Book picks similar to
The Game of Business by John McDonald


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Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry


David C. Robertson - 2013
    By following the teams that are inventing some of the world's best-loved toys, it spotlights the company's disciplined approach to harnessing creativity and recounts one of the most remarkable business transformations in recent memory. Brick by Brick reveals how LEGO failed to keep pace with the revolutionary changes in kids' lives and began sliding into irrelevance. When the company's leaders implemented some of the business world's most widely espoused prescriptions for boosting innovation, they ironically pushed the iconic toymaker to the brink of bankruptcy. The company's near-collapse shows that what works in theory can fail spectacularly in the brutally competitive global economy. It took a new LEGO management team – faced with the growing rage for electronic toys, few barriers to entry, and ultra-demanding consumers (ten-year old boys) – to reinvent the innovation rule book and transform LEGO into one of the world's most profitable, fastest-growing companies.  Along the way, Brick by Brick reveals how LEGO:- Became truly customer-driven by co-creating with kids as well as its passionate adult fans- Looked beyond products and learned to leverage a full-spectrum approach to innovation- Opened its innovation process by using both the "wisdom of crowds" and the expertise of elite cliques- Discovered uncontested, "blue ocean" markets, even as it thrived in brutally competitive red oceans- Gave its world-class design teams enough space to create and direction to deliver built a culture where profitable innovation flourishes Sometimes radical yet always applicable, Brick by Brick abounds with real-world lessons for unleashing breakthrough innovation in your organization, just like LEGO. Whether you're a senior executive looking to make your company grow, an entrepreneur building a startup from scratch, or a fan who wants to instill some of that LEGO magic in your career, you'll learn how to build your own innovation advantage, brick by brick.

The Indigo Story: Inside the Upstart that Redefined Indian Aviation


Shelley Vishwajeet - 2018
    books

Saying No to Jugaad: The Making of Bigbasket


T.N. Hari - 2019
    

The Amazon Way on IoT: 10 Principles for Every Leader from the World's Leading Internet of Things Strategies


John Rossman - 2016
    We can all learn from these strategies. In this detailed analysis of IoT and Amazon's and other leading companies approach to it, John Rossman guides readers with practical insights and recommendations into the strategies and mindset transforming business and society. "John has laid out a blueprint not only for an enterprise wanting to understand how sensors embedded in their business can innovate old ways of working while also providing an excellent path for individuals wanting to start their own IoT business. The book is not only a reference tool but also paints a story around innovation and customer centricity to challenge the reader to think differently in solving problems." Eric Martinez -- Founder of Modjoul, former EVP AIG and Safeco Insurance The Amazon Way on IoT explains how the combination of sensors, cloud computing and machine learning can be used to improve customer experiences, drive operational improvements and build new business models. Rossman offers: - Guidance through the maze of emerging technologies, customer experiences, and business models, to arrive at a recipe just right for your organization - Key methods to success from Amazon’s master playbook such as creating seamless customer experiences, process improvement and new business models and utilizing tools such as sensors, machine learning and cloud computing - Approaches to help you tackle the technology, business and internal challenges in innovating with the internet of things. Renowned Harvard business professor Michael Porter describes the IoT as the backbone for a third-wave of technology-led innovation and digital disruption. The Amazon Way on IoT is for business people who want to learn cases, key concepts, technologies and tools to help develop, explain and execute their own IoT approach. As a leader at Amazon who held a front-row seat during its formative years, Rossman understands the iconic company better than most. From the launch of Amazon’s third-party seller program to its foray into enterprise services, he witnessed it all – the amazing successes, the little-known failures, and the experiments with outcomes still to be determined. Rossman once again examines the heart of Amazon.com’s secret to success, along with other leading companies. He incorporates an extensive focus on sophisticated IoT technologies and strategies related to Amazon’s rise: tens of millions of items in stock, the company’s technological prowess, and the many customer service innovations such as “one-click.” “This is an excellent book. And a very important book. It evokes both business thought and technical thought, which is rare.” -- Larry Hughes, former head of Amazon cyber security

Management Wisdom of Lord Krishna: A Treatise on Unified Concept of Management Performance for the Globalised World


Udai Vir Singh - 2008
    Hence, modern management minds have been looking for solutions beyond the reservoir of Western management thoughts and practices. They have examined and experimented with Japanese and Chinese systems of management. Of late, their focus has shifted to Indian philosophy to find solutions to re-occurring irritants in efficient management practices. As a step in this direction, Western management executives are being encouraged to put purpose before self during retraining sessions at institutions of management learning. Through Ved Vyasa's Bhagavad Gita, they are attempting to inspire themselves with the supremacy of action, learning to enrich matter with forces of spirit, realizing that the principle of karma has invaluable merits. The present work is a systematic presentation of the vital management contents as enshrined in Bhagavad Gita, the eternal Song of Wisdom. The book is a running treatise comprising principles, precepts, and practices employed by Lord Krishna to achieve his mission incarnate objectives, examining such qualities as: the dignity of work, commitment appreciations, strategic intervention, internal conflict --- management, and the management of uncertainties --- the skills of verbal and non-verbal communication, logic, and intellect --- the humility and ethicality of approach, respect for virtue and merit, skillful ego management, and total impartiality --- using energy as a management tool, the principle of causality, and the unified concept of management performance --- and much more

The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron


Bethany McLean - 2003
    And thirty years later, if you're going to read only one book on Watergate, that's still the one. Today, Enron is the biggest business story of our time, and Fortune senior writers Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind are the new Woodward and Bernstein.Remarkably, it was just two years ago that Enron was thought to epitomize a great New Economy company, with its skyrocketing profits and share price. But that was before Fortune published an article by McLean that asked a seemingly innocent question: How exactly does Enron make money? From that point on, Enron's house of cards began to crumble. Now, McLean and Elkind have investigated much deeper, to offer the definitive book about the Enron scandal and the fascinating people behind it.Meticulously researched and character driven, Smartest Guys in the Room takes the reader deep into Enron's past—and behind the closed doors of private meetings. Drawing on a wide range of unique sources, the book follows Enron's rise from obscurity to the top of the business world to its disastrous demise. It reveals as never before major characters such as Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andy Fastow, as well as lesser known players like Cliff Baxter and Rebecca Mark. Smartest Guys in the Room is a story of greed, arrogance, and deceit—a microcosm of all that is wrong with American business today. Above all, it's a fascinating human drama that will prove to be the authoritative account of the Enron scandal.

Coco Chanel: A Life from Beginning to End


Hourly History - 2020
    She changed the way women thought about fashion and themselves; her dresses were meant to free women of the corset and allow them to move freely and elegantly. At the dawn of a new century, Chanel stood for a new type of woman.Chanel worked her way up from living in an orphanage to dining with royalty. She personified her own designs. Always independent, she never married, took on lovers as she pleased, and never apologized. A century after Coco Chanel opened her first small shop in Paris, her designs still define luxury.Discover a plethora of topics such asAn Orphaned GirlCoco Takes on ParisChanel No. 5The Crash of 1929Chanel during World War II: The Nazi SpyExile and ReturnAnd much more!

On Grand Strategy


John Lewis Gaddis - 2018
    Now, in On Grand Strategy, Gaddis reflects on what he has learned. In chapters extending from the ancient world through World War II, Gaddis assesses grand strategic theory and practice in Herodotus, Thucydides, Sun Tzu, Octavian/Augustus, St. Augustine, Machiavelli, Elizabeth I, Philip II, the American Founding Fathers, Clausewitz, Tolstoy, Lincoln, Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Isaiah Berlin. On Grand Strategy applies the sharp insights and wit readers have come to expect from Gaddis to times, places, and people he's never written about before. For anyone interested in the art of leadership, On Grand Strategy is, in every way, a master class.

Hyper Sales Growth: Street-Proven Systems & Processes. How to Grow Quickly & Profitably.


Jack Daly - 2014
    His energy is matched only by his genius and understanding about what makesthe best sales organizations. It's not commission strategies, it's not about glossy sales materials; it is about people. Jack understands better than most that if you look out for your people and insist that they look out for your customers, the result is unprecedented growth (and a lot of very happy and inspired employees and customers)." -Simon Sinek, Optimist and Author of Leaders Eat Last and Start With Why "Winning teams result from strong cultures and leadership driven systems and processes. In the world of sales, as detailed in Hyper Sales Growth, Jack Daly knows how to lead and win." -Pat Williams, Co-Founder, Orlando Magic, Author of Vince Lombardi on Leadership "If you want to play the piano, you hire a teacher. If you want to run a fast marathon, you hire a coach. Jack Daly is the best Professional Sales Coach in America. He teaches you what you need to know, how to remember it, and how to practice it every single day. This book will change your life as a leader and a salesperson, and you will thank Jack Daly every day you make a new sale." -Willy Walker, Chairman and CEO, Walker & Dunlop "It's finally here!! The book all the million fans (that's literal) of Jack Daly have been wanting - a book that shares the same time-tested sales management techniques that work to drive growth he's been teaching in his powerful and packed workshops. It's all about getting the sales management piece right; this is the book that shows you the way." -Verne Harnish, CEO of Gazelles Author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits and The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time "If you want to get predictable revenue and profitable growth, Jack Daly is your source for the state of the art in sales. Read this book, buy it for your team, follow his advice and you'll be unstoppable." -Christine Comaford, Executive Coach & Presidential Advisor NY Times Best Selling Author of SmartTribes: How Teams Become Brilliant Together "Jack Daly is a rare gem in the business world. I have seen him transform several companies, by growing revenue, by upgrading corporate cultures, and by growing employees' capacity to produce results. His vast knowledge and experience gives him a perspective unmatched by anyone I've experienced. This book is a must read if you are interested in taking your company to the next level in the most direct way possible." -Rick Sapio, CEO of Mutual Capital Alliance, Inc

How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business: Unexpected Rules Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know


Jeffrey J. Fox - 2004
    In How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business, bestselling business author Jeffrey Fox offers sound rules to succeeding in small business, whether you're running a bookstore, consulting business, or restaurant. In short chapters that range from administration and cash flow to marketing and hiring, Fox reminds entrepreneurs what's important and what's not, what makes a business succeed, and what causes it to fail.

How Google Works


Eric Schmidt - 2014
    As they helped grow Google from a young start-up to a global icon, they relearned everything they knew about management. How Google Works is the sum of those experiences distilled into a fun, easy-to-read primer on corporate culture, strategy, talent, decision-making, communication, innovation, and dealing with disruption.The authors explain how the confluence of three seismic changes - the internet, mobile, and cloud computing - has shifted the balance of power from companies to consumers. The companies that will thrive in this ever-changing landscape will be the ones that create superior products and attract a new breed of multifaceted employees whom the authors dub 'smart creatives'. The management maxims ('Consensus requires dissension', 'Exile knaves but fight for divas', 'Think 10X, not 10%') are illustrated with previously unreported anecdotes from Google's corporate history.'Back in 2010, Eric and I created an internal class for Google managers,' says Rosenberg. 'The class slides all read 'Google confidential' until an employee suggested we uphold the spirit of openness and share them with the world. This book codifies the recipe for our secret sauce: how Google innovates and how it empowers employees to succeed.'

Hard Corps: from Thug Zero to Marine Hero


Marco Martinez - 2007
    At the age of twenty-two, he was a hero—the recipient of the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor a U.S. Marine can receive, for extraordinary heroism under fire in the Iraq War. Hard Corps tells the story of his incredible transformation and of his experiences on the front lines of the War on Terror.Writing with passion and candor, Martinez brings us back to his gang days, detailing experiences that make him “shudder in shame” to remember. And he recalls the moment that changed everything for him, when he spotted a barrel-chested U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at his high school. Immediately, he saw an opportunity to alter the course of his aimless life. Martinez takes us with him through the grueling ordeal of Marine boot camp and the even-more-punishing training at the School of Infantry to show just how warriors are made. He reveals how he and his fellow grunts prepared tirelessly for battle, seeing combat not as a burden but as a privilege, the ultimate baptism by fire.For Martinez, that baptism came in Iraq. In Hard Corps, he unfolds a warrior’s tale as riveting, harrowing, and immediate as any ever written. He takes us onto the narrow, treacherous streets of Baghdad, where enemy fire rains down from all directions; alongside his Marine squad as they patrol through the most dangerous war zone imaginable; and into a brutal terrorist ambush that calls upon reserves of ferocity and courage none of the Marines could ever be certain they possessed and that proves the value of every moment of their torturous training. Martinez also recounts stunning reminders of why we fight: the Iraqi man he met whose tongue had been chopped off for speaking out against Saddam Hussein’s regime, the ghastly evidence of human experimentation that Martinez’s squad discovered at an abandoned Iraqi military barracks, and the horrifying mass graves the Marines unearthed in the Iraqi desert.Hard Corps gives us a visceral sense of what it means to know that you are ready to die for your brother Marines and that they would do the same for you. It tells us how it feels when words like duty, honor, and country are not an empty slogan. And, ultimately, it captures the traditions and ooh-rah spirit of the U.S. Marine Corps and the valor of all the Marines, sailors, soldiers,From the Hardcover edition.

37 Ways to BOOST Your Coaching Practice: PLUS: the 17 Lies That Hold Coaches Back and the Truth That Sets Them Free!


Steve Chandler - 2015
     Remember what coaching's really about. It's about looking for ways to touch the soul, and having someone's life change. Coaching simply can't be sold like other things are sold. And that turns out to be good news. Once you begin practicing true connection, you become successful. In 37 Ways to BOOST Your Coaching Practice, Steve Chandler shows just what steps to take - and the 17 lies to avoid - to give your prospective clients a powerful experience of the work you do. Learn to fill your practice by moving beyond coaching-as-a-concept. Creating clients happens one coaching conversation at a time, one true connection at a time.

Surfing the Edge of Chaos: The Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business


Richard Tanner Pascale - 2000
    It offers a bold new way of thinking about and responding to the personal and strategic challenges everyone in business faces these days.

Be the Better Broker, Volume 2: Days 1-100 As A New Broker, Building Lasting Foundations and Surviving in the Meantime


Dustan Woodhouse - 2016
     Whether you are a rookie or an established Broker, this is the guide you need to lay the foundations for long-term success. Author Dustan Woodhouse has packed this book with dozens of tips and lessons gleaned from personal experience processing over 1,300 mortgage files and taking in over 2,000 applications verbally. You'll learn... - The old-school piece of technology that's every broker's best friend - How to have a complete application built by the time the very first phone call ends - When smart brokers decide to walk away from a file - Where to invest your marketing dollars (and where you'd just be throwing that money away) - How to trade cold-calling for warm-calling - How the "paycheque mentality" can sink your business, and what to do about it Every step, every tip, every process is aimed at building long-term relationships with clients and referral partners alike. It's all designed to get you to the holy grail of a referral-only business. Your mantra? Get the application. Here's how to do it.