First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

“We hire happy people and teach them to make sandwiches.” Pret a Manger summarizes its personnel policies (from Demand, Adrian Slywotzky) ————— So American Airlines has filed for bankruptcy (Chapter 11 – the kind that lets them keep flying). Is anyone surprised? The clues were always staring us in the face – at least, in [.].

Airlines 110

Airlines Slywotzky Policies Morale 110

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 24, 2011

You know the drill. We answer this question: “what are you most grateful for this Thanksgiving?” And, in one way or another, people always answer “family,” – or, at least, the people who are “like family.” I share that sentiment. I am so very grateful for my family. But this year, I add Dwight Eisenhower [.].

System 110

System Blog Leadership 110

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. Viktor Frankl We cannot predict the future. But we can create it. Jim Collins, Great by Choice ———— It’s been a lot [.].

Collins 108

Collins Blog 108

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

I haven’t yet seen Melancholia. I intend to. It is clearly a provocative film. Kirsten Dunst, who has been acting since she was 12 (actually, since she was about 3 or 4), has apparently given the performance of her life. She won the Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her role. Here’s a [.].

Film 102

Film Tips Skills Blog 102

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 2, 2011

I presented my synopsis of Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, for a group of investors last night. Michael Lewis is a great! story teller. Here are some of his highlights, some of the most enlightening parts, of the story he weaves: Americans wanted to own homes far larger than they could afford, and [.].

Travel 100

Travel Blog 100

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

Tyler Cowen is an “infovore.” An economist (he wrote The Great Stagnation – a terrific, provocative book!), he reads more than anyone else that I know of (I think he may even read more than our blogging colleague, Bob Morris. And that’s saying something). Mr. Cowen travels a lot, and he always has a stack [.].

Travel 97

Travel Blog Books Information 97

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Here’s the path. You read, you learn, you do, you tweak. First, you get the information. You get it in your head, you ponder it, you experiment with it – you try it. And then, after you try it, you do stuff — and after you do, you tweak, and make it better. And then [.].

Books 93

Books Information Simon Blog 93

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 6, 2011

I have always liked Andy Rooney’s essays. They were so well-written. One quote that has popped up throughout the weekend, after his death, is this one. He described his work this way: “I’m a writer who reads what he’s written.” This is your presentation tip of the day. This is what Andy Rooney did. His [.].

Tips 93

Tips Skills Blog 93

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 19, 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. Presenters often use the phrase “Does that make sense?” to gauge audience understanding. But this can convey a speaker’s uncertainty and signals that the audience might not comprehend [.].

Newsletter 92

Newsletter Audience Uncertainty Tips 92

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 12, 2011

John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership consultant, coach, author and educator. He has taught what it means to inspire at the top of a mountain in the Canadian Rockies. At sea level in Orlando, Florida, he spoke to nearly one thousand USAF/JAG commissioned and non-commissioned officers on leadership and communication. And a recent book, Lead Your Boss, was hailed by Harvard Business [.].

Consultative 89

Consultative Education Books Leadership 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Here is the New York Times Hardcover Business Books Best Sellers List for November, 2011. The new Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson made the immediate jump to number 1, and it is also number 1 on the Nonfiction list. For most of the past week, it has been #s 1, 2, and 3, with [.].

Books 89

Books Blog 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

On Slate.com today, there is a post mortem on Second Life, and a pre-mortem on the “doomed” Google+. The authors are the Heath Brothers (the Second Life piece: Why Second Life Failed), and Farhad Manjoo (the Google+ take down: Google+ Is Dead). So, what do we learn? (By the way, I am a big fan [.].

Succession 89

Succession Learning-by-Doing Blog Innovation 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Gene Siskel used to say his favorite movies were about what people actually do all day. That’s what “Secretariat” is. It pays us the compliment of really caring about thoroughbred racing. In a low-key way, it conveys an enormous amount of information. And it creates characters who, because of spot-on casting, are vivid, human and [.].

Information 85

Information Rogers Blog 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 19, 2011

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck – Why Some Companies Thrive Despite Them All Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen Harper Business/A HarperCollins Imprint (2011)Additional and even more valuable revelations about “the principles that distinguish great organizations from good ones” For as long as I can remember, Jim Collins has been a research-driven business [.].

Collins 85

Collins Uncertainty Review Books 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 18, 2011

Geoffrey Moore is chairman emeritus of three Silicon-Valley-based consulting firms he helped found: The Chasm Group, the Chasm Institute, and TCG Advisors, all of which provide market development and business strategy services to many leading high-technology companies. He is also a Venture Partner with Mohr Davidow Ventures, a California-based venture capital firm investing in IT, [.].

Consultative 85

Consultative Technology Marketing Strategy 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

“In industry, we pretty much suck at it.” – a participant at my last training session, a department head at a major company, commenting on the presentation skills of far too many people. ———— I make a lot of presentations. I teach speech. And I study speech and presentation skills. If I have areas of [.].

Participative 85

Participative Skills Industry Training 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

“Neglect, carelessness and not clearing the stunt area are usually what causes accidents. Preparation is absolutely essential to any successful stunt. You have to go through a stunt in your mind — over and over again as if you’ve already done it. The stuntman must keep his mental separation from all that’s going around him. [.].

Succession 85

Succession Blog 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

The Coming Jobs War: What Every Leader Must Know About the Future of Job Creation Jim Clifton Gallup Press (2011) How and why entrepreneurs can – indeed must – win America’s “next everything war” The war to which the title of this book refers will never be declared officially but I am convinced that it [.].

Books 85

Books Review Entrepreneur Reference 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 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. Most people struggle to do what innovators excel at: connecting the unconnected. Here are three ways to get in the habit of making new associations: 1. [.].

Innovation 85

Innovation Newsletter Tips Review 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

There are two business topics that seem to bring out the best and (yes) the worst in executives: 360º feedback and performance reviews. Here is an excerpt from an article written by Rebecca Knight for the Harvard Business Review blog. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, and sign up for [.].

Performance Review 85

Performance Review Review Blog Article 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

Peter Bregman is the author, most recently, of 18 Minutes: Fine Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done. He advises and consults with CEOs and their leadership teams in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups to nonprofits. He speaks worldwide on how people can lead, work, and live more powerfully. [.].

Consultative 80

Consultative CEO Company Power 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 28, 2011

Get things done. Through others. Get folks organized — effectively. This is the essence of leadership. A good worker gets things done. A good leader gets things done through others. And that kind of leadership requires some pretty good managerial skills. There are people who are idea generators. There are people who are almost natural [.].

Entrepreneur 80

Entrepreneur Idea Generation Management Skills 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 22, 2011

This is the text I wrote for an announcement e-mail for the next Urban Engagement Book Club, which meets on December 1, here in Dallas (at the Highland Park Methodist Church, next door to SMU). I decided to share it here. —————- We are enamored with the new. We want the new, new thing. We [.].

Books 80

Books Company Blog Leadership 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 19, 2011

Here is the latest post by Joseph A. Maciariello featured in the Joe’s Journal series at the Drucker Exchange (Dx) sponsored by the Drucker Institute. The Dx is a platform for bettering society through effective management and responsible leadership. It is produced by the Drucker Institute, a think tank and action tank based at Claremont [.].

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Drucker Management by Objectives Management Leadership 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article that appeared in The Atlantic(January/February 2010) in which Amanda Ripley shares what she learned about recent efforts to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning in public schools. She also discusses Teach for America (TFA), a non-profit organization founded by Wendy Kopp in 1990 after she graduated from [.].

Article 80

Article Organization Taylorism Taylor 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

I am a little busier than I have been. I write blog posts when I can. And I fall behind reading our other blogging team members, especially Bob Morris, and have to catch up. So – let me just say — have you been reading Bob Morris lately on our blog? Now, he puts up [.].

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Blog Team 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Jim Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies — how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies. Having invested nearly a quarter of a century of research into the topic, Jim has authored or co-authored six books that have sold more than ten million [.].

Collins 80

Collins Books Company Uncertainty 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

The Zappos Experience: 5 Principles to Inspire, Engage, and WOW Joseph A. Michelli McGraw-Hill (2011) Happiness should – and CAN – be an experience shared by everyone involved I have read and reviewed all of Joseph A. Michelli’s previous books and consider each a unique and brilliant achievement. They feature, indeed celebrate organizational excellence that [.].

Review 80

Review Books Hotels System 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Chris Zook for the Harvard Business Review blog. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, and sign up for a free subscription to HBR email alerts, please click here. This post is part of the HBR Insight Center Growing the Top [.].

Review 80

Review Blog Article Resources 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 6, 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. Asking the right questions is an essential skill of a great boss. Yet many fail to inquire enough. Here are three types of questions you should be asking: [.].

Management 80

Management Newsletter Tips Review 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 5, 2011

We had a terrific session yesterday at the November, 2011 First Friday Book Synopsis. Karl Krayer presented his synopsis of The Shallows, and I presented my synopsis of the new book by Jim Collins, Great by Choice. It was a valuable session. Both books were terrific, and I view Great by Choice as an important [.].

Collins 80

Collins Books Slywotzky Blog 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an interview of Samuel Culbert by Ladan Nikravan in which he explains why companies should get rid of the performance review, eliminate the intimidation, change the politics, and hold the bosses accountable for making every employee a success. He asserts that traditional performance reviews are destroying employee morale and killing the [.].

Performance Review 80

Performance Review Morale Review Politics 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 22, 2011

Here is an article written by David Z. Hambrick and Elizabeth J. Meinz that was featured in the The New York Times (November 19, 2011). I urge you to click on the links to che vk oyt the sources to which the arricle refers. Also, I highky recommend a recently published book, The Rare Find: [.].

Reference 75

Reference Article Books Positioning 75

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

Every two years, the Thinkers50 publishes their definitive list of management thinkers. Below are the results for 2011. For classic HBR content from this year’s winners, please click here. Clayton M. Christensen is the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, and is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost [.].

Christensen 75

Christensen Management Definition Content 75

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

Bill Bryson is one of my favorite writers. He is the author of at least 20 books, including international bestsellers that include The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America (1989) Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe (1991) The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words (1984) The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way [.].

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Bryson Travel Books Blog 75

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

Adam Bryant conducts interviews of senior-level executives that appear in his “Corner Office” column each week in the SundayBusiness section of The New York Times. Here are a few insights provided during an interview of Kathleen L. Flanagan, president and C.E.O. of the consulting firm Abt Associates, who says another executive once taught her to [.].

Consultative 75

Consultative Execution How To CEO 75

First Friday Book Synopsis

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com Richard L. Brandt Penguin/Portfolio (2011) “Gradatim Ferociter” (“Step by Step, Courageously”) This is not a comprehensive biography such as the one of Steve Jobs written by Walter Isaacson. Rather, it is an extended profile in which Richard Brandt provides a wealth of biographical information relevant to [.].

Review 75

Review Books Information Long-term 75