cover image Taking People with You—The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen

Taking People with You—The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen

David Novak. Portfolio, $25 (256p) ISBN 978-1-59184-454-9

In what first appears to be an over-the-top self-help book for leaders turns out to be a grounded guide drawing on the tools and thoughts of “two of the most notable thinkers on culture and breakthrough thinking in business”: John O’Keeffe (Business Beyond the Box) and Larry Senn (coauthor of Winning Teams—Winning Cultures). Novak, chairman and CEO of YUM! Brands, offers powerful and sincere directives for creating a cohesive, success-oriented corporate culture. Fourteen lessons are divided into three sections with clever exercises, tools, worksheets, and charts throughout. Much of it could have felt familiar, but it’s presented with clarity, contagious enthusiasm, organization, and accessibility. Added to that are numerous quotes, lessons, and stories from Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, and Jack Welsh, Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and even Colonel Sanders. Business people at all levels will find something of value. . (Jan.)