false 988764 1 0 4485966 1591842247 9781591842248 75 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256110042m/4485966.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4485966.Talent_Is_Overrated_What_Really_Separates_World_Class_Performers_from_Everybody_Else 3.84 197 Expanding on a landmark cover story in Fortune, a top journalist debunks the myths of exceptional performance.

One of the most popular Fortune articles in many years was a cover story called “What It Takes to Be Great.” Geoff Colvin offered new evidence that top performers in any field--from Tiger Woods and Winston Churchill to Warren Buffett and Jack Welch--are not determined by their inborn talents. Greatness doesn’t come from DNA but from practice and perseverance honed over decades.

And not just plain old hard work, like your grandmother might have advocated, but a very specific kind of work. The key is how you practice, how you analyze the results of your progress and learn from your mistakes, that enables you to achieve greatness.

Now Colvin has expanded his article with much more scientific background and real-world examples. He shows that the skills of business—negotiating deals, evaluating financial statements, and all the rest—obey the principles that lead to greatness, so that anyone can get better at them with the right kind of effort. Even the hardest decisions and interactions can be systematically improved.

This new mind-set, combined with Colvin’s practical advice, will change the way you think about your job and career—and will inspire you to achieve more in all you do.]]> 988764 3.85 206 78 7081656 1101100648 9781101100646 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7081656-the-upside-of-the-downturn 4.00 1 988764 3.85 206 78 6541330 1591842964 9781591842965 0 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256015414m/6541330.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6541330-the-upside-of-the-downturn 0.0 0
Geoff Colvin, one of America’s most respected business journalists, says even the scariest recession has an upside. The best managers know conventional thinking won’t help them win in these tough times. They’re taking smart, practical steps that will not only keep them strong, but will also distance them from the pack for years to come.

The dozens of top-performing leaders Colvin interviewed reject the common view that slashing costs and firing employees are all that matter. They see the recession as a rich opportunity to reinvent their organizations and lay the groundwork for future growth.

Colvin’s ten solidly grounded strategies will increase your company’s competitiveness and build its long-term value. A sample:

· Reset priorities. Easy to say, harder to do. Pursuing the lofty goals set in good times can be disastrous now.
· Reevaluate people and steal some good ones. Mass layoffs are a tempting way to cut costs, but great companies often find smarter alternatives. And if your competitors are dumb enough to fire their best people, grab them.
· Keep investing in the core. Trim the fat from your budgets but not the muscle. The best companies actually increase some spending in a recession, funding the areas that make them unique and valuable.
· Don’t rush to cut prices. Many companies assume they must – yet the long-term damage often outweighs the short-term boost.

Colvin shows how these strategies really work, using examples of major companies that have applied them with inspiring results.]]> 988764 3.85 206 78 3059896 0963177745 9780963177742 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3059896.The_Successful_Bartender_Putting_People_Skills_to_Work 0.0 0 988764 3.85 206 78 2719999 0.0 0 0