The soft edge: where great companies find lasting success


Rich Karlgaard - 2014
    These factors remain critical, especially given today's unprecedented business climate. But Rich Karlgaard--Forbes publisher, entrepreneur, investor, and board director--takes a surprising turn and argues that there is now a third element that's required for competitive advantage. It fosters innovation, it accelerates strategy and execution, and it cannot be copied or bought. It is found in a perhaps surprising place--your company's values.Karlgaard examined a variety of enduring companies and found that they have one thing in common; all have leveraged their deepest values alongside strategy and execution, allowing them to fuel growth as well as weather hard times. Karlgaard shares these stories and identifies the five key variables that make up every organization's "soft edge"Trust: Northwestern Mutual has built a $25 million dollar revenue juggernaut on trust, the foundation of lasting success. Learn how to create an environment that engenders trust and propels high performance.Smarts: In most technical fields your formal education quickly becomes out of date. How do you keep up? Learn how the Mayo Clinic, Stanford University women's basketball team, and others stay on top by relentlessly pursuing an advantage through smarts.Teamwork: Since collaboration and innovation are a must in the global economy, effective teamwork is vital. Learn how global giant FedEx stays focused and how nimble Nest Labs relies on lean teams with cognitive diversity.Taste: Clever product design and integration are proxies for intelligence because they make customers feel smart. But taste goes further into deep emotional engagement. Specialized Bicycles calls it "the elusive spot between data truth and human truth." How can you consistently make products or services that trigger these emotional touch points?Story: Companies that achieve lasting success have an enduring and emotionally appealing story. What's your company's story? How do you tell it your way? Gain the ability to create a powerful narrative in a world where outsiders often exercise the louder voice.

Before The Exit: Thought Experiments For Entrepreneurs


Dan Andrews - 2018
    The best you can do is learn from others.In 2015, Dan Andrews and Ian Schoen sold their product business, which they built over the course of 7 years and employed 15 people, for multi-seven figures. While they don't regret selling the business – there are many mistakes they made that were avoidable.Whether you are still in the early stages of building a business or thinking of selling, this book is designed to help you build with the future in mind.This book presents a series of 5 thought experiments including: - The Lifestyle Ladder- The Mock Tax Rebate featuring the Mediocre CEO Test- The Hidden Upsides- The Cash Conundrum- The Dirty SecretIt turns out there are patterns and predictable challenges coming your way when you prepare to exit your business. Knowing about them in advance is fun and potentially very profitable.The five thought experiments that you’ll read about in this book are designed to give you clarity and confidence as you think through what it might mean to sell your business.

HBR's 10 Must Reads 2020: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (with bonus article "How CEOs Manage Time" by Michael E. Porter and Nitin Nohria)


Harvard Business Review - 2019
    With authors from Michael E. Porter to Katrina lake and company examples from Alibaba to 3M, this volume brings the most current and important management conversations right to your fingertips.THIS BOOK WILL INSPIRE YOU TO:1.Ask better questions to boost your learning, persuade others, and negotiate more effectively2.Create workplace conditions where gender equity can thrive3.Boost results by allowing humans and AI to enhance one another's strengths 4.Make better connections with your customers by giving them a glimpse inside your company5.Scale your agile processes from a few teams to hundreds6.Build a commitment to both economic and social values in your organization7.And prepare your company for a rapidly aging workforce and societyTHOSE CHOOSING THE AUDIBLE EDITION PLEASE TAKE NOTE:When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.©2020 Harvard Business Publishing Corporation (P)2019 Gildan Media

Digital Bank: Strategies to launch or become a digital bank


Chris Skinner - 2013
    Digital Bank not only includes extensive guidance and background on the digital revolution in banking, but also in-depth analysis of the activities of incumbent banks such as Barclays in the UK and mBank in Poland, as well as new start-ups such as Metro Bank and disruptive new models of banking such as FIDOR Bank in Germany. Add on to these a comprehensive sprinkling of completely new models of finance, such as Zopa and Bitcoin, and you can see that this book is a must-have for anyone involved in the future of business, commerce and banking

Living on the Fault Line: Managing for Shareholder Value in the Age of the Internet


Geoffrey A. Moore - 2000
    Every company lives on it; no manager can control it. Everyone must learn to deal with it.Now, Geoffrey Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado, two bestselling works that helped guide the high-tech revolution, explores the new management paradigms that will guide businesses in the twenty-first century, showing them how to survive and thrive on the fault line.In this long-awaited new book, Moore turns his attention to the most important question for businesses: How can companies that rose to prominence prior to the age of the Internet manage for shareholder value now that the Internet is upon us?The old management truths are dead. Business models that worked admirably until the last decade of the twentieth century must be replaced. The dotcoms are invading every sector of commerce, overturning established relationships, reengineering markets, attacking long-established price points, and disintermediating longstanding institutions.What should management do when it is under direct assault from companies no one ever heard of even a few years ago?In a book that will reset the management agenda in the age of the Internet, Moore shows why sensitivity to stock price is the single most important lever for managing in the future, both as a leading indicator of shifts in competitive advantage and as an employee motivator for making necessary changes in organizations heretofore impervious to change. He prescribes a new agenda for management teams that includesNew strategies for achieving and sustaining competitive advantageNew metrics to keep management teams on course with these strategiesA specific blueprint for how the blue-chip companies can meet the challenge of the dotcomsModels of organizational change for each stage of market developmentThe crucial role of declaring a culture inenabling swift response to global changeToday practically every company, whether inside the high-tech sector or not, is living on the fault line. By synthesizing his groundbreaking earlier work on the dynamics of technology-based markets with a new focus on managing publicly held corporations for shareholder value, Geoffrey Moore provides a highly prescriptive guide for any company struggling to manage the disruptive forces of the new economy.In Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado, Moore created a new language for navigating the technology adoption life cycle. In Living on the Fault Line, he once again offers a brilliant set of navigational tools to help meet today's defining management challenge-managing for shareholder value in the age of the Internet.

When Buddhists Attack: The Curious Relationship Between Zen and the Martial Arts


Jeffrey K. Mann - 2012
    While these media overly romanticize the relationship between a philosophy of non-violence and the art of fighting, When Buddhists Attack: The Curious Relationship Between Zen and the Martial Arts shows this link to be nevertheless real, even natural.Exploring the origins of Buddhism and the ethos of the Japanese samurai, university professor and martial arts practitioner Jeffrey Mann traces the close connection between the Buddhist way of compassion and the way of the warrior. This zen book serves as a basic introduction to the history, philosophy, and current practice of Zen as it relates to the Japanese martial arts. It examines the elements of Zen that have found a place in budo—the martial way—such as zazen, mushin, zanshin and fudoshin, then goes on to discuss the ethics and practice of budo as a modern sport. Offering insights into how qualities integral to the true martial artist are interwoven with this ancient religious philosophy, this Buddhism book will help practitioners reconnect to an authentic spiritual discipline of the martial arts.

Technology-as-a-Service Playbook: How to Grow a Profitable Subscription Business


Thomas Lah - 2016
    Whether you are a pureplay cloud company or a traditional technology provider making the pivot to the cloud, this book will help guide your decision-making and execution around the “as-a-service” model to put your company on a path to profitable growth

The Best: How Elite Athletes Are Made


A. Mark Williams - 2020
    So how are these extraordinary athletes made?THE BEST reveals how the most incredible sportspeople in the world get to the top and stay there. It is a unique look at the path to sporting greatness; a story of origins, serendipity, practice, genetics and the psychology of excellence, as well as of sports science and cutting edge technology.Packed with gripping personal stories and exclusive interviews with top athletes including Siya Kolisi, Marcus Rashford, Pete Sampras, Steph Curry, Jamie Carragher, Ian Poulter, Helen Glover, Ada Hegerberg, Elena Delle Donne, Joey Votto and Mike Hussey, it explains how the best athletes develop the extraordinary skills that allow them to perform remarkable feats under extreme pressure.Get inside the minds of champions and understand first-hand what makes them perform during high-octane competition, what they think about in the heat of the moment and what drives them to do what they do.By combining examples from numerous original interviews with top athletes and leading sports science research, THE BEST deconstructs superhuman performance and answers the question on every sports fan's mind: "How did they do that?"

Anarkisme dan Sosialisme


Georgi Plekhanov - 1981
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Windows Into the Earth: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks


Robert Baer Smith - 2000
    Generating cataclysmic volcanic eruptions and large earthquakes, the hotspot helped lift the Yellowstone Plateau to more than 7,000 feet and pushed the northern Rockies to new heights, forming unusually large glaciers to carve the landscape. It also created the jewel of the U.S. national park system: Yellowstone. Meanwhile, forces stretching apart the western U.S. created the mountainous glory of Grand Teton National Park. These two parks, with their majestic mountains, dazzling geysers, and picturesque hot springs, are windows into the Earth's interior, revealing the violent power of the dynamic processes within. Smith and Siegel offer expert guidance through this awe-inspiring terrain, bringing to life the grandeur of these geologic phenomena as they reveal the forces that have shaped--and continue to shape--the greater Yellowstone-Teton region. Over seventy illustrations--including fifty-two in full color--illuminate the breathtaking beauty of the landscape, while two final chapters provide driving tours of the parks to help visitors enjoy and understand the regions wonders. Fascinating and informative, this book affords us a striking new perspective on Earth's creative forces.

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.

Engine of Impact: Essentials of Strategic Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector


William F. Meehan III - 2019
    Engine of Impact provides actionable guidance for increasing impact in the social sector-a must-read for all donors, nonprofit board members, executives and staff who seek to achieve extraordinary results for their organization.

The New Science of Retailing: How Analytics are Transforming the Supply Chain and Improving Performance


Marshall Fisher - 2010
    But they're unsure of how to sort through it and use it to make smart decisions. The result? They're struggling with profit-sapping supply chain problems including stock-outs, overstock, and discounting.It doesn't have to be that way. In The New Science of Retailing, supply chain experts Marshall Fisher and Ananth Raman explain how to use analytics to better manage your inventory for faster turns, fewer discounted offerings, and fatter profit margins.Featuring case studies of retailing exemplars from around the world, this practical new book shows you how to:· Mine your sales data to identify "homerun" products you're missing· Reinvent your forecasting and pricing strategies· Build end-to-end agility into your supply chain· Establish incentives that align your supply chain partners behind shared objectives· Extract maximum value from technologies such as point-of-sale scanners and customer loyalty cardsHighly readable and compelling, The New Science of Retailing is your playbook for turning all that data into a wellspring for new profits and unprecedented efficiency.

Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior


Richard Marcinko - 1996
    Now, blasting other business guides out of the water, Marcinko draws on his remarkable experience as a Navy commando and creator of the legendary SEAL TEAM SIX to apply his Ten Commandments of Special Warfare to the challenges of business and everyday life. A sampling: I will always lead you from the front, not the rear.I shall punish thy bodies because the more thou sweetest in training, the less thou bleedest in combat.Verily, thou art not paid for thy methods, but for thy results, by which meaneth thou shalt kill shine enemy by any means available before he killeth you.Using his own war stories, plus case studies of Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses, Marcinko now clarifies the simple-- but profound-- leadership principles that have made him an extraordinary success, both in and out of the military.

Beyond the Core: Expand Your Market Without Abandoning Your Roots


Chris Zook - 2003
    In Profit from the Core, strategy expert Chris Zook revealed how to grow profitably by focusing on and achieving full potential in the core business. But what happens when your core business provides insufficient new growth or even hits the wall? In Beyond the Core, Zook outlines an expansion strategy based on putting together combinations of adjacency moves into areas away from, but related to, the core business, such as new product lines or new channels of distribution. These sequences of moves carry less risk than diversification, yet they can create enormous competitive advantage, because they stem directly from what the company already knows and does best. Based on extensive research on the growth patterns of thousands of companies worldwide, including CEO interviews with 25 top performers in adjacency growth, Beyond the Core 1) identifies the adjacency pattern that most dramatically increases the odds of success: "relentless repeatability;" 2) offers a systematic approach for choosing among a range of possible adjacency moves; and 3) shows how to time adjacency moves during a variety of typical business situations. Beyond the Core shows how to find and leverage the best avenues for growth--without damaging the heart of the firm.