Book Notes

“Creating a Life that Matters” Authors: Jerry Porras, Stewart Emery, Mark Thompson Wharton School Publishing August 2006 HYPERLINK "http://www.successbuilttolast.com" www.successbuilttolast.com Executive Summary: The authors attempt to answer this important question: What inspires long-term achievers to make the kind of choices to struggle and grow despite all odds to create success that lasts?  Important note: success in this book is defined not as wealth, fame and power but as living a legacy, making a difference, creating lasting impact and engaged in a life of personal fulfillment. They interviewed more than 100 successful people including; Warren Buffett, Bono, Michael Dell, Peter Drucker, [...]

Perhaps the two best kept secrets of leadership are these: The less you do, the more you accomplish. The less you do, the more you enable others to accomplish. The problem was that somewhere along the way I had bought into the myth that a good leader has to be good at everything.  So I operated under the assumption that I had to upgrade my weaknesses into strengths.  After all, who would follow a leader who wasn’t well rounded? My real value to our organization lay within the context of my giftedness, not the number of hours I worked. Identify [...]

Start with 1,435 good companies.  Examine their performance over 40 years.  Find the 11 companies that became great.  These 11 companies outperformed the market 6.9 times for 15 consecutive years. The 11 great companies:  Abbott, Circuit City, Fannie Mae, Gillette, Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris, Pitney Bowes, Walgreens, Wells Fargo. Good is the enemy of great.  And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. 7 Key Points of the book: Level 5 Leadership First Who…Then What Confront the Brutal Facts The Hedgehog Concept (Focus) A Culture of Discipline Technology Accelerators The Flywheel [...]

If everything is important, then nothing is. Identify a reasonable number of issues that will have the greatest possible impact on the success of your organization, and then spend most of your time thinking about, talking about, and working on those issues. Ask yourself often: What is the one thing I do that really matters to this organization? Conduct quarterly performance reviews with each employee and ask 3 key questions: What did you accomplish? What will you accomplish next? How can you improve? The 4 disciplines of a healthy organization: Build and maintain a cohesive leadership team Create organizational clarity [...]

People don’t change that much.  Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out.  Try to draw out what was left in.  That is hard enough. Try to help each person become more and more of who he already is. 6 most powerful questions for your staff… linked to productivity, profit, retention and customer service results: Do I know what is expected of me at work? Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right? At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day? In the last [...]

Crucial Conversations—Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzer Crucial conversation:  A discussion between two or more people where (1) stakes are high, (2) opinions vary, and (3) emotions run strong. The results of a crucial conversation could have a huge impact on the quality of your life. Master your crucial conversations and you’ll kick-start your career, strengthen your relationships, and improve your health.  For instance, high performers know how to stand up to the boss without committing career suicide. In the best companies, everyone holds everyone else accountable—regardless of level of position.  The path to high productivity passes not through a static system, [...]

“Built to Last”                 James C. Collins and Jerry I Porras Summary: The authors’ key premise is that: “Preserve the Core / Stimulate Progress”   Visionary companies have a set of core principles that are absolutely central and unchangeable, and are clear on these principles.  They’re committed to moving forwad and changing their practices outside of the principles. Preserve core values and purposes; Change culture and operating practices and specific goals and strategies.    There are a set of key habits or attributes that differentiate visionary companies from similar companies in their industry [...]

A good book that's mostly about networking, but also some general business smarts. Definitely read if you need more work being social. my notes The people who had reached professional heights unknown to my father and mother helped each other. They found one another jobs, they invested time and money in one another’s ideas, and they made sure their kids got help getting into the best schools, got the right internships, and ultimately got the best jobs. Before my eyes, I saw proof that success breeds success and, indeed, the rich do get richer. Their web of friends and associates [...]

All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits. William James • Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort. Left to its own devices, the brain will try to make almost any routine into a habit, because habits allow our minds to ramp down more often. • A three-step loop:
1. First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit to use.
2. Then there is the routine, which can be physical or mental or emotional.
3. Finally, [...]

The Little Book of Talent Author: Daniel Coyle 52 Tips for improving your skills We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.  Aristotle Small actions, repeated over time, transform us. Talent begins with brief, powerful encounters that spark motivation by linking your identity to a high-performing person or group.  This is called your ignition, and it consists of a tiny, world-shifting thought lighting up your unconscious mind: I could be them. Improve your learning by stealing effectively from top performers Bookmark a few YouTube videos and watch them before you practice or at [...]