First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

by Gallup Press

To build a stronger culture, this company wouldn’t have to borrow ideas from the likes of “best practice” companies like Disney, Southwest Airlines or The Ritz-Carlton. All it would have to do is learn from its own best.

Each manager will, and should, employ his own style. What a company can and should do is keep every manager focused on the four core activities of the catalyst role: select a person, set expectations, motivate the person and develop the person.

“Vibrant companies must put together five-year plans. But they must be willing to change these five-year plans every single year. It’s the only way to stay alive.”

Phil Jackson’s comments about personal relationships end with this line: “Athletes are not the most verbal breed. That’s why bare attention and listening without judgment are so important.”