Manager, IDEO, and author of Ten Faces of InnovationOnce in a generation, a book comes along that transforms the business landscape. For today's business leaders, The New How redefines the way companies create strategies and win new markets.Management gurus have always said "people matter." But those same gurus still relegate strategy to an elite set of executives who focus on frameworks, long presentations, and hierarchical approaches. Business strategy typically has been planned by corporate chiefs in annual meetings, and then dictated to managers to carry out. The New How turns that notion on its head. After many years of working with Apple, Adobe, HP, and many other companies, Nilofer Merchant discovered the secret sauce: the best way to create a winning strategy is to include employees at all levels, helping to create strategy they not only believe in, but are also equipped to implement.In The New How, Nilofer shows today's corporate directors, executives, and managers how they can transform their traditional, top-down approach to strategy planning and execution into collaborative "stratecution" that has proven to be significantly more effective.Enhance performance and outcomes by deflating the "air sandwich" between executives in the boardroom and employeesRecognize that strategy and execution are thoroughly intertwinedUnderstand how successful strategy is founded in effective idea selection-a pile of good ideas doesn't necessarily build good strategyCreate company strategy and link it to targeted execution, using the practical models and techniques provided

    But how problem solving is taught in our schools, universities, businesses and organizations comes up short. In Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything you'll learn the seven-step systematic approach to creative problem solving developed in top consulting firms that will work in any field or industry, turning you into a highly sought-after bulletproof problem solver who can tackle challenges that others balk at.The problem-solving technique outlined in this book is based on a highly visual, logic-tree method that can be applied to everything from everyday decisions to strategic issues in business to global social challenges. The authors, with decades of experience at McKinsey and Company, provide 30 detailed, real-world examples, so you can see exactly how the technique works in action. With this bulletproof approach to defining, unpacking, understanding, and ultimately solving problems, you'll have a personal superpower for developing compelling solutions in your workplace.Discover the time-tested 7-step technique to problem solving that top consulting professionals employ Learn how a simple visual system can help you break down and understand the component parts of even the most complex problems Build team brainstorming techniques that fight cognitive bias, streamline workplanning, and speed solutions Know when and how to employ modern analytic tools and techniques from machine learning to game theory Learn how to structure and communicate your findings to convince audiences and compel action The secrets revealed in Bulletproof Problem Solving will transform the way you approach problems and take you to the next level of business and personal success.

    In an era dominated by strategists, Branson is an opportunist with an uncanny knack of sniffing out great deals where others hesitate or fear to tread. Never before has a single brand been so successfully deployed across such a diverse range of goods and services. Branson is the ultimate brand builder. So how does he do it? Now bought completely up to date for this new edition, Business the Richard Branson Way, not only reveals the secrets of Branson's remarkable success but also draws out the universal lessons and identifies strategies that can be applied to any business or career. From picking on someone bigger than you to moving faster than a speeding bullet, and from making work fun to keeping the common touch, you have in your hands the secrets of phenomenal success.ContentsRichard Branson Revisited The Life and Times of Richard Branson One Pick on Someone Bigger Than You Two Do the Hippy, Hippy Shake Three Haggle - Everything's Negotiable Four Make Work Fun Five Do Right By Your Brand Six Smile for the Cameras Seven Don't Lead Sheep, Herd Cats Eight Faster than a Speeding Bullet Nine Size Does Matter Ten Never Lose the Common Touch How to Build a Brand the Branson Way Last Word

    There is no more stunning example in history than Alexander the Great, whose leadership skills were so immense that they still resonate some 2,000 years later.The Wisdom of Alexander the Great reveals four leadership processes distilled from the life and extraordinary accomplishments of Alexander, King of Macedonia. Readers will learn how he:* reframed problems in order to meet seemingly insurmountable challenges* built alliances by using his strength to generate trust and respect, not just fear* established identity and ""branded"" himself a unifier, thus keeping the home base secure while continuing to expand his empire* recognized and assimilated the cultures and symbols of different peoples, becoming a powerful and trusted figure everywhere he wentThe Wisdom of Alexander the Great relates 34 riveting episodes from Alexander's expansion through Asia Minor, Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Middle East, the Persian Empire, and India. Each example, tied to a modern-day counterpart, imparts valuable lessons from the timeless legend of one of the greatest leaders in history."

    The invaluable companion to the new edition of the bestselling How to Measure Anything This companion workbook to the new edition of the insightful and eloquent How to Measure Anything walks readers through sample problems and exercises in which they can master and apply the methods discussed in the book.The book explains practical methods for measuring a variety of intangibles, including approaches to measuring customer satisfaction, organizational flexibility, technology risk, technology ROI, and other problems in business, government, and not-for-profits.Companion to the revision of the bestselling How to Measure AnythingProvides chapter-by-chapter exercises Written by industry leader Douglas Hubbard Written by recognized expert Douglas Hubbard--creator of Applied Information Economics--How to Measure Anything Workbook illustrates how the author has used his approach across various industries and how any problem, no matter how difficult, ill defined, or uncertain can lend itself to measurement using proven methods.

    It's not only the big occasions that test a leader's mettle, but the little ones as well--in a casual conversation in the elevator, in phone calls, or one of many incidental, seemingly insignificant interactions in everyday work life. Written by one of the world's leading communications coaches, Speaking as a Leader shows you how to make the most of your daily communications, creating a presence on the job as a genuine and constant leader.In this eye-opening guide, aspiring (and established) leaders can enhance their reputations and influence by following a few simple steps. Speaking as a LeaderShows how to structure your thoughts and message in any situation using a four-step model Offers tips on listening effectively, in three dimensions Details why you are the best visual and how to avoid Death by PowerPoint Offers guidance on taking the numb out of numbers Includes tips on moving from subject to message With Speaking as a Leader, you'll learn to tap into your innate leadership skills at every occasion--whether small or large--and earn the sort of respect that creates devoted friends and passionate supporters.

    Senge's best-selling The Fifth Discipline led Business Week to dub him the "new guru" of the corporate world; here he offers executives a step-by-step guide to building "learning organizations" of their own.

    It identifies a dramatic shift in the business landscape in which new aggressive and successful companies have taken on the established giants - not with new products or innovative technology but with superior business designs. These companies anticipate customer needs and align their business designs - how they select customers, differentiate their offerings, configure their resources, create utilities and go to market - to meet the customer's highest priorities and take revenue and market value from a previously dominant competitor.

    It is written for students of Strategic Management at all levels.