Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business - and What To Do About It (2020) by Jason Dorsey and Denise Villa, PhD, Book Review

"All of our interactions with Gen Z," writes the authors, "have led to a key conclusion: the ways in which leaders typically recruited, managed, and marketed to older generations will NOT work with Gen Z." Many companies, organizations, and businesses know they need to adapt to Gen Z (a.k.a. iGen, approximately born between 1996 to 2012) but they feel paralyzed. They don't know how or what to change or where to even start. Plus, Gen Z's expectations are so different because THEY ARE SO DIFFERENT from other generations. We need help and this book is helpful.

Although I realized that Zconomy is more relevant to those who own businesses, are active in sales, marketing, and product strategy, and work in the marketplace leadership positions, I find that it is helpful too for me as a Christian worker to be more informed about Gen Z's behaviors, preferences, and motivations. Part 1: The Making of Gen Z is profound and clear; Part 2: Meet the World's Most Influential Customers gives me lots of engagement ideas and info on their consumer psychology; and Part 3: How Gen Z Is Changing the World of Work shed light on the employment world from the Gen Z's perspectives. They are the fastest-growing generation of employees (churches and NGOs take note too) and so it is crucial for leaders to change - or die.

I agree (but not all the time, of course) with the authors when they point out that this generation has so much to learn from other generations, and at the same time, there is so much too we can learn from them. They have great potential! "Gen Z offers a huge opportunity for leaders and organizations to grow, strengthen, innovate, and outperform - if leaders like you are willing to adapt to the generation" 

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Leadership Language: Using Authentic Communication To Drive Results (2018) by Chris Westfall, Book Review

If I read Mr. Westfall rightly, I think the main thesis of this book can be summed up in this statement: "Leadership is about doing the right things for the clients you serve." By "client" he means more than an external client, namely, someone who buys your products and services but also included internal client, namely, someone on your team, broad of director, vendor, supplier, boss, and even your family and friends. In short, someone whom you serve. "Your client is the source of your success," he wrote, "Your ability to deliver results, your ability to generate revenue, your ability to advance in your career, your ability to grow your business - it all comes from your clients." Then he added, "Your personal success - in all aspects of your life, not just in business - hinges on what you create WITH, THROUGH, and FOR OTHERS."

But then, I asked, what does he mean by Leadership Language? This illustration helped me a lot: Mr. Westfall asked his super-smart Millennial engineer coaching client from Hungary who can speak five languages, "Erik, why are we speaking English today?" His client said, "Because that's the only language you understand." Erik was speaking Mr. Westfall's language. Leadership language speaks your client's language. A language of words demonstrated in actions, and delivering an impact that can't be denied! Let's say one of my leadership strengths is creativity. This is useless on its own unless I use it to serve my clients. So, I need to think about how can I deliver this strength practically and in my actions. Then, I also need to ask myself, "How can my client be better off from my service?" Putting concepts into action for the clients you serve and the ability to see what the clients need and then deliver it is the path to creating real impact and authentic communication. This is the 'language' that those who follow your lead CAN understand.

This concept of leadership is interesting and essential. Although there are things that I might disagree with and couldn't relate to what Mr. Westfall was communicating (two of them are his simplistic view of human nature and overuse of high-level business examples that I can't relate to), I think overall this is a good book on everyday leadership not just in business. It's an easy read, with very engaging stories and dozens of valuable insights such as The Ten (10) Leadership Factors that he explains throughout the entire pages of the book. To know more, read this book... Or, like me, borrow it from the library! :)

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This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See (2018) by Seth Godin, Audiobook Review

 
This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See (2018)
by Seth Godin, Audiobook

 What is marketing? According to Seth Godin: "If you need to persuade someone to take action, you’re doing marketing." Asking you to donate to charity is as much as marketing as asking you to buy a product for charity. If you are taking a selfie for your social media or showing off your stuff on Instagram, you're marketing. I write this review and using hashtag #1Book1Week is marketing because one of the reasons (other than selfish one) is I want to persuade you to read books through my page. We all involve in marking either you realize it or not. The questions are: Are you a good or bad marketer? Do you want to genuinely serve others or just want their money? Do you always use manipulations or ethical persuasions? Mind you, Seth doesn't concern with the last question, but I thought it would be helpful to remind the believers about ethics as we read secular books like this.

In this book, Seth Godin (the first time I'm exposed to Seth is through his short book, The Dip), a marketing guru, shares the culmination of decades upon decades of marketing lessons and advice that he learned all over the world and mainly through his The Marketing Seminar. I would like to recommend listening to The Akimbo Podcast and watching his interviews with Marie Forleo and Chase Jarvis. I listened to the audiobook, not reading the book, so I get the main ideas but not in detail. And most of the lessons I learned probably not very applicable to my areas of calling and job descriptions. Although as a Bible Study teacher and Christian preacher, I am involving in 'marketing' the Gospel indirectly but here I must be careful not to mix the two. Of course, there are similarities but some principles and methods in marketing are just Biblical compromise and to a certain extend - wrong. Apply discernment, okay? ���

Back to the book. The audiobook is narrated by the author (7 hours 2 minutes, but I listened to it at 1.25x speed, so about 5.3 hours. I love listening to audiobooks when I'm walking outside and cleaning the house). Here are seven quotes that stick with me and from the interviews about the book (I Google these quotes, by the way, based on keywords that I remember):

 #1 "Marketers offer solutions, opportunities for humans to solve their problems and move forward";

 #2 "The most important lesson I can share about brand marketing is this: you definitely, certainly, and surely don’t have enough time and money to build a brand for everyone. You can’t. Don’t try. Be specific. Be very specific";

 #3 "We sell feelings, status, and connection, not tasks or stuff";

 #4 "The smallest viable market is the focus that, ironically and delightfully, leads to your growth" (my favorite is chapter 4: The Smallest Viable Market);

 #5 "Empathy is at the heart of marketing" (This is a BIG point!) For example, Seth also writes: "When we find the empathy to say 'I’m sorry, this isn’t for you – here’s the phone number of my competitor' then we also find the freedom to do work that matters";

 #6 The title for chapter nine: 'People Like Us Do Things Like This' is worth exploring;

 #7 "When you’re the cheapest, you’re not promising change. You’re promising the same, but cheaper... lowering your price doesn't make you more trusted – it actually does the opposite."

If I'm working directly as a marketer, I will surely buy the book because it has many good ideas that are very practical in the ever-changing (evolving?) landscape of marketing today. Consider it ���⚡✌ #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #SethGodin #ThisIsMarketing #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Spending Money Mindfully

Orrin Woodward said it right: "You can have a Masters degree in making money, but you will still wind up broke if you have a Ph.D. in spending it." #ServeToLead #MoneyWise #BeMindful

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Recommended Readings on Financial Stewardship By Tabitha Ujang

I always recommend people to read books. By reading a book, you consume a huge amount of research in a relatively short amount of time, and it is one of the best ways to improve your skills and knowledge. But there are lots of books out there, which one to choose?

Well, on the topic of financial stewardship, Tabitha Ujang, my guest in LEGASI.tv Special Interview S.1 E.6, recommend these materials. To watch our interview Kaedah G.I.F.T. Untuk Mengendalikan Wang, where she shared simple but powerful principles on how to manage your finance wisely, CLICK HERE https://youtu.be/3gwOPhuoPkA

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Note: As for me, I recommend reading Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad & Cashflow Quadrant, Amelia Hong's In/Outcome (Malaysian context), and T. Harv Eker's Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

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Jack Ma on Leader (Video)

Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba Group, was once asked what separates a leader from an employee. His response was spot on and a reminder of his great people skills: “Your employees should have superior technical skills than you. If they don’t, it means that you have hired the wrong person.”

Jack Ma focuses on the skills of employees before him and looks for people who have comprehensive know-how of carrying his vision forward. Now listen to the way he responded to the question What Is Leadership? as he shares about Alipay, a third-party mobile and online payment platform, as example 😉 Enjoy!
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BOOK REVIEW Crisis As Opportunity (2009) by Fifty Lessons Limited [or 14 Lessons for Leader]

Lessons Learned: Crisis As Opportunity (2009) by Fifty Lessons Limited

Small book, compact wisdom. I'm currently reading the commentaries of the Epistles of Paul, but in between, I thought I want to read something different. So this book from Lessons Learned series was a good choice and I love it. It only takes one sitting to finish it but a whole night to process what I've read. Crisis As Opportunity compiled the stories of accomplished leaders from around the world on how they tackled their toughest challenges. "If you could eliminate doubt and move boldly ahead with confidence knowing that you were facing the best opportunity of your lifetime, would you do it?" asked Mark Thompson, co-author of Success Built to Last, in his forward. All 14 contributors from this book say, "Yes." Let me summaries:

Lesson #1 Never Waste a Good Crisis by Giam Swiegers, CEO, Deloitte Australia. "You've been put into a leadership role for a reason. You are going to face difficult things. Don't get yourself and your team paralyzed. Face up to reality, decide what to do, and spot the opportunities. They're always there." A leader's perspective on difficult situations can mean the difference between communicating opportunity and communicating paralysis to an organization.

Lesson #2 Be Alert to New Opportunities by J. W. Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO, Marriott International. "We are constantly searching for opportunities. I think as you search for opportunities, and as you study what's going on in your industry and you learn what's happening, you see targets of opportunity out there that are very appealing to you. And when one comes along, you have to grab it, you have to move on it."

Lesson #3 A Counterintuitive Downturn Strategy by Anders Dahlvig, group president and CEO, IKEA Services. "If you have an offensive strategy in a downturn as we have, it is an opportunity to distance yourself from your competition." In short, counterintuitively, a well-planned growth strategy can distance you from the competition during an economic downturn. In a time of crisis, a strategy is key.

Lesson #4 Playing a Poor Hand Well by Mary Cantando, founder of WomanBusinessOwner.com. "It's easy to play a good hand, but a true master can play a poor hand well. I find that if you can look for the good in a bad situation, it positions you to play a poor hand well." One more thing that I learned from this chapter is that leaders are responsible for their power to impact people beyond their working lives.

Lesson #5 Customer Dissatisfaction Is a Great Opportunity by David Bell, Chairman Emeritus, The Interpublic Group. "Anytime there is a lack of customer satisfaction, there is an enormous opportunity to create loyalty by exactly what you do with the disruption." In short, customer dissatisfaction is a prime opportunity for improving customer service (story told by David is very interesting).

Lesson #6 Embracing Conflict by Richard Pascale, Associate Fellow, Said Business School, Oxford University. "[Conflict-embracers] saw the conflict as a source of renewal and a valuable asset to an organization, a kind of fuel. And their skill in dealing with conflict and teasing it out, making use of it rather than gliding over it, was something to behold. It was a huge wake-up call for me." all organizations contain hidden tensions that, if identified and embraced, can be a powerful catalyst for forwarding momentum.

Lesson #7 Change Is Good by David Brandon, chairman and CEO, Domino's Pizza. "We tend to resist change because often change creates problems that require solutions, and somethings those solutions require a lot of extra work… as a leader the way that you can best prepare your organization is to transform their thinking and put them in a mindset that makes them want to embrace change."

Lesson #8 Leadership Is Not a Popularity Contest by Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman, Orange UK. "For all leaders in all situations, you have to make the tough calls; but stand up for those and be counted. Don't shy away, and don't get confused between popularity and the right choices. Right choices and popularity do not have to go hand in hand." Eventually, all of us will want to follow a leader who is effective, decisive and passionate.

Lesson #9 Having the Courage of Your Convictions by Amelia Fawcett, chairman, Pensions First. Almost similar to lesson #8, the ability to make decisions is truly tested when those decisions are difficult, unpopular and subject to criticism. This requires courage and the belief that your decision is the right one.

Lesson #10 The Counterintuitive Strategy by William Johnson, chairman, president and CEO, H.J. Heinz Company. When in crisis, "the best thing to do for the company would be to shrink the company – to get smaller to get bigger, to get smaller to get better and to get smaller to be more nimble… before you get bigger, you have to get better." In embarking to this counterintuitive strategy, you should "overcommunicate your plan" to others – important people – who may not understand its benefits.

Lesson #11 Creating a Common Language for a New Course of Action by Clayton Christensen, Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School. To implement a new course of action effectively, as a leader, give your people or team a common language and a common understanding of the root issue you intend to address, "which allows consensus to simply coalesce." A company can generate a significant profit from "exploring ideas for new business from within."

Lesson #12 Finding Solutions for a Successful Turnaround by Paul Anderson, chairman, Spectra Energy. When you approach a new situation, don't think you have all the answers. One person's knowledge is no match against the entire organization's knowledge put together. "As a leader, your job is to extract organizational knowledge and synthesize what's of value into a strategy that you enable others to implement and execute."

Lesson #13 Being Honest Prevents Failure and Amplifies Opportunity by Robin Chase, founder and former CEO, Zipcar. "I think companies must think of themselves as learning companies. And as part of that concept, each one of us has to have, what I consider to be, intellectual honesty. We need to be able to look at any decision we've made or any of our weaknesses, and address them."

Lesson #14 Involving Customers in the Change Process by Ken Freeman, former chairman and CEO, Quest Diagnostics. "Employee satisfaction yields customer satisfaction; and customer satisfaction, in the end, yields shareholder satisfaction." Leaders must act inventively to reach their employees and articulate a vision that encourages their active participation in customer-focused change.

As a leader, a crisis is either an opportunity or a stumbling block; it will change you or break you; it will make you better or show your incompetence. I love this quote by Giam Swiegers, "Never waste a good crisis!"

One book that I would like to recommend on this topic is Turning Adversity Into Opportunity (2014) by Kouzes and Posner. CLICK HERE to read my review

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BOOK REVIEW The Mystical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership (2017) by Ron Edmondson

The Mystical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership (2017) by Ron Edmondson

What a productive day! I enjoy reading this book and appreciate how Ron explains each myth with his own examples honestly and thoughtful. I love that he didn't push too much with Christian message but outlines his ideas practically and do-able.

Here is a fact: the church - and organizations and non-profits - need stronger leaders. But many leaders suffer from seven common misunderstandings of leadership, making them weak and ineffective. Ron writes, "In my long career in business and government leadership, and now after serving in church planting and church revitalization, I've found the problems churches face are generally the same. We need better leadership."

Here are The Seven (7) Myths with simple summary for each chapter:

1) A Position Will Make Me a Leader. Some believe simply has a big or fancy title makes them a leader. Not true. I’ve known many people with huge positions whom no one was truly following. They may give out orders and command certain obedience, but no one is willingly following their lead. They may be a boss, but “I wouldn’t call them a leader,” writes Ron.

2) If I Am Not Hearing Anyone Complain, Everyone Must Be Happy. Have you ever heard of passive aggression? The fact is sometimes the leader is the last to know about a problem. Some people are intimidated by leadership. Other times, they don’t know how to approach the leader, so they complain to others, but not the leader. And, sometimes, as the author said, the way I’m leading dictates who tells me what I really need to know.

3) I Can Lead Everyone the Same Way. So not true. It simply doesn’t work. Actually, people are different and require different leadership styles. The author not saying it’s easy, but if you want to be effective you will learn your people and alter your style to fit their personalities.

4) Leadership and Management Are the Same Things. Great organizations need both, but they are not equal and they require different skills. Simply put — Leadership is more about empowerment and guiding people to a common vision — often into the unknown. Management is more about maintaining efficiency within a predetermined destination but leadership requires change and innovation.

5) Being the Leader Makes Me Popular. “My file of criticisms...,” writes Ron, “[is] larger than my encouragement file.” The truth is leaders can be very lonely people. (It’s why leaders must surround themselves with encouragers and continually seek renewal). The only way to avoid criticism and be “liked” as a leader is to make no decisions, do nothing different, never challenge the status quo — in other words — don’t lead.

6) Leaders Must Have Charisma and Be Extroverts. Some of the best leaders I know and read are very introverted and subdued (read Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking). And, honestly, they are leading some of the biggest churches and organizations. Leadership IS about influence. If someone is trustworthy, dependable, has integrity and is going somewhere of value — others will follow no matter how introvert or extrovert the leaders are.

7) Leaders Accomplish by Controlling Others. Absolutely not! This is not leadership. It is a dictatorship. Effective leaders encourage others to lead. They challenge people to be creative and take ownership and responsibility for accomplishing the vision. They learn to delegate through empowerment.

I enjoyed and benefitted from this book. I would recommend this book to pastors and those who involve in church ministry.

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BOOK REVIEW – Crushing It! How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence – and How You Can, Too (2018) by Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk or GaryVee, is a Russian-American entrepreneur, author, speaker and internet personality. It’s you’re an entrepreneur (or wanna-be) and active in social media, you’ll know him. In his 2009 international bestseller Crust It!, Gary insisted that a vibrant personal brand was crucial to entrepreneurial success. In Crushing It!, 9 years later, Gary explains why that’s even truer today, offering his unique perspective on what has changed and what principles remain timeless.

How do I know Gary? Through social media, books, and podcasts. How Gary makes a difference in my life? Because of his in-your-face advice and sometimes renegade wisdom, I start again using Instagram again and created a Twitter account to share my materials on leadership, leadership, and creativity – in short, my personal brand. Also, when my blog URL was blocked on Facebook last month, I have to find another way to spread my brand. Wala!? Create videos and share them on YouTube! It’s not because of Gary alone, of course, but one of the cheerleaders is him. So you can see how valuable this book is to me personally.

There are two (2) parts in this book:

Part 1: Get Pumped. Here Gary tells the importance of building your personal brand, turn your passion into profit, eight things that really matter to “Crushing It!” (Namely, 1) Intent, 2) Authenticity, 3) Passion, 4) Patience, 5) Speed, 6) Work, 7) Attention, and 8) Content. I shared briefly in the video), advised his readers to document rather than creating, reveals the reasons what stopping people from “Crushing It!” and a chapter on giving yourself permission to just do it! I’m pumped up after I finished reading this part.

Part 2: Create Your Pillar. Basically, this part is all about practicality. There are three (3) basics thing that you HAVE to do: 1) create a Facebook page; 2) the importance of using hashtags#, and 3) encouragement to collaborate and partner with others. Then he devotes each chapter to explain about Musical.ly, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Podcasts and Voice-First. Worth reading it! Gary also tells the stories at the end of each chapter how others used his timeless principles in “Crush It!” to build their businesses and influence.

#LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results (2013) by Gary Keller, Book Review

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results (2013)
by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan

If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either. Gary Keller writes, “We overthink, over the plan, and overanalyze our careers, our businesses, and our lives; that long hours are neither virtuous nor healthy; and that we usually succeed in spite of most of what we do, not because of it. The key to success isn’t in all the things we do, but in the handful of things we do well.” Since I read this book (this is my 3^rd time already), I always ask myself these three questions: What am I passionate about? What am I good at? What gives the greatest return to others and rewards me personally? My answer is – I want to motivate and inspire others through my writing and teaching on the topics of Scriptures, leadership and creativity. These are my ONE things. I read books, attend seminars, listen to audiobooks, and invest money & time on these topics. Focus. All else is secondary to me. I learned this through Zig Ziglar too, who asserts, “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”

We all have 24 hours… so true. Let me quote at length here: “If everyone has the same number of hours in the day, why do some people seem to get so much more done than others? How do they do more, achieve more, earn more, have more? If time is the currency of achievement, then why are some able to cash in their allotment for more chips than others? The answer is they make getting to the heart of things the heart of their approach. They go small. Going small is ignoring all the things you could do and doing what you should do. It’s recognizing that not all things matter equally and finding the things that matter most. It’s a tighter way to connect what you do with what you want. It’s realizing that extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.” In the book, Gary discusses the benefits of prioritizing one single task at a time, and also provides examples (“Success Leaves Clues”) of how to engage in those tasks with a singular focus. The examples and practical applications suggested in the book are very good and easy to understand and execute (although, you do need to have good habits to maintain the practice until it starts to have “The Domino Effect”). The book is divided into three (3) parts:

Part 1 The Lies: They Misled and Derail Us. In this part, Gary analyses the ways in which multitasking has erroneously been praised as a desirable trait. “Multitasking is a lie!” Gary also challenges the concept of work-life balance in one of the chapters A Balanced Life, calling it "idealistic, but not realistic.” In a chapter called Willpower Is Always on Will-Call, the author advise the readers to take the advantage of willpower while it still high and not to depend on it every time, “If you want to get the most out of your day, do your most important work – your ONE Thing – early, before your willpower is drawn down. Since your self-control will be sapped throughout the day, use it when it’s at full strength on what matters most.”

Part 2 The Truth: The Simple Path to Productivity. In the second part, the author deals with productivity principles like habit-building and benchmarking. For instance, Gary suggests that readers should engage in 4-hours of work on their “ONE thing” each day (This reminded me of Timothy Harris’ The 4-Hour Workweek. I recommend this book too!). “The key is over time,” writes Gary, “Success is built sequentially. It’s one thing at a time.” As economist Vilfredo Pareto puts it (this is called The Pareto Principle), focus on 20% of the effort in productivity and you’ll get 80% more of the results.

Part 3 Extraordinary Results: Unlocking the Possibilities Within You. Part 2 basically outlines the principles of The One Thing and part 3 details how to make the principles actionable. One of the concepts it illustrates is “time blocking,” which suggests that the readers should focus on only their ONE thing during a given amount of time. It also encourages that readers should schedule a time to reflect, plan, and even rest. Everything else during scheduled time blocks is characterized as a distraction. I like the three chapters on Live with Purpose, Live by Priority and Live for Productivity. “As long as you are working on your ONE thing, you’re making sure that when you’re working, you’re doing what’s most important.”

Each chapter ends with a “Big Ideas” review that gives a summary of the chapters' concepts and principles. I love the illustrations and graphics in the book and I appreciate the simplicity in presenting the ideas. Even though Gary Keller (and Jay Papasan) background is in real estate, this book is a general reading for anyone who wants to maximize their potentials and get extraordinary results. Currently, I’m reading John C. Maxwell’s Good Leaders Ask Great Questions and so, I’m on the look of great questions when I read a book. One question that always rings in my head after I finished reading every chapter is this (ask yourself this question too): “What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” Wow!

Success Demands Singleness of Purpose.

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Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose (2010) by Tony Hsieh, Book Review

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose (2010)
by Tony Hsieh

I never heard of Zappos 2-3 years ago. As far as I can remember, I might have read a sentence or two about this unique company in the many books that I read in my entire life (well of course, since I’m really interested in entrepreneur and business books only last year). I never bought any shoes from Zappos. I was clueless to who Tony Hsieh is. In short, to be honest, I never thought that I will finish reading this book and enjoying it! As my learning habit, to maximize my understanding, along with reading the book, I will also listen to the author’s interviews on YouTube and Podcast. After I read and listened to Tony’s talks online, I became Zappos’ fan and loss for a word to describe what I have read. Thanks to Jonathan Haidt, his praise for this book echoes mine: “This book illustrates so many of Zappos’ core values: It’s open and honest, passionate and humble, fun and a little weird.” In his humorous, genuine spirit (he shares stories of successes and failures too) and geniusity (I just made up that word), Tony shows that a business is not just about money but it’s also about Delivering Happiness to the customers and employees.

“It’s important to constantly challenge and stretch yourself,” writes Tony, “and not be stuck in a job where you don’t feel like you are growing or learning.” Tony is born as an entrepreneur. When he was a kid, he started a worm farm business! In college, he running a pizza business. Then after few years graduating (and working), he quits a high-paid job to cofounded LinkExchange. In the first section of this book (entitled Profits), he tells stories of him growing up, adventures and rebellions as a young entrepreneur and eventually became a CEO of Zappos at the age of 20 something. In the middle of this book, Tony start to think about what’s matter in life, he writes, “I made a list of the happiest periods in my life, and I realized that none of them involved money. I realized that building stuff and being creative and inventive made me happy.” And so, in the second section (entitled Profits and Passion), Tony outlines how the philosophy of happiness and purpose infiltrate into the blood and bones of Zappos’ business systems. Company culture based on happiness is more important and influential than the marketing strategy. “What’s the best way to build a brand for the long term?” Tony asked, “In a word: culture.” “For individuals, the character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny.” “Your culture is your brand.”

To create a WOW culture, Zappos committed to these 10 core values:

1) Deliver WOW Through Service

2) Embrace and Drive Change

3) Create Fun and a Little Weirdness

4) Be Adventurous, Creative and Open-Minded

5) Pursue Growth and Learning

6) Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication

7) Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

8) Do More with Less

9) Be Passionate and Determined

10) Be Humble

In the book, Tony explains each of the core values in detail and share some stories from the employees as they applied the values into their work and life. Very inspiring. If you own a company or working in HR or thinking of starting a business, reading Chapter 5 Platform for Growth: Brand, Culture, Pipeline is worth your time and attention. The ideas, examples, and inspirations will make you think about how important customer service is and the culture in the company.

In the third section (entitled Profits, Passion and Purpose), Tony outlines the ‘marriage’ of Zappos with Amazon, Zappos’ vision for taking things to the next level, and how Zappos’ vision can become ours. “Zappos is about delivering happiness to the world.” The evolution of Zappos’ vision over the years is very interesting. 1999 – Largest Selection of Shoes; 2003 – Customer Service; 2005 – Culture and Core Values as Our Platform; 2007 – Personal Emotional Connection; 2009 – Delivering Happiness. “If happiness is everyone’s ultimate goal,” Tony asks his readers in the last chapter, “wouldn’t it be great if we could change the world and get everyone and every business thinking in that context and that framework?” Yes, let’s change the world. Let’s deliver happiness to the world by making yourself happy (by tapping into your passion and live with a higher purpose) and making others happy (that’s the real profit right there!).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Likeable Business (2013) by Dave Kerpen, Book Review

Likeable Business: Why Today’s Consumers Demand More and How Leaders Can Deliver (2013)
by Dave Kerpen with Theresa Baun and Valerie Pritchard

Dave Kerpen ends this book with Seth Godin’s quote but I’ll put it at the beginning: “How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” All individual is inherently likeable said Dave. With all the advancements and accomplishments in the world today especially in technology and social media, it is easier (high probability, great potential) for us “to be remarkable” – and at the same time, unlikeable, too. Before I read this book, I asked myself, why likeable is important? Can’t business just be… business? Who cares about some complaining customers? After I read the introduction of this book, I changed my mind. “In hyper-connected, social media-driven society,” explain Dave, “businesses can no longer afford to be mediocre. Businesses large or small must be obsessed with their customers, making and keeping them happy.” When I read about how one angry customer, Dave Carroll, damaging United Airlines’ reputation and stock price by uploaded a video onto YouTube (over 12 million views) because United breaks his guitar and treated him rudely, I’m ready to learn to be likeable.

It seems scary that one disgruntled customer could negatively impact a business. Scary yes, but this is also good news. If one person can damage a reputation and stock price with just one negative feedback on social media, imagine what one or more customers share positive recommendations. “Stories of customer service failures can spread quickly,” writes Dave, “so can stories of going above and beyond to delight your customers.” Agree! There are three (3) reasons why I LIKE this book: 1) Although Dave admits that the 11 principles that he outlines in this book are not new, he makes it interesting by sharing stories, personal examples and straight to the point anecdotes that even a non-marketing background person like me can understand; 2) Each chapter and subchapter is broken up into bite-sized chunk for easy reading and to come back to if you’re a busy person, and 3) Action items at the end of every chapter are very helpful to apply the principle. Here are the 11 Principles of Likeable Business that together make for more likeable leaders and better, more customer-centric organizations:

#1 Listening: One Mouth, Two Ears, Many Opportunities. “Listening is the foundation of any good business.”

#2 Storytelling: Tell, Don’t Sell. “A likeable leader has a strong vision and purpose and always has stories to see that vision.”

#3 Authenticity: Just Be Yourself. “Likeable leaders are transparent about who they are online, merging their personal and professional life together.”

#4 Transparency: The Truth Shall Set You Free. “Openness and honesty lead to happier staff and customers – and a happier you.”

#5 Team Playing: There’s No ‘I’ in Team (or Culture). “Letting others shine, encouraging innovative ideas, and following other rules for working in teams will help you become a more likeable leader.”

#6 Responsiveness: Taking Listening One Step Further. “Responding shows you care and gives your customers and employees a say, allowing them to make a positive impact on your company.”

#7 Adaptability: Change or Perish. “Stubbornness is no longer desirable. Instead, humility and the willingness to adapt mark a great leader.”

#8 Passion: Love the Work You’re With. “People who are able to bring passion to their business have a remarkable advantage, as that passion is contagious to customers and colleagues alike.”

#9 Surprise and Delight: Every Mistake Is an Opportunity. “Likeable leaders underpromise and overdeliver, assuring that customers and staff are surprised in a positive way.”

#10 Simplicity: Be Simply Human. “The world is more complex than ever before, and yet what customers often respond to best is simplicity – in design, form, and function.”

#11 Gratefulness: The ROI (Return on Investment) of ‘Thank You.’ “Likeable leaders are ever grateful for the people who contribute to their opportunities and successes.”

Meg Cadoux Hirshber, author and entrepreneur, writes this praise for Likeable Business: “This important, persuasive book will change the way you think about and operate your business. Anyone who hopes to lead successfully in the twenty-first century needs to read this book.” Amen. With that, I must return back this book to the state library, Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, hoping that another reader will be blessed like I do. Can’t wait to incorporate these principles into my new small (perhaps smaller) business – online bookstore. By the way, do you want to buy great and valuable books? CLICK HERE.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.