STEPHEN LUNDIN

A powerful story about the African philosophy of teamwork and collaboration that has the power to reshape our workplaces, our relationships with our coworkers, and our personal lives, written by the bestselling coauthor of Fish and the bestselling author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. John Peterson, a new manager in the credit department at a major big-box retailer, is struggling in his job. The people under him are not working as well or effectively as they need to, and his department is falling behind in meeting its goals. His only solution is to take on more work himself, burning the midnight oil and coming in most weekends to pick up the slack and keep his department above water. When one of the employees stays behind to help him--a young man who came to America from a small village in Africa--he learns of the ancient wisdom and hidden power of the African philosophy of Ubuntu. Before long, it begins to change the way he thinks about the people he works with, about himself, and about how he runs his department and his life. In an engaging and completely fresh narrative that holds a unique message for today's business world, Ubuntu shows us a way to overcome our fears, insecurities, and the "me-ism" that so often permeates our workplaces, and replace it with a culture of genuine respect and collaboration. It promises to take its place alongside Fish and other business parables as the next bestselling classic in the business category.

Why do some smallbusinesses succeed whileothers fail?That is the question one young entrepreneurfaces in this illuminating business parablefor our times. Loops reveals the soul-searchingstory of Tony, a business student whodoesn’t understand why he can’t quit schooland work in the family business.Then his professor surprises him with an unusualfinal exam—a twelve-week, summer-longstudy of the small businesses in his localarea. This simple real-world assignment opensTony’s eyes to the most important lessons anentrepreneur can learn, such as how to:Manage “experience zones”Build strong customerrelations through “visionmoments”Standardize key processesfor employeesInnovate, improve, andmaintain qualityAccomplish real results by“closing the loops”As you follow Tony’s journey, you’ll receivea week-by-week crash course on theseven essential loops for small business.You will learn how to distinguish yourselffrom the competition, improve your operations,and close the loops. Best of all,you’ll discover innovative ways to apply theloops concept to every challenge you face,with every endeavor, in any economy.When you close the loops, you open thedoor—to limitless opportunities.

It's time to let the CATS out of the bag . . . Curiosity might have killed the proverbial cat, but without it very real achievements would never occur. With this book as your guide, you’ll learn how to spark your innate curiosity, pounce onproblems in ways you never imagined, and enjoy greater success and satisfaction at work—and in your personal life. Playful, profound, and positively upbeat, CATS provides what you need to tap into your power of innovation—and thenunleash it in every member of your organization. While most business thinkers view this challenge from the top down, Stephen Lundin sees the subject from a CAT's-eye view, explaining how to get every employee--no matter what level--to think and act in innovative ways. Inside, he examines the four challenges to innovation and offers practical measures aimed at conquering them. You'll learn how to:Be brave ('fraidy cats never innovate) Stop being “normal” (make your own rules!) Embrace failure (it's the only way to learn)Foster creativity (don't be a control freak)Lundin then describes the Nine Lives of Innovation, each of which is a step toward realizing your inner CAT and becoming a fully contributing member of an innovative organization. Prowling inside every employee is a questioner, a creator, an innovator--claws out and ready to pounce. Become a CAT andyou may fi nd yourself springing on ideas in a way that surprises you—and everyone around you.