A Passion To Win

In one of the most fascinating business autobiographies of this year, Sumner Redstone tells the unvarnished story of how he overcame every obstacle to build a vast media and entertainment engine that includes Paramount, MTV, CBS, Nickleodeon and Blockbuster. A larger-than-life figure in the grand tradition of the Hearsts, Paleys and Pulitzers, and voted by 600 corporate executives as the #1 most inspiring CEO, this is the man who can truly say, "I AM VIACOM." A PASSION TO WIN is a riveting look behind the scenes at the highly charged negotiations that won Redstone both Viacom and Paramount. The book reveals the intense business calculations and strong emotions of Redstone's head-to-head confrontations with such adversaries as Barry Diller and H. Wayne Huizenga. And when Blockbuster went into the tank, risking Redstone's fortune and life's work with it, A PASSION TO WIN takes the reader on a financial roller-coaster ride on which Redstone revolutionised the video industry and righted his company. In a world of high-visibility corporate battles, Redstone pulls no punches. This is a book that shows the reader what it takes to win. Never before has Sumner Redstone revealed himself so candidly, and now with the assistance of writer Peter Knobler, he has produced an inspirational life story that will command major attention.

This endearing story of perseverance and determination casts new light on the memorable 50-year career Lou Nanne achieved in hockey while both on and off the rink. He played in 635 NHL regular season games for the Minnesota North Stars, the only defenseman to lead the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in scoring, and was the captain of the University of Minnesota's Gophers and the 1968 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team. Lou Nanne has done it all, and now for the first time shares his life's journey of great memories, accomplishments, and sorrows in his autobiography, A Passion to Win. Nanne takes readers into the locker rooms and onto the ice in some of the greatest NHL arenas in both the United States and Canada, talking about not only the sensational wins but also the losses that haunt him to this day. Most notably, he speaks frankly about his most harrowing struggle: the disease that nearly overcame him and resulted in his departure from hockey.

HOW HAVE SOME DISTINGUISHED Indian companies and MNCs operating in India acquired outstanding stature and sustained extraordinary performance over long spans of time? How do they develop and sustain competitive edge?What kind of leadership, basic paradigms, values, strategic orientations, organizational characteristics, managerial processes and practices make the difference? This book attempts to answer these questions, based on an intensive, empirical, two-year path breaking research study by All India Management Association that covered some of the most outstanding, highly admired Indian companies and multinational companies operating in India. It is the first book of its kind that has focused exclusively on the Indian business context for developing original and fresh insights into the factors, characteristics and practices that develop and sustain competitive edge. The book draws heavily from the insights of some of the most successful Indian business leaders and highly experienced professional managers. Their wisdom and thoughts have been quoted verbatim from interviews to bring to surface their rich tacit knowledge, which makes it an interesting reading based on real life experiences.The authors have developed a powerful '5-I' analytical framework to explain the basic organizational attributes that develop and sustain competitiveness. The framework has been developed through a comprehensive analysis of interviews, field observations, case studies, and analysis of performance over an extended period of time.

Explains how companies must pinpoint business strategies to a few critically important choices, identifying common blunders while outlining simple exercises and questions that can guide day-to-day and long-term decisions.

Perfect for fans of mischievous storytime favorites like Pig the Pug, The Bad Seed, and Eloise comes a winning story about a spunky heroine and her sidekick pup who are ready to WIN! Today is Sports Day, I can't wait. And as I know that I'll be great, I've planned how I will celebrate... Because I'm going to WIN. Our heroine and her sidekick pup have their eyes on the prize and are ready to find something to WIN. They compete in a spelling bee, a dancing contest, hide-and-seek, and more in search of a shiny medal. But what will happen if they... don't walk away the winner? Playfully tackling themes of competition, good sportsmanship, and being a fair loser (and winner!), I Really Want to Win joyfully reminds readers that, sometimes, winning isn't everything. With rollicking rhyming text from Simon Philip, bold, expressive illustrations from Lucia Gaggiotti, and a spunky heroine in the middle of it all, this follow-up to I Really Want the Cake is sure to be a winner! "A great conversation starter about the frustrations of competition and the search for a personal passion." -- Kirkus Reviews

Five years ago, lost, paralyzed and terrified of the mess her life was in, award winning writer and business strategist Tina Ferguson found herself deep in the ditch. She had never faced such crisis in her life and was ill-prepared to deal with her feelings of hopelessness and despair. Open to any help to release her from the abyss, she found answers in the most unlikely places. The program in this book emerged as she came to heal her life and assist thousands of others to do the same. Part inspiration, part transformation, part how-to guide, part memoir, Must Be Present to Win is a practical life-activation guide that assures people in the ditch that where they are is the best place to start to create their very best life. Inspired by her own experiences, Ferguson wants others to know that the ditch is an invitation and a gift to claim. The book is divided into four parts: Getting Out of the Ditch, Discovering Passion in the Present, Claiming the Winning Ticket, and Living Life as a Grand Adventure. Filled with nearly 100 practical, road-tested, easy-to-use tools, which are indexed for easy reference, the book provides a self-help road map for people to navigate out of the ditch and back in to their life. Ferguson offers an emergency toolkit for people who want to get out of the ditch fast and real-world client stories to provide steady inspiration and hope. This book is full of heart and inspiration for those who want to know it is possible to live life free of fear, depression and despair.

This is not a book about one thing. It's not a 250-page dissertation on leadership, teams or motivation. Instead, it's an agenda for building organizations that can flourish in a world of diminished hopes, relentless change and ferocious competition. This is not a book about doing better. It's not a manual for people who want to tinker at the margins. Instead, it's an impassioned plea to reinvent management as we know it—to rethink the fundamental assumptions we have about capitalism, organizational life, and the meaning of work. Leaders today confront a world where the unprecedented is the norm. Wherever one looks, one sees the exceptional and the extraordinary: Business newspapers decrying the state of capitalism. Once-innovative companies struggling to save off senescence. Next gen employees shunning blue chips for social start-ups. Corporate miscreants getting pilloried in the blogosphere. Entry barriers tumbling in what were once oligopolistic strongholds. Hundred year-old business models being rendered irrelevant overnight. Newbie organizations crowdsourcing their most creative work. National governments lurching towards bankruptcy. Investors angrily confronting greedy CEOs and complacent boards. Newly omnipotent customers eagerly wielding their power. Social media dramatically transforming the way human beings connect, learn and collaborate. Obviously, there are lots of things that matter now. But in a world of fractured certainties and battered trust, some things matter more than others. While the challenges facing organizations are limitless; leadership bandwidth isn't. That's why you have to be clear about what really matters now. What are the fundamental, make-or-break issues that will determine whether your organization thrives or dives in the years ahead? Hamel identifies five issues are that are paramount: values, innovation, adaptability, passion and ideology. In doing so he presents an essential agenda for leaders everywhere who are eager to... move from defense to offense reverse the tide of commoditization defeat bureaucracy astonish their customers foster extraordinary contribution capture the moral high ground outrun change build a company that's truly fit for the future Concise and to the point, the book will inspire you to rethink your business, your company and how you lead.