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Radical Simplicity: How simplicity transformed a loss-making mega brand into a world-class performer
The key to rising to the top of your company lies in a simple message and philosophy.
The ultimate inspirational story for ambitious innovators, market-disruptors, and global business entrepreneurs.
Celebrating DHL’s fiftieth anniversary as a world-leading delivery company, global CEO Ken Allen tells the unique story of his journey to the top of the industry. In this business memoir, he shares the strategies and skills he has developed throughout his career, drawing on both his core values and extensive experience.
This book is an inimitable guide to succeeding in any business, focusing on strategy and practical advice while revealing the simple lessons you need to learn to excel in life and work. It is an accessible read for entrepreneurs and managers at any stage of their career, packed with motivational material and no-nonsense tips.
This simple and honest book is a must-have for anyone looking to reach the top of their field.
- GenresBusiness
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2019
54 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 29, 2020
Ken Allen, the DHL Global CEO that turned their fortunes around presents his vision and roadmap to achieving the amazing feats during his time at DHL, where he served in a variety of roles (each with their own challenges and desired outcome). He summarises his overarching vision as “radical simplicity”, which is essentially getting everything to do with the business down to being as simple as possible to move forwards, but no simpler than that. Admittedly easier said than done – as it implies a certain sweet spot to aim for rather than moving in a single direction – but as Allen accurately summarises: The effect on DHL’s fortunes speak for itself.
Slightly too long-winded for my liking, but Allen does a great job of outlining his thought process and I particularly liked how each chapter ended with a list of take-home messages. I probably tackled this one a bit too slowly, trying to slowly absorb everything he says in the first couple of chapters, only to get bored midway through as he cycles through all the different aspects of life in management at DHL and finding that all of the core stories / principles are pretty much the same. The writing sounds very genuine, I am of the impression that this was mostly written by the author with minimal editing, and as a result it reads very well. The emphasis on getting to the people on the ground in particular I thought was presented very well, and I loved the idea of the Global Passport for staff. 3.5 stars, 4 on Goodreads but I’d recommend reading it quickly the first time around, then going back to the chapters of interest for a more indepth round.
Slightly too long-winded for my liking, but Allen does a great job of outlining his thought process and I particularly liked how each chapter ended with a list of take-home messages. I probably tackled this one a bit too slowly, trying to slowly absorb everything he says in the first couple of chapters, only to get bored midway through as he cycles through all the different aspects of life in management at DHL and finding that all of the core stories / principles are pretty much the same. The writing sounds very genuine, I am of the impression that this was mostly written by the author with minimal editing, and as a result it reads very well. The emphasis on getting to the people on the ground in particular I thought was presented very well, and I loved the idea of the Global Passport for staff. 3.5 stars, 4 on Goodreads but I’d recommend reading it quickly the first time around, then going back to the chapters of interest for a more indepth round.
September 3, 2024
Ken, former DHL CEO, appears to be an exceptional people motivator. Giving people clarity, confidence, and engaged with frontline workers. They saw his willingness to get in the trenches too: Leaders cannot expect their employees to do things that they are not prepared to do themselves.
I learned the simple lesson that the power of full engagement can be immense: when people enjoy working for an organisation and know the organisation genuinely cares about them, they are prepared to give a heck of a lot more - it’s almost like this knowledge removes the constraints on what they’re prepared to do in their work.
I’m convinced that the talent is always there - it just needs to be unlocked. We liberated people by removing the bureaucracy around them, and it amazed me how fast people were able to rid themselves of a negative mindset if you simply give them reasons to believe in the company.
Commit and communicate, rather than command and control. Referring to research by Heskett, Sasser and Schlesinger, to what extent is the company’s leadership: energetic, creative, versus stately, conservative? Participatory, caring versus removed, elitist? Listening, coaching and teaching versus supervising and managing? Motivating by mission versus motivating by fear? Leading by means of personally demonstrated values versus institutional policies?
Simplicity is a word that articulates many of my favourite things: the idea of something being of humble origins, free of ostentation, uncomplicated, unrestricted, understandable, actionable and of having one main cause. There’s nothing basic about the basics. Steve Jobs: “simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” Keeping things simple makes others happy: they feel in control because I help protect them against distraction and feeling overwhelmed.
If you have some talent and can give great results to those who employ you, you can create a reputation for delivery and dependability. And when you have this kind of reputation and are happy in yourself, you are able to give and achieve more. It’s a virtuous cycle. This proved that if you have a job to do, and do it well, things will turn out well for you; in the long term, doing things well is far more effective than just saying things well. [do a great job at what is in front of you on your desk right now.]
Focus on what is important now. I look for the things that matter and invest my time in making them better - I simply have no time for anything else.
Pride was a powerful stimulant - no one wants to work for a company that they don’t feel anything for.
"On the floor and in the field, reducing cost increasing yield, lots of people interaction, and total customer satisfaction." - Ken Allen.
Created SELF Reflection as his decision-making framework. Simplicity, Execution, Leadership, Focus.
Focus: Ken agreed: we are a courier company. Anything that didn’t further that function should be stripped away. Made a point to get to know the front line workers. The most important thing to him is always the care and support for the front line. Frontline workers appreciate when a CEO is willing to get in the trenches with them lead by example. They see someone who genuinely cares. Often managers say they care, but their actions often belie the rhetoric.
Great at building relationships. Former employee who left due to illness: “although I had a good relationship with Ken while I was at DHL, he communicates with me now more than ever before. In fact, after my family, Ken communicates with me more than anyone else. That says a lot about Ken’s commitment to people and relationships in life”.
[Global leader events do seem to have an impact. See so many people say they are key to success.] ‘[the 1,200 leader global DHL ‘Kick-On’ events] are a massive investment, but I think it’s the heart of our success. It’s the ultimate opportunity for people to share their insights and passion with each other. There is no substitute for real, live, person-to-person contact. People leave those events feeling renewed and invigorated. Then they take those feelings back to their people. Then their people take those feelings to their customers.
“When you are going through hell, keep going. This is no place to stop and rest.” - Anon.
Instead of asking ‘why me’ [after being offered US CEO] I thought ‘why not me?’
Sometimes the most difficult things to achieve are the easiest: be consistent, keep it simple.
Have to constantly watch your cost position. Have to constantly be cutting costs. Best way to do this is to make sure volume growth is converted into lowering your unit cost.
Was able to increase market share and worker satisfaction. How? “For me it’s simple - motion comes from emotion, so get involved, show your people that you care and the rest will follow.”
Every person in the organisation is a salesperson.
Has no self-doubt: instead of why me? Why not me?
Believed the CIS program (employee engagement program, making every company employee a ‘Certified International Specialist’) was really what turned DHL around. It’s not for the faint-hearted of those who pretend to be interested in the power of an engaged workforce, but aren’t really. Wanted to instill a sense of pride in becoming a specialist in international express. People thought it was a big investment (€100m) in just a training programme. I knew it was much more than this - to me it was a mass mobilisation of people’s hearts and minds. I wanted to demonstrate to our people that their ability to provide world class customer service was central to our success. And it paid off big time.
Another simple truth about happiness is that it’s not wise to expand energy focusing on things that are not within your control. In business and in life, things will come along that create uncertainty and possibly threats. When they do, look them in the eye, embrace them and find ways to coexist positively with them.
I learned the simple lesson that the power of full engagement can be immense: when people enjoy working for an organisation and know the organisation genuinely cares about them, they are prepared to give a heck of a lot more - it’s almost like this knowledge removes the constraints on what they’re prepared to do in their work.
I’m convinced that the talent is always there - it just needs to be unlocked. We liberated people by removing the bureaucracy around them, and it amazed me how fast people were able to rid themselves of a negative mindset if you simply give them reasons to believe in the company.
Commit and communicate, rather than command and control. Referring to research by Heskett, Sasser and Schlesinger, to what extent is the company’s leadership: energetic, creative, versus stately, conservative? Participatory, caring versus removed, elitist? Listening, coaching and teaching versus supervising and managing? Motivating by mission versus motivating by fear? Leading by means of personally demonstrated values versus institutional policies?
Simplicity is a word that articulates many of my favourite things: the idea of something being of humble origins, free of ostentation, uncomplicated, unrestricted, understandable, actionable and of having one main cause. There’s nothing basic about the basics. Steve Jobs: “simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” Keeping things simple makes others happy: they feel in control because I help protect them against distraction and feeling overwhelmed.
If you have some talent and can give great results to those who employ you, you can create a reputation for delivery and dependability. And when you have this kind of reputation and are happy in yourself, you are able to give and achieve more. It’s a virtuous cycle. This proved that if you have a job to do, and do it well, things will turn out well for you; in the long term, doing things well is far more effective than just saying things well. [do a great job at what is in front of you on your desk right now.]
Focus on what is important now. I look for the things that matter and invest my time in making them better - I simply have no time for anything else.
Pride was a powerful stimulant - no one wants to work for a company that they don’t feel anything for.
"On the floor and in the field, reducing cost increasing yield, lots of people interaction, and total customer satisfaction." - Ken Allen.
Created SELF Reflection as his decision-making framework. Simplicity, Execution, Leadership, Focus.
Focus: Ken agreed: we are a courier company. Anything that didn’t further that function should be stripped away. Made a point to get to know the front line workers. The most important thing to him is always the care and support for the front line. Frontline workers appreciate when a CEO is willing to get in the trenches with them lead by example. They see someone who genuinely cares. Often managers say they care, but their actions often belie the rhetoric.
Great at building relationships. Former employee who left due to illness: “although I had a good relationship with Ken while I was at DHL, he communicates with me now more than ever before. In fact, after my family, Ken communicates with me more than anyone else. That says a lot about Ken’s commitment to people and relationships in life”.
[Global leader events do seem to have an impact. See so many people say they are key to success.] ‘[the 1,200 leader global DHL ‘Kick-On’ events] are a massive investment, but I think it’s the heart of our success. It’s the ultimate opportunity for people to share their insights and passion with each other. There is no substitute for real, live, person-to-person contact. People leave those events feeling renewed and invigorated. Then they take those feelings back to their people. Then their people take those feelings to their customers.
“When you are going through hell, keep going. This is no place to stop and rest.” - Anon.
Instead of asking ‘why me’ [after being offered US CEO] I thought ‘why not me?’
Sometimes the most difficult things to achieve are the easiest: be consistent, keep it simple.
Have to constantly watch your cost position. Have to constantly be cutting costs. Best way to do this is to make sure volume growth is converted into lowering your unit cost.
Was able to increase market share and worker satisfaction. How? “For me it’s simple - motion comes from emotion, so get involved, show your people that you care and the rest will follow.”
Every person in the organisation is a salesperson.
Has no self-doubt: instead of why me? Why not me?
Believed the CIS program (employee engagement program, making every company employee a ‘Certified International Specialist’) was really what turned DHL around. It’s not for the faint-hearted of those who pretend to be interested in the power of an engaged workforce, but aren’t really. Wanted to instill a sense of pride in becoming a specialist in international express. People thought it was a big investment (€100m) in just a training programme. I knew it was much more than this - to me it was a mass mobilisation of people’s hearts and minds. I wanted to demonstrate to our people that their ability to provide world class customer service was central to our success. And it paid off big time.
Another simple truth about happiness is that it’s not wise to expand energy focusing on things that are not within your control. In business and in life, things will come along that create uncertainty and possibly threats. When they do, look them in the eye, embrace them and find ways to coexist positively with them.
March 15, 2020
So true when he says...If people at the top don't follow the rules, the rules will cease to exist. Leadership comes with responsibility. Some good quotes 1) Just because a man is born in a stable, it doesn't mean he's a horse. 2) Don't worry about competitors-worry about customers 3) Talk and hindsight are fool's errands. But action and Urgency makes a business great.
May 9, 2020
This book would only be interesting to DHL employees (I’m ex-DHL). There’s little substance for the book to be useful or enjoyable. I found the self-aggrandizing style of the book offputting. I’ll give it three stars for reminding me of my time at DHL when Ken was the CEO but I’d not recommend the book to people outside the express shipping industry well familiar with DHL.
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May 23, 2021 you can find my review here:
https://bansalmeghaa.medium.com/radic....
While I was searching through the internet to find content on brushing up my strategy knowledge, I came across several books and courses. Out of various materials that I am reading, the first one I put my eyes on was Ken Allen‘s “Radical Simplicity”.
He is rightly called the turnaround specialist. His contribution in turning DHL from bankruptcy stage to world-class and profitable in 10 years is huge.
The book gives a complete glimpse of the strategy basics along with Balance scorecard elements. It's a good read for someone formulating a strategy for their own startup or for any organization they are working in. Never thought while studying in IIM that strategy can be made so simple to understand and formulate.
It's tough to put the learnings from the book in the brief but will put forward major takeaways.
Ken has very well explained the journey of a parcel in DHL that is traveling from London to Australia with 24 scans on it and how DHL pioneered the laser scan technology in logistics not only to create value for operations but also to built transparency for the customer. The book takes through the grand scale of operations at DHL and its international presence with its own fleet of planes. The most interesting is the customer service level achieved, where a single shipment missed is taken as something making sick in the stomach to each and every employee.
The most important part of Ken’s strategy at DHL is to take DHL out of non-core business and making it a world-class company by focusing only on its core business and improving it to such extent that it is the largest and profitable international cargo line in the world. Each and every employee is very well trained through a massive and most expensive employee engagement program which DHL called CIS-certified international specialist where each employee gets graduated after completing it. If one learns it, he/she can work in any part of the world in DHL because the processes are well designed and sacrosanct across the world with local touch by placing local people to handle the operations.
Key tenets of strategy in the book:
A business has to make money before it can do anything else.
The only way to long-term profitability is through satisfied and loyal customers.
Offer great service quality. It justifies a price premium
And the above is possible only by motivated and happy people. Train them and take care of them.
So first and foremost is to find out the core offering and develop it, thereby rejecting the things that do not develop the core offering and distract us from focusing on executing our strategy. (Focus on what you are world-class at)
Organizations should be able to translate the strategy to the front line. Focus on execution because 90% of the strategy is execution and 90% of execution is on people. (Publish the strategy in a document that is visible and understandable to the whole organization.
The places where I felt more connected were rewarding frontline workers more than the management and making a connection with people on the ground to know the actual issues.
A good read!
https://bansalmeghaa.medium.com/radic....
While I was searching through the internet to find content on brushing up my strategy knowledge, I came across several books and courses. Out of various materials that I am reading, the first one I put my eyes on was Ken Allen‘s “Radical Simplicity”.
He is rightly called the turnaround specialist. His contribution in turning DHL from bankruptcy stage to world-class and profitable in 10 years is huge.
The book gives a complete glimpse of the strategy basics along with Balance scorecard elements. It's a good read for someone formulating a strategy for their own startup or for any organization they are working in. Never thought while studying in IIM that strategy can be made so simple to understand and formulate.
It's tough to put the learnings from the book in the brief but will put forward major takeaways.
Ken has very well explained the journey of a parcel in DHL that is traveling from London to Australia with 24 scans on it and how DHL pioneered the laser scan technology in logistics not only to create value for operations but also to built transparency for the customer. The book takes through the grand scale of operations at DHL and its international presence with its own fleet of planes. The most interesting is the customer service level achieved, where a single shipment missed is taken as something making sick in the stomach to each and every employee.
The most important part of Ken’s strategy at DHL is to take DHL out of non-core business and making it a world-class company by focusing only on its core business and improving it to such extent that it is the largest and profitable international cargo line in the world. Each and every employee is very well trained through a massive and most expensive employee engagement program which DHL called CIS-certified international specialist where each employee gets graduated after completing it. If one learns it, he/she can work in any part of the world in DHL because the processes are well designed and sacrosanct across the world with local touch by placing local people to handle the operations.
Key tenets of strategy in the book:
A business has to make money before it can do anything else.
The only way to long-term profitability is through satisfied and loyal customers.
Offer great service quality. It justifies a price premium
And the above is possible only by motivated and happy people. Train them and take care of them.
So first and foremost is to find out the core offering and develop it, thereby rejecting the things that do not develop the core offering and distract us from focusing on executing our strategy. (Focus on what you are world-class at)
Organizations should be able to translate the strategy to the front line. Focus on execution because 90% of the strategy is execution and 90% of execution is on people. (Publish the strategy in a document that is visible and understandable to the whole organization.
The places where I felt more connected were rewarding frontline workers more than the management and making a connection with people on the ground to know the actual issues.
A good read!
September 23, 2023
I listened to the audio book which was quite a good idea as it is very clear writing and you can get on with other things quite easily whilst absorbing the info in the book. And it does have recaps at the end of the chapter if you do miss anything.
Overall I thought his achievement at getting DHL voted as the 6th best company to work for, considering how utterly dull most of the posts must be, is ONE HELL of an achievement. He introduced learning passports, football, singing, fund raising, disaster relief and hundreds of other things to make people passionate about working at DHL.
One or two of the chapters can be skipped, but over all a very useful book even if you only take away a few sentences such as 'do your employees welcome seeing you or welcome seeing you go'. Overall his philosophy is get people to be engaged with the company and he is fantastic at that task.
Overall I thought his achievement at getting DHL voted as the 6th best company to work for, considering how utterly dull most of the posts must be, is ONE HELL of an achievement. He introduced learning passports, football, singing, fund raising, disaster relief and hundreds of other things to make people passionate about working at DHL.
One or two of the chapters can be skipped, but over all a very useful book even if you only take away a few sentences such as 'do your employees welcome seeing you or welcome seeing you go'. Overall his philosophy is get people to be engaged with the company and he is fantastic at that task.
January 13, 2023
This book is unique. It is not well written, it is not extremely engaging, but it is true to its title: it is radically simple. I could hear the author and his passion speak from the pages and the intention for his employees are crystal clear. The vast amount of ideas in here can make a difference and should give anybody ideas to improve the company they work in.
January 9, 2021
Good history of DHL and how the CEO successfully moved the company from a losing company to a winning Company.
February 21, 2024
I enjoyed the dedication to focus and learned plenty about larger companies. However, I felt this focused more on promoting DHL which I felt meant left less hard lessons.
September 27, 2024
Read this as a manager recommended it to me.
Although there are some good points I will likely take on board, it was largely a DHL puff piece which is not something I cared for at all.
Although there are some good points I will likely take on board, it was largely a DHL puff piece which is not something I cared for at all.
September 6, 2020
As Alan Kay said, ‘the best way to predict the future is to invent it’.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews