Becoming The Best

What does it mean in practice to be a values-based leader?When faced with real situations, how can you be your best self andcreate best teams—while also being a best partner withcustomers and vendors, a best investment for your stakeholders, anda best citizen making a difference in the world? It's a tall order,but these are the expectations for world-class organizationstoday. In his bestselling book From Values to Action, HarryKraemer showed how self-reflection, balance, true self-confidence,and genuine humility are the traits of today's most effectiveleaders. In Becoming the Best, his highly anticipatedfollow-up, Kraemer reveals how, in practical terms, anyone canapply these principles to become a values-based leader and to helpcreate values-based organizations. Drawing on his own experiences as the former CEO and chairman ofBaxter International, as well as those of other notable leaders andorganizations, Kraemer lays out a pathway for understanding theprinciples and putting them into practice, showing specifically,how to: Use self-reflection to become your "best self" as you leadyourself and others more effectively Create a "best team" that understands and appreciates whatthey're doing, and why Forge "best partnerships" through win/win collaboration withvendors and customers that enhance the end user's experienceSupport the mission, vision, and values of the organization togenerate returns that distinguish a "best investment" Make a difference in the world beyond the organization bybecoming a "best citizen" Powerful case studies from Campbell's Soup, Ernst & Young,Target, Northern Trust, and many others demonstrate the fourprinciples of values-based leadership in action and show howthinking beyond the corporation can trigger positive outcomes forboth the company and the world. Regardless of level or job title, individuals can make adifference in their organization and beyond by embodying theessential traits of a great leader. Becoming the Best offersa definitive, actionable guide to show anyone how to apply inpractice the principles of values-based leadership personally andprofessionally, making it an indispensable manual for the new waveof better leaders.

12 guiding principles for achieving success with honor and integrity in business and life Becoming Your Best includes inspiring and instructive business stories as well as a great deal of practical advice. The book's 12 principles can help any leader develop a culture of excellence and include Be True to Character; Use Your Imagination; Tap the Power of Knowledge; Never Give Up; Seek Peace & Balance; and Lead with a Vision. Steven Shallenberger has more than 40 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur, CEO, executive, corporate trainer, and community leader. He is also the founder of Synergy Companies, an energy management and environmental solutions company with more than 400 employees.

Horst Schulze knows what it takes to win. In Excellence Wins, the cofounder and former president of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company lays out a blueprint for becoming the very best in a world of compromise. In his characteristic no-nonsense approach, Schulze shares the visionary and disruptive principles that have led to immense global success over the course of his still-prolific fifty-year career in the hospitality industry. For over twenty years, Schulze fearlessly led the company to unprecedented multibillion dollar growth, setting the business vision and people-focused standards that made the Ritz-Carlton brand world renowned. In Excellence Wins, Schulze shares his approach to everything from providing the best customer service to creating a culture of excellence within your organization. With his tried-and-true methods and inspiring, hard-earned wisdom, Schulze teaches you everything you need to know about: Why leading well is an acquired skill Serving your customers Engaging your employees Creating a culture of customer service Why vision statements make a difference What it really means to practice servant leadership Schulze's principles are designed to be versatile and practical no matter where you are in your career. He'll remind you that you don't need a powerful title or dozens of direct reports to benefit from the advice he shares in Excellence Wins--you have everything you need to apply it to your life and career right now. Let Schulze's incredible story help you unleash the disruptive power of your true potential, beat the competition, own your career trajectory, and experience the game-changing power of what happens when Excellence Wins.

How the very best get to—and stay at—the top From the arenas of professional sports to the boardrooms of major businesses, a thin slice of peak performers dominates every field. What is their secret to success? Few people know what drives these world-leaders like sports agent Molly Fletcher. Not only has Fletcher herself risen to the top of a tough, male-dominated field—CNN dubbed her "the female Jerry Maguire"—but she has also represented hundreds of successful athletes, coaches, and broadcasters in baseball, golf, basketball, and football. Her experience reveals exactly what it takes to play like "the best." Breaks success into accessible strategies like smart negotiation, likability, and personal brand-building Features interviews with such notables as Home Depot cofounder and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, future Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, and football legend Roger Staubach Connects high performance to values by showing how the best give back No matter what you do or what game you play, Fletcher's authoritative and inspirational look at the top 1 percent will help you win.

The world's foremost producer of personal development and motivational audio programs now offers an inside look at how you can find success -- simply by being the best you can be. Dozens of books, hundreds of ads and thousands of media images give you the inside track on the "secrets" of acquiring so-called success. Power, authority, money, beauty, influence, things -- lots of things, impressive things -- can be yours if you follow their formulas. The prevailing personalities of status show-and-tell are living "proof" that the formulas appear to work. Yet their formulas don't seem to work for you. You've done everything "right," and you still feel dissatisfied. What's the problem? For more than 20 years, Denis Waitley has been studying, learning and teaching the principles of being successful to literally millions of people. In Being the Best, he shows that there are light years of difference between learning to live successfully by being the best you can be in your sphere of living and shooting for some kind of phony jackpot at the end of a mythical rainbow called success. That difference is what Being the Best is all about.

Provides an overview of the big issues in the business world today, with firsthand accounts from young leaders tasked with tackling these issues head on.

Being best man is both an honour and a huge responsibility - if you think it's just a case of buying a few beers on a lad's night out, think again! You'e got a lot of organising to do, there's etiquette to follow and, of course, the dreaded speech to make. Fear not, however, as Being the Best Man For Dummies is here to help. It's a humorous, yet information-packed step-by-step guide to your role and responsibilities, from organising the stag night (or weekend) right through to the big day itself. It also gives tips and advice for you to give the best speech you can.

What does it mean in practice to be a values-based leader?When faced with real situations, how can you be your best self andcreate best teams—while also being a best partner withcustomers and vendors, a best investment for your stakeholders, anda best citizen making a difference in the world? It's a tall order,but these are the expectations for world-class organizationstoday. In his bestselling book From Values to Action, HarryKraemer showed how self-reflection, balance, true self-confidence,and genuine humility are the traits of today's most effectiveleaders. In Becoming the Best, his highly anticipatedfollow-up, Kraemer reveals how, in practical terms, anyone canapply these principles to become a values-based leader and to helpcreate values-based organizations. Drawing on his own experiences as the former CEO and chairman ofBaxter International, as well as those of other notable leaders andorganizations, Kraemer lays out a pathway for understanding theprinciples and putting them into practice, showing specifically,how to: Use self-reflection to become your "best self" as you leadyourself and others more effectively Create a "best team" that understands and appreciates whatthey're doing, and why Forge "best partnerships" through win/win collaboration withvendors and customers that enhance the end user's experienceSupport the mission, vision, and values of the organization togenerate returns that distinguish a "best investment" Make a difference in the world beyond the organization bybecoming a "best citizen" Powerful case studies from Campbell's Soup, Ernst & Young,Target, Northern Trust, and many others demonstrate the fourprinciples of values-based leadership in action and show howthinking beyond the corporation can trigger positive outcomes forboth the company and the world. Regardless of level or job title, individuals can make adifference in their organization and beyond by embodying theessential traits of a great leader. Becoming the Best offersa definitive, actionable guide to show anyone how to apply inpractice the principles of values-based leadership personally andprofessionally, making it an indispensable manual for the new waveof better leaders.