This wise and inspiring book by Leonard Berry, moves far beyond his pioneering work in services marketing and service quality to explain how great service companies meet their toughest challenge: sustaining long-term success. In a world where customers regard flawless products as a given, service is the key differentiator between competitors in any field. From Berry's exacting study of fourteen mature, highly successful, labor-intensive companies comes an astonishing revelation: the single most important factor in building a lasting service business is not a matter of savvy business practice, but of humane values. In all fourteen award-winning companies -- Bergstrom Hotels, The Charles Schwab Corporation, Chick-fil-A, The Container Store, Custom Research Inc., Dana Commercial Credit, Dial-A-Mattress, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Midwest Express Airlines, Miller SQA, Special Expeditions, St. Paul Saints, USAA, and Ukrop's Super Markets -- values-driven leadership connects with strategic focus, executional excellence, control of destiny, trust-based relationships, generosity, investment in employee success, acting small, and brand cultivation to drive customer satisfaction, innovation, and growth. Dedicating a chapter to each of these nine drivers, this book is the most far-reaching and insightful vision ever presented of the principles and step-by-step actions that continuously bring success to life in a company. Berry's comprehensive model reveals the soul that underlies the strategies and day-to-day operations of great service companies, guiding the thousands of daily decisions of individual employees. Clear, compelling, pathbreaking, Discovering the Soul of Service is essential reading for managers everywhere.

Based on presentations given at the 1993 Common Boundary Conference of the same title, when authors, artists, thinkers & teachers were brought together to discuss issues of the soul.

There never has been and never will be anyone like you. But that isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you. The problem? Few people discover the God-given identity that makes them unlike anyone else. Mark Batterson calls this divine distinction our soulprint. God would like to introduce you to yourself. In Soulprint, Mark pours the contagious energy he’s known for into helping you experience the joy of discovering who you are...and the freedom of discovering who you’re not. The wonderful fact is that your uniqueness is God’s gift to you, and it’s also your gift to God. A self-discovery book that puts God at the center rather than self, Soulprint encourages you to recognize and explore the five defining moments in your life that will determine your destiny. Along the way, you’ll find that you’re not just turning the pages of a book. You’re turning the pages of your remarkable, God-shaped, world-changing life.

"At the core of every great work of fiction lies its soul - the mysterious thing that motivates its characters' actions and speaks to the world with their voices saying, "Let me tell you something you need to know." The writer who aims for greatness must ask, "Where do I find that soul, and how do I unveil it?" ... In an ... exploration launched from first principles, this book introduces two new and original techniques for unveiling the deeper meaning of any story and charting its truest course - as well as a third technique that combines the first two to generate stories from scratch."--Back cover.

Management Lessons from Mayo Clinic reveals for the first time how this complex service organization fosters a culture that exceeds customer expectations and earns deep loyalty from both customers and employees. Service business authority Leonard Berry and Mayo Clinic marketing administrator Kent Seltman explain how the Clinic implements and maintains its strategy, adheres to its management system, executes its care model, and embraces new knowledge - invaluable lessons for managers and service providers of all industries. Drs. Berry and Seltman had the rare opportunity to study Mayo Clinic's service culture and systems from the inside by conducting personal interviews with leaders, clinicians, staff, and patients, as well as observing hundreds of clinician-patient interactions. The result is a book about how the Clinic's business concept produces stellar clinical results, organizational efficiency, and interpersonal service. By examining the operating principles that guide every management decision at this legendary healthcare institution, the authors Demonstrate how a great service brand evolves from the core values that nourish and protect it Extrapolate instructive business lessons that apply outside healthcare Illustrate the benefits of pooling talent and encouraging teamwork Relate historical events and perspectives to the present-day Mayo Clinic Share inspiring stories from staff and patients An innovative analysis of this exemplary institution, Management Lessons from Mayo Clinic presents a proven prescription for creating sustainable service excellence in any organization.

We long to nurture our weary souls. But what if ordinary relationships are the answer? Intimacy with others is a part of our soul's architecture, and it can restore life and health to our depleted souls. Spiritual Friendship introduces you to principles of friendship that bring focus to your spiritual life. You'll discover what it takes to have a rich, God-centered relationship that will nourish your soul.

A life not examined is not worth living. ~ Socrates "The profound insights offered in this book will nourish your soul and set you on a life-long path for experiencing deeper happiness. A must-read for anyone seeking answers to the most important questions of life." ~ Jennifer Read Hawthorne, co-author, #1 New York Times bestseller Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul and The Soul of Success "A well thought out personal guide to coming home to one's own source of fulfillment, Rajiv Vij has combined his personal life experience along with his years as a personal life coach to show how self responsibility combined with the inspiration of a newfound life purpose grounded in helping others, is truly the path to personal mastery. I recommend this book to anyone yearning for real change, and for those who could use further inspiration to take the next important step toward manifesting their true life's work." ~ Paula Horan, PhD, Reiki Master and author of Fierce Innocence and Core Empowerment "This neat, well written volume, talks about inner transformation and how this leads to a life that has deep meaning. Success - as defined conventionally - is a by-product of such transformation. It is a great reminder that our potential is unfathomably immense. We have to know this, acknowledge it and tap into it." ~ Srikumar Rao, PhD, TED speaker and best selling author, author of Happiness at Work In a society increasingly driven by the manic pursuit of externally visible rewards, this book not only underscores the need for greater purpose in our lives, but also elaborates on the inner journey of selfdiscovery that can help us create a truly meaningful life. Written by a leading life coach, this book will show you a path for personal transformation that has worked for several others in discovering their calling, higher professional effectiveness, deeper relationships, better balance and greater peace and happiness in their lives. Founded in the belief that skills for being happier can be acquired, the inspirational insights shared in the book will empower you for the rest of your life.