Find out how bold actions by visionary leaders can inspire powerful stories that drive culture change.

Data indicates that most strategic efforts to change a company's culture fail. So how do companies succeed in this endeavor?

A top strategy professor and two highly successful CEOs found that, in companies that had successfully changed their culture, leaders had taken dramatic actions that embodied the new cultural values. These actions inspired stories that became company legends, repeated in every department and handed on to new employees.

Through compiling and analyzing 150 stories from business leaders who have achieved change, they identified 6 attributes that every successful culture change story has in common:

1. The actions are authentic
2. They revolve around the CEO
3. They signal a clean break with the past, and a clear path to the future
4. They appeal to employee heads and hearts
5. They're often theatrical or dramatic
6. They're told, and re-told, throughout the organization

With extensive and inspiring examples of stories containing these attributes, the authors illustrate how readers can harness the power of stories within their company in order to change or create a winning culture to align with any strategy.

Teams are critical to the success of every organization. Departmental, interdepartmental, cross-functional, ad hoc, task-specific—teams do everything from planning the office party to setting the annual budget to establishing performance goals. But what separates the teams that really deliver from the ones that simply spin their wheels? What is the secret of high-performance teams? As he did in The Secret, Mark Miller uses a compelling business fable to reveal profound yet easily grasped truths that can dramatically transform any organization. Debbie Brewster, the heroine of The Secret, has been promoted and is now struggling with taking her new team to the next level. Her old mentor, Jeff Brown, the company’s CEO, sends her out to find the secret of teams. On her journey she learns from three very different teams—the Special Forces, NASCAR, and a local restaurant. Debbie and her team discover the three elements that all successful teams have in common. But that’s just the beginning. The devil is in the details, as the story of Debbie’s efforts to actually implement the three elements shows. You’ll learn how to change entrenched ways of thinking and acting, what you have to do to optimize each of the three elements of a successful team, how to measure your progress, and more. Creating high-performance teams does more than just give your organization a competitive advantage. It can be a performance multiplier that significantly improves results while honoring and developing people. It may be the ultimate win-win-win that your organization is seeking.

Teams are critical to the success of every organization. Departmental, interdepartmental, cross-functional, ad hoc, task-specific—teams do everything from planning the office party to setting the annual budget to establishing performance goals.

But what separates the teams that really deliver from the ones that simply spin their wheels? What is the secret of high-performance teams?

As he did in The Secret, Mark Miller uses a compelling business fable to reveal profound yet easily grasped truths that can dramatically transform any organization. Debbie Brewster, the heroine of The Secret, has been promoted and is now struggling with taking her new team to the next level. Her old mentor, Jeff Brown, the company's CEO, sends her out to find the secret of teams. On her journey she learns from three very different teams—the Special Forces, NASCAR, and a local restaurant.

Debbie and her team discover the three elements that all successful teams have in common. But that's just the beginning. The devil is in the details, as the story of Debbie's efforts to actually implement the three elements shows. You'll learn how to change entrenched ways of thinking and acting, what you have to do to optimize each of the three elements of a successful team, how to measure your progress, and more.

Creating high-performance teams does more than just give your organization a competitive advantage. It can be a performance multiplier that significantly improves results while honoring and developing people. It may be the ultimate win-win-win that your organization is seeking.

In this sequel to The Secret (over 350,000 copies sold), bestselling author Mark Miller again uses a simple, practical, parable format to teach millions of team leaders and team members how to elevate the success of any type of team in any organization.

In a world where 82 percent of managers struggle to lead effectively, this international bestseller reveals the one secret that separates great leaders from the rest.

“What do I need to do to be a great leader?” Every person in authority wonders this question sooner or later. Ken Blanchard, whose books have sold over 25 million copies, and Mark Miller, who rose from line worker to Chick-fil-A vice president, uncover the secret great leaders already know in this international bestseller.

Using a classic business fable, newly promoted executive Debbie Brewster asks her mentor the crucial question: “What is the secret of great leaders?” His reply-“Great leaders serve”-confuses her, but he reveals five fundamental ways leaders succeed through service. Debbie discovers why great leaders focus on the future, how teams determine success or failure, what three arenas need continuous improvement, why leadership success has two essential components, and how to strengthen-or destroy-credibility.

This fourth edition includes the proven SERVE model plus breakthrough content on leadership's most critical element-a leader's heart. Discover these new features:

• Revised chapters
• New chapter with five HEART habits that form the foundation for great leadership
• Comprehensive facilitator's guide for groups and teams
• Expanded resources for teams and organizations

Translated into twenty-nine languages with over 700,000 copies sold, The Secret delivers proven wisdom in an unforgettable story that anyone can understand and apply immediately.

In a world where 82 percent of managers struggle to lead effectively, this international bestseller reveals the one secret that separates great leaders from the rest.

“What do I need to do to be a great leader?” Every person in authority wonders this question sooner or later. Ken Blanchard, whose books have sold over 25 million copies, and Mark Miller, who rose from line worker to Chick-fil-A vice president, uncover the secret great leaders already know in this international bestseller.

Using a classic business fable, newly promoted executive Debbie Brewster asks her mentor the crucial question: “What is the secret of great leaders?” His reply-“Great leaders serve”-confuses her, but he reveals five fundamental ways leaders succeed through service. Debbie discovers why great leaders focus on the future, how teams determine success or failure, what three arenas need continuous improvement, why leadership success has two essential components, and how to strengthen-or destroy-credibility.

This fourth edition includes the proven SERVE model plus breakthrough content on leadership's most critical element-a leader's heart. Discover these new features:

• Revised chapters
• New chapter with five HEART habits that form the foundation for great leadership
• Comprehensive facilitator's guide for groups and teams
• Expanded resources for teams and organizations

Translated into twenty-nine languages with over 700,000 copies sold, The Secret delivers proven wisdom in an unforgettable story that anyone can understand and apply immediately.

In a world where 82 percent of managers struggle to lead effectively, this international bestseller reveals the one secret that separates great leaders from the rest.

“What do I need to do to be a great leader?” Every person in authority wonders this question sooner or later. Ken Blanchard, whose books have sold over 25 million copies, and Mark Miller, who rose from line worker to Chick-fil-A vice president, uncover the secret great leaders already know in this international bestseller.

Using a classic business fable, newly promoted executive Debbie Brewster asks her mentor the crucial question: “What is the secret of great leaders?” His reply-“Great leaders serve”-confuses her, but he reveals five fundamental ways leaders succeed through service. Debbie discovers why great leaders focus on the future, how teams determine success or failure, what three arenas need continuous improvement, why leadership success has two essential components, and how to strengthen-or destroy-credibility.

This fourth edition includes the proven SERVE model plus breakthrough content on leadership's most critical element-a leader's heart. Discover these new features:

• Revised chapters
• New chapter with five HEART habits that form the foundation for great leadership
• Comprehensive facilitator's guide for groups and teams
• Expanded resources for teams and organizations

Translated into twenty-nine languages with over 700,000 copies sold, The Secret delivers proven wisdom in an unforgettable story that anyone can understand and apply immediately.

The Self-Made Myth exposes the false claim that business success is the result of heroic individual effort with little or no outside help. Brian Miller and Mike Lapham bust the myth and present profiles of business leaders who recognize the public investments and supports that made their success possible—including Warren Buffett, Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry’s, New Belgium Brewing CEO Kim Jordan, and others. The book also thoroughly demolishes the claims of supposedly self-made individuals such as Donald Trump and Ross Perot. How we view the creation of wealth and individual success is critical because it shapes our choices on taxes, regulation, public investments in schools and infrastructure, CEO pay, and more. It takes a village to raise a business—it’s time to recognize that fact.

The Self-Made Myth exposes the false claim that business success is the result of heroic individual effort with little or no outside help. Brian Miller and Mike Lapham bust the myth and present profiles of business leaders who recognize the public investments and supports that made their success possible—including Warren Buffett, Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry's, New Belgium Brewing CEO Kim Jordan, and others. The book also thoroughly demolishes the claims of supposedly self-made individuals such as Donald Trump and Ross Perot. How we view the creation of wealth and individual success is critical because it shapes our choices on taxes, regulation, public investments in schools and infrastructure, CEO pay, and more. It takes a village to raise a business—it's time to recognize that fact.

This book debunks one of America's most influential myths: the idea that successful people achieve their status entirely by their own efforts, a mainstay of conservative anti-government rhetoric. To the contrary, Lapham and Miller reveal the vital role that society and government play in wealth-building, and include testimonials from a host of wealthy individuals describing the kinds of assistance they received. They also spell out why a more realistic view of wealth creation is critical to restoring and safeguarding America's economic health.

Small Talk Is the Single Most Important Communication Skill You Can Develop

Carol Fleming wants to show you that small talk is not as “small” as you might think. It's the foundation of every relationship, professional and personal. It is the sound of people reaching out to each other, searching for similarities, shared interests, goodwill, connections, and friendship. And it's something we all do every day with people we know. It's just the one little bit about strangers that throws some people off. Graceful social conversation can be learned, even by those requiring the smallest of baby steps.
Fleming covers the inner and outer aspects—from the right attitude to how to dress, move around, and introduce yourself. Most importantly, she lays out a series of simple, memorable conversational strategies that make it easy to go from “Nice weather we're having” to a genuine, rewarding give-and-take. But she won't tell you what to say. Believe it or not, you already have what you need inside you. She merely provides the keys to unlock it.
Small talk is the language of welcome, the extension of friendliness, the gracious acknowledgment of others, the kindly exchange of introductions and smiles, and the creation of a safe, courteous social space—and this is what has you terrified? After you read this book, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Small Talk Is the Single Most Important Communication Skill You Can Develop

Carol Fleming wants to show you that small talk is not as “small” as you might think. It's the foundation of every relationship, professional and personal. It is the sound of people reaching out to each other, searching for similarities, shared interests, goodwill, connections, and friendship. And it's something we all do every day with people we know. It's just the one little bit about strangers that throws some people off. Graceful social conversation can be learned, even by those requiring the smallest of baby steps.
Fleming covers the inner and outer aspects—from the right attitude to how to dress, move around, and introduce yourself. Most importantly, she lays out a series of simple, memorable conversational strategies that make it easy to go from “Nice weather we're having” to a genuine, rewarding give-and-take. But she won't tell you what to say. Believe it or not, you already have what you need inside you. She merely provides the keys to unlock it.
Small talk is the language of welcome, the extension of friendliness, the gracious acknowledgment of others, the kindly exchange of introductions and smiles, and the creation of a safe, courteous social space—and this is what has you terrified? After you read this book, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

For a lucky few, light conversation at parties and social events is a breeze. For the rest of us, there is Carol Fleming (bestselling author of It's the Way You Say It), who breaks even the shortest bit of small talk into an understandable process that anyone can master.

Much of your personal success hinges on the effectiveness of your personal communication skills. Whether or not new doors are opened to you may depend on how well you can meet one of life's most frustrating social challenges--starting and developing conversations with strangers, aka "small talk." Small talk is usually considered to be a light, pleasant, and safe verbal exchange, which allows people the time and association to get a sense of each other. It consists of introductions, exchange of personal information and interests when meeting new people and searching for a topic of mutual interest. According to Carol Fleming, conversationalist-extraordinaire, the business of small talk means:
-Bringing people together
-Facilitating understanding
-Finding friendships, building trust and maintaining relationships
-Developing your business
-Exposing you to different points of view
This book teaches you the concrete skills of social behavior, and promises to increase your understanding of what small talk is and what it does, while revealing the rituals and strategies for developing conversation. You may not think you have the "gift of gab," but Carol Fleming will convince you that you can master the fine art of small talk in all your business and social encounters.

The Serving Leader
Five Powerful Actions to Transform Your Team, Business, and Community, 10th Anniversary Edition, Revised and Expanded

It's people who make organizations great, so how can leaders best help their people achieve that greatness? As Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert show in this new edition of their bestseller, you can't just demand greatness—you have to inspire it. The most effective leaders don't just stand in front of their people, they stand behind them too. As one of the characters in the book notes, “You qualify to be first by putting other people first.” This concept sounds paradoxical, but it leads to extraordinary outcomes—and The Serving Leader shows precisely how and why.

While Jennings and Stahl-Wert use a compelling fictional story to outline the basics of Serving Leadership, all the characters in it are based on real people, the organizations depicted are based on real organizations—and the results they achieved are what really happened. This edition features a new foreword by Ken Blanchard, a new introduction, and a new chapter checking back in with Mike, the main character, to see what he has learned in the twelve years since he embraced Serving Leadership

On one level this is the most practical guide available to implementing Serving Leadership; on a deeper level, it is a book about the personal journey of growth that real leadership requires. Great organizations are great because they're filled with people who freely choose to do their very best. It's a maddeningly simple concept yet stunningly hard to execute. Jennings and Stahl-Wert show leaders how to earn that kind of commitment.

The Serving Leader
Five Powerful Actions to Transform Your Team, Business, and Community, 10th Anniversary Edition, Revised and Expanded

It's people who make organizations great, so how can leaders best help their people achieve that greatness? As Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert show in this new edition of their bestseller, you can't just demand greatness—you have to inspire it. The most effective leaders don't just stand in front of their people, they stand behind them too. As one of the characters in the book notes, “You qualify to be first by putting other people first.” This concept sounds paradoxical, but it leads to extraordinary outcomes—and The Serving Leader shows precisely how and why.

While Jennings and Stahl-Wert use a compelling fictional story to outline the basics of Serving Leadership, all the characters in it are based on real people, the organizations depicted are based on real organizations—and the results they achieved are what really happened. This edition features a new foreword by Ken Blanchard, a new introduction, and a new chapter checking back in with Mike, the main character, to see what he has learned in the twelve years since he embraced Serving Leadership

On one level this is the most practical guide available to implementing Serving Leadership; on a deeper level, it is a book about the personal journey of growth that real leadership requires. Great organizations are great because they're filled with people who freely choose to do their very best. It's a maddeningly simple concept yet stunningly hard to execute. Jennings and Stahl-Wert show leaders how to earn that kind of commitment.

This long awaited 2nd edition of a classic title expands and deepens the story of Mike Wilson, an unlikely servant leader.


At a time of increasing concern about ethics at the top, The Serving Leader makes the case for an approach to leadership that is both more moral and more effective than the ruthless, anything-for-the-bottom-line approach that has brought disgrace-and often ruin- to many once-mighty organizations. "Serving leaders" lead by serving others, not by using them. As one of the characters in the book notes, "A leader qualifies to be first by putting other people first." It sounds paradoxical, but it works-and The Serving Leader shows precisely how and why.

While Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert use a parable to outline the basics of servant leadership, all the people in it are based on real people, the organizations depicted are based on real organizations-and the results they achieved are what really happened. On one level The Serving Leader is the most practical guide available to implementing servant leadership; on a deeper level, it is a book about the personal journey of growth that real leadership requires.

This 2nd edition features a new foreword by Ken Blanchard, a new introduction by the authors, and a new chapter checking back in with Mike, the main character, to see what he has learned 12 years after he embraced servant leadership.

People have moved away from Mother Earth, bringing heartache, pain, and other maladies of the modern age. The “self-help” movement claims to offer peace and fulfillment to individuals, but this solitary approach takes us only so far. Ultimately, it is in communion with our fellow beings and the natural world that we are made whole. We need to leave the path of Me and follow the path of We.

This poetic, evocative story presents the meditations of an ancient Anasazi tribesman who rejects his family and sets off on a journey through the desert. He walks seven paths, each teaching a lesson symbolized by an element of the natural world: light, wind, water, stone, plants, animals, and, finally, the unity of all beings with the Creator. The Seven Paths reveals a source of wisdom, restoration, and renewal familiar to native people but lost to the rest of us, seven elements among nature that combine to mend human hearts.

Discover the Healing Power of the Wilderness People have moved away from Mother Earth, bringing heartache, pain, and other maladies of the modern age. The “self-help” movement claims to offer peace and fulfillment to individuals, but this solitary approach takes us only so far. Ultimately, it is in communion with our fellow beings and the natural world that we are made whole. We need to leave the path of Me and follow the path of We. This poetic, evocative story presents the meditations of an ancient Anasazi tribesman who rejects his family and sets off on a journey through the desert. He walks seven paths, each teaching a lesson symbolized by an element of the natural world: light, wind, water, stone, plants, animals, and, finally, the unity of all beings with the Creator. The Seven Paths reveals a source of wisdom, restoration, and renewal familiar to native people but lost to the rest of us, seven elements among nature that combine to mend human hearts.