Mavericks At Work: Why The Most Original Minds In Business Win [Hardcover]

A collection of case studies featuring the same formulaic ebullience endemic to business books since blurber Tom Peters' seminal work In Search of Excellence, this reader from FastCompany magazine cofounder Taylor and influential business writer LaBarre profiles some of the more interesting companies doing business today: Cirque de Soleil, Commerce Bank, Pixar, Anthropologie, Southwest Airlines, Jones Soda, Apple Computer and Craigslist among them. Such companies may have disparate cultures, but what unites them is originality, self-knowledge and passion. Whether by remaining small, recruiting zealously, or functioning like a kind of cult, such businesses succeed by imbuing the corporate rank and file with an entrepreneur's vision, avoiding the twin vices of mediocrity and complacency. Conversational but rigorous, Taylor and Labarre's chipper exploration of imagination at work holds value for novice and journeyman business leaders.
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Although the title sounds like a self-help guide to the dysfunctionally employed, the aim of this book is actually to challenge business leaders to think bigger and aim higher. Those are certainly not new challenges, so what makes this book different from all the others that encourage entrepreneurs to "break the mold"? The authors have identified positive developments in a business environment that is struggling to emerge from slow growth, dashed expectations, and corporate scandal. Although they show how big-name innovators such as HBO, IBM, and Proctor & Gamble are finding new ways to stand out, a new breed is emerging that is proving that smarter can beat bigger. Companies such as Netflix, Google, and craigslist really are reinventing the wheel and have caused the business community to stand up and notice. The authors' vision is that these new innovators, once dismissed as upstarts, hold the key to reinstituting business as a source of inspiration and progress, creating a path for others to follow. David Siegfried
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"A pivotal work in the tradition of 'In Search of Excellence' and 'Good to Great' and featuring many of today's most interesting corporate rising stars. These are companies that blend the revolutionary zeal of the late 1990s dotcom era with an emphasis on values in a way that has set them apart from the ethical crisis gripping American business in the first years of this century." The Economist. "Cases. Cases. Cases. We desperately need concrete, compelling, uplifting examples of new varieties of Excellence to guide us to and through the future. And you'll find them by the bushel in 'Mavericks at Work'. Bill Taylor and Polly LaBarre, a pair of brilliant raconteurs as well as analysts, more than fulfill their promise to let us be 'eyewitnesses to the future.' I didn't 'read' this book--I devoured it." Tom Peters, author of 'In Search of Excellence' and one of the leading management experts in the world.

Meet the innovators and upstarts who are inventing the future of business. Their unconventional ideas and groundbreaking strategies can become your business plan for the twenty-first century a better way to lead, compete, and succeed. Business as usual is a bust. In industry after indus-try, the old guard is cutting back and losing ground. Meanwhile, organizations that were once dismissed as upstarts, as wildcards or "mavericks" are making waves and growing fast. There is a reason: In an age of hypercompetition and nonstop innovation, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something truly original. That's the lesson behind the companies, executives, and entrepreneurs you'll meet in "Mavericks at Work,"They are winning big in business by rethinking the logic of how business gets done. They have devised exciting new answers to the timeless challenges facing organizations of every size and leaders in every field: how you make strategy, how you unleash new ideas, how you connect with customers, how your best people achieve great results. Who are these mavericks? They are break-the-mold business units inside giants such as IBM and Procter & Gamble, as well as high-profile innovators such as HBO and Pixar. They are Internet banks and gold mines, fashion retailers and advertising agencies, funky sandwich shops and hard-charging computer programmers. Together, they are creating an inspiring agenda that every business can put to work. Their success demonstrates that: Being different makes all the difference Sharing values beats selling value The company with the smartest customers wins Nobody is as smart as everybody Character counts for as much ascredentials Great leaders are insatiable learners Whether you're a young professional setting out on your career, a senior executive looking to make your organization grow, or an entrepreneur building a company from scratch, "Mavericks at Work" will help you think bigger, aim higher, and win more decisively.

William C Taylor is a cofounder and founding editor of Fast Company, which, during his tenure, won two coveted National Magazine Awards, was named Launch of the Year by Advertising Age, Startup of the Year by AdWeek, and Magazine of the Year by Advertising Age. He has been published in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Harvard Business Review. He lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts. During her eight years as senior editor of Fast Company, Polly LaBarre wrote influential articles on strategy, creativity and personal success, and cohosted its signature Real Time conferences, at which executives, entrepreneurs, and innovators debated the future of business and leadership. She lives in New York City.