A time management system for people who hate that. It's also a mini-MBA for anyone who wants to find their irresistible rhythm to beat their wildest goals. Examples help you take your star turn as an A player in your company or industry. Music metaphors replace corporate speak. The DRUMBEAT metaphor is a mind palace to help remember the concepts.

Support your growing family without losing professional ground—a proven approach The Parental Leave Playbook helps parents take control of their leave and make the most of what's considered a career timeout, but is actually a vital "time-in" for your life. If you're an expecting or new parent concerned about how your leave and return plans will affect your visibility, candidacy for promotion, work relationships, and performance (not to mention your identity and home life), this book will guide you into the smoothest transition possible. Most importantly, this book will help you as you grow and strengthen yourself and your family while remaining a professional. In The Parental Leave Playbook, you'll learn Dr. Amy Beacom's innovative R.E.T.A.I.N. framework and the three-phase, ten-touchpoint model, to coach yourself through the leave process. Beacom identifies the critical points before, during, and after leave where parents and managers must work together, and explains how parents can facilitate success by finessing the way they approach their manager and colleagues. These models are supported by case studies from the author's work in the field with leading organizations like Microsoft, and supplemented by resources such as the evidence-based Parental Leave Transition Assessment (PLTA) sample report, leave action plan templates, reflection prompts, and development exercises to enhance self-awareness and skills. You'll learn how to: Communicate your parental leave plans effectively and at the right time Set expectations with managers and colleagues to ensure a smooth transition Learn how to maintain visibility, avoid being replaced, and continue your upward career trajectory during your parental leave and beyond Grow and strengthen your family without sacrificing your professional gains All working parents-to-be can benefit from the ideas and proven tools in this direct and practical book.

Why do most corporations fail to achieve breakthrough performance? They make things too complex. They clutter it with jargon and confusion. They dither on the launch pad. They hire too many consultants, chase after too many fads. It doesn’t have to be that complicated. Whatever your goal, whatever your role, Michael T. Kanazawa and Robert H. Miles introduce a simple, practical, 100% results- driven approach that works. Drawing on their experience working with hundreds of senior executives, they show how to align your organization behind just a few core initiatives; bias your people toward speed; create leaders at every level; and achieve traction and accountability in all facets of execution. You’ll learn how to engage people instead of frustrating them, and harness their energy instead of wasting it. Whether you’re executing a new initiative, entering a new market, or attempting to transform your entire enterprise, this book will help you find the right path, clear the obstacles, and get there—surely and quickly. Today’s companies recognize that they must constantly improve at every level, from frontline customer-facing functions to enterprise-wide strategy. They must execute bold new strategic initiatives more effectively... integrate and align acquisitions more quickly...and accelerate and sustain growth in the face of unprecedented competition. But wherever business transformation and breakthrough performance must occur, many of the challenges are the same. Now, there’s a breakthrough methodology for overcoming these challenges. In BIG Ideas to BIG Results, Michael T. Kanazawa and Robert H. Miles introduce the Accelerated Corporate Transformation (ACT) methodology: A simple, no-nonsense process that is grounded in reality, inclusive of people, and 100% results-oriented. Drawing on over twenty years refining and applying ACT, initially at Harvard Business School and then in leading enterprises, Kanazawa and Miles identify crucial steps to success, as well as practical solutions to the inevitable roadblocks you’ll face. Their #1 insight: Many obstacles stem from managers making situations and decisions more complex than they really are, and taking too much time to get ready. ACT strips away complexity and indecision, helping you move far more rapidly and predictably from strategy development through execution. Designed by leaders for leaders, this book will help you execute more rapidly and lead more effectively, to achieve breakthrough performance at any level, in any function, in any organization. Step-by-step, leader-driven techniques that work–simply and quickly Business transformation and breakthrough performance without the confusion and complexity What leaders must know–and do–to succeed Making it happen from the inside out–without hordes of consultants Conquer “corporate gridlock” at last Stay focused on what really matters, instead of bouncing from one initiative to the next Rapidly engage the full organization... ...to power up leadership at every level www.bigideastobigresults.com

Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept over twenty years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity. Now, in this life-changing book, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness and feelings of aliveness. Through an enchanting—and often amusing—story about two struggling strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, The 5am Club will walk you through: How great geniuses, business titans and the world’s wisest people start their mornings to produce astonishing achievements A little-known formula you can use instantly to wake up early feeling inspired, focused and flooded with a fiery drive to get the most out of each day A step-by-step method to protect the quietest hours of daybreak so you have time for exercise, self-renewal and personal growth A neuroscience-based practice proven to help make it easy to rise while most people are sleeping, giving you precious time for yourself to think, express your creativity and begin the day peacefully instead of being rushed “Insider-only” tactics to defend your gifts, talents and dreams against digital distraction and trivial diversions so you enjoy fortune, influence and a magnificent impact on the world Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully, The 5am Club is a work that will transform your life. Forever.

Are you drowning in useless meetings? Your projects crushed by the weight of too many stakeholders? What if you could achieve better, faster and more meaningful outcomes at work and in your career? The way we work now is based on industrial-age thinking - back when waste was measured by the scrap pile at the end of the assembly line. Today's waste is often invisible, but it's just as fatal for companies and careers. Seventy percent of all projects fail. And big companies no longer beat small ones. Fast companies beat slow ones, and their velocity comes from getting the right people engaged at the right time - in the right way. By redefining teamwork for the 21st century, The Velocity Advantage will help you achieve better and faster results with less effort and aggravation. The former CIO of Coca-Cola and founder of Brand Velocity and Consequent consulting, Jack Bergstrand's revolutionary ideas are based on 35 years of research and experience across a wide range of companies and industries. Gain valuable insights about your personality type, and learn how you can work with others in a new way - with more impact, energy and personal engagement. Success is not about speed or direction. It requires speed and direction. This book shows how to achieve both. Break free of industrial-age thinking. Make sense of cross-functional chaos. Discover a better way to work - with The Velocity Advantage.

The big stories -- The skills of the new machines : technology races ahead -- Moore's law and the second half of the chessboard -- The digitization of just about everything -- Innovation : declining or recombining? -- Artificial and human intelligence in the second machine age -- Computing bounty -- Beyond GDP -- The spread -- The biggest winners : stars and superstars -- Implications of the bounty and the spread -- Learning to race with machines : recommendations for individuals -- Policy recommendations -- Long-term recommendations -- Technology and the future (which is very different from "technology is the future").

Nobody can predict what the future holds for the world economy, but there is growing consensus that the turmoil of 2008 will lead to at least some period of prolonged pain. Most managers, who have never dealt with such a global downturn, seem paralyzed.

While Americans are generally aware of China's ambitions as a global economic and military superpower, few understand just how deeply and assertively that country has already sought to influence American society. As the authors of this volume write, it is time for a wake-up call. In documenting the extent of Beijing's expanding influence operations inside the United States, they aim to raise awareness of China's efforts to penetrate and sway a range of American institutions: state and local governments, academic institutions, think tanks, media, and businesses. And they highlight other aspects of the propagandistic “discourse war” waged by the Chinese government and Communist Party leaders that are less expected and more alarming, such as their view of Chinese Americans as members of a worldwide Chinese diaspora that owes undefined allegiance to the so-called Motherland.Featuring ideas and policy proposals from leading China specialists, China's Influence and American Interests argues that a successful future relationship requires a rebalancing toward greater transparency, reciprocity, and fairness. Throughout, the authors also strongly state the importance of avoiding casting aspersions on Chinese and on Chinese Americans, who constitute a vital portion of American society. But if the United States is to fare well in this increasingly adversarial relationship with China, Americans must have a far better sense of that country's ambitions and methods than they do now.

This book explains how an organization can measure and manage performance with the Balanced Scorecard methodology. It provides extensive background on performance management and the Balanced Scorecard, and focuses on guiding a team through the step-by-step development and ongoing implementation of a Balanced Scorecard system. Corporations, public sector agencies, and not for profit organizations have all reaped success from the Balanced Scorecard. This book supplies detailed implementation advice that is readily applied to any and all of these organization types. Additionally, it will benefit organizations at any stage of Balanced Scorecard development. Regardless of whether you are just contemplating a Balanced Scorecard, require assistance in linking their current Scorecard to management processes, or need a review of their past measurement efforts, Balanced Scorecard Step by Step provides detailed advice and proven solutions.

A playbook that empowers sales managers to think like CEOs and act like entrepreneurs At Salesforce.com, Elay Cohen created and executed the sales productivity programs that accelerated the company’s growth to a $3 billion–plus enterprise. The innovation delivered over these years by Elay and his team resulted in unprecedented sales productivity excellence. Based on that experience, Elay embarked on a journey to help every company in the world grow like Salesforce.com. After working with many organizations and further reflecting on his time at Salesforce.com, it became apparent that one key player was best positioned to accelerate growth in organizations: the first-line sales manager. Empowering sales managers to own and execute their own sales programs, as entrepreneurs would, became the focus of this book and his technology company. First-line sales managers are the backbone of every sales organization. They make it happen. They’re where the rubber meets the road in pipeline generation, revenue growth, and customer success. These sales managers serve as the voice of salespeople to organizations, and as the organizational voice back to salespeople. In this accessible guide, Cohen shares how sales managers can build an inspired, engaged team, equipping them with the tools they need to drive up sales productivity and grow the business. He reveals, among many other lessons, how you can nurture a winning sales culture; build world-class training programs that encourage salespeople to learn from each other; and execute sales processes, playbooks, and deals in a way that gives your salespeople the winning edge.