Why Businesses Fail And The Journey Through Our Irrational Minds

What was the real reason for the failure of South Canterbury Finance and could it have been saved? Was it really the fall in coal prices that sank Solid Energy? Why did Pumpkin Patch collapse? Why do over 2000 small businesses go into liquidation every year in New Zealand? Why did David Ross defraud over $100 million from Kiwis' life savings in the failure of Ross Asset Management?Why did the leaders of these businesses make decisions that ultimately saw the demise of the business they led? Why do we all make decisions that we know are not likely to be good for us, whether in business or in life?To take a journey through the failures of kiwi business requires a journey through all our irrational minds. While failures were caused by factors such as excessive debt, no cash, external forces, weak governance, poor skills, failure to pay taxes and more, all can be linked back to the decisions people did or didn't make.This book is backed by the extensive research of leading academics, and interviews with the CEOs, CFOs and board members of failed businesses. It includes discussions with journalists, fraudsters, insolvency experts, lawyers, official information requests and much more. Take a journey through the irrational mind that we all share and see what part that mind plays in the success and failure of business. Share the background and the stories of those at the heart of these failures.In reading this book you will learn why businesses fail, and what role being human played in the decisions made. Most importantly, you will learn what can be done to be more successful in our business lives.

What was the real reason for the failure of South Canterbury Finance and could it have been saved? Was it really the fall in coal prices that sank Solid Energy? Why did Pumpkin Patch collapse? Why do over 2000 small businesses go into liquidation every year in New Zealand? Why did David Ross defraud over $100 million from Kiwis¿ life savings in the failure of Ross Asset Management? Why did the leaders of these businesses make decisions that ultimately saw the demise of the business they led? Why do we all make decisions that we know are not likely to be good for us, whether in business or in life? To take a journey through the failures of kiwi business requires a journey through all our irrational minds. While failures were caused by factors such as excessive debt, no cash, external forces, weak governance, poor skills, failure to pay taxes and more, all can be linked back to the decisions people did or didn¿t make. This book is backed by the extensive research of leading academics, and interviews with the CEOs, CFOs and board members of failed businesses. It includes discussions with journalists, fraudsters, insolvency experts, lawyers, official information requests and much more. The author also shares details about his experiences within the corporate world, and the price he paid suffering a significant breakdown and four years battling depression dealing with the often irrational world that exists within business Take a journey through the irrational mind that we all share and see what part that mind plays in the success and failure of business. Share the background and the stories of those at the heart of these failures and many other real-life events in business in New Zealand and from around the world.

At the height of the global bull market a few years ago, business giant Kmart stumbled, going from one of the most admired companies to one of the largest bankruptcies in history. The same fate befell several seemingly impenetrable corporation, such as Enron, WorldCom, Polaroid, and others. Were these fantastic failures caused by a fickle stock market and a turbulent economy? Did they fall victim to the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s? Not according to business journalist Mark Ingebretsen in Why Companies Fail. As you'll discover in this groundbreaking book, all of these companies exhibited one or more of the ten characteristics of a doomed company--characteristics that have been shared by failed companies for decades. Kmart, Enron, WorldCom, and other corporations might have been saved if their executives had recognized sooner that their companies were exhibiting one or more of these characteristics. Ingebretsen, with the help of some of the world's most noted business management experts from the Turnaround Management Association, describes in startling detail each of the ten big reasons companies fail, including: - Letting stock price dictate strategy - Ignoring customers - Fighting wars of attrition - Innovating too much or too little - And more Inside these pages, you'll discover practical methods for identifying these fatal characteristics in your own organization and preventing them from leading to failure. No matter what the size of your company, the lessons in Why Companies Fail could be the difference between long-lasting success and sudden flameout. And before any company can go from good to great, it's got to be on the right track in the first place.This valuable guide will show you how.

Embark on a transformative odyssey of self-discovery and growth with "Awakening Through Love." Guided by the timeless wisdom of Rumi, this book offers a profound and accessible exploration of the human experience, unveiling a path to understanding, acceptance, and enlightenment. Rumi invites you to delve into the realms of self-discovery, love, and spiritual awakening. This captivating journey begins by unraveling the intricacies of the "religion of love," a path that leads to self-awareness and personal growth. The pillars of this profound philosophy, meticulously illuminated through Rumi's verses, inspire readers to transcend boundaries and embrace the divine essence within. Venture deeper into the heart of Rumi's teachings as the book's second part unfolds. Step by step, his philosophy is dissected and unveiled, offering practical insights into each facet of the journey. Through poignant interpretations, relatable anecdotes, and tangible examples, readers will uncover the transformative power of self-awareness, the liberating essence of letting go, and the profound grace of forgiveness. In these pages, the profound message of Rumi comes to life, offering a roadmap to living authentically, navigating emotional landscapes, and attaining inner peace. "Awakening Through Love" is a beacon of light for those seeking to cultivate self-compassion, embrace their emotions, and harness the courage to face life's challenges head-on. Whether you're embarking on your quest for self-discovery or seeking guidance on forging deeper connections with the world around you, this book is a valuable companion. With Rumi's timeless wisdom as your guide, you'll find solace in the understanding that your journey is a universal quest for truth, love, and purpose. Open the door to profound insights, embark on a transformative path, and discover the radiance of your being through the pages of "Awakening Through Love."

Use the power of the Enneagram to become a more effective, capable leader The Enneagram at Work is the first book to harness the insight of the Enneagram to transform leadership in today’s workplace. A veteran of the high-profile hospitality industry with two decades of experience working with the Enneagram, author Jim McPartlin has seen firsthand the way self-awareness can radically transform leadership, strengthen teams, and spark creative solutions. From giving and accepting criticism to fostering strong mentorships and managing conflict, The Enneagram at Work will give you invaluable tools for growing and thriving in your career. For the longtime Enneagram fan or those who are just learning to identify their type, The Enneagram at Work helps readers explore the full breadth of their type, becoming aware of their blindspots in the workplace and leaning into their strengths more fully. Each chapter includes actionable exercises and practices so that readers can move from learning to doing and apply their insights in the real world.

IN COUNTLESS STUDIES, PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE DISCOVERED A SURPRISING FACT: For decades they assumed that people who face adversity—a difficult childhood, career turbulence, sudden bouts of bad luck—will succumb to their circumstances. Yet over and over again they found a significant percentage are able to overcome their life circumstances and achieve spectacular success. How is it that individuals who are not “supposed” to succeed manage to overcome the odds? Are there certain traits that such people have in common? Can the rest of us learn from their success and apply it to our own lives? In Succeeding When You’re Supposed to Fail, Rom Brafman, psychologist and coauthor of the bestselling book Sway, set out to answer these questions. In a riveting narrative that interweaves compelling stories from education, the military, and business and a wide range of groundbreaking new research, Brafman identifies the six hidden drivers behind unlikely success. Among them: •The critical importance of the Limelight Effect—our ability to redirect the focus of our lives to the result of our own efforts, as opposed to external forces •The value of a satellite in our lives—the remarkable way in which a consistent ally who accepts us unconditionally while still challenging us to be our best can make a huge difference •The power of temperament—people who are able to tunnel through life’s obstacles have a surprisingly mild disposition; they don’t allow the bumps in the road to unsettle them By understanding and incorporating these strat-egies in our own lives, Brafman argues, we can all be better prepared to overcome the inevitable obstacles we face, from setbacks at work to chall-enges in our personal lives.

National Book Award Finalist: “This man’s ideas may be the most influential, not to say controversial, of the second half of the twentieth century.”—Columbus Dispatch At the heart of this classic, seminal book is Julian Jaynes's still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only three thousand years ago and is still developing. The implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion—and indeed our future. “Don’t be put off by the academic title of Julian Jaynes’s The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. Its prose is always lucid and often lyrical…he unfolds his case with the utmost intellectual rigor.”—The New York Times “When Julian Jaynes . . . speculates that until late in the twentieth millennium BC men had no consciousness but were automatically obeying the voices of the gods, we are astounded but compelled to follow this remarkable thesis.”—John Updike, The New Yorker “He is as startling as Freud was in The Interpretation of Dreams, and Jaynes is equally as adept at forcing a new view of known human behavior.”—American Journal of Psychiatry

Originally published by Viking Penguin, 2014.