It's All About Who You Hire, How They Lead...and Other Essential Advice from a Self-Made Leader

MORTON L. MANDEL is a self-made billionaire, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. With his brothers, Jack and Joseph, he cofounded Premier Industrial Corporation in 1940, eventually merging it with Farnell Electronics in a $3 billion deal. The three Mandel brothers also established the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation (www.mandelfoundation.org), which funds numerous social leadership initiatives all over the world.

JOHN A. BYRNE is former executive editor of BusinessWeek, former editor in chief of Fast Company, and author of ten books, including the New York Times best seller Jack: Straight from the Gut with Jack Welch.

Editor’s Note by Warren Bennis

Foreword by John A. Byrne

Prologue

1 It’s All About Who

Hire the best • seeking the enthusiastic yes • five key things to look for • hire when you don’t need to • provide experience, demand the rest

2 The ABC’s of People

A simple truth revealed: relentlessly seek A players • get rid of the C’s • your first loyalty is to the organization • know the difference between what is acceptable and what is possible • A’s attract other A’s

3 Building a Rich, Deep, and Ethical Culture

Why it pays off big-time to (1) do what’s right and (2) treat others with respect, fairness, and decency • never abandon principle • being scrupulously honest is enlightened self-interest

4 What Happens When You Ignore Culture, People, and Values

The soft stuff is the real stuff • in deal making, too little attention is paid to culture fit • people, culture, and values bring competitive distinction • often the so-called little things make a difference

5 What I Learned from Peter Drucker

Improving the team is the leader’s primary job • put your best person on your biggest opportunity • meet regularly with the second- and third-level staff as CEO • meet and greet the rank-and-file before management

6 Killing Yourself for the Customer

Why superior customer service is a huge missed opportunity • find a need and fill it • create a culture dedicated to service • always ask yourself how you could do better • a company devoted to customer service is in the business of exceeding expectations

7 Principles Make a Difference

Rules make “doing” easier and better • Smart policies liberate employees • commit an organization’s core learning to written, visible guidelines

8 Factbooks: Key to Personal Discipline

How thoughtful standardized practices lead to better performance • great execution requires discipline and focus • a painstaking devotion to the details • break down a manager’s tasks into small manageable steps • hold yourself and everyone accountable

9 Why We Swung Our Acquisitions Bat to Hit Singles, Not Home Runs

Buying niches, not size, is safer and better • look for under-managed businesses • make carefully calculated risks, not bet-the-company gambles • try to hit singles, never home runs

10 Lighting Candles

Lighting even one candle changes the world • allow others to come up with and to help shape ideas • ownership brings a better result • involvement leads to understanding • understanding leads to commitment

11 A Gospel of Wealth

Pursue philanthropy as systematically as business • bet on people • select tough, persistent problems to tackle • create mission statements, clear goals, and formal work plans

12 Using Business Ideas in the Social Sector

Sound management practices work in every setting and are a huge “missed opportunity” in philanthropy • powerful results can come from seemingly simple business tools • benefit from the lessons of the best performers • commit to the continuing development of people

13 An Olive Tree

A simple truth re-lived: treating others in the proper way pays off big-time • make your company a great place to work • fully satisfy your customers • fully satisfy your shareholders

14 Yes, I Can!

My leadership journey in business and philanthropy started when I first believed “Yes, I can” • believe in yourself and your ideas to make the world a better place • success does not come only from breakthroughs but mostly from hard work

15 Some Beacons to Steer By

Not an easy task—but worth tackling in a serious way • carefully plan every workday • diet, exercise, and get sufficient rest • adopt a formal personal system to help you get more results • think big, but start small

16 If I Could Do It Over Again

Why I would do the same thing over again in a heartbeat • search for personal fulfillment • do something significant with your life • respect who you are and how you have lived your life • love what you do

Appendix

Acknowledgments

The Author

Index

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