Strategic Management and Business Policy


Thomas L. Wheelen - 1983
    Wheelen and Hunger takes a unique approach to helping students synthesize all of the factors of the strategic process through a student friendly Strategic Management Model.

So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love


Cal Newport - 2012
    Not only is the cliché flawed-preexisting passions are rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work-but it can also be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping.After making his case against passion, Newport sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving what they do. Spending time with organic farmers, venture capitalists, screenwriters, freelance computer programmers, and others who admitted to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they used and the pitfalls they avoided in developing their compelling careers.Matching your job to a preexisting passion does not matter, he reveals. Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it.With a title taken from the comedian Steve Martin, who once said his advice for aspiring entertainers was to "be so good they can't ignore you," Cal Newport's clearly written manifesto is mandatory reading for anyone fretting about what to do with their life, or frustrated by their current job situation and eager to find a fresh new way to take control of their livelihood. He provides an evidence-based blueprint for creating work you love.So Good They Can't Ignore You will change the way we think about our careers, happiness, and the crafting of a remarkable life.

The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates the World's Greatest Teams


Sam Walker - 2016
    It's not the star.It's not money. It's not a strategy.It's something else entirely.Several years ago, Sam Walker set out to answer one of the most hotly debated questions in sports: What are the greatest teams of all time? He devised a formula, then applied it to thousands of teams from leagues all over the world, from the NBA to the English Premier League to Olympic field hockey. When he was done, he had a list of the sixteen most dominant teams in history. At that point, he became obsessed with another, more complicated question: What did these freak teams have in common?As Walker dug into their stories, a pattern emerged: Each team had the same type of captain--a singular leader with an unconventional skill set who drove it to achieve sustained, historic greatness.Fueled by a lifetime of sports spectating, twenty years of reporting, and a decade of painstaking research, The Captain Class tells the surprising story of what makes teams exceptional. Drawing on original interviews with athletes from two dozen countries, as well as general managers, coaches, executives, and others skilled at building teams, Walker identifies the seven core qualities of this Captain Class--from extreme doggedness and emotional control to a knack for nonverbal communication to tactical aggression and the courage to stand apart.Told through riveting accounts of some of the most pressure-soaked moments in sports history--from Bill Russell's legendary "Coleman Play" in the 1957 NBA Finals to Barcelona's "Figo Game" against Real Madrid in 2000--The Captain Class doesn't just bring these events to life; it presents a fresh, counterintuitive take on leadership that can be applied to a wide spectrum of competitive disciplines.The men and women who make up the Captain Class were never the most skilled athletes, nor were they gifted orators or paragons of sportsmanship. They were often role players who were allergic to the spotlight. In short, the seven attributes they shared challenge your assumptions of what inspired leadership looks like.

HBR's 10 Must Reads on Change Management (including featured article “Leading Change” )


Harvard Business School Press - 2011
    Yours don't have to.If you read nothing else on change management, read these 10 articles (featuring “Leading Change,” by John P. Kotter). We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you spearhead change in your organization.HBR's 10 Must Reads on Change Management will inspire you to:- Lead change through eight critical stages- Establish a sense of urgency- Overcome addiction to the status quo- Mobilize commitment- Silence naysayers- Minimize the pain of change- Concentrate resources- Motivate change when business is goodThis collection of best-selling articles includes: featured article "Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail" by John P. Kotter, "Change Through Persuasion," "Leading Change When Business Is Good: An Interview with Samuel J. Palmisano," "Radical Change, the Quiet Way," "Tipping Point Leadership," "A Survival Guide for Leaders," "The Real Reason People Won't Change," "Cracking the Code of Change," "The Hard Side of Change Management," and "Why Change Programs Don't Produce Change."

Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others


Robert Glazer - 2019
     In Elevate, Robert Glazer reveals four life-changing principles — or capacities — that will allow you to overcome self-limiting beliefs, establish positive habits, and find your "why." The key is elevating yourself beyond the edge of your current abilities. Challenge yourself, and the result will inspire others to rise along with you.

Seven Strategy Questions: A Simple Approach for Better Execution


Robert Simons - 2010
    This means channeling resources into the right efforts, striking a balance between innovation and control, and getting everyone pulling in the same direction.How to accomplish all this? Continually ask the right questions, advises Harvard Business School professor Robert Simons. By posing these provocative questions, you identify critical gaps in your strategy execution processes, focus on the most important choices you must make, and understand what's at stake in each one.In this concise guide, Simons presents the seven key questions you and your team must regularly explore together:·Who is your primary customer? Have you organized your company to deliver maximum value to that customer?·How do your core values prioritize shareholders, employees, and customers? Is everyone in your company committed to those values?·What critical performance variables are you tracking? How are you creating accountability for performance on those variables?·What strategic boundaries have you set? Does everyone know what actions are off-limits?·How are you generating creative tension? Is that tension catalyzing innovation across units?·How committed are your employees to helping each other? Are they sharing responsibility for your company’s success?·What strategic uncertainties keep you awake at night? How are you riveting everyone's attention on those uncertainties?These questions force you to reexamine the unspoken assumptions underlying your strategy and analyze how it's implemented through your business processes and structures. Simons' extensive examples then help you understand your options and make the tough choices needed for your company to excel at execution.Drawing on decades of research into performance management systems and organization design, Seven Strategy Questions is a no-nonsense, must-read resource for all leaders in your organization.

The Power of Nice: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins-Especially You!


Ronald M. Shapiro - 1998
    The lessons he learned and the methods he uses should be required reading for anyone whose business relies on the art of negotiation. Ron never forgets that treating people with respect and fairness is the key to success. Ron and Mark have been helping our company for many years-I guess we won't need them anymore-they put it all in their book." --Charles M. Cawley, Chief Executive Officer, MBNA America Bank, N.A."In the field of negotiation Ron Shapiro has always been regarded as the quintessence of class and integrity. Predictably, he and Mark Jankowski have written a compelling book filled with anecdotes and insights. "The Power of Nice" is a fascinating and useful book that is a must read for anyone who wants to build long-term mutually profitable relationships." --Herb Cohen, Author, "You Can Negotiate Anything""This book taught me everything I ever wanted to know about negotiation-and I use it everyday." --Kirby Puckett, Former All-Star Center Fielder and Executive Vice President, Minnesota Twins"Negotiation is not war. Negotiation is not a science. Negotiation is the commerce of information for ultimate gain." --from "The Power of Nice"Though not a science, negotiating is an art, and in this eye-opening new book, a true master shares his secrets and strategies for success. Ron Shapiro is a corporate lawyer, teacher, and, in what is almost a contradiction in terms, one of today's most respected sports agents. He has worked with baseball's biggest names: Cal Ripken, Jr., Kirby Puckett, Brooks Robinson, Dennis Martinez, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, and many others. Rising to-and remaining at-the top of a competitive pool filled with smooth-talking, "sleazeball" sharks, he has succeeded by being, of all things, a nice guy. Now, along with his business partner, lawyer, lecturer, and negotiations expert, Mark Jankowski, Shapiro reveals how anyone who sits down to make a deal can get what they want by exercising the surprising "power of nice." Together, Shapiro and Jankowski have shared their negotiation insights with Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, universities, and government agencies.Though the name of the game in negotiating is to obtain desired results, how you get them is just as important. While many dealmakers play hardball by assuming a winner-take-all, scorched-earth attitude, they do so at the risk of alienating the party opposite them at the negotiating table, thereby losing out on future opportunities. This approach is, as Shapiro and Jankowski tell us, a major strike against effective negotiating, and can-and should-be avoided. By using a kinder, gentler approach that focuses on forming-and keeping-strong business connections, ultimate gain can still be yours: "You can be 'a nice guy' and still get what you're after. In fact, you often get better results, achieve more of your goals, and build longer-term relationships with even greater returns."Drawing on their vast experience in win-win negotiating, as well as such essentials as managing tough situations, handling difficult negotiators, and unlocking deadlocks, the authors take you, step-by-step, through a systematic approach that, when repeated and mastered, will maximize results. Based on "the three Ps," it consists of: preparing better than the other side; probing so you know what they want and why; and proposing, ideally without going first and revealing too much, but still achieving what you want.Supported by invaluable "portable" negotiation summaries-so you can take the "power of nice" with you-this is must reading for anyone who has to make a deal, whether it's negotiating with a customer, setting a curfew with a teenager, or getting the last seat on an over-sold airplane.

Excellence in Business Communication


John V. Thill - 1990
    In this Twelfth Edition of Bove� and Thill's Excellence in Business Communication , the most significant and recent technology-related changes affecting the business world are thoroughly discussed. Not to be forgotten, the text continues to emphasize fundamental skills and principles, including the importance of writing, listening, presenting, and other components of business communication. Featuring practical advice, time-tested processes, and real-world examples, Excellence in Business Communication is the premier text for honing and developing essential communication skills. KEY TOPICS: Building a Career with Your Communication Skills; Professional Communication in a Digital, Social, Mobile World; Collaboration, Interpersonal Communication, and Business Etiquette; Communication Challenges in a Diverse, Global Marketplace; Planning Business Messages; Writing Business Messages; Completing Business Messages; Crafting Messages for Digital Channels; Writing Routine and Positive Messages; Writing Negative Messages; Writing Persuasive Messages; Planning Reports and Proposals; Writing Reports and Proposals; Completing Reports and Proposals; Designing and Delivering Business Presentations; Building Careers and Writing R�sum�s; Applying and Interviewing for Employment MARKET: For anyone interested in writing business letters, emails, memos, and reports.

It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy


D. Michael Abrashoff - 2002
    New York Times BestsellerWhen Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of USS Benfold, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity. Knowing that responsibility for improving performance rested with him, he realized he had to improve his own leadership skills before he could improve his ship. Within months, he created a crew of confident and inspired problem-solvers eager to take the initiative and responsibility for their actions. The slogan on board became "It's your ship," and Benfold was soon recognized far and wide as a model of naval efficiency. How did Abrashoff do it? Against the backdrop of today's United States Navy, Abrashoff shares his secrets of successful management including: See the ship through the eyes of the crew: By soliciting a sailor's suggestions, Abrashoff drastically reduced tedious chores that provided little additional value.Communicate, communicate, communicate: The more Abrashoff communicated the plan, the better the crew's performance. His crew eventually started calling him "Megaphone Mike," since they heard from him so often.Create discipline by focusing on purpose: Discipline skyrocketed when Abrashoff's crew believed that what they were doing was important.Listen aggressively: After learning that many sailors wanted to use the GI Bill, Abrashoff brought a test official aboard the ship-and held the SATs forty miles off the Iraqi coast. From achieving amazing cost savings to winning the highest gunnery score in the Pacific Fleet, Captain Abrashoff's extraordinary campaign sent shock waves through the U.S. Navy. It can help you change the course of your ship, no matter where your business battles are fought.

Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best... and Learn from the Worst


Robert I. Sutton - 2010
    Dr. Sutton reveals new insights that he's learned since the writing of Good Boss, Bad Boss. Sutton adds revelatory thoughts about such legendary bosses as Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, A.G. Lafley, and many more, and how you can implement their techniques. If you are a boss who wants to do great work, what can you do about it? Good Boss, Bad Boss is devoted to answering that question. Stanford Professor Robert Sutton weaves together the best psychological and management research with compelling stories and cases to reveal the mindset and moves of the best (and worst) bosses. This book was inspired by the deluge of emails, research, phone calls, and conversations that Dr. Sutton experienced after publishing his blockbuster bestseller The No Asshole Rule. He realized that most of these stories and studies swirled around a central figure in every workplace: THE BOSS. These heart-breaking, inspiring, and sometimes funny stories taught Sutton that most bosses - and their followers - wanted a lot more than just a jerk-free workplace. They aspired to become (or work for) an all-around great boss, somebody with the skill and grit to inspire superior work, commitment, and dignity among their charges. As Dr. Sutton digs into the nitty-gritty of what the best (and worst) bosses do, a theme runs throughout Good Boss, Bad Boss - which brings together the diverse lessons and is a hallmark of great bosses: They work doggedly to "stay in tune" with how their followers (and superiors, peers, and customers too) react to what they say and do. The best bosses are acutely aware that their success depends on having the self-awareness to control their moods and moves, to accurately interpret their impact on others, and to make adjustments on the fly that continuously spark effort, dignity, and pride among their people.

Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy


Bill Gates - 1999
    Gates stresses the need for managers to view technology not as overhead but as a strategic asset, and offers detailed examples from Microsoft, GM, Dell, and many other successful companies. Companion Web site.

On Power: My Journey Through the Corridors of Power and How You Can Get More Power


Gene Simmons - 2017
    But gold records alone don’t equal power. The decisions you make once you attain a certain level of success are what separate the pretenders from the pantheon.Inspired by Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, Simmons offers his unique take on the dynamics of power in every realm of life, from the bedroom to the boardroom, to the world of rock, celebrity, and social media, to politics. With one-of-a-kind anecdotes from his life and career, as well as stories from historical and contemporary masters of power, including Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, Warren Buffett, Michael Jordon, Oprah, and Elon Musk, Simmons crafts a persuasive and provocative theory on how the pursuit of power drives civilization and defines our lives.The rules of power are changing in today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world in a way that Machiavelli never could have imagined, and we all need to learn to adapt. Simmons tells readers: Ignore the negatives. Be unrelenting. Rise above the rest. You are the architect of your success.

Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United


Alex Ferguson - 2015
    From hiring practices to firing decisions, from dealing with transition to teamwork, from mastering the boardroom to responding to failure and adversity, Leading is as inspiring as it is practical, and a go-to reference for any leader in business, sports, and life.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen


Donald Miller - 2017
    This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides readers with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services. Building a StoryBrand does this by teaching readers the seven universal story points all humans respond to; the real reason customers make purchases; how to simplify a brand message so people understand it; and how to create the most effective messaging for websites, brochures, and social media. Whether you are the marketing director of a multibillion dollar company, the owner of a small business, a politician running for office, or the lead singer of a rock band, Building a StoryBrand will forever transform the way you talk about who you are, what you do, and the unique value you bring to your customers.

The New Articulate Executive: Look, ACT and Sound Like a Leader


Granville Toogood - 2003
    . . Updated for a New Generation of Media-Savvy Leaders Even with the latest high-tech tools and communication options, the simple truth is this: You need to look, act, and sound like a leader to succeed in today's world. According to top executive coach Granville Toogood, "Wonderful things happen when people talk face-to- face. His proven secrets of professional speaking give you the power and confidence to command any audience--in any situation--and get results.An indispensable tool for executive success. -- Zbigniew Brzezinski, Robert E. Osgood Professor of American foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International StudiesGranville Toogood is a brilliant communicator and teacher who has made world-class communicators out of our people. -- Michael Koffler, Chairman, Young President's OrganizationThe beauty of Granville Toogood's method is how simple it is to implement. -- Scudder Fowler, CEO, The Liminal GroupGranville Toogood is a transformational teacher and coach. His new book is a must read for anyone hoping to effectively engage an audience or lead organizations. -- Sean Geehan, President, The Geehan GroupMakes the capable business person more capable, more successful, and definitely more confident. -- Martha StewartCorporate coach Granville Toogood has trained some of the biggest names in business today--including 38 top executives in the Fortune 50--and his bestselling book, The Articulate Executive, has become the gold standard when it comes to public speaking and corporate communications.This all-new edition provides you with the most powerful speaking tools and techniques from Toogood's acclaimed workshops--so you can look, act, and sound like a leader in any situation.Using his proven step-by-step system, you can:Position yourself as a leader in your industry.Command any venue and compel any audience.Use the 8-second rule to make a strong first impression.Speak with the confidence of a CEO.Outperform in any presentation.Whether you are giving a speech, making a presentation, conducting a meeting, or simply talking one-on-one, these tried-and-true communication techniques are guaranteed to help you step up your game and speak like a pro.The book is filled with easy-to-use checklists and essential tips to help you organize your thoughts and deliver your message--with confidence, style, and great success. In addition, you'll learn how to master high-tech tools such as PowerPoint and deck presentations, how to deal with Q&A sessions and media interviews, and how to write winning corporate communications that really do the job.Remember: In today's competitive market nothing is more important than how you present yourself and your company--and no book is more informative and powerful at this--than Granville Toogood's The New Articulate Executive.