Authors: Joe Calloway.
Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: Wiley
Publication Date: 2006-01-23


Reviews :

    Learn how extraordinary companies do what they do so well, and obtain the tools and ideas you need to emulate them. Full of case studies and personal reflections by leaders of exceptional companies, this book is designed to help anyone transform their run-of-the-mill business into an extraordinary company–whether you operate a multinational corporation or a mom-and-pop shop. Calloway doesn’t offer any mumbo-jumbo or flavor-of-the-day buzzwords, just simple lessons that lead to real, proven results....

Authors: David A. Aaker.
Hardcover, 299 pages
Publisher: Free Press
Publication Date: 1991-09-09


Reviews :

    The most important assets of any business are intangible: its company name, brands, symbols, and slogans, and their underlying associations, perceived quality, name awareness, customer base, and proprietary resources such as patents, trademarks, and channel relationships. These assets, which comprise brand equity, are a primary source of competitive advantage and future earnings, contends David Aaker, a national authority on branding. Yet, research shows that managers cannot identify with confidence their brand associations, levels of consumer awareness, or degree of customer loyalty. Moreover in the last decade, managers desperate for short-term financial results have often unwittingly damaged their brands through price promotions and unwise brand extensions, causing irreversible deterioration of the value of the brand name. Although several companies, such as Canada Dry and Colgate-Palmolive, have recently created an equity management position to be guardian of the value of brand names, far too few managers, Aaker concludes, really understand the concept of brand equity and how it must be implemented.

In a fascinating and insightful examination of the phenomenon of brand equity, Aaker provides a clear and well-defined structure of the relationship between a brand and its symbol and slogan, as well as each of the five underlying assets, which will clarify for managers exactly how brand equity does contribute value. The author opens each chapter with a historical analysis of either the success or failure of a particular company's attempt at building brand equity: the fascinating Ivory soap story; the transformation of Datsun to Nissan; the decline of Schlitz beer; the making of the Ford Taurus; and others. Finally, citing examples from many other companies, Aaker shows how to avoid the temptation to place short-term performance before the health of the brand and, instead, to manage brands strategically by creating, developing, and exploiting each of the five assets in turn....

Authors: Jeffrey A. Krames.
Hardcover, 172 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Publication Date: 2005-04-30
Edition: 1

Reviews :

   

Proven leadership lessons from the author of the international bestseller The Welch Way

Techniques Jack Welch used to create great leaders and drive unprecedented financial performance

Jack Welch and GE used the celebrated 4e model to measure leadership potential and enhance profitability at every level of the organization. Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership delivers a thought-provoking and in-depth analysis of this signature model. Pragmatic and handson, it explains how the model helped Welch to consistently spot 4e leaders--individuals with energy, the ability to inspire others, and the talent to consistently make the difficult decisions and meet financial goals.

Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership reveals how the 4e model helped GE's best and brightest eliminate bureaucracy, hire and promote energetic people, find new ways to increase the organization's customer-centricity, and more. Beyond the nuts and bolts of the 4e model, however, it outlines a step-by-step blueprint anyone can follow to stock an organization with performance-ready leaders and leaders-in-training.

Examples include:

• How to recognize and encourage each of the 4e's--Energy, Energizers, Edge, and Execute
• Leadership theories of Drucker, Senge, and others, and how they support and validate Welch's 4e model
• Seven rules for successfully driving change, and leveraging it to gain long-term competitive advantage
• Leadership lessons of the 4e all-star executive team
• Valuable implementation insights on virtually every page, along with a "4e leader to-do" list

Jack Welch is universally recognized as the greatest CEO of his era. In Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership, bestselling author Jeffrey A. Krames examines Welch's seminal 4e leadership model and provides a penetrating and uncompromising look at how to recognize and develop authentic leaders.

...

Authors: Daniel Goleman. Michael Maccoby. Thomas Davenport. John C. Beck. Dan Clampa. Michael Watkins.
Paperback, 210 pages
Publisher: Harvard Business School Press
Publication Date: 2001-10-15
Edition: 1st

Reviews :

    "The Harvard Business Review Paperback Series" is designed to bring today's managers and professionals the fundamental information they need to stay competitive in a fast-moving world. From the preeminent thinkers whose work has defined an entire field to the rising stars who will redefine the way we think about business, here are the leading minds and landmark ideas that have established the "Harvard Business Review" as required reading for ambitious businesspeople in organizations around the globe. The latest thinking in the field of leadership is collected in this volume. With all-new articles published in the last three years and two articles from leadership guru, Daniel Goleman, this collection is a must have for CEOs and top level managers. The volume also pays special attention to leadership succession issues....

Authors: Mark R. McNeilly.
Paperback, 272 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication Date: 2000-04-13


Reviews :

    More than two millennia ago the famous Chinese general Sun Tzu wrote the classic work on military strategy, The Art of War. Now, in Sun Tzu and the Art of Business, Mark R. McNeilly shows how Sun Tzu's strategic principles can be successfully applied to modern business situations. Here are really two books in one: McNeilly's synthesis of Sun Tzu's ideas into six strategic principles for the business executive, plus the entire text of Samuel B. Griffith's popular translation of The Art of War. Within, McNeilly explains how to gain market share without inciting competitive retaliation, how to attack a competitor's weak points, and how to maximize the power of market information for competitive advantage. He also demonstrates the value of speed, preparation, and secrecy in throwing the competition off-balance, employing strategy to beat the competition, and the need for character in successful leaders. In his final chapter, McNeilly presents a practical method to put Sun Tzu and The Art of Business into practice. By using modern examples throughout the book from GE, Microsoft, AT&T, BMW, Southwest Airlines, FedEx, and many others, he illustrates how, by following the wisdom of history's most respected strategist, executives can avoid the pitfalls of management fads and achieve lasting competitive advantage....

Authors: Robert G. Hagstrom.
Paperback, 336 pages
Publisher: Wiley
Publication Date: 1995-10-18
Edition: 1

Reviews :

    "Simply the most important new stock book of the 1990s, to date. Buy it and read it." —Kenneth L. Fisher Forbes

The runaway bestseller—updated with new material included for the first time!

"The Warren Buffett Way outlines his career and presents examples of how his investment techniques and methods evolved and the important individuals in that process. It also details the key investment decisions that produced his unmatched record of performance." —from the Foreword by Peter S. Lynch Bestselling author, One Up on Wall Street and Beating the Street

". . . an extraordinarily useful account of the methods of an investor held by many to be the world's greatest." —The Wall Street Journal

"Robert Hagstrom presents an in-depth examination of Warren Buffett's strategies, and the 'how and why' behind his selection of each of the major securities that have contributed to his remarkable record of success. His 'homespun' wisdom and philosophy are also part of this comprehensive, interesting, and readable book." —John C. Bogle Chairman, The Vanguard Group

"It's first rate. Buffett gets a lot of attention for what he preaches, but nobody has described what he practices better than Hagstrom. Here is the lowdown on every major stock he ever bought and why he bought it. Fascinating. You could even try this at home." —John Rothchild Financial columnist Time magazine ...

Authors: Doris M. Sims.
Hardcover, 360 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Publication Date: 2001-12-04
Edition: 1

Reviews :

   

New employee orientation is the most commonly offered type of training in organizations, yet very few books have been published on the topic. Creative New Employee Orientation Programs is filled with downloadable, customizable training games, sample curriculum, handouts, and checklists used in leading organizations such as Arthur Anderson, Ford, Micron, and Alcatel. Whether creating an orientation program for the first time, enhancing an existing program, or moving orientation on-line, HR pros will find ideas and tools they can use immediately.

...

Authors:
Hardcover, 256 pages
Publisher: Bloomberg Press
Publication Date: 2007-08-30


Reviews :

    More than ever, traders, fund managers, analysts, and investors are using technical analysis to make trading decisions. Often these professionals struggle to identify the most effective technique to use and when and how to apply it. David Keller, Bloomberg L.P.'s liason to the top technical analysts around the world, invited ten top technicians to explain what really works and why. In "Breakthroughs in Technical Analysis", these widely respected practitioners describe their novel trading methods and how to use them for forecasting the future price direction of stocks, futures contacts, indexes, and many other financial instruments.

The techniques in this book have been the key to success for the experts who present them, and they can become just as valuable to any market professional who learns them. No matter what market you trade in, their use can help you broaden your approach as you incorporate them into your own investment style....

Authors: Matthew E. May.
Hardcover, 256 pages
Publisher: Free Press
Publication Date: 2006-10-10


Reviews :

    "Toyota is becoming a double threat: the world's finest manufacturer and a truly great innovator . . . that formula, a combination of production prowess and technical innovation, is an unbeatable recipe for success."

-- Fortune, February 2006

For the first time, an insider reveals the formula behind Toyota's unceasing quest to innovate and do more with less, a philosophy that has made it one of the ten most profitable companies in the world (and worth more than GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and Honda combined). In a rare look into Toyota's ability to consistently achieve breakthroughs that outperform the competition, The Elegant Solution explains what Toyota associates have known all along: it's not about the cars. Rather, Toyota's astounding success is just the visible result of a hidden creative process that begins with a seven-digit number.

One million. That's how many new ideas the Toyota organization implements every year. These ideas come from every level of the organization -- from the factory floors to the corporate suites. And organizations all over the world want to learn how it's done. Now senior University of Toyota advisor Matthew May shows how any company can achieve an environment of everyday innovation and discover the kinds of elegant solutions that hold the power to change the game forever. World-class benchmarks like Lexus, Prius, Scion -- even Toyota's vaunted production system -- are simply shining examples of elegant solutions.

A tactical playbook for team-based innovation, The Elegant Solution delivers powerful lessons in breakthrough thinking in a provocative yet practical guide to the three core principles and ten key practices that shape successful business innovation. Innovation isn't just about technology -- it's about value, opportunity, and impact. When a company embeds a real discipline around tapping ingenuity in the pursuit of perfection, the sky is the limit. Dozens of case studies (from Toyota and other companies) illustrate the universal power and applicability of these concepts. A unique "clamshell strategy" prepares managers to successfully lead and sustain the innovation effort.

At once a thought-starter and a taskmaster, The Elegant Solution is a vital prescription for anyone wanting to truly master business innovation....

Authors: Rosamund Stone Zander. Benjamin Zander.
Hardcover, 206 pages
Publisher: Harvard Business School Press
Publication Date: 2000-09
Edition: 1

Reviews :

    In their playing you hear not only precision, color and balance, but thunder, lightning and the language of the heart. This is what the "Boston Globe" said about a performance by conductor Benjamin Zander with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, but it could apply equally to the Zanders' inspirational book, the product of a synthesis of the diverse worlds of the symphony orchestra and cutting-edge psychology. "The Art of Possibility" offers a set of breakthrough practices for creativity in all human enterprises. Infused with the energy of their dynamic partnership, the book joins together Ben's extraordinary talent as a mover and shaker, teacher, and communicator, with Rosamund Stone Zander's genius for creating innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment. In lively counterpoint, the authors provide us with a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of our lives.The Zanders' deceptively simple practices are based on two premises: that life is composed as a story ("it's all invented") and that, with new definitions, much more is possible than people ordinarily think. The book shifts our perspective with uplifting stories, parables, and anecdotes from the authors' personal experiences as well as from famous and everyday heroes. From "Giving an A," to the mysterious "Rule Number 6," to "Leading from Any Chair" - the account of Ben's stunning realization that the conductor/leader's power is directly linked to how much greatness he is willing to grant to others - each practice offers an opportunity for personal and organizational transformation."The Art of Possibility" provides a life-altering approach to fulfilling dreams large and small. The Zanders invite us all to become passionate communicators, leaders, and performers whose lives radiate possibility into the world. Rosamund Stone Zander is a family therapist and a landscape painter. Benjamin Zander is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a professor at the New England Conservatory of Music. Based on the principles developed through the authors' unique partnership, Mr. Zander gives presentations to managers and executives around the world and Ms. Zander conducts workshops for organizations on practicing the art of possibility....

    The lure of this book's promise starts with the assumption in its title. Possibility--that big, all-encompassing, wide-open-door concept--is an art? Well, who doesn't want to be a skilled artist, whether in the director's chair, the boardroom, on the factory floor, or even just in dealing with life's everyday situations? Becoming an artist, however, requires discipline, and what the authors of The Art of Possibility offer is a set of practices designed to "initiate a new approach to current conditions, based on uncommon assumptions about the nature of the world."

If that sounds a little too airy-fairy for you, don't be put off; this is no mere self-improvement book, with a wimpy mandate to transform its readers into "nicer" people. Instead, it's a collection of illustrations and advice that suggests a way to change your entire outlook on life and, in the process, open up a new realm of possibility. Consider, for example, the practice of "Giving an A," whether to yourself or to others. Not intended as a way to measure someone's performance against standards, this practice instead recognizes that "the player who looks least engaged may be the most committed member of the group," and speaks to their passion rather than their cynicism. It creates possibility in an interaction and does away with power disparities to unite a team in its efforts. Or consider "Being the Board," where instead of defining yourself as a playing piece, or even as the strategist, you see yourself as the framework for the entire game. In this scenario, assigning blame or gaining control becomes futile, while seeking to become an instrument for effective partnerships becomes possible.

Packed with such examples of personal and professional interactions, the book presents complex ideas on perception and recognition in a readable, useable style. The authors' combined, eclectic experience in music and painting (as well as family therapy and executive workshops) infuses their examples with vibrant color and sound. The relevance to corporate situations and relationships is well developed, and they don't rely on dry case studies to do it. Indeed, this book assumes the emotional intelligence and desire to engage of its reader, promising access to the rewards of that door-opening notion--possibility--in return. --S. Ketchum...