 | Full Steam Ahead! Unleash the Power of Vision in Your Work and Your Life, 2nd Edition |
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Product Description
Blanchard and Stoner show how to create a vision for your organization, for your team and for your own life that will unleash your power and potential. They offer numerous examples of effective visions from real companies and show how to create an enduring vision that will guide you on a daily basis and willl engage the hearts and minds of everyone on your team.
The lessons of Full Steam Ahead! are revealed through the inspirational story of two people who are able to create a vision for the place they work and for their own lives. The first edition, an international bestseller, has been translated into 21 languages. This 2nd edition is thoroughly revised, updated and expanded with:
- More information on vision for teams and departments
- A new chapter on sustainability and how to stay the course
- Updated and new examples of companies and teams
- A resource section with action steps for creating a shared vision and a team assessment
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #128265 in Books
- Published on: 2011-04-04
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 216 pages
Features
- ISBN13: 9781605098753
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
From Publishers Weekly
Blanchard, co-author of the bestselling One Minute Manager series, and consultant Stoner use a parable to convey the importance of vision to a company's success. Ellie has just returned to her job at an insurance company after an unpleasant divorce. She's startled by the e-mail messages the company's new president, Jim, sends to all employees. They're honest, upbeat and filled with personal anecdotes. One morning, Ellie gets to the office early and joins the only other person there-Jim-for coffee. Their first conversation is the start of a long and productive friendship. Jim encourages Ellie to think about herself and her career, while she helps him create a vision and plan for changes at the company. This story takes up the bulk of the book, as Blanchard and Stoner incorporate Jim and Ellie's discussions of vision (which includes recognizing your purpose and values and having a firm picture of the future) into the parable. Although the book rarely breaks from Jim and Ellie to offer general counsel, the authors' simple, straightforward writing style makes their advice obvious.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"This engaging story is full of practical advice that you'll be able to apply immediately. It's essential reading for any leader who needs to answer the question, 'Where are we going?' Come to think of it, that would be all of us!
- Jim Kouzes, coauthor The Leadership Challenge and The Truth About Leadership
"In the past I've shared this book with friends and coaching peers alike and continue to do so in order to share the wisdom and effective guidance that Ken and Jesse provide on each and every page."
- John Calipari, Head Coach, University of Kentucky Men's Basketball
"The clearest, the most cogent statement I've read that gives meaning and life to vision. Even Dilbert will get it!"
- Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader
"To me a clear vision answers the question, 'What mountain do we want to climb?' Full Steam Ahead! is a wonderful guidebook that will not only help you find your mountain but give you all the road maps and tools you'll need to make it to the top. Highly recommended!"
- Garry Ridge, CEO WD-40 Company
About the Author
Ken Blanchard is a prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Blanchard is universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate individuals in business today. Ken is one of the most influential leadership experts in the world and is respected for his years of groundbreaking work in the fields of leadership and management.
Jesse Lyn Stoner, founder of Seapoint Center, works with leaders to align their business strategies and organization culture. With over thirty years experience as a business consultant, former executive, and bestselling author, her clients range from Fortune 500 to non-profits and include Honda, Pfizer, Marriott, Yale University, and Barnes and Noble. She has co-authored several books and team assessments.
Patrick Lencioni is the bestselling author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. His most recent book is Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
By A Customer
Everyone on our team was expected to read this book before beginning our project. I must admit I was initially not very enthusiastic about being given a book to read. But once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting! I had always looked at vision as "soft." This book shows how it is practical and necessary and it shows how to easily apply the ideas. Using the book as a reference, our team created a shared vision for our project that was supported by senior management. I have never been on a team that accomplished so much in such a short timeframe--we were focused, energized and easily moved Full Steam Ahead!
Note: This book is applicable to all aspects of your life (not just work).
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
By Leslie Wright
If you're like me, and have spent countless hours in countless meetings trying to develop a "vision statement" for your organization without ever really getting to the point, then this book is for you. Blanchard (The One Minute Manager) and Stoner have skillfully crafted an allegorical tale of Jim and Ellie, one a successful but uninspired business owner, and the other a recently-hired employee who serves as a sounding board and confidant. In their conversations, Jim confides to Ellie that running the insurance company his father created just isn't all that exciting anymore. Notes Jim: "When my father was president, everything here was full steam ahead." He goes on to say that his father really inspired the employees - they felt like they were doing important things at work, and there was real joy in the agency then. When Ellie asks whether "full steam ahead" means being reckless, or moving ahead blindly in the face of danger, Jim responds, "No, I think it's the opposite. It means having vision - being so clear about your purpose, so committed to it, and so sure about your ability to accomplish it, that you move ahead decisively despite any obstacles." This characterizes the tone and sentiment of the book - discovering the ability to unleash transformative power by developing a clear vision of where you want to take your organization and your personal life.
The authors delineate the three elements of a successful vision: significant purpose, clear values, and a picture of the future. This last element, what the future will look like, resonated especially strongly for me as I read the book- the idea that you know you're on the right path when you can see a clear picture of what it's going to look like when you reach your goal. Examples abound here: JFK's vision of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, Soviet athletes' technique of "mental rehearsal" in the 1976 Olympics, even skiing down a difficult hill. Using Ellie as a creative muse, Jim comes to realize that his insurance company does have purpose (peace of mind) and values (ethics, relationships, success) which permit him to develop a picture of the future where employees look forward to coming to work each day and strive to provide unparalleled customer service. Of course, the process of creating the vision is perhaps as important as the vision itself - working together to develop a common theme invests members of the organization as stakeholders, and that can build cohesion and a common sense of purpose.
In the final analysis, this book is extremely well-written, engaging, and hard to put down!
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
By A Customer
There's something about this book that's different. Other business novels I've read often seem light and superficial--motivational but not practical. There is nothing superficial about this book. The authors' messages are powerful and can easily be applied. Instead of just telling you how important it is to have a vision, they show you how to create one. I was impressed that I could learn so much from a short, enjoyable to read book.
http://astore.amazon.com/amazon-book-books-20/detail/1605098752
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