From more than 140 CEO interviews, the New York Times columnist distills insights and strategies to help growing organizations avoid becoming calcified, stodgy, complacent. Jeff Gurner's narration captures the urgency of the author's lesson without sounding alarmist or dramatic. With his pleasing voice and effortless businesslike phrasing, his performance is fitting for this outstanding writing. In the first half of the book, chapters focus on creating nimble cultures while later chapters deal with how to sustain such cultures once an organization matures. All chapters begin with a lucid theme or question that is elaborated on with deftly organized quotes from a selection of CEOs. The quotes are riveting, and, with the help of the narrator's pitch-perfect delivery, they create a stirring and highly useful audio.
Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781427236241
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The readers can't compensate for the unbearably pompous prose style of this extended parable about corporate politics and strategy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.
Barbara Henslee narrates with an intimate, upbeat delivery and a sunny Southern warmth that feels like being personally recruited to the Mary Kay empire. Her voice suits the material perfectly, drawing listeners into a bygone era when women built empires through gatherings around kitchen tables and on front porches, long before they could open their own bank accounts. Henslee never oversells, just gently persuades, mirroring the company’s own quiet pitch to millions of women that economic independence and personal transformation were within reach. The balanced treatment of the realities of multilevel marketing, alongside the truly inspirational story of founder Mary Kay Ash, make this a compelling listen for anyone curious about the often mocked world of direct sales.
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281879
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
