First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 26, 2011

The appeal of The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (New York: Hyperion, 2008) is universal and longstanding. It was on the bestseller list for many months and has received great critical acclaim. Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. At the time he gave the lecture that this book was based upon, he [.].

Books 102

Books Blog 102

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 18, 2011

Here are your two choices. You can set someone up to succeed. or You can set someone up to fail. In Encouraging the Heart, Kouzes and Posner describe the danger of the “Set-up-to-fail” syndrome. The set-up-to-fail syndrome “is self-fulfilling and self-reinforcing – it is the quintessential vicious circle…” High expectations or low expectations both influence [.].

Influence 100

Influence Blog 100

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 8, 2011

Here is the New York Times Hardcover Business Books Best Sellers List for August, 2011. The surprise is Tomatoland arriving at #5. I have read the sample download on iBooks, and it is terrific. It is: the story of tomatoes and the story of the tomato business. It is s a business book, and a [.].

Books 100

Books Sample Download Blog 100

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 7, 2011

Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals Heidi Grant Halvorson Hudson Street Press/Penguin Group (2010) How and why almost anyone can achieve the goals they set IF…. Others have their own reasons for praising this book. Here are five of mine. 1. The book is very well written. Heidi Grant Halvorson has accumulated, organized, and [.].

Books 100

Books Review Goal Organization 100

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 25, 2011

Holly Finn is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal. She wrote a recent impactful article, “Making Nice in the Online World: In the New Peer-to-Peer Economy, Being Courteous is a Must&# (August 13-14, 2011, p. C12). I pulled this line out for you to think about: “In this world, you trade wares personally, everyone [.].

Fashion 99

Fashion Article Company Blog 99

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 22, 2011

I read with interest a recent entry in the Lessons in Leadership series, authored by columnist and best-selling author Harvey MacKay, entitled “Benefits to Reading Good Books are Many.&# You can find the complete article in the Saturday, August 20, 2011 edition of the Orange Country Register (p. B-3), and I have reproduced a good part [.].

Article 99

Article Books Leadership Blog 99

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 10, 2011

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters Richard Rumelt Crown Business (2011) How and why a good strategy “acknowledges the challenges being faced and provides an approach to overcome them” As the title of this review correctly indicates, Richard Rumelt is convinced (and I agree) that a good strategy can provides both a [.].

Strategy 98

Strategy Review Books Brandenburger 98

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 26, 2011

The American Code for cars – IDENTITY When people spoke about the moment when they were allowed to drive for the first time, they made it sound as though their lives began right then. Conversely, when elderly people spoke of the moment their car keys were taken away, they reported feeling as though their lives [.].

Customer Loyalty 97

Customer Loyalty Loyalty Report Brand 97

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 11, 2011

I have read and reviewed almost all of the anthologies of articles previously published in Harvard Business Review. Recently I re-read several that are relevant to books I am now reading and will soon review. Here’s one of the articles, co-authored by Nitin Nohria (recently appointed dean of Harvard Business School), Boris Groysberg (HBS) [.].

Motivation 97

Motivation Power Review Article 97

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 22, 2011

You likely know David Baldacci as the best-selling author of thriller novels. As quickly as he releases a new one, it rises up the charts rapidly, often landing at the # 1 position on the New York Times bestseller list. This is true of his books such as Absolute Power, Stone Cold, First Family, True [.].

Power 95

Power Books Positioning Blog 95

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 29, 2011

So, here’s the thing. You will fail. You will be left behind, forgotten. You cannot rely on yesterday’s successes. People will forget them far too quickly. What are you doing this week – this day – now? That’s how you will be judged. But… the good news is a second (or third, or fourth) act [.].

Succession 93

Succession Blog 93

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 22, 2011

I have just finished reading each and every word of the book Tested: How Twelve Wrongly Imprisoned Men Held Onto Hope by Peyton Budd in collaboration with Dorothy Budd — Photographs by Deborah Luster. (Published by Brown Books Publishing Group in Dallas). I say it this way to make a point – though I thoroughly [.].

Books 93

Books Project Blog 93

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 15, 2011

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here. Contrary to popular belief, teams are not always the best way to get work done. Problems with coordination, competition, and motivation can undermine even the most well-designed and [.].

Team 93

Team Newsletter Tips Review 93

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 30, 2011

The story is told of an admiring friend who charms a young mother, “My, that’s a beautiful baby you have there.” The mother replies, “Oh, that’s nothing — you should see his photograph.” In this obviously weird colloquy lies a sorely bitter truth. Louis René Beres — Substance. When you communicate, (when you speak or [.].

Politics 89

Politics Blog 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 30, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Ryan Kohler for Talent Management magazine. To check out all the resources and sign up for a free subscription to the TM and Chief Learning Officer magazines published by MedfiaTec, please click here. * * * Failure to use social networking sites when promoting a job [.].

Tools 89

Tools Ryan Magazine Talent Management 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 29, 2011

Everyone seems to have lots of opinions about Steve Jobs. I never met him or worked for him. I’ve seen videos of him, notably his commencement address at Stanford. Also, I know people who knew him and worked for him. Among my friends are those who have written books and articles about him. It would [.].

Video 89

Video Article Books Magazine 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 18, 2011

On February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, a Super Bowl Champion will be crowned. I do not know which team will win, although, though I am a Cowboys fan, you almost have to root for Manning and the Colts at their home field. But I know that every team in the [.].

Team 89

Team Performance Review Review Blog 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 15, 2011

Here is a recent blog post by Josh Linkner, author of Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity. With all due respect to the value of effort and even best effort, Josh is really talking about a mindset that many affirm but few develop: faith in the power of 100% best effort. “In [.].

Creativity 89

Creativity System Blog Power 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 13, 2011

Andy Boynton is Dean of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. At Boston College, he works with terrific faculty and staff to build a business school that creates knowledge and shapes leaders for the future. Prior to joining Boston College, Boynton was a professor of strategy and leadership at the International Institute for Management Development [.].

Strategy 89

Strategy Development Management Leadership 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 12, 2011

Over the recent years, I have read dozens of excellent books in which their authors offer advice on how to make effective presentations in one form of another (e.g. in-person, teleconferencing, electronically recorded). None offers more and better advice that does As We Speak: How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick, co-authored by [.].

Power 89

Power Strategy Advice Books 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 5, 2011

Here is an article written by Donna Fenn for BNET, The CBS Interactive Business Network. To check out an abundance of valuable resources and obtain a free subscription to one or more of the BNET newsletters, please click here. * * * If you’ve ever uttered the words “troubled middle child,” you owe it to yourself [.].

Newsletter 89

Newsletter Resources Article Power 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 2, 2011

The website of McKinsey & Company’s McKinsey Quarterly continues to feature some of the most valuable material concerning major issues, such as job creation. In the article that follows (first published in February, 2010), James Manyika and Byron Auguste identify and then invalidate five myths about how to create jobs that continue to remain remarkably [.].

McKinsey 89

McKinsey How To Article Globalization 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 30, 2011

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here. Successfully managing a team is a complex undertaking. Increase the odds of reaching your goals by doing the following three things: 1. Establish urgency. Team members need to [.].

Newsletter 85

Newsletter Tips Review Follow-up 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 29, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Heidi Grant Halvorson, first featured by HRM Today and then by her personal blog, The Science of Success. To read the complete article and check out all the other resources, please click here. * * * You just have too much on you plate. Chances are, [.].

Productivity 85

Productivity Products Blog Article 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 27, 2011

Here is an excerpt from a profile of Birgit Neu (COO, Corporate Development, Global Banking and Markets, HSBC) written by Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)) for The Glass Hammer, an online community designed for women executives in financial services, law and business. “Visit us daily to discover issues that matter, share experiences, and plan [.].

Hammer 85

Hammer COO Banking Globalization 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 27, 2011

Harvard Business Review on Finding & Keeping the Best People Various Contributors Harvard Business Review Press (2011) How to recruit, hire, onboard, and retain the workers who possess the character, talent, and skills your company needs This is one of the volumes in a series of anthologies of articles that first appeared in HBR. In [.].

Review 85

Review Books Skills Article 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 27, 2011

“Visionaries usually are. Because some visionaries cannot explain to the rest of us what they see, they have to depend on command.” –Peter F. Drucker, 1983 Filed under: Bob's blog entries Tagged: autocrats, Peter Drucker, Steve Jobs, visionaries.

Drucker 85

Drucker Blog 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 23, 2011

Anyone who writes any book, paper, or even everday correspondence is well aware of the features of auto-correct in word processing programs. These do not alert you to a misspelling – instead, they fix it for you. I found a recent article in the San Jose Mercury News by Sue McAllister entitled “Auto-correct can be [.].

Article 85

Article Process Books Blog 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 22, 2011

Here is an excerpt from another article written by Matthew Le Merle and featured online by Booz & Company. As he explains in the article, Black Swans—unanticipated, catastrophic events—are impossible to predict on an individual basis, but they regularly occur. Too often, the boards and leaders of large companies are unaware of the risks involved [.].

Analysis 85

Analysis Stress Article Company 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 20, 2011

Eugene A. Fitzgerald was born in Springfield, MA, USA. He received a BS degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 1985 from MIT and his PhD in the same discipline from Cornell University in 1989. Building upon his early experience at AT&T Bell Labs, he has created and led a series of fundamental innovations, from early technology to final implementation in the market. [.].

Engineering 85

Engineering Technology Innovation Marketing 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 18, 2011

The Essential Advantage: How to Win with a Capabilities-Driven Strategy Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi Harvard Business Review Press (2011) The strategic power of coherence According to Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi in the first chapter, to achieve and then sustain a competitive advantage, a company “must be resolutely focused and clear-minded about three critical [.].

Review 85

Review Competitive Advantage Books Strategy 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 16, 2011

Reinventing the Wheel: The Science of Creating Lifetime Customers Chris Zane Ben Bella Books (2011) How to establish and then sustain long-term (if not lifetime) customer relationships What we have in this book is a personal account by the founder and CEO of Zane’s Cycles. It began when Chris Zane was 12 and repairing bikes [.].

Books 85

Books Long-term Review CEO 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 12, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Nancy F. Koehn for the Harvard Business Review blog. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, and sign up for a subscription to HBR email alerts, please click here. * * * Apple, Google and Facebook generate a lot more buzz [.].

How To 85

How To Review Blog Article 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 11, 2011

Here is an excerpt from a profile of Liv Sandbaek (Managing Director, Technology, Accenture) written by Melissa J. Anderson (New York City) for The Glass Hammer, an online community designed for women executives in financial services, law and business. “Visit us daily to discover issues that matter, share experiences, and plan networking, your career and [.].

Hammer 85

Hammer Technology Career Planning 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 9, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Don Peck and featured in the September 2011 issue of The Atlantic. To read the complete article, check out other material, sign up for free email alerts, and obtain subscription information, please click here. Photo credit: Andy Reynolds/Wonderful Machine * * * The Great Recession has [.].

Class 85

Class Article Information Power 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 9, 2011

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here. There is no doubt that Twitter is influential: This spring, the company announced that it signed up its 200 millionth account. But how can your company reap the [.].

Company 85

Company Newsletter Tips Review 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

AUGUST 9, 2011

Here is a recent post by Josh Linkner. For more information on creativity, visit his website by clicking here. “In addition to my blog, you’ll find free videos, quizzes, articles, eBooks and more to help fuel your creative fire!&# * * * We’ve all experienced déjà vu, looking at an unfamiliar situation and feeling like [.].

Power 85

Power eBook Creativity Video 85