A practical resource for business leaders looking for strategies to take their companies to the next level of success.
An executive delivers advice for CEOs and small-to mid-tier business owners who want to build well-run, valuable companies.
Success doesn’t happen by accident, notes veteran CEO, business owner, and coach Harshberger (Bottom Line Focus, 2010) in this to-the-point guidebook. Instead, “you must consciously think and take decisive action necessary to achieve whatever your definition of success is.” Unfortunately, most business owners “lack a clear vision” and have trouble evolving beyond the practices that initially made their companies thrive but which may not be effective for growth. Accordingly, he aims to push readers to develop a clear understanding of what they must do to optimize their businesses’ operations and increase their value. He begins with a discussion of the importance of leadership and then moves through sections on strategy; tactical review and plans; and execution and accountability. Brief chapters cover topics like how to complete a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis; barriers to business development; the importance of effective marketing; and organizational culture. (A free supplemental workbook featuring exercises associated with each chapter is also available for download.) The author regularly refers to outside experts and sources to support his points, but most worthwhile are the real-life examples drawn from his personal experience as a business owner and coach. More of these stories would be welcome in a book that is sometimes heavy on generalities. Overall, the advice offered is sound, but there’s little here to distinguish the title from others in the crowded business genre. Though Harshberger promises that his manual will “help you change the way you think about your business and your life,” he does a far better job of the former than the latter. Nonetheless, time-starved CEOs on the hunt for clear, actionable tips on how to improve their companies should find value in this deliberately brief volume, which is particularly useful for those who are beginning to think about transitioning out of their businesses and are seeking ways to maximize their companies’ worth.
A practical resource for business leaders looking for strategies to take their companies to the next level of success.Pub Date: Dec. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-692-05107-8
Page Count: 126
Publisher: Measurable Results LLC
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2024 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.
bookshelf
