Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: 2nd Edition by Juana Bordas - Book review

Thursday, June 14, 2012



Salsa, Soul, and Spirit

Leadership for a Multicultural Age - Second Edition


By: Juana Bordas

Published: March 26, 2012
Format: Paperback, 248 pages
ISBN-10: 1609941179
ISBN-13: 978-1609941178
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers










"During my forty-five years of working in communities of color, I have listened to thousands of such life stories, and I know mine is not unique. Our stories are a collective journey, small streams forming a powerful river, a dynamic force that is restructuring our country into a multicultural society - and transforming American leadership", writes President of Mestiza Leadership International Juana Bordas is president of Mestiza Leadership International in Denver and vice president of the board of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, Juana Bordas, in her visionary and wisdom filled book Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age - Second Edition. The author describes the changes in demographics in America, the rich contributions made by people from communities of color, and the value of added diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas to the concept of leadership in the United States.

Juana Bordas understands that America is transforming into a multicultural society, with ever greater equality and opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds. The demographic changes in society reflect those of an ever more globalized economy and culture. At the same time, the author points out that increasing diversity is in complete harmony with the founding principles of the United States. Juana Bordas offers the experiences of Latin Americans, African Americans, and First Nations people as part of that dynamic of ever increasing racial and cultural diversity. The author demonstrates that the very different backgrounds and experiences of people, from communities of color, provides a valuable opportunity to enrich the leadership perspectives of organizations and government.



Juana Bordas (photo left) recognizes that Latin Americans, African Americans, and native Americans bring very important experiences and perspectives to any leadership roles. In the past, American leadership has largely stemmed from the White male point of view. The author provides an alternative vision to replace that limited perspective and worldview.

Juana Bordas offers the multicultural leadership model where many cultural perspectives, differences, unique contributions of diverse groups, and learning from many different cultures is encouraged and put into practice. In this fresh approach to leadership, people are encouraged to maintain their own cultural identity, while participating in and contributing to the larger diversity of the society.

Juana Bordas provides a vision and a framework framework for what she describes as infusing Salsa, Soul, and Spirit into the leadership model, creating a fresh and more diverse dynamic that benefits everyone. To achieve this vision, Juana Bordas proposes a new social covenant that brings the following principles of diversity into the mosaic:

* Sankofa: Learn from the past
* I to We: From individualism to collective identity
* Mi casa es su casa: A spirit of generosity
* A leader among equals: Community-conferred leadership
* Leaders as guardians of public values: A tradition of activism
* Leaders as community stewards: Working for the common good
* The seventh-generation rule: Inter-generational leadership
* All my relatives: La familia, the village, the tribe
* Gracias: Gratitude, hope, and forgiveness

For me, the power of the book is how Juana Bordas combines an insightful analysis of the transformation of American society into a multicultural milieu, with the framework to create a fresh social covenant. The author shares the timeless wisdom of people of Latin American, African American, and First Nations descent. This universal wisdom provides an opportunity to transform American leadership from the now outdated and failing White male model, to one that is multicultural, diverse, inclusive, and global.

Juana Bordas shares a vision of collective and collaborative leadership that is essential for moving forward in a globalized economy in general, and in a demographically changing America in particular. All areas of culture and the economy have benefited from, and been enriched by contributions made by people from communities of color. Leadership will also be enhanced and improved through the rich diversity that transformed American culture and society.

I highly recommend the pioneering and transformational book Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age - Second Edition by Juana Bordas, to anyone seeking a groundbreaking and much needed book on the importance of diversity for leadership theory and practice. This book offers the timeless wisdom of the Latino, African American, and Native American cultures, and transforms that vision into a new and inclusive social covenant for all people.

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Adapt: Why Success Always Starts With Failure by Tim Harford - Book review

Tuesday, June 12, 2012



Adapt

Why Success Always Starts with Failure


By: Tim Harford

Published: May 8, 2012
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1250007550
ISBN-13: 978-1250007551
Publisher: Picador










"What is striking about the market system is not how few failures there are, but how ubiquitous failure is even in the most vibrant growth industries", writes former economist at the World Bank and an economics tutor at Oxford University, Tim Harford, in his pioneering and thought provoking book Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure. The author describes why so much failure happens in an overall successful economic system, why failure is a crucial part of success, and adapting to shifting economic conditions and mistakes is so important for business.

Tim Harford understands that not only is the economy extremely complex, but even the activities, that take place within companies and in our daily lives, are also more intricate than is usually realized by many. Problems of ever increasing difficulty are becoming more economy on every scale. People have become used to looking to leaders to meet those challenges, overcome the obstacles, and provide useful solutions. Tim Harford points out that such is not the case, and that the typical solutions offered by leaders result in failure. The author presents a powerful alternative approach to traditional leadership models. This fresh model is based on adapting to circumstances, drawing on a very wide range of leaders and followers, and utilizing trial and error effectively to find innovative solutions.



Tim Harford (photo left) recognizes that the world is much too complex at every level, for experts to understand fully, and for standard solutions to be effective any longer. The author demonstrates how the usual strategies are insufficient to meet the challenges of complexity, and very often are the cause of catastrophic failure themselves.

Tim Harford offers compelling evidence that traditional hierarchical management systems, complex systems, and tightly coupled systems all carry elements of risk. When combined, the potential for disaster is multiplied many times over. These systems are all too often not able to adapt to the inevitable problems or disasters that may befall them.

Tim Harford provides evidence that complexity alone will not create catastrophic system failure, but when tightly coupled, or faced with non-adaptive leadership, then complexity can lead to complete system failure. The author presents the model of the adaptive organization, of the adaptive individual, as alternatives to the traditional approaches to leadership and strategy. The author recommends an adaptable model based on the following principles:

* Try new things expecting some of them to fail
* Make failure survivable through small steps on the proper scale
* Know when failure has happened to ensure learning from that failure

For me, the power of the book is how Tim Harford provides an entirely fresh approach to systems, based on embracing failure and adapting to even the most unexpected change. The author presents a systems based analysis of why failure happens, and how it can be catastrophic, limited, or the first step to creativity and innovation. Through a multidisciplinary methodology, Tim Harford draws from from widely diverse fields to gain insights into the problems facing other very different endeavors.

The key to the author's analysis is making the key connections between what appears on the surface to be widely disparate concepts. Instead, the author seeks analogy, relationships, and patterns. Tim Harford illustrates his concepts with cases and anecdotes that show the principles in action. Far from being a book that fears failure, it is a study that considers understanding and learning from failure the critical first step toward discovering real solutions to even the most challenging problems.

I highly recommend the insightful and systems driven book Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure by Tim Harford, to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the important role that failure' trial and error, and adapting to circumstances play in overall success in any field. This book provides a road map to recognizing failure, and learning from those mistakes, to create innovative and effective solutions.

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Geek Nation by Angela Saini - Book review




Geek Nation

How Indian Science Is Taking Over the World


By: Angela Saini

Published: May 8, 2012
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 1444710168
ISBN-13: 978-1444710168
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton












"This impoverished tea- and cotton-growing backwater is starting to reclaim the scientific legacy that it lost thousands of years ago. Staring into the clouds at the rocket, which has now disappeared completely, I ask myself, how on earth did they do it?" writes award-winning independent journalist based in London, Angela Saini, in her engaging and deeply personal book Geek Nation: How Indian Science Is Taking Over the World. The author describes the rise of science, scientific and engineering education, geek culture, and the many contradictions within these fields as Indian scientists make their mark in the global economy.

Angela Saini recognizes the rich history of science in India, and its towering achievements that went almost forgotten for centuries. Building on that glorious past of learning and discovery, a new generation of Indian students are achieving outstanding results in science, engineering, technology, and space exploration. The author sets out to discover this scientific, and yes geek oriented society, within the vast and developing country of India. Ranging from students winning awards for learning and scholarship on a worldwide basis, to the enormous pressure for high marks in the ultra competitive educational system, to the desperation to escape poverty, the author finds the contradictions of Indian culture itself superimposed on an emerging scientific and technological superpower.



Angela Saini (photo left) presents a fascinating account of how former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a vision of a modern country based on science, advanced technology logic. While that dream is already partially realized, the author points out how in many ways, the ideal has turned into a misshapen distopia. While Indian scientists have created and developed an advanced space program, scientific study has devolved into rote memorization with very limited creative thinking and innovation. At the same time, as is so evident by the usual paradoxes so evident in the book, is how despite these limitations, advances in science and technology are taking place in India.

The author offers evidence that India's younger scientists and engineers are seeking high paying jobs as their primary goal, but they are also achieving breakthroughs as an additional result. The author shows how the young technology geeks and drones are both part of India's social and educational systems. Despite these challenges, India remains poised to rise to the forefront of global science, technology, and engineering through a combination of large numbers of graduates and national will.

For me, the power of the book is how Angela Saini presents an intimate, yet panoramic overview of India as a potential scientific and technology superpower. Despite its enormous steps forward, India still faces many challenges from its complex social, religious, and political structure. In a vast nation, where not everyone has access to clean water, food, or the basic necessities of life, incredible strides are being made in scientific breakthroughs. Many of those discoveries, and technological advances grew out of the need to improve the lives of one billion Indian inhabitants.

Gaps between rich and poor are enormous, with gleaming towers side by side with shantytowns. Students are driven hard to achieve top scholastic scores and places in highly competitive universities. Paradoxically, these seemingly disparate events work together to create the conditions for even more advancement of this emerging scientific superpower.

I highly recommend the insightful and eye opening book Geek Nation: How Indian Science Is Taking Over the World by Angela Saini, to anyone seeking a refreshing and honest appraisal of the emerging technological superpower that is India. This book provides both a close up view of the people involved in the scientific revolution that is propelling India into the global technological forefront.

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Sarah Gilbert: Publishing Options For Authors - Blog Business Success Radio

Monday, June 11, 2012
Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Manager of Services Sales and Account Management at self publishing firm Lulu.com, Sarah Gilbert describes the process of self publishing a book and how authors can benefit from the flexibility it provides. Sarah Gilbert demonstrates how self publishing works and how it different from traditional publishing. Sarah offers some ideas about how technology and the rise of the ebook have transformed self publishing books. She also shares some advice for becoming a successful self published author. Sarah provides her insights into how self published titles can boost the reputation of a business person as an authority in their field. Sarah also points out that self published books offer a powerful fundraising option for non-profit organization. Sarah Gilbert provides her insights into the future of ebooks and of self publishing; and what changes are down the road for authors and the publishing industry.

Sarah Gilbert is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, June 14, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Manager of Services Sales and Account Management at self publishing firm Lulu.com, Sarah Gilbert describes the process of self publishing a book and how authors can benefit from the flexibility it provides. Sarah Gilbert demonstrates how self publishing works and how it different from traditional publishing. You will learn:

* How self publishing works and how it differs from traditional publishing

* How the rise of ebooks has transformed self publishing

* How authors can become successful self published authors

* How business people and non-profit organizations can benefit from self publishing



Sarah Gilbert (photo left) has been advising authors for years as the Manager of Services Sales and Account Management at Lulu.com. Her specialty is unearthing the needs of independent authors and setting a plan of action to help them achieve success. In addition to working with authors, Sarah is directly involved in services product development and educating communities of writers.

Recent engagements include Let’s Talk Live on News Channel 8 in Washington, DC, Self Publishing Tips Seminar at The Garden Writer’s Association Annual conference, and speaking on the topic of Open Publishing at many local universities.

Sarah’s enthusiasm for publishing is also shown outside of Lulu as she has initiated and managed local projects for fundraising using Lulu products like the Lacy Elementary Calendar Fundraiser and the Raleigh Cooks cookbook.

Previous to her career in publishing, Sarah was a teacher of foreign language grades kindergarten through 12. She is a graduate of Meredith College in Raleigh, NC and in her free time enjoys playing outside with her husband and two boys.

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

BlogTalkRadio.com

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.

Add to iTunes

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

Let's talk with Manager of Services Sales and Account Management at self publishing firm Lulu.com, Sarah Gilbert, as she describes the process of self publishing a book and how authors can benefit from the flexibility it provides. Sarah Gilbert demonstrates how self publishing works and how it different from traditional publishing. Sarah offers some ideas about how technology and the rise of the ebook have transformed self publishing books. She also shares some advice for becoming a successful self published author. Sarah provides her insights into how self published titles can boost the reputation of a business person as an authority in their field. Sarah also points out that self published books offer a powerful fundraising option for non-profit organization. Sarah Gilbert provides her insights into the future of ebooks and of self publishing; and what changes are down the road for authors and the publishing industry on Blog Business Success Radio.

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Barry Moltz & Becky McCray: Small Town Rules - Blog Business Success Radio

Sunday, June 10, 2012
Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Entrepreneurs, consultants, and co-authors of the paradigm shifting and very practical book Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy, Barry J. Moltz and Becky McCray describe how the same wisdom that created viable and long lasting businesses in small towns, forms the basis for success for even the largest companies and brands. The authors demonstrate how in the modern marketplace where enormous societal, technological, and economic transformation is taking place are recreating the world as one large small town. The authors provide the concepts that created competitive advantage in small communities through personal relationships, reputation, and trust. Those same qualities are at work in the global technology based economy as well. As a result, the wisdom that created success in small towns becomes the source of competitive advantage in the global marketplace as well. The authors share what they call their small town rules for building companies and brands on the human scale that forms the backbone of small town businesses.

Barry Moltz and Becky McCray are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, June 12, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Entrepreneurs, consultants, and co-authors of the paradigm shifting and very practical book Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy, Barry J. Moltz and Becky McCray describe how the same wisdom that created viable and long lasting businesses in small towns, forms the basis for success for even the largest companies and brands. You will learn:

* How the world has changed to embrace small community style relationships

* Why small town businesses have much to teach even the largest companies

* How technology has transformed the world into one very large small town

* What are the small town rules and how to put them into practice




Barry J. Moltz (photo left)gets small businesses unstuck. He has founded and run small businesses with a great deal of success and failure for more than 15 years.

After successfully selling his last operating business, Barry has branched out into a number of entrepreneurship-related activities. He founded an angel investor group, an angel fund, and is a former advisory member of the board of the Angel Capital Education Foundation.

His first book, You Need to Be A Little Crazy: The Truth about Starting and Growing Your Business describes the ups and downs and emotional trials of running a business. It is in its fourth reprint and has been translated into Chinese, Russian, Korean and Thai. His second book, Bounce! Failure, Resiliency and the Confidence to Achieve Your Next Great Success, shows what it takes to comeback and develop true business confidence. His third book is called, BAM! Delivering Customer Service in a Self-Service World which shows how social media and self service have changed customers service forever! His fourth book, "Small Town Rules", comes out in April 2012.

Barry is a nationally recognized expert on entrepreneurship who has given hundreds of presentations to audiences ranging from 20 to 20,000. He was appointed by the Illinois Governor in 2005 to serve as Chairman of the board of the Institute for Entrepreneurship Education (IIEE). As a member of the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, he also has taught entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has appeared on many TV and radio programs such as The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, NPR and The Tavis Smiley Show.



Becky McCray (photo left) says that small businesses and small towns matter. She is a small town business owner, with a retail store and a cattle ranch in Woods County, Oklahoma. She also heads a consulting firm that helps small town governments in Oklahoma with project management. Together with Sheila Scarborough, she co-founded Tourism Currents to teach tourism professionals new ways of marketing their destination.

She has been featured in The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and Entrepreneur Magazine. She publishes the popular website, Small Biz Survival, on small town business. All of this from her home base in Hopeton, Oklahoma, a community of 30 people.

My book review of Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy by Barry Moltz and Becky McCray.

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

BlogTalkRadio.com

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.

Add to iTunes

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

Let's talk with entrepreneurs, consultants, and co-authors of the paradigm shifting and very practical book Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy, Barry J. Moltz and Becky McCray, as they describe how the same wisdom that created viable and long lasting businesses in small towns, forms the basis for success for even the largest companies and brands. The authors demonstrate how in the modern marketplace where enormous societal, technological, and economic transformation is taking place are recreating the world as one large small town. The authors provide the concepts that created competitive advantage in small communities through personal relationships, reputation, and trust. Those same qualities are at work in the global technology based economy as well. As a result, the wisdom that created success in small towns becomes the source of competitive advantage in the global marketplace as well. The authors share what they call their small town rules for building companies and brands on the human scale that forms the backbone of small town businesses on Blog Business Success Radio.


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Small Town Rules by Barry Moltz & Becky McCray - Book review

Friday, June 8, 2012



Small Town Rules

How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy


By: Barry J. Moltz, Becky McCray

Published: April 2, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
ISBN-10: 0789749203
ISBN-13: 978-0789749208
Publisher: Que










"The customers of every company now behave like they live in a small town. As a result, companies now need to play by a new set of rules: small town rules", write small town business owner Becky McCray, and entrepreneur and consultant Barry J. Moltz, in their paradigm shifting and very practical book Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy. The authors describe how the forces of technology, social change, and globalized economies have changed the world into one very large small town; and provide their strategies for thriving as a small town style business.



Barry J. Moltz (photo left) and Becky McCray are long time residents and entrepreneurs in small towns. They apply their experience in small communities to what they call the new realities of local, national, and global marketplaces. Indeed, the authors describe the dynamics that drive the very personal nature of small town business success, are the very same principles that lead to success in today's challenging economic circumstances. Small town entrepreneurs have experienced and overcame all of the obstacles that confront companies and brands; including the very largest corporations in the world. The author share their proven small town business principles, and demonstrate how those same concepts form the core of today's business environment, regardless of the scale.



Becky McCray (photo left) and Barry Moltz understand that people in small towns know one another, and talk and share ideas with each other. This same phenomenon takes place in online communities, where ideas, product reviews, and company reputations are shared readily and often. People want to form communities, making the small town comparison much more than a simple analogy. It is an important insight by the authors. People want to do business on a human scale, preferably with other community members who they know, like, and trust.

The authors present their small town rules a guide for any sizes of business to prosper in a connected economy. The small town rules are:

* Plan for zero income in hard times
* Spend creative brainpower before spending money
* Multiply lines of income to diversify risk
* Work anywhere, anywhen with technology
* Treat customers like community
* Be proud of being small
* Build local connections

For me, the power of the book is how Becky McCray and Barry Moltz provide a comprehensive guide to understanding the importance of small town business practices, as a basis for success, in the modern marketplace. In a technological economy, where people form communities for sharing ideas, reviews, and information on companies and their brands, the structure of the small town is reconstructed electronically. As small towns, the same principles apply that formed the foundation of prosperity for generations of businesses in small towns. The authors share the wisdom and practicality that made these businesses viable and able to withstand ever changing economic conditions.

For large companies, the vagaries of the local, national, and global economies are something new. These shifting conditions are well known and understood in small town economies. The proprietors of these local businesses understand well the critical importance of building relationships based on trust and the human touch. These lessons are well understood in small town businesses, and they form the base of success for the largest companies and most famous brands as well.

I highly recommend the engaging and wisdom filled book Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy by Barry J. Moltz and Becky McCray, to any business leaders, executives, brand managers, and entrepreneurs who are seeking a guide to navigating the community based technological enabled marketplace. This book will provide the time tested strategies and techniques that formed the backbone of the long lasting businesses that line the main streets of the nation's small towns and villages.

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Race, Housing & Community by Harris Beider - Book review

Wednesday, June 6, 2012



Race, Housing and Community

Perspectives on Policy and Practice


By: Harris Beider

Published: March 20, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1405196963
ISBN-13: 978-1405196963
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell













"Housing has been a key metaphor for race and community cohesion. Indeed, housing publications have illuminated the discourse on race and more latterly, community cohesion. Policy analysts have generated research, guidance and impact measures on race and community cohesion", writes Professor in Community Cohesion at Coventry University, Harris Beider, in his research based and policy oriented book Race, Housing and Community: Perspectives on Policy and Practice. The author describes the dynamics of race, housing, and community cohesion through a systematic approach to stimulate discussion and debate on these topics.

Harris Beider understands that the intertwined topics of race, housing and community cohesion are not simply esoteric and theoretical issues for the exclusive consideration by academics. Instead, the author proposes finding common ground for discussion between both the academic community and policy makers. Harris Beider considers this fusion of ideas and worldviews to form a foundation, for developing a new agenda, for a more full discussion. To create context, the author provides a background to how contributions from academics contributed to public policy decisions; and the limitations of that former approach to the topics.



Harris Beider (photo left) provides an overview and analysis of the key trends taking place in housing and race that are taking place in contemporary society. The book focuses on race and housing. The author presents evidence to recommend the necessity of developing a new framework for discussion and policy making. The latter part of the book offers an alternative framework, but prior to discussing a new approach, the author considers it important to understand the failings of the existing concepts.

Harris Beider describes the shortcomings of the existing paradigms that exist in the current literature on the subjects. He points out that these typologies have created the basis for legislation and other public policy formulation. The existing frameworks include:

* Passive culturalism
* Social conflict,politics, and power
* Choice and constraint
* Cultural resistance

For me the power of the book is how Harris Beider creates a fresh approach to creating policy alternatives for addressing race, housing, and community cohesion. The author demonstrates the limitations of the previous approaches to the topics, and how they were all failures in very fundamental ways. The author also recognizes the shifting demographics of the different groups and cultures, rendering much of the previous paradigm outdated and ineffective. Harris Beider offers the idea of opening dialogue between academics, policy makers, and the communities.

While not prescribing specific policy measures, the author places his emphasis on creating an effective process of creating a fusion and synthesis of ideas and approaches. Out of this cross pollination of ideas from different sectors, new and effective solutions, policies, and programs are the expected result. Even if those concepts have limitations, the dialogue remains to discover even more effective ideas and policies in the future.

I highly recommend the systematic and framework focused book Race, Housing and Community: Perspectives on Policy and Practice by Harris Beider, to anyone in academia, students of race and housing, public policy makers, business leaders, and community organizers who are seeking a workable framework approach to the topics of race, housing, and community cohesion. This book will open the dialogue to creating a fusion of ideas to further the conversation to create stronger community relations and cohesion.

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The Shopper Economy by Liz Crawford - Book review

Monday, June 4, 2012


The Shopper Economy

The New Way to Achieve Marketplace Success by Turning Behavior into Currency


By: Liz Crawford

Published: March 20, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0071787178
ISBN-13: 978-0071787178
Publisher: McGraw-Hill











"Looking at how consumers were trading their time, attention, and behavior was a way of studying a new kind of economy: the shopper economy", writes analyst and contributing writer for the Path to Purchase Institute, Liz Crawford, in her groundbreaking and thought provoking book The Shopper Economy: The New Way to Achieve Marketplace Success by Turning Behavior into Currency. The author describes the transformation of the consumer into a shopper, trading in their new currency of behavior, forming the base of the new shopper economy.

Liz Crawford recognizes the power of technology in the shift from consumer to shopper. The access to readily available technology for price comparison removed the power from the advertising agencies, and even from the brands themselves. Along with the ability to compare price, shoppers became able to read peer reviews, and even discover levels of available inventory. With these technological advances, brands and marketers found the need to get timely messages to their customers. The result was shopper marketing, where buyers are treated as shoppers on a road to purchase, and became essential for the success of marketing and brands.



Liz Crawford (photo left) understands that shopper behavior has a real and tangible value in the shopper economy. The author points out that the behavior is indeed a currency, and that behavior even has an exchange rate. Shoppers expend time and energy, evaluated the value of the return on their time, and became part of the exchange process.

Liz Crawford describes four types behavior that form the basis of the exchange:

* Attention
* Participation
* Advocacy
* Loyalty

Each of these behaviors is a currency that earns digital currency that the author refers to as shopper currency. Any form of this digital currency that can redeemed for virtual or real world goods and services is described as virtual currency. The entire concept of shopper marketing provides a framework, for putting these behaviors to work for the brand, through an understanding the behavior of the shopper.

For me, the power of the book is how Liz Crawford provides a fresh paradigm of the shopper economy, based on the concept of shopper behavior. At the same time, the author also demonstrates that the behavior is also measurable as a form of currency. Liz Crawford points out as well, that far from being a problem for brands, the new shopper economy model provides brands with a powerful marketing opportunity. The newly informed and empowered customer does much of the marketing work on behalf of the brand, based on their active behavior.

Liz Crawford shows brand marketers how to assess and measure the activities of shoppers effectively through the use of real and virtual rewards. The result is better return on investment, and less wasted activity on the part of both the customer and the brand. Every action of the shopper becomes part of the ongoing pathway to a buying transaction.

I highly recommend the innovative and insightful book The Shopper Economy: The New Way to Achieve Marketplace Success by Turning Behavior into Currency by Liz Crawford, to any business decision makers, brand managers, marketers, and entrepreneurs who are seeking a description of the evolving marketplace and how to create opportunities through those changes. This book will change the way you think about brands, customers, and how the entire shopping experience takes place in the new shopper economy.

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Cindy Dunne, Director: Brock University Co-op Programs - Interview

Sunday, June 3, 2012


Director of Co-op Education at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about the Co-op Education Programs at Brock University. Cindy Dunne describes the value and importance of co-op educational opportunities for both students and employers. She shares information on how Baby Boomer executives can get involved in the co-op educational process through hiring graduates, mentorship programs, and recruitment.

Thanks to Cindy Dunne for her time, and for her very comprehensive and informative responses. They are greatly appreciated.

You are director of Co-op Education at Brock University. What is a co-op program and how does it work?

Cindy Dunne: Co-op education offers a valuable opportunity for students to enhance their education by acquiring career-related work experience before graduation. Students gain practical experience, develop a network of contacts, and obtain a better understanding of careers in their field. Co-operative education is an academic program with alternating periods of work experience. The student is engaged in academically relevant and meaningful work.

How does a co-op program differ from an internship?

Cindy Dunne: Internship means many different things to different institutions. Some institutions define an internship as an extended period of employment (8-16 months) that may be paid or unpaid, while another institution might define an internship as an unpaid placement that may be part-time in nature and awarded academic credit. Co-op on the other hand has a very specific and commonly referred to definition as stated by the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education:

Direct from CAFCE website:

"Co-operative Education Program means a program which alternates periods of academic study with periods of work experience in appropriate fields of business, industry, government, social services and the professions in accordance with the following criteria:

(i) each work situation is developed and/or approved by the co-operative educational institution as a suitable learning situation;

(ii) the co-operative student is engaged in productive work rather than merely observing;

(iii) the co-operative student receives remuneration for the work performed;

(iv) the co-operative student's progress on the job is monitored by the co-operative educational institution;

(v) the co-operative student's performance on the job is supervised and evaluated by the student's co-operative employer;

(vi) the time spent in periods of work experience must be at least thirty per cent of the time spent in academic study.”
Source: CAFCE 2007

You describe co-op programs as an employment strategy for business. What do you mean by that?

Cindy Dunne: Attracting and selecting the right person for the job is a critical activity. With fewer and fewer hires being made, recruiting the right person with the skills and competencies required is taking on greater importance within corporations. Assuming an organization has identified key positions within the organization upon which they rely, a sophisticated talent acquisition strategy involves a pipeline approach.

Co-op students provide relief for short-term peaks in workload, or special projects and research; hiring a co-op student is a cost-effective and low-risk means of recruiting and evaluating potential permanent hires. With the looming wave of retirements anticipated in the private and public sector, hiring students is critical to securing employees for the future and cultivating their knowledge of the business.

While many companies have scaled back, or completely eliminated their on-campus recruiting efforts, savvy organizations recognize that maintaining a campus presence in light of reduced competition allows them access to the best and brightest talent available from the student population. Maintaining a campus presence and hiring co-op students when full-time hiring is restricted allows companies the opportunities to build their company brand and position themselves as an employer of choice.

Recruiting directly from University or College programs for specific skills and/or technical training is a very effective in acquiring talent trained in the newest concepts, theories and state of the art technologies. Companies benefit by participating in on-campus recruitment by avoiding the expenditures related to costly advertisements and search firm fees.



How can a co-op program assist Baby Boomer executives nearing retirement with their business succession plans?

Cindy Dunne: The anticipated retirements of the Baby Boom generation requires managers and executives to think about planned exits from the organization and having a ready successor to fill key vacancies within. Typically, those vacancies are filled by internal candidates in an organization, but many organizations have scaled back hiring over the past number of years, reduced spending on skills training and now find themselves facing a shortage of skilled labour within their companies.

Co-op students provide the strategic pipeline of skilled labour needed to address deficiencies in the future. It is well documented that employers providing meaningful employment and learning experiences for students are likely to retain student hires for permanent positions in the future. In fact, 97% of co-op students at Brock return to a previous co-op employer for full-time employment upon graduation.

Taking the time to identify key positions within the organization, and developing the competencies in junior staff to build the organizations skill portfolio is a strategic investment in the sustainability of the organization.

Is there a demand for students who are in or completing a co-op program?

Cindy Dunne: Despite the economic downturn and apparent decline in permanent hires, co-op programs at Brock University continue to be a source of short term hires for many organizations. Innovative and progressive organizations rely upon advanced training provided by post-secondary institutions. Organizations are waking up to the realization that reactive recruiting is no longer an option and that finding qualified candidates is difficult.

Strategic recruiters and managers know that building business and technical competence is a business necessity; they are more concerned with building organization readiness and capacity and less so with finding applicants. As stated previously, organizations recruiting co-op students make an investment in the students’ training, mentorship, organization knowledge and technical skills with an eye toward long term hiring. 97% of co-op students at Brock return to a previous co-op employer for permanent hire following graduation.

Temporary leaves, vacation, retirements, budget cuts, and peaks in work load leave organizations short staffed and challenged to meet company business goals. Resourceful managers find temporary support using co-op students to handle more complex tasks. Employers can use co-op students to fill labour needs with or without a long-term commitment.

How can Baby Boomer business leaders invest in a co-op program for the benefit of both the student and their entire organization?

Cindy Dunne: An effective mentoring relationship is necessary for all parties to benefit from a co-op experience. We want the experience of hiring a Brock Co-op student to be as productive as possible and to ensure maximum contribution. Mentorship can be undertaken by both experienced and inexperienced co-op employers and our Co-op Office assists mangers by providing checklists, orientation suggestions, ideas for work term assignments, performance management tools and much more.

Co-op students require some direction and leadership. The general principle of a co-op placement is to provide the student with meaningful experience which they can learn from and apply to their studies while he/she provides substantial contributions to the business. The whole work term is a continual learning process, and as such, there are rather obvious, but essential roles to be filled in a co-op placement. While the specific role of the student may be different for every assignment, their general role is to fulfill a need in the workplace and perform to a set standard of productivity.

In the beginning, an organization will provide the Co-op Office with a job posting which we can distribute to our co-op students. The posting describes the type of work along with the competencies and attributes being sought in a new hire. After the posting has been received, it will be put up on our job posting board and distributed to our students. Students will be instructed to apply internally to our website or directly to a company website.

Upon receiving the resumes, recruiters/managers will then select those candidates whom they wish to interview. Our Co-op staff will assist with making all interview arrangements to suit organization needs and availability. Once the interviews have been completed, the company contact will inform the Co-op Office of which student(s) to extend offers of employment.

With so many companies competing for similar skills, our best and brightest often enjoy multiple offers of employment. Students will work for a 16 week (extended work terms are available), paid work term. The work terms begin at the start of May, September or January.

The benefits for the students will be learning on the job and developing meaningful experience which they can relate back to their academic studies. The benefits to the employer include a year-round access to a pool of qualified and creative business students, recruitment and strategy support, and government wage and subsidy programs just to name a few.

Where does Brock University rank in relation to other Canadian universities in offering co-op programs?

Cindy Dunne: Brock offers a wide variety of co-op program offerings; 32 to be exact. Students are available in business, accounting; full range of sciences; liberal arts; and social sciences (undergraduate and graduate level programs). Approximately 2600 students participate in a co-op option of a degree program at Brock positioning us as one of the largest co-op institutions in Ontario and nationally. In addition, we offer Canada’s largest Business Co-op Program.

What is next for Cindy Dunne and for the Brock University Co-op Program?

Cindy Dunne: It is a University wide plan to work locally to grow employment opportunities in Niagara. The Niagara Region is a beautiful place to live, work and play, and as we transition from a primarily manufacturing based community to a knowledge based economy, I believe Brock University plays a pivotal role in building talent capacity for the jobs of the future in Niagara. Brock is a beacon of innovation for the Niagara Region and our students are inspired by relevant and current programs of study; top notch research facilities; and engaged and informed faculty.

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Larry Ackerman: The Identity Code - Blog Business Success Radio

Saturday, June 2, 2012
Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Leading authority on personal and organizational identity, founder and president of The Identity Circle LLC, and author of the inspirational and life transforming book The Identity Code: The 8 Essential Questions for Finding Your Purpose and Place in the World, Larry Ackerman, describes how the secret to the purpose to your life is already coded into your life as your identity code. Much like a genetic code, the identity code provides a complete map of your life purpose. Larry Ackerman provides his eight essential questions for discovering your own identity code, and for using it to transform and empower your life. Larry guides you through the process of unlocking your own diversity code to empower you, freeing you to enhance your own personal passions and destiny. Learn how the identity code will help establish more fulfilling relationships, enhance your career, and even guide you to hobbies that you may enjoy with passion.

Larry Ackerman is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, June 7, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Leading authority on personal and organizational identity, founder and president of The Identity Circle LLC, and author of the inspirational and life transforming book The Identity Code: The 8 Essential Questions for Finding Your Purpose and Place in the World, Larry Ackerman, describes how the secret to the purpose to your life is already coded into your life as your identity code. You will learn:

* Why your unique identity code is like your genetic code

* How understanding your identity code will free and empower you

* What are the eight essential questions for unlocking your own identity code

* How to utilize the questions for your own journey to your life purpose



Larry Ackerman (photo left) is a leading authority on organizational and personal identity. He is the founder and president of The Identity Circle LLC, an identity consulting, education and research firm based in Westport, Connecticut. The firm helps organizations and individuals clarify their uniqueness and potential, and then assists them in putting that potential to work in ways that dramatically improve their performance, impact and reputations.

Prior to forming The Identity Circle, Larry was a senior executive with leading corporate brand and identity consulting firms including Siegel & Gale and Anspach Grossman Portugal.

In a professional career spanning more than 25 years, Mr. Ackerman has helped meet some of the most complex challenges facing large organizations struggling to distinguish themselves in their fields. As a personal coach to senior executives, as well as consultant to their organizations, his insights have helped many leaders discover the keys not just to survive, but to flourish.

Larry’s consulting experience is international and multi-industry in scope. He has directed assignments for such diverse companies as AARP, Aetna, The American Academy of Family Physicians, Baxter Healthcare, Boise Cascade, Dow Chemical, EDS, Fidelity Investments, Gates Corporation, Interbrew, Lockheed Martin, Maytag, National Australia Bank, Norsk Hydro, State Farm Insurance, Ernst & Young, and Westinghouse.

Larry has published two ground-breaking books on identity. In his first book, Identity Is Destiny: Leadership and the Roots of Value Creation (Berrett-Koehler, 2000), the author set forth a revolutionary view of the nature of identity and its impact on leadership and management. In his second book, The Identity Code: The 8 Essential Questions for Finding Your Purpose and Place in the World (Random House, 2006), Larry asserts that we “cannot be anything we want to be;” but rather, that long term fulfillment comes when we live by the ‘identity code’ that defines our unique value-creating potential.

Mr. Ackerman has been a guest lecturer at the Yale School of Management, Wharton, UCLA’s Anderson School and Pepperdine University. Larry is a top-rated speaker for The Conference Board, and a regular keynote speaker for senior management meetings among global companies.

Mr. Ackerman attended Carnegie-Mellon University and Boston University and resides in Westport, Connecticut with his wife Janet and son Max.

My book review of The Identity Code: The 8 Essential Questions for Finding Your Purpose and Place in the World by Larry Ackerman.

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

BlogTalkRadio.com

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.

Add to iTunes

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

Let's talk with leading authority on personal and organizational identity, founder and president of The Identity Circle LLC, and author of the inspirational and life transforming book The Identity Code: The 8 Essential Questions for Finding Your Purpose and Place in the World, Larry Ackerman, as he describes how the secret to the purpose to your life is already coded into your life as your identity code. Much like a genetic code, the identity code provides a complete map of your life purpose. Larry Ackerman provides his eight essential questions for discovering your own identity code, and for using it to transform and empower your life. Larry guides you through the process of unlocking your own diversity code to empower you, freeing you to enhance your own personal passions and destiny. Learn how the identity code will help establish more fulfilling relationships, enhance your career, and even guide you to hobbies that you may enjoy with passion on Blog Business Success Radio.

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The Identity Code by Larry Ackerman - Book review

Friday, June 1, 2012



The Identity Code

The 8 Essential Questions for Finding Your Purpose and Place in the World


By: Larry Ackerman

Published: December 27, 2005
Format: Hardcover: 208 pages
ISBN-10: 1400064171
ISBN-13: 978-1400064175
Publisher: Random House










"This book is designed to introduce you to yourself. Not the person you see in the mirror, physically speaking, or the one people necessarily interact with every day, but the person inside. The powerful one", writes leading authority on organizational and personal identity, Larry Ackerman, in his inspirational and life transforming book The Identity Code: The 8 Essential Questions for Finding Your Purpose and Place in the World. The author describes how who a person really is has already been built into them in the form of their identity code.

Larry Ackerman understands that for a person to know who they really are, as well as their purpose and destiny in life, they must crack their own identity code.The author makes the bold statement, that the identity code is so powerful, that you are already the person you were meant to be in life. This concept goes against the conventional wisdom that a person can be whatever they want to be life. Instead, Larry Ackerman presents the identity code as a map to the real person within, in a similar way that a person's DNA forms their genetic code. For the author, answering the eight questions that help to uncover an individual's identity code unlocks the outline of one's life. For the author, this self discovery process creates both a stronger and a larger identity, that has a positive effect, on every aspect of life.



Larry Ackerman (photo left) recognizes the importance of a transformation to a larger life through uncovering the personal identity code. A person who discovers their own identity code is able to apply its powerful force to everything in their life, from their personal relationships, to their overall careers. With the author considering personal freedom to be a myth, and that the life imperative encoded within the self, Larry Ackerman points out the liberating aspect of this personal revelation. While a person can't be anything they want to be, the individual will be much more powerful in the areas of their passion and interest,

Larry Ackerman outlines the eight essential questions that accompany and guide the journey toward understanding one's own unique identity code. The eight questions are as follows:

* Who am I?
* What makes me special?
* Is there a pattern to my life?
* Where am I going?
* What is my gift?
* Who can I trust?
* What is my message?
* Will my life be rich?

For me, the power of the book is how Larry Ackerman takes the unconventional position that a person cannot be anything they want, and then offers the reasons as to why this is the case. The author presents a compelling case for the existence of a personal identity code, and provides the steps and questions for unlocking the messages within that code. The process is through the answering and understanding of the eight essential questions that form the heart of the book.

Each question is composed of three parts: the story that brings forth insights and lessons; the promise to understand accept the self; and the pathways to prepare for change. The author provides a series of exercises to help understand the identity code and how to map it for oneself. The map creates a starting point to move forward to the next phase of understanding oneself more deeply.

I highly recommend the engaging and deeply personal understanding based book The Identity Code: The 8 Essential Questions for Finding Your Purpose and Place in the World by Larry Ackerman, to anyone seeking to discover the true purpose and destiny for their lives. This book will guide you on that critical path to self discovery that will transform your life to one with purpose and empowerment.

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Mark Miller: Great Leaders GROW: Becoming A Leader For Life - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Vice-President, Training and Development for Chick-fil-A, and co-author along with Ken Blanchard, of the inspirational and wisdom filled book Great Leaders GROW: Becoming a Leader for Life, Mark Miller , describes how successful leaders don't rest on their accomplishments, but continue to learn, grow, and develop as leaders and as people. Mark Miller provides ideas about how personal development is also leadership development. Leaders who continue to grow personally, continue to improve as their influence and effectiveness as leaders. On the other hand, leaders who fail to grow lose their influence, and eventually their leadership roles as well. Leaders can decide to grow, and Mark Miller shares the process with the GROW leadership development principles. Leaders face new challenges in the increasingly globalized economy, and the old solutions simply will not work anymore. A leader who chooses to grow and enter a path of life long learning and development will be prepared to meet those challenges.

Mark Miller is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

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

Vice-President, Training and Development for Chick-fil-A, and co-author along with Ken Blanchard, of the inspirational and wisdom filled book Great Leaders GROW: Becoming a Leader for Life, Mark Miller , describes how successful leaders don't rest on their accomplishments, but continue to learn, grow, and develop as leaders and as people. You will learn:

* Why leaders must continue to grow as people or risk stagnation

* Why leaders who fail to grow lose influence and even their leadership roles

* How to apply the GROW principles of leadership and personal development

* How growing prepares a leader to meet the challenges of the global economy




Mark Miller (photo left) is a business leader, best-selling author and communicator.

Mark began his Chick-fil-A career working as an hourly team member in 1977. In 1978, Mark joined the corporate staff working in the warehouse and mailroom. Since that time, he has provided leadership for Corporate Communications, Field Operations, Quality and Customer Satisfaction, Training and Development, and today he serves as the Vice President for the newly formed Organizational Effectiveness function. During his time with Chick-fil-A, annual sales have grown to over $4 billion. The company has more than 1,600 restaurants in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

Mark began writing about a decade ago. He teamed up with Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager to write The Secret : What Great Leaders Know and Do. Today, almost 400,000 copies of The Secret are in print, and it has been translated into more than 20 languages. Recently, he released The Secret of Teams which outlines some of the key lessons learned from a 20 year study on what makes some teams outperform the rest. His newest book,Great Leaders GROW: Becoming a Leader for Life, was released in February 2012 and was co-authored with Ken Blanchard.

In addition to his writing, Mark loves speaking to leaders. Over the years, he’s traveled extensively around the world teaching for numerous international organizations. His theme is always the same: encouraging and equipping leaders. His topics include leadership, creativity, team building, and more.

Mark has an active lifestyle. As a photographer, he enjoys shooting in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places, including Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp and the jungles of Rwanda.

My book review of Great Leaders GROW: Becoming a Leader for Life by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller.

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

BlogTalkRadio.com

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.

Add to iTunes

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

Let's talk with Vice-President, Training and Development for Chick-fil-A, and co-author along with Ken Blanchard, of the inspirational and wisdom filled book Great Leaders GROW: Becoming a Leader for Life, Mark Miller , as he describes how successful leaders don't rest on their accomplishments, but continue to learn, grow, and develop as leaders and as people. Mark Miller provides ideas about how personal development is also leadership development. Leaders who continue to grow personally, continue to improve as their influence and effectiveness as leaders.

On the other hand, leaders who fail to grow lose their influence, and eventually their leadership roles as well. Leaders can decide to grow, and Mark Miller shares the process with the GROW leadership development principles. Leaders face new challenges in the increasingly globalized economy, and the old solutions simply will not work anymore. A leader who chooses to grow and enter a path of life long learning and development will be prepared to meet those challenges on Blog Business Success Radio.

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

Wednesday, May 30, 2012



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.

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