Does Bill Gates?s retirement consign Microsoft to the corporate retirement home as well? Mary Jo Foley doesn?t think so. Her 25 years of Microsoft-watching provides a unique vantage point from which to speculate on how Microsoft might write its next chapter. Identifying signposts and interpreting clues she knows well, Foley offers a thought-provoking view of the software giant?s post-Gates future. Don?t be surprised to be surprised.
Julie L. Davis and Suzanne Harrison Today's corporations are always on the lookout for exciting new and innovative ideas that can be used to generate revenue. Up until recently, this meant taking these ideas and turning them into products or services, which could then be sold for profit. But today, a unique new concept is revolutionizing the way companies are getting value from ideas. Instead of incorporating them into products or services, today's innovations may be bartered, licensed or sold in the «idea» stage for tremendous amounts of money. For example, IBM currently receives well over $1 billion in revenue every year from licensing its intellectual property, unrelated to the manufacture of a single product. Today more and more companies are adopting this idea of turning their legal departments, where intellectual property is housed, from cost centers into profit centers. Edison in the Boardroom: How Leading Companies Realize Value from Their Intellectual Assets takes an in-depth look at the revolutionary concept of Intellectual asset management (IAM). IAM is changing the way companies all over the world are doing business. In their careers as business consultants, the authors have been privileged to meet individuals who were clearly ahead of their time when it came to realizing value from their companies' innovations. Based on their interactions with the ICM Gathering–an international group of companies who meet several times a year to create, define and benchmark best practices in the area of IAM–the authors have compiled a wealth of knowledge and successful stories that illustrate how far businesses have come in their ability to leverage and monetize their intellectual assets. Incorporating stories and teachings from some of the most successful companies in the worlds – such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Rockwell, Dow, Ford and many others – the authors have made an exhaustive study of IAM and its implications for today's businesses. They have culled a hierarchy of best practices that today's companies can integrate into their own business philosophies to gain the best return from their intellectual assets.
George Kohlrieser—an international leadership professor, consultant, and veteran hostage negotiator—explains that it is only by openly facing conflict that we can truly progress through the most difficult business challenges. In this provocative book, he reveals how the proven techniques and psychological insights used in hostage negotiation can be applied successfully to any personal or business relationship. Step by step, he outlines the seven key factors that anyone can use to remove the blocks that stand in the way of resolving tough problems and shows how business leaders, in particular, can develop and access the skills they need to create trust and a positive mind-set in their companies.
One of the toughest lessons every business leader learns is how hard it is to generate sustained growth. Stalled growth is the rule, not the exception–even for the best-managed companies. That's especially true in unpredictable economic environments such as the one we're experiencing today. McKee has a unique understanding of what happens when growth stalls. His firm commissioned a study of 700 companies that had at one time been among the nation's fastest-growing businesses. Developed in concert with Decision Analyst, a leading national research and consulting firm, the study probed areas as diverse as corporate structure, competition, branding, finance, and strategy. The target respondent profile were CEOs, owners, principals, presidents, managing directors or chairmen of the board. In-depth follow-up interviews yielded fascinating stories and personal comments from executives who had been living on the front lines of real-life growth crises. McKee presents compelling knowledge about how and why companies lose their way, and offers practical advice about how they can rekindle growth. When Growth Stalls demonstrates that sluggish growth is generally produced not by mismanagement or strategic blundering but by natural market forces and management dynamics that are often unrecognized–and widespread. The book presents seven characteristics that commonly correlate with stalled growth and what to do about them. Some are external forces to which countless companies have fallen victim: economic upheavals, changing industry dynamics, and increased competition. What McKee points out, however, is how often they catch companies off-guard. More surprising are four subtle and highly destructive internal factors that conspire to keep companies down: lack of consensus among the management team, loss of nerve, loss of focus, and marketing inconsistency. McKee makes the case that, regardless of what's going on outside of an enterprise, it's what's inside that counts.
A fresh exploration of a redeeming, dynamic, and radically different way to hold one's religion Samir Selmanovic—who grew up a in a culturally Muslim family in Croatia, converted to Christianity as a soldier in the then-Yugoslavian army, and went on to become a Christian pastor in Manhattan and in Southern California—looks at how our ongoing and sometimes violent power struggles over who owns God and what God wants for the world and its peoples are not serving God, humanity, or our planet. Shows how our religions have become self-serving, God-management systems, however Selmanovic contends—change is possible Offers a path for people of all faiths and traditions for living together on our fragile earth Karen Armstrong said that the book is «asking the right questions at the right time» This is a personal story and a moving exploration of a new way of treasuring one's own religion while discovering God, goodness, and grace in others and in their traditions.
This fascinating book demonstrates that to be a good communicator and therefore an effective manager, a person must have five qualities in order to be viewed as totally credible–competence, character, composure, sociability, and extroversion. While some executives seem to possess all these qualities and be born with savvy communication skills, Weiner shows how anyone can find ways to make measurable improvements in how they present themselves that will enhance their credibility.
In Never Give Up, Donald Trump tells the dramatic stories of his biggest challenges, lowest moments, and worst mistakes—and how he uses tenacity and creativity to turn defeat into victory. Each chapter includes an inspiring story from Trump’s career and concludes with expert commentary and coaching from adversity researcher and author Paul Stoltz. Inspirational and intelligent, Never Give Up will help you deal with your own personal challenges, failures, and weaknesses.
If you’ve wondered about how America can break links between oil consumption, terrorism, and the war in Iraq, A Declaration of Energy Independence: How Freedom from Foreign Oil Can Improve National Security, Our Economy, and the Environment will show you how our country can gain energy independence and solve its energy crisis. Written by a top energy expert, this book outlines seven economically and politically viable ways America can more efficiently use and produce energy. Find out how carbon fuels negatively impact our lives and understand the political framework of the energy crisis.
* Choosing profitable investments * Getting unbiased professional advice * Avoiding Insurance, Brokerage, and other scams Protect Your Wealth and Well-Being Now and for Years to Come In light of the new risks our country and our economy are facing, entering your fifties with an effective financial and personal plan for your future is now more crucial than ever-to make sure you can truly enjoy your golden years. The Ultimate Safe Money Guide was especially designed to help you map out your plan in this new environment, so that you can stop worrying about your money and just enjoy life. Step by step, Martin Weiss-an expert in financial ratings and consumer protection-introduces, explains, and helps solve many of the new challenges and risks that face millions of Americans over fifty, including how to find: * Truly profitable investments with the least risk * Protection against investment losses * The worst and best insurance policies and annuities * The best health insurance solution for you * The right plan for your long-term health care The Ultimate Safe Money Guide is an important source of information for anyone planning for a secure future during their fifties and beyond. Expert advice and proven guidance will prepare you for this critical juncture in your life at a critical time in our history, putting you on the road to a satisfying retirement, where you are always firmly in control.
Praise for Marketing to the Social Web «Weber understands that the world is going digital and that competitive advantage will accrue to those who understand the transformation. CEOs should heed this transformation and learn from Weber's insights how to navigate this new landscape to fully maximize their business opportunities.» -Mark Fuller, Chairman, Monitor Group «Consumers are using technology to grab power from companies, the media, and the government. Marketing to the Social Web succinctly outlines how institutions can survive and win in this chaotic new world, and lays out the revised rules of engagement-ignore them at your peril.» -George F. Colony, CEO, Forrester Research, Inc. «Larry has brought pragmatic and useful recommendations to help brand builders manage the complexity of social interaction in a digital age. I was pleased to read a book that actually suggests how to do something with social networks, instead of just ponder them.» -David Kenny, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Digitas Inc. «Where's the allure of social 2.0? Brands can talk . . . customers talk louder! Digital influence has arrived.» -Jeff Taylor, CEO, Eons and Founder of Monster.com «Larry Weber provides a simple and effective roadmap of the new customer information highway. Marketing to the Social Web is a valuable tool that will give everyone the confidence and know-how to compete in this fast-growing marketplace of ideas.» -Steve Harris, Vice President, Global Communications, General Motors Corporation «As all lines and boundaries are washed away by the Web, Weber describes how to become part of the sea versus the sand.» -Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman, One Laptop per Child