American capitalism is in dire straits, caught in a perilouspattern of increasing volatility, decreasing investor returns, andongoing bad behavior by executives. And it's getting worse. Sincethe turn of the twenty-first century, we've seen two massivevalue-destroying market meltdowns and a string of ethics breaches,including accounting scandals, options-backdating schemes, and thesubprime mortgage debacle. Just what is going on here? Is it theinevitable decline of the American economy? Is it the new normal ina technology-enabled global marketplace? Or is it possible that thevery theories we've embraced to underpin our capital markets areactually producing these crises? In "Fixing the Game", Roger Martinreveals the culprit behind the sorry state of American capitalism:our deep and abiding commitment to the idea that the purpose of thefirm is to maximize shareholder value. This theory has led to amassive growth in stock-based compensation for executives and,through this, to a naive and wrongheaded linkin

You can't ask for more than efficient, effective operations.Or can you? Given today's business landscape--increasing customerdemand, global competition, lower trade barriers--being good isn'tenough. This groundbreaking guide provides the knowledge and toolsyou need to transform your organization from a well-run company toa relentlessly innovative company. Innovation expert JeffreyPhillips has helped businesses around the world achieve thedream--the implementation of innovation as a consistent businessdiscipline. In Relentless Innovation, he reveals his secrets forthe first time. Phillips argues that today's typical businessmodels actually impede innovation because they place so much focuson efficiency, cost cutting, and short-term gain. Does thisdescribe your business model? If it does, you need to revisit yourapproach and redefine your idea of what success actually is. Youmay find that your "business as usual" processes actively rejectinnovation efforts. Relentless Innovation has everything you needto

A black swan is a highly improbable event with three principalcharacteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact;and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appearless random, and more predictable, than it was. The astonishingsuccess of Google was a black swan; so was 9/11. For NassimNicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything about ourworld, from the rise of religions to events in our own personallives. Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans untilafter they occur? Part of the answer, according to Taleb, is thathumans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focusedon generalities. We concentrate on things we already know and timeand time again fail to take into consideration what we don’t know.We are, therefore, unable to truly estimate opportunities, toovulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize, andnot open enough to rewarding those who can imagine the“impossible.” For years, Taleb has studi

Since Peter Senge published his groundbreaking book The FifthDiscipline, he and his associates have frequently been asked by thebusiness community: "How do we go beyond the first steps ofcorporate change? How do we sustain momentum?" They know thatcompanies and organizations cannot thrive today without learning toadapt their attitudes and practices. But companies that establishchange initiatives discover, after initial success, that even themost promising efforts to transform or revitalizeorganizations--despite interest, resources, and compelling businessresults--can fail to sustain themselves over time. That's becauseorganizations have complex, well-developed immune systems, aimed atpreserving the status quo. Now, drawing upon new theories about leadership and the long-termsuccess of change initiatives, and based upon twenty-fiveyears of experience building learning organizations, the authors of TheFifth Discipline Fieldbook show how to accelerate success and avoidthe obstacles that can stall momentum. The

A compelling vision. Bold leadership. Decisive action.Unfortunately, these prerequisites of success are almost always theingredients of failure, too. In fact, most managers seeking tomaximize their chances for glory are often unwittingly settingthemselves up for ruin. The sad truth is that most companies haveleft their futures almost entirely to chance, and don’t evenrealize it. The reason? Managers feel they must make choices withfar-reaching consequences today, but must base those choices onassumptions about a future they cannot predict. It is thiscollision between commitment and uncertainty that creates THESTRATEGY PARADOX. This paradox sets up a ubiquitous but little-understood tradeoff.Because managers feel they must base their strategies onassumptions about an unknown future, the more ambitious of themhope their guesses will be right – or that they can somehow adaptto the turbulence that will arise. In fact, only a small number oflucky daredevils prosper, while many more unfortunate, bu

YaYa CEO Ferrazzi works with "Inc." writer Raz to explain theguiding principles he has mastered over a lifetime of reaching outto explain what it takes to build the kind of lasting, mutuallybeneficial relationships that lead to professional and personalsuccess.

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As a social science researcher and an esteemed business consultant, Marcus Buckingham (First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths) has spent considerable time studying the big picture. This wide-angle approach led him to an unexpectedly narrow conclusion: There is a core concept to even the most complex topic. What he has discovered in The One Thing You Need to Know is that single "controlling insights" exist for a whole range of situations, and when properly applied, can encourage exponential improvement and lead to precise action and results. In applying this concept to managing, leading, and individual performance he has pinpointed the single element necessary for achieving success in each of these three key positions. Buckingham acknowledges the subtleties of the topic and his goal is "not to make these subjects simpler, merely clearer." And what could be clearer than one thing? The challenge lies in filtering out the nonessential matters and distinguishing "between what is merely import

Based on the best-seller Phonics Pathways, a complete approachto teaching phonics and early reading Dolores Hiskes has developed a wealth of helpful teachingaides based on her best-selling book Phonics Pathways. This boosterpack includes 46 double-sided flash cards that illustrate thesounds and spelling patterns of the English language; SpeakingPathways, a lively 35-minute audio CD that demonstrates the soundsof spoken English; and three fun phonics games: WordWorks, whichreviews and reinforces phonics reading skills, Blendlt, whichreinforces knowledge of beginning spelling patterns, and The TrainGame, which features individual "train car" cards that kids puttogether to make longer words. Companion CD demonstrates the sounds of spoken English Contains games that have been classroom-tested and proveneffective Offers aides that are at once challenging and a fun way to learnreading skills These powerful phonics teaching tools can be used with beginningreaders, English language learners, d

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) Published in 1776, in the sameyear as the Declaration of Independence, "The Wealth of Nations"has had an equally great impact on the course of modern history.Adam Smith's celebrated defense of free market economies waswritten with such expressive power and clarity that the firstedition sold out in six months. While its most remarkable andenduring innovation was to see the whole of economic life as aunified system, it is notable also as one of the Enlightenment'smost eloquent testaments to the sanctity of the individual in hisrelation to the state.

Business revolves around making decisions, often riskydecisions, usually with incomplete information and too often inless time than we need. Executives at every level, in everyindustry, are confronted with information overload, less leeway formistakes, and a business environment that changes rapidly. In lightof this increased pressure and volatility, the old-fashioned waysof making decisions–depending on intuition, common sense, andspecialized expertise–are simply no longer sufficient. Distillingover thirty years of groundbreaking research, WinningDecisions , written by two seasoned business advisers and worldleaders in behavioral decision studies, is a comprehensive,one-of-a-kind guide to the proven methods of making criticalbusiness decisions confidently, quickly–and correctly. Decision-making is a business skill which managers often take forgranted in themselves and others–but it's not as easy as some mightthink. The authors, whose expertise has been sought out by over ahundred companies, includi