HEADLINES:
| We're good at lifelong learning. Warren is better in his 70s and 80s, in many ways, than he was when he was younger. If you keep learning all the time, you have a wonderful advantage. | |
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Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's Partner Berkshire Hathaway |
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5 Best Biz Books 2013 --
my latest list is online and on the newsstands in the Nov 18 issue of Fortunemagazine
- add these five
outstanding biz books to your reading list and
corporate library.
Congrats to Rajeev Agarwal --
speaking of books, I continue to encourage CEOs to write a book as a way to
generate interest in their company (potential customers and employees). Rajeev
Agarwal, founder of Redmond-based MAQ Software (and GazellesPro member) just
released a book entitled What
I Did Not Learn at IIT.
Clearly geared to attracting tech talent in India, it has both a catchy
title and great looking cover! Congrats Rajeev.
Buffett's and Munger's Best Advice --
rarely interviewed together outside their annual gathering in Omaha, Fortune managed
an exclusive joint interview with
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. Take one minute to scan how they've helped
each other over the years (and who feels they helped the other more!). And
Munger's take on envy is worth the minute. Then here's
a link to the extended interview
of the Buffett/Munger duo and several other powerful duos willing to support and
learn from each other. Do you have such a biz partner? So long as you get along,
it makes the journey a lot more fun.
Profit/X Clarification --
one of the most important findings in Jim Collins' research still generates a
lot of confusion -- his Profit/X concept. In my latest
Growth Guy syndicated column, as you prepare your 2014 One-Page Strategic
Plans, I delve into the power of choosing the right Profit/X (actually, the
numerator can be anything - revenue, employees, GM, etc.) and how the "X" needs
to align with your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). If all this is confusing,
take 3 minutes to scan through the column. It's one of the most important
strategic decisions you'll make so it's critical to get it right.
"H#!! Froze Over" --
...and check
out this short article on what
might be one of the greatest strategic decisions of all time - Apple's rebel
engineers defying Steve Jobs wishes and making iTunes available for the PC. It's
a one minute read if you have time.
Best Time to Give Holiday Gifts --
knowing that this is culturally specific, John Ruhlin, author of Cutting
Edge Sales,
suggests the week before Thanksgiving or the middle of January are the best
times to give holiday gifts if you want a 100x impact. This way you avoid
getting lost in the noise of other gifts your customers receive during the 4
weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Notes Ruhlin, "It is best to give a
gift in the middle of July when no one expects it then to be one of 100 gifts a
busy executive receives and get lost in the chaos."
"Thanks" Giving Gifts --
...and if you're looking for an appropriate gift, books are always great way to
position you as a lifelong learner - and a way to share knowledge that will help
your customer's business and ignite a business-focused conversation. We have a
few boxes (36 to a box @$10/book plus shipping) of The
Greatest Business
Decision book available as one option. Email
Missy Giltner if
interested.