Great Leaders GROW by Ken Blanchard & Mark Miller - Book review

Great Leaders GROW

Becoming a Leader for Life

By: Ken Blanchard, Mark Miller

Published: February 6, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 144 pages
ISBN-10: 1609943031
ISBN-13: 978-1609943035
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers












"There's certainly more to leadership than growth, but growth is at the heart of what creates and sustains great leaders. Growth is the leader's fountain of youth", write chief spiritual officer of the Ken Blanchard Companies, Ken Blanchard; and vice president, training and development, for Chick-fil-A, Mark Miller, in their inspirational and wisdom filled book Great Leaders GROW: Becoming a Leader for Life. The authors describe the critical importance of continued personal growth for leaders, and why a failure to keep growing as a leader will cause a reduction in influence, and even a loss of leadership roles completely.



Ken Blanchard (photo left) and Mark Miller understand that great leaders don't sit back and rest on their achievements. Great leaders recognize that their is more to leadership than the authority proffered by the individual's ranking on the organizational chart. Instead, leadership is an organic, growing journey that continues throughout the leader's entire career.

As a leader advances ever higher, there must be more personal growth and development with every step. A person who is unable or unwilling to grow is unlikely to be an effective or influential leader. The authors present their leadership philosophy and skills in the form of a narrative, where Debbie Brewster serves as a leadership mentor to Blake, who is at the beginning stages of his career. Throughout the business parable, the concepts of leadership are expressed and illustrated through the medium of story.



Mark Miller (photo left) and Ken Blanchard recognize that leaders face constant challenges that test the leader's preparedness. For the authors, being a leader and a person of character are inextricably linked together. A leader must be ready to meet challenges in a visionary and effective manner. To fall back on the solutions of yesterday is evidence that the leader has failed to grow, or to understand the importance of personal growth. Simply put, a person's ability to lead is based entirely on their ability to grow.

The authors provide a lifetime plan for development as both a human being and as a leader. To that end, they share their GROW concept, which consists of the following principles:

* Gain knowledge in yourself, others, your industry, and leadership
* Reach out to others both formally and informally
* Open your world both at work and also outside of work
* Walk toward wisdom through self-evaluation, feedback, counsel, and time

For me, the power of the book is how Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller present their concepts of leadership effectively through the medium of a business fable. The authors present their GROW principles in a readily understood format utilizing the narrative format. The main characters in the story, Debbie and Blake, consider and delve into each of the various aspects of leadership and personal growth.

The authors make clear, through the voices of the characters, that leadership and the individual's desire to start on a lifetime path of growth, are very interconnected and are really inseparable. The parable guides the reader through the process of growing as a leader, and for meeting the challenges that test a leader's ability to grow.

I highly recommend the engaging and personally fulfilling book Great Leaders GROW: Becoming a Leader for Life by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller, to any leaders who are serious about growing and improving not only their leadership skills, but also themselves as people. This entertaining book will transform your perspective on leadership to one of growth and of lifetime learning to achieve peak performance, greater influence, and superior results.

Tags: Great Leaders GROW: Becoming a Leader for Life, Ken Blanchard, Mark Miller, leadership and personal development, business book reviews

The Historic Urban Landscape by Francesco Bandarin & Ron Van Oers - Book review

The Historic Urban Landscape

Managing Heritage in an Urban Century

By: Francesco Bandarin, Ron van Oers

Published: March 27, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 262 pages
ISBN-10: 0470655747
ISBN-13: 978-0470655740
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell













"Among the utopias generated by modernity, there is also urban conservation. Strictly speaking, urban conservation is not a utopia, but rather a policy and planning practice that is present in many countries of the world", write architect, urban planner, and Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, Francesco Bandarin; and urban planner and Programme Specialist for Culture at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Ron Van Oers, in their visionary and conservation oriented urban development book The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing Heritage in an Urban Century. The authors describe contemporary concepts and initiatives in urban heritage conservation to better understand the conflicts, areas of consensus,a and development of urban policies and practices.



Francesco Bandarin (photo left) and Ron Van Oers recognize the many often conflicting intellectual forces that form the contemporary urban conservation landscape. The authors address the various shifting architectural and urban planning paradigms that have evolved over the past fifty years. Over time, a an institutional and professional assessment approach has formed to support the conservation of the urban heritage. Part of this conservation movement has preserved the historic city as a heritage type.

This systemic approach has created an internationalism in the very core concept of urban conservation. The authors point out that this still emerging and evolving process is providing at least some protection for the historical integrity and character of cities around the world. The authors provide evidence that this process has peaked with the high status accorded to the historic cities.



Ron Van Oers (photo left) and Francesco Bandarin understand that despite these advances and developments in the process, urban conservation faces new and daunting challenges in the coming decades. New pressures, processes, and forces are being brought to bear on the existing conservation efforts, creating a necessity for fresh policy and planning thought and action. One area of difficulty, according to the authors, is the ever increasing specialization of both the theory and operations involved with urban conservation.

The authors challenge urban planners, policy makers, and conservationists to take a more integrated and holistic view of preservation. To that end, the authors propose considering the more encompassing concept of urban conservation to that of historic urban conservation. Faced with the pressures of tourism, real estate developers, and business, conservation efforts are pulled and pushed in different directions, causing an overall weakening of the preservation efforts. As a result, the authors recommend the Historic Urban Landscape approach that considers all of the forces as part of an integrated whole.

For me, the power of the book is how Francesco Bandarin and Ron Van Oers provide a much needed wake up call to the danger faced by historic urban landscapes. Despite serious conservation efforts, cities all over the world are pressured by population growth, tourism, and real estate development forces. The authors address these challenges openly, and offer their integrated and holistic Historic Urban Landscape approach as a viable and innovative alternative to current planning theory and practice.

The authors present the concepts and ideas from the UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, where they are involved in global preservation efforts, and offer insights into the effectiveness of organization's initiatives. The book is profusely illustrated throughout, with color photographs of urban landscapes from cities all over the world. These photographs enrich the concepts offered and discussed in the various chapters of the book.

I highly recommend the comprehensive and landmark book The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing Heritage in an Urban Century by Francesco Bandarin and Ron Van Oers, to any architects, urban planners, surveyors, engineers, policy makers, business leaders, and urban conservation societies who are seeking a complete overview of the intellectual developments in urban conservation. This book provides a thoughtful and practical approach that will benefit the urban conservation efforts around the world in the twenty-first century.

Tags: The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing Heritage in an Urban Century, Francesco Bandarin, Ron Van Oers, urban planning and practice, geography book reviews

What Chinese Want by Tom Doctoroff - Book review

What Chinese Want

Culture, Communism and China's Modern Consumer

By: Tom Doctoroff

Published: May 22, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 023034030X
ISBN-13: 978-0230340305
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan













"China's economy and people are evolving rapidly, but the underlying cultural blueprint has remained more or less constant for thousands of years. As the nation races toward superpower status, it will nevertheless remain quintessentially Chinese - ambitious yet cautious to the core", writes Northeast Asia Area Director and Greater China CEO for J. Walter Thompson,Tom Doctoroff, in his insightful and thought provoking book What Chinese Want: Culture, Communism and China's Modern Consumer. The author describes the cultural imperatives and worldview of China's fast rising consumer economy, and provides lessons for companies seeking to sell products and services into the this vast and growing market.

Tom Doctoroff recognizes that China offers an unlimited market for consumer products. At the same time, however, the author also understands that there are some very critical differences between the Chinese consumer and a customer in the Western world. In fact, the author points out that even with the influx of Western influences and culture, the people of China resist those same ideals and continue to embrace their own cultural traditions.

Tom Doctoroff presents conclusive evidence that while modernization in China advances at a breakneck pace, the Chinese people remain distinctively nationalistic and culturally conservative in their worldview. Instead of choosing the path of the individual as the core of the economy, the people of China consider the family to be the economic cornerstone. The morality of the Chinese culture remains different from that of the West, as does the strong historical connection that the people maintain with the past.



Tom Doctoroff (photo left) presents an important inner cultural portrait of the Chinese people in general, and the emerging Chinese consumer market in particular. Before the author provides his recommendations for success in the Chinese market, he clarifies the many misconceptions and myths that have grown up around the Chinese customer. The portrait of the Chinese consumer is very nuanced, and more complex than it appears at first glance. Tom Doctoroff describes how the individual in China desires standing out while still fitting in with the overall Chinese culture.

There is an overarching ambitious optimism that China can stand with the leading nations of the world and that success is possible in Chinese cultural terms. At the same time, the Chinese people seek stability of the family and of the country and how that stability is more important than individual self expression. The author also shares his insights into the unifying force of Confucian conflict where status and social mobility conflict with the desire for conformity. The individual is simply not the central figure in Chinese society, or the basic productive unit. That role, according the author, is in the hands of the family. At the same time, there is no desire for breakthroughs, as they may upset the cherished stability, presenting real challenges for both marketers and managers entering the Chinese market.

For me, the power of the book is how Tom Doctoroff presents a comprehensive analysis of the culture of China and its influence on the behavior of the Chinese consumer. The author presents the various, and often baffling traits of the customer, within the overall context of Chinese society. Tom Doctoroff breaks down the various markets and industries, and offers in depth explanations of why the Chinese consumer acts as they do, and why those actions are so different from customers in the West. The author dispels the most commonly heard myths about China, its politics, and its economy.

Tom Doctoroff provides the advice necessary for any business person seeking access to the Chinese market. The author reveals many nuances and contradictions that must be understood clearly to achieve success in the vast and always intriguing country pf China and its people.

I highly recommend the landmark and essential book What Chinese Want: Culture, Communism and China's Modern Consumer by Tom Doctoroff, to any business leaders, entrepreneurs, public officials, trade organizations, and members of the general public who are seeking a deeper and more profound understanding of the Chinese market and its consumers than is found anywhere else. This book will transform how you think about China and its potential as an important market; full of both amazing surprises and unlimited potential.

Tags: What Chinese Want: Culture, Communism and China's Modern Consumer, Tom Doctoroff, globalization and international markets, business book reviews

Your Strengths - Marcus Buckingham

I have recommended these books to hundreds 

In 2008 I listened to this first book on audio and it started me down a path of self discovery and love of business books. 

Then I read took the Strength Finder 2.0 test and found out a couple insights into my business character that were SO powerful and different, they changed the way I thought about myself and how I do business. It is my hope that you pick this book up and it helps you.

The "Strength Based" movement is not just simple, but one of the keys to finding a more rewarding business life, and frankly a damn fun one too. 



Speaking of fun, the most awesome read ( again I ate these on audio in just days including copious notes taken on the subway ) was his three follow up books ( First, Now , Go ) that help you take what you've learned about you - and rip your business a new workhole. 


Ok, I've calmed down now. But you get my point.

Again, this is a short post but it's because I've been recommending these so long the people I sent them to have bought copies and shared them with others. Recently I learned someone I helped embrace a strength-based life bought copies of the Strengthfinder for all 100 employees of their company.


If it's in your budget, certainly if you are an entrepreneur or leader in a sector then MAKE time to attend the Art of Leadership on June 5. 

But whatever you do, don't miss picking up at least one of these books and as always, if you want to talk about them and what you've learned, coffee's on me.

Paul

Ps. His follow up book on Leadership was a best seller if you get hooked and want to keep going.

Kevin Ready: Startup: An Insider’s Guide to Launching and Running a Business - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Successful entrepreneur, business coach, and author of Startup: An Insider's Guide to Launching and Running a Business, Kevin Ready, describes how to start and operate a new entrepreneurial venture the right way. Kevin Ready provides a step by step process for achieving success with a new company. Kevin offers advice on how to plan and prepare the venture to avoid the pitfalls that await the unwary entrepreneur. He shares his secrets for raising funds, marketing, and building a team with the right people. Kevin also presents ideas for strategic planning and for exiting the business when the time comes. Learn how to start the business of your dreams successfully and for the long term.

Kevin Ready is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Successful entrepreneur, business coach, and author of Startup: An Insider's Guide to Launching and Running a Business, Kevin Ready, describes how to start and operate a new entrepreneurial venture the right way. You will learn:

* How to find out if entrepreneurship is right for you

* How to plan the startup venture the right way

* How to finance and market the business; and how to build the best team

* How to plan strategically for the short and long term, including the exit plan



Kevin Ready (photo left) loves building things and helping people to build things. Over the last 20 years, he has built, run, consulted for, and advised numerous start-ups and businesses. For him, there is nothing more interesting than understanding business models and the problems that entrepreneurs come up against in their markets. As he says often, "It is my work and my play. I never get tired of it."

Born into an engineering family, Ready started his first company right out of college. While the venture was a success, he saw the limitations to scaling the business. As the Internet era took shape, he joined the "tech wave" through the late 1990s, starting several online businesses. Years before Facebook, he was a founder of a social networking site with nearly one million users. Later, he and a partner spun off and sold a digital mapping business, then moved on to become an online software and media retail business that merged with a larger rival in 2008. That same year, he became a partner at an online real estate business that was in crisis mode.

By applying the lessons presented in this book, he helped turn the business around. Just 13 months later, it was acquired by the newspaper industry. That business—where he still works as technical director—now brings in millions of dollars of profit per year and touches five million consumers every month.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with successful entrepreneur, business coach, and author of Startup: An Insider's Guide to Launching and Running a Business, Kevin Ready, as he describes how to start and operate a new entrepreneurial venture the right way. Kevin Ready provides a step by step process for achieving success with a new company. Kevin offers advice on how to plan and prepare the venture to avoid the pitfalls that await the unwary entrepreneur. He shares his secrets for raising funds, marketing, and building a team with the right people. Kevin also presents ideas for strategic planning and for exiting the business when the time comes. Learn how to start the business of your dreams successfully and for the long term on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Startup: An Insider's Guide to Launching and Running a Business, Kevin Ready, entrepreneurship strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Andy Masters: Kiss Your Customer - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Speaker and award winning author of the idea filled and very engaging book Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships, Andy Masters, describes how sales and service are just like dating and relationships. Andy Masters shares his insights into how attracting customers is like asking for dates, and how a business like a suitor, must be an attractive choice. Andy points out that not only are their similarities that business can learn from dating, but also has people can learn more about dating from their business experiences. Andy Masters offers his ideas on the use of humor in all areas of business, including sales and customer service. He also provides advice for networking, asking for referrals, and learning how to accept rejection. Learn how to build lasting and trusting relationships, in both business and in life, through the analogy of dating.

Andy Masters is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, May 29, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Speaker and award winning author of the idea filled and very engaging book Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships, Andy Masters, describes how sales and service are just like dating and relationships. You will learn:

* Why sales and service are like dating and relationships

* How to attract and retain customers effectively

* How to put forth your best self to achieve success

* Why humor, if used correctly, can enhance your business and personal success



Andy Masters (photo left) is an Author and international speaker who presents entertaining programs on a sales, service, and career development topics. Andy gained experience in a variety of sales, marketing, and management positions across several industries, before escaping the corporate world just in time to preserve his sanity.

Andy has written three previous books, including Life After College: What to Expect and How to Succeed in Your Career, which helps young professionals in areas such as networking, time management, and how to avoid being arrested at the company holiday party.

Andy has also earned four degrees, including an M.A. - Marketing and an M.A. - Human Resources Development from Webster University, as well as a B.A. - Communications and a B.A. - Political Science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He s done. Andy is a proud member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), Florida Speakers Association (FSA), and Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH).

My book review of Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships by Andy Masters.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with speaker and award winning author of the idea filled and very engaging book Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships, Andy Masters, as he describes how sales and service are just like dating and relationships. Andy Masters shares his insights into how attracting customers is like asking for dates, and how a business like a suitor, must be an attractive choice. Andy points out that not only are their similarities that business can learn from dating, but also has people can learn more about dating from their business experiences.

Andy Masters offers his ideas on the use of humor in all areas of business, including sales and customer service. He also provides advice for networking, asking for referrals, and learning how to accept rejection. Learn how to build lasting and trusting relationships, in both business and in life, through the analogy of dating on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships, Andy Masters, sales and service, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Kiss Your Customer by Andy Masters - Book review

Kiss Your Customer

77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships

By: Andy Masters

Published: January 12, 2012
Format: Paperback, 225 pages
ISBN-10: 0975461095
ISBN-13: 978-0975461099
Publisher: Hawthorn Publishing











"There are principles from our relationships which can help us in sales and service, and principles from sales and service which can help us in our relationships", writes speaker and award winning author Andy Masters, in his idea filled and very engaging book Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships. The author describes why understanding the crucial analogy between sales and service on the one hand, and dating and relationships on the other, will enhance your success in business and in your personal life.

Andy Masters understands the critical connection between attracting and keeping a customer is the same dynamic as attracting and keeping a significant other. The author provides seventy-seven ideas for achieving success in sales and service, and not coincidently, in ones romantic life as well. With a heaping helping of humor, mixed with some often painful real world experience, Andy Masters offers wisdom and insights that serve double duty at home and at work. He likes to throw in a few laughs, as well, to help ease the misfortunes of fate, and to establish the mood for a fresh start on pursuing both dates and customers. Andy Masters shares some ideas for both retaining the person being pursued if they are compatible, and for breaking up with them should they prove to be not the ideal choice.



Andy Masters (photo left) recognizes that there are many factors involved in both finding customers and getting dates,. There are also many interrelated elements in keeping the customer for the long term. Utilizing the dating analogy effectively, Andy Masters presents a series of real world tested and proven techniques for success in business. Finding a happy romantic life is a bonus part of the book.

The author includes useful and readily applicable (with a few wisely judicious edits) advice including the following:

* The value of honesty and trust
* Accepting rejection from prospects
* Networking and referrals
* Using humor effectively
* Being creative in your approach
* Understanding apologies for mistakes
* having the proper attitude
* Managing expectations and exceeding them
* Celebrating success

For me, the power of the book is how Andy Masters successfully integrates humor into his real world wisdom on sales and service; as well as on dating and relationships. The author presents his seventy-seven slices of advice with a good natured, and self effacing wit, that causes the many concepts to be both memorable and effective. Each of the chapters is only one or two pages in length, with the key takeaway principles bolded for emphasis.

The concepts move logically through the entire attraction and retention time frame; as well as a possible just in case breakup scenario. Overall, Andy Masters presents his ideas in a memorable format that will transform both one's business life, and their dating presence.

I highly recommend the effective and enjoyable book Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships by Andy Masters, to anyone seeking an affable and entertaining guide to achieving greater business and romantic success. This book will change the mood of your approach to business from pain to gain.

Tags: Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships, Andy Masters, sales and service, business book reviews

The Strategist by Cynthia A. Montgomery - Book review

The Strategist

Be the Leader Your Business Needs

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery

Published: may 8, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
ISBN-10: 0062071017
ISBN-13: 978-0062071019
Publisher: HarperBusiness












"While countless books have been written about strategy in the last thirty years, virtually nothing has been written about the strategist and what this vital role requires of the person who shoulders it", writes Timken Professor of Business Administration and immediate past head of the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School, Cynthia A. Montgomery, in her revolutionary and thought provoking book The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs. The author describes how standard approaches to strategy are incomplete without considering the crucial role played by the leader in creating and executing the overall plan.

Cynthia Montgomery recognizes that considerable amounts of new research and empirical data, based on real world results, have emerged from the field of strategy. Through the author's own experience from working with executives and managers, however, she has concluded that the role of leadership has been downplayed in strategy studies. Cynthia Montgomery uncovered, through interviews and observation of leaders, the powerful impact that great leadership can have on the company's strategy and its results. The author provides a compelling case for strengthening the role of leadership, and the need to equip and inspire strategists to assume and establish a stronger level of leadership within their organizations.



Cynthia A. Montgomery (photo left) understands that leaders must change the way they view their roles within an organization to thinking of themselves as strategists. This change in focus and attitude creates a fresh perspective and direction for leaders within their firms.

Cynthia Montgomery challenges leaders to ask what she considers the most essential question for every business leader: Does this company truly matter? This crucial and organizational soul searching question changes the entire vision and fabric of the company. With this clarity of thinking in place, the leader moves beyond simply seeing the company as in competition with other firms for the market. Instead, the result will be a complete reshaping and transformation of the company itself.

The author offers the following series of concepts to create what she calls her revisionist approach to strategy:

* Are you a strategist
* The myth of the super-manager
* Begin with purpose
* Turn purpose into reality
* Own your strategy
* Keep it vibrant

For me, the power of the book is how Cynthia Montgomery reappraises the entire concept and field of strategy. This reassessment of strategy focuses the leader on the importance of strategy, and of thinking of themselves as a strategist. This change in the dynamic to thinking as a strategist changes the entire vision and shape of the company. The author not only provides the framework and theoretical basis for becoming a strategist but offers the tools for building the strategist skill set as well.

Cynthia Montgomery illustrates her concepts with case studies of the principles in action in the real world. An added feature of the book is a frequently asked questions section that provides additional insights into the strategist concept. There is also a very useful resource section that provides additional information sources for going more deeply into the various facets of the book

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and leadership transforming book The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs by Cynthia A. Montgomery, to anyone seeking a clear and concise introduction to a radically different view of leadership and strategy. This book will change the way leaders and managers think of their roles, as they reinvent themselves into strategists.

Tags: The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs, Cynthia A. Montgomery, strategy in leadership, business book reviews

Tom Endersbe: Three Commitments Of Leadership - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



CEO of Endersbe, Herron & Associates, and co-author of the empowering and leadership development book Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability, and Rhythm Create Great Leaders, Tom Endersbe describes the three fundamental commitments that leaders must make to become great leaders. Tom Endersbe shares the importance of clarity, stability, and rhythm as the framework to build an efficient and effective workplace. With these three principles in place, employees are more engaged in their work, and become more successful. Tom points out that the result is a positive impact, trust, and an enhanced bottom line. Tom describes how to develop the three commitments within every leader, and why each one is part of the whole. Tom Endersbe explains each of the three commitments, and why each one is so critical for leaders, and why if any of the three is missing, the leader will not be as effective, and the results will be less than optimal.

Tom Endersbe is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 24, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

CEO of Endersbe, Herron & Associates, and co-author of the empowering and leadership development book Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability, and Rhythm Create Great Leaders, Tom Endersbe describes the three fundamental commitments that leaders must make to become great leaders. You will learn:

* How leaders can empower their employees for greater engagement

* What are the three commitments of leadership

* How to incorporate the three commitments into your leadership

* How an engaged workplace is more productive and profitable



Tom Endersbe (photo left) is the former Head of Field Implementation and Training at Ameriprise and CEO of Endersbe, Herron & Associates.

Tom is also the co-author of Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability, and Rhythm Create Great Leaders,

Professional Experience

•CEO of Endersbe, Herron and Associates
•26 years of industry leading financial planning experience
•Former business executive, recognized speaker, and trainer for Ameriprise Financial
•Area Sales Manager for the Maytag company

Professional Designations and Licenses

•CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERä, CFP Board of Standards, Washington, D.C.
•Series 7, 24, and 63
•Life, Accident, Health and Variable insurance licenses
•Investment Advisor Representative of SagePoint Financial, Inc.
•Licensed and registered to conduct business in over 30 states

Education

•Bachelor of Science with Honors, Business Administration, Management and Marketing, Minnesota State, Mankato

Personal

•Family lives in Eagan, Minnesota
•Enjoys spending time with family and friends at lake place in Northern Wisconsin
•Married 29 years to Lisa
•Proud father of three children: Tori, Erik and Sean

Civic Activities

•Two-time Chair of the Eagan Foundation
•Board Member and Y-Partners Chair for the Southwest YMCA
•Youth basketball coach for over 17 years

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with CEO of Endersbe, Herron & Associates, and co-author of the empowering and leadership development book Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability, and Rhythm Create Great Leaders, Tom Endersbe, as he describes the three fundamental commitments that leaders must make to become great leaders. Tom Endersbe shares the importance of clarity, stability, and rhythm as the framework to build an efficient and effective workplace. With these three principles in place, employees are more engaged in their work, and become more successful. Tom points out that the result is a positive impact, trust, and an enhanced bottom line. Tom describes how to develop the three commitments within every leader, and why each one is part of the whole. Tom Endersbe explains each of the three commitments, and why each one is so critical for leaders, and why if any of the three is missing, the leader will not be as effective, and the results will be less than optimal on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability, and Rhythm Create Great Leaders, Tom Endersbe, leadership and employee empowerment, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Charlotte Beers: I'd Rather Be In Charge - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Board member of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, former corporate CEO, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and author of the glass ceiling smashing and empowering book I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work, Charlotte Beers, describes why women are so underrepresented in the highest echelons of corporate leadership. Charlotte Beers shares her insightful and often provocative reasons for why so many women have not broken through the glass ceiling and into top leadership roles. Charlotte presents the alternative to the standard recommendations for women, and recommends that women become their best authentic selves at work. To change the way women perceive themselves, and how others at work view them, is essential for achieving the corner office. Charlotte shares her own story, and the lessons she learned along the way, and offers guidance to other women who seek to lead, inspire, and influence others. Women can achieve the top leadership roles, but they must remove their self created obstacles to achieving their own destiny.

Charlotte Beers is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, May 22, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Board member of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, former corporate CEO, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and author of the glass ceiling smashing and empowering book I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work, Charlotte Beers, describes why women are so underrepresented in the highest echelons of corporate leadership. You will learn:

* Why women do not achieve top corporate leadership roles

& What factors hold women back from achieving their full leadership potential

* How women can overcome the barriers that stand in their way to the top

* Why some of the conventional ideas about women's success need rethinking



Charlotte Beers (photo left) has combined her business insight with an innate Southern charm,as she was born in Texas, to become highly successful in the competitive world of advertising and marketing, which in turn took her on to the position of Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs reporting to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Charlotte was named “the most powerful woman in advertising” and was called “the queen of Madison Avenue.” Featured on the cover of Fortune Magazine and Business Week Magazine as one of the most powerful women in America, her mantra of the difference between products and brands revolutionized major ad campaigns, bringing unprecedented success to her clients and the advertising agencies she managed.

Charlotte began her career in advertising as an account executive at J. Walter Thompson Advertising, becoming the first female Senior Vice President in the firm's history. From J. Walter Thompson, Charlotte was called to bring her skills as a turnaround agent to Tatham-Laird & Kudner as CEO. During her time as Tatham’s CEO, their billings tripled and major accounts were brought under the company's umbrella. Her success led her to her next position as Chairman/CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, a $5.4 billion, 8,000-employee, multinational advertising agency. In her five years with the firm, billings increased by $2 billion. Harvard Business School and many other universities still teach this best-selling case study on leadership titled “Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy.”

From 2001 to 2003, she served as Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs, taking on the task of bringing Brand America to the world, with special focus on the Middle East. For her service, Charlotte was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the State Department's highest honor.

Charlotte’s additional accolades include the “Legend in Leadership Award” from the Yale School of Management, being named one of Glamour Magazine's “Women of the Year,” the Sara Lee Frontrunner Award and the esteemed Matrix Award from the New York Women in Communications. Charlotte was also inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame in 2009.

Charlotte currently serves on the Board of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and conducts seminars throughout Europe and the United States called “The X Factor,” “X” representing the potential of women to lead. The workshops have given women the tools to take charge, find pride and power at work, and to learn to never miss a moment to lead in the many industries they represent.

My book review of I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work by Charlotte Beers.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with board member of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, former corporate CEO, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and author of the glass ceiling smashing and empowering book I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work, Charlotte Beers, as she describes why women are so underrepresented in the highest echelons of corporate leadership. Charlotte Beers shares her insightful and often provocative reasons for why so many women have not broken through the glass ceiling and into top leadership roles. Charlotte presents the alternative to the standard recommendations for women, and recommends that women become their best authentic selves at work. To change the way women perceive themselves, and how others at work view them, is essential for achieving the corner office. Charlotte shares her own story, and the lessons she learned along the way, and offers guidance to other women who seek to lead, inspire, and influence others. Women can achieve the top leadership roles, but they must remove their self created obstacles to achieving their own destiny on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work, Charlotte Beers, women in leadership, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

I'd Rather Be in Charge by Charlotte Beers - Book review

I'd Rather Be in Charge

A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work

By: Charlotte Beers

Published: January 31, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1593156820
ISBN-13: 978-1593156824
Publisher: Vanguard Press












"We women are not comfortable being "little men," and we don't like being boxed into what is considered womanly at the expense of being seen as leaderly", writes successful CEO and former Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Charlotte Beers in her glass ceiling smashing and empowering book I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work. The author describes how women can reach their full career potential and achieve leadership roles in even the largest corporations.

Charlotte Beers recognizes that many women have internal barriers, and modes of behavior, that hold them back from realizing their full potential. The author shares her personal story of her rise to CEO of more than one major company, as well as in the highest ranks of government. Charlotte Beers offers her own experience in overcoming obstacles, and for breaking through the glass ceiling, to guide women toward top leadership roles. With women better educated, and with more jobs skills and experience than ever before, the author provides a blueprint for women to be their best authentic selves in their careers. Charlotte Beers teaches women how to inspire, influence, and lead others to create and fulfill their own destiny.



Charlotte Beers (photo left) points out that even though women comprise over half of the workforce, they are still very underrepresented at the highest corporate leadership levels. The author understands, from the experience of thousands of women, that hard work, high educational attainment, and experience are simply not enough to enter the top leadership positions. Charlotte Beers presents an additional empowering component for women, in the form of building strong and productive relationships.

Charlotte Beers also takes some positions that run counter to conventional wisdom, that while provocative, will change the conversation and further empower women. Some of these concepts include:

* Despite advances for women, they have an even harder path to leadership than ever before
* Women possess all of the needed skills, but lack the ability to communicate those skills
* What works at home, as wife and mother, will not work in corporate leadership roles
* Women need to change how they see themselves in the workplace
* Women must change the perceptions of those around them to show their true abilities

For me, the power of the book is how Charlotte Beers combines her personal story of her rise to the summit of her profession, with empowering advice for other women to reach the top leadership roles in their companies. Charlotte Beers has no fear of making a few waves, and taking some unconventional stances, in her quest to help women achieve success. The author pulls no punches as she describes the realities of the corporate world, its demands for leaders, and how women can and should be part of the highest decision making levels.

Charlotte Beers points out how women have very often created their own barriers, and when combined with the environment in many corporate workplaces, women are often left on the outside looking in. Rather than be stopped by both the glass ceiling, and by their own self-imposed barriers, Charlotte Beers offers proven techniques and strategies for women to break down those barricades, and assume leadership positions. Throughout the book, Charlotte Beers provides quick takeaways to assist in the learning process, as women become their best authentic selves as leaders.

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and very engaging book I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work by Charlotte Beers, to any women who are seeking a straight talking, and experience based guide to achieving top leadership roles in any organization. This book will transform a woman's career into one of leadership, inspiration, and influence.

Tags: I'd Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader's Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work, Charlotte Beers, women in leadership, business book reviews

Poisoned Legacy: The Human Cost of BP's Rise to Power by Mike Magner - Book review

Poisoned Legacy

The Human Cost of BP's Rise to Power

By: Mike Magner

Published: May 8, 2012
Format: Trade Paperback, 432 pages
ISBN-10: 1250007399
ISBN-13: 978-1250007391
Publisher: Picador












"Eleven men died almost immediately in the horrific explosion that the blowout caused on the Deepwater Horizon, the giat rig that BP was leasing to drill its well a mile below the surface of the ocean; eleven families, including a number of very young children, had their lived irrevocably altered by the loss of their loved ones", writes Managing Editor at the National Journal, Mike Magner, in his powerful and thought provoking book Poisoned Legacy: The Human Cost of BP's Rise to Power. The author describes how BP (British Petroleum) failed to live up to its promises as both an environmentally conscious and a safety oriented company, resulting in the catastrophic explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, and other previous environmental disasters as well.

Mike Magner recognizes the importance of the petroleum industry to both the American economy and the nation's way of life. Because of this dependence on oil and gas, the author considers it crucial that the general public fully understand how petroleum is produced, and how the environment is affected by the industry and its participants. Mike Magner raises awareness of what can go horribly wrong if care and responsibility are not taken in the production, transport, and refining of this crucial resource. The author focuses his attention on the green message put out by BP, and the original intention of being an environmentally friendly company.



Mike Magner (photo left) provides an unsettling narrative of how that green promise turned into a tragic tale of irresponsible actions, cost cutting, and alleged negligence on the part of BP. The author describes how BP was rebranding its corporate image as one of being a green company, while at the same time attempting to cover up environmental disasters. Mike Magner provides evidence that this cost cutting and negligent behavior, on the part of BP and its management, formed a pattern of how the corporation managed its business. The author also points out that there was indeed a time in BP's history, as recently as a decade ago, when the company was taking care of the environment.

Over the next few years, however, that green concern was put aside in an effort to boost short term profits. The result of this cost cutting activity, according to the author, was a disastrous leak in an Alaskan pipeline due to a lack of maintenance, of which BP was found guilty; a refinery explosion in Texas that claimed the lives of fifteen employees;and eventually the massive and widespread Deepwater Horizon explosion. The author offers further evidence, from government boards and regulators, that all of these disasters could have been prevented, but instead BP chose to save time and to cut corners on safety regulations and standards.

For me, the power of the book is how Mike Magner provides comprehensive and fully documented analysis, of how the behavior of a multinational corporation had a widespread effect on people, communities, entire countries, and even the planet. The author provides an insightful description of the flawed business culture, and shortsighted decision making, that led to the catastrophes outlined in the book. The impact of those disasters affected not only the BP employees who tragically lost their lives, but they also had a direct effect on the lives of people in the area as well. The environmental damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon explosion has devastated the fishing and tourism industries of the Gulf region. The result has been a weakened economy, and a severe environmental problem that will last for decades.

Mike Magner sounds an important alarm that cost cutting to cut corners on regulations and standards, in the name of short term profits, led directly to environmental disasters and loss of life. The lesson for other companies, as well as for BP, is that not only following but exceeding the regulations, is a sound financial as well as environmental practice. Ethical and environmentally sound business is good business, and that the human, environmental, and economic price is simply too high for negligence and irresponsible business decisions.

I highly recommend the seminal and important investigative journalism based book Poisoned Legacy: The Human Cost of BP's Rise to Power by Mike Magner, to anyone in business leadership, public policy, the environmental movement, or the general public who seeks an in depth and unflinching case study of the high cost of corporate negligence. This book is a call to all people that human life and the world in which we live are more important than short term profits. Indeed, the pursuit of those immediate gains results in long term pain for everyone involved, both within and outside of the company.

Tags: Poisoned Legacy: The Human Cost of BP's Rise to Power, Mike Magner, business and the environment, business book reviews

College: What It Was, Is, And Should Be by Andrew Deblanco - Book review

College

What it Was, Is, and Should Be

By: Andrew Delbanco, Ph.D.

Published: March 20, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 0691130736
ISBN-13: 978-0691130736
Publisher: Princeton University Press














"And so it is my unabashed aim in this book to articulate what a college - any college - should seek to do for its students", writes Director of American Studies at Columbia University and Columbia's Julian Clarence Levi Professor in the Humanities, Andrew Delbanco, Ph.D., in his visionary and engaging book College: What it Was, Is, and Should Be. The author examines the historical development of the American university, how higher education is perceived today, and the role of universities in the future.

Andrew Delbanco recognizes that universities in America represent a very diverse collection of institutions of higher learning. At the same time, however, this wide range of colleges and universities are facing an unprecedented level of outside pressures. One of the external forces is that of commercialization, and the transformation of the university student experience into the narrow pursuit of professional credentials. For Andrew Delbanco, this shrinking of the role of the university represents a danger of students and faculty losing a unique time of self discovery and and sharing of new ideas. The author defends the value of the traditional liberal arts education as important for all students, from all social backgrounds and income levels.



Andrew Delbanco (photo left) sees that unique exploration becoming the province of wealthy students, with less privileged students being denied the benefits of the humanities for gaining wisdom and personal development. Andrew Delbanco defends what he considers the role of higher education in personal growth, exploring individual passions, and for discovering and testing new ideas and fresh ways of thinking.

The author takes the reader on a guided tour of how higher education developed in America. Beginning with the Puritan gathered church concept, Andrew Delbanco describes the challenges faced by colleges in the nineteenth century as the new research universities rose to prominence, and moves to the twentieth century issues of lower income, gender and minority diversity that altered the composition of the student body.

Faced with today's landscape of globalization, technology, science, and financial problems, the author demonstrates the value of the humanities for instilling wisdom, ethics, and a search for ideas. The author shares his five interconnected qualities that should flow from higher education. They are as follows:

* Skeptical discontent with the present, tempered with a sense of the past
* Making connections between seemingly very different phenomena
* Appreciation of the natural world through science and the arts
* Willingness to see issues from the perspective of others
* A sense of ethical responsibility

For me, the power of the book s how Andrew Delbanco goes far beyond simply building a case for the humanities in higher learning, but shows the reader their true value and importance. The author points out that, because the universities and colleges are finding their scope narrowed to that of professional credential providers, much of the traditional benefit of education is being lost. For the author, the humanities are becoming the sole province of students from higher income groups, leaving their value out of reach for lower income students.

Andrew Delbanco points out that universities and colleges face real challenges in the modern globalized economy, but that higher education has faced many challenges in the past. In each case, the institutions have evolved and adapted to overcome the obstacles in their path. The author offers a vision for just such an evolution to guide humanistic education through the current crises, and to regain its status as the fount of wisdom and self knowledge that has been its hallmark throughout American history.

I highly recommend the landmark and thought provoking book College: What it Was, Is, and Should Be by Andrew Delbanco, Ph.D., to anyone within or outside of the halls of higher learning who seeks a visionary approach to university and college education that goes beyond the usual prescriptions and mounting cynicism found in many studies. This book will transform the way you think about the humanities, and their timeless and crucial role in the very purpose and nature of higher education.

Tags: College: What it Was, Is, and Should Be, Andrew Delbanco, Ph.D., humanities and higher education, education book reviews

Penny C. Sansevieri: Get Published Today! - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Internationally acclaimed book marketing expert, founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. and author of the comprehensive and seminal book Get Published Today! An Insider's Guide to Publishing Success, Penny C. Sansevieri describes how authors must recognize that they are in business and that their book is their product. Penny provides analysis of the rapidly changing publishing landscape, including the evolution of the major publishing houses, and the rise of self-publishing. Penny Sansevieri guides you through the intricacies of getting a book published to avoid any costly pitfalls that await the unwary author. She also shares her real world proven strategies for finding a target audience, promotion and marketing, and distributing the finished book. You will learn how to brand your book and yourself, as you become both a successful author and a thriving business.

Penny C. Sansevieri is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 17, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Internationally acclaimed book marketing expert, founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. Author Marketing Experts, Inc., and author of the comprehensive and seminal book Get Published Today! An Insider's Guide to Publishing Success, Penny C. Sansevieri describes how authors must recognize that they are in business and that their book is their product. You will learn:

* What dramatic changes have taken place in the publishing industry

* What ares an author should understand if they choose to self-publish

* How to discover the target market for your book

* How to promote and market your book successfully



Penny C. Sansevieri (photo left) is CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the "road map to publishing success."

AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour™, which strategically works with message boards, blogs, ezines, and relevant sites to push an authors message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book's topic, positioning the author in his or her market. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at http://www.amarketingexpert.com.

My book review of Get Published Today! An Insider's Guide to Publishing Success by Penny C. Sansevieri.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with internationally acclaimed book marketing expert, founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. Author Marketing Experts, Inc., and author of the comprehensive and seminal book Get Published Today! An Insider's Guide to Publishing Success, Penny C. Sansevieri, as she describes how authors must recognize that they are in business and that their book is their product. Penny provides analysis of the rapidly changing publishing landscape, including the evolution of the major publishing houses, and the rise of self-publishing. Penny Sansevieri guides you through the intricacies of getting a book published to avoid any costly pitfalls that await the unwary author. She also shares her real world proven strategies for finding a target audience, promotion and marketing, and distributing the finished book. You will learn how to brand your book and yourself, as you become both a successful author and a thriving business on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Get Published Today! An Insider's Guide to Publishing Success, Penny C. Sansevieri, book publishing and marketing, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.