June, 2011

First Friday Book Synopsis

article thumbnail

Redesigning Leadership: A book review by Bob Morris

First Friday Book Synopsis

Redesigning Leadership: Design, Technology, Business, Life John Maeda with Becky Bermont The MIT Press (2011) “Ue ni wa ue ga aru” is a Japanese aphorism that epitomizes the nature of excellence: “Above up, there is something even higher above up.&# The same can express John Maeda’s opinion of leadership as a never-ending “work-in-progress.&# Those who [.].

Review 180
article thumbnail

Steve Jobs, The Market Of One – His Opinion Is The Only One That Matters

First Friday Book Synopsis

I was listening to an interview with Peter Sims on Think, hosted by Krys Boyd. (You can listen to the interview here). Sims is the author of Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries. The discussion moved into a conversation about the brilliance of Steve Jobs. Specifically, just how does Apple decide to [.].

Marketing 156
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

“The Story Needs A Great Storyteller” – Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) Reminds Us Of The Centrality of Story

First Friday Book Synopsis

It is an ancient need to be told stories. But the story needs a great storyteller. Thanks for all of it, Jo. Alan Rickman, speaking to/of Jo Rowling, shortly after his “final moments” as Severus Snape ———— There’s a letter making the rounds. Alan Rickman wrote it, and put it in a full-page ad in Empire [.].

article thumbnail

Three Crucial Leadership Lessons from the U.S. Navy SEALs

First Friday Book Synopsis

Twice recently, I have presented my synopsis of Leadership Lessons of the U.S. Navy SEALS : Battle-Tested Strategies for Creating Successful Organizations and Inspiring Extraordinary Results by Jeff Cannon and Lieutenant Commander Jon Cannon. I was struck with how practical, how timely, and how needed these lessons are. We have a new and deeper appreciation [.].

article thumbnail

“We cannot build a new country with the old thinking.…” – The Big Daddy of all Change Stories, the Collapse of the Soviet Union

First Friday Book Synopsis

We cannot build a new country with the old thinking.… (from the Institute of Contemporary Development, a liberal think tank chaired by President Dmitry Medvedev, in a document that looked like a platform for the 2012 Russian presidential election) So, let me make one thing clear. You come at us with whatever weapons that you [.].

Document 128
article thumbnail

It Takes A Learner To Learn – Consider Matt Damon

First Friday Book Synopsis

Quoted without comment (but with a lot of admiration!) For all his star power, though, Damon is more than just the pretty face of Water.org. He has turned himself into a development expert. This would seem like an obvious and necessary first step for someone embracing the global water crisis as a personal mission. But, [.].

Crisis 121
article thumbnail

About those “Right People on the Bus” – Thoughts on Talent, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Triumph of the “Lesser Names”

First Friday Book Synopsis

As a choreographer, my task is to make the best possible work with the dancers I find in the room on any given day. Twyla Tharp, The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working Together ———— It’s a broken record. Everybody knows it. If you have the wrong people in your organization, on your team, you [.].

Team 114