The Art of Business: In the Footsteps of Giants Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Art of Business is one of the most entertaining business books I've ever read, especially considering its topic-strategy-which can prove dry and uninteresting except to the academically inclined, under the best of circumstances. What I found most fascinating was the discussion of strategy, broken down into five "arts," is just as applicable to my personal life as it is to my business life.
The book starts out with some Zen-type prose about doing business, which had me wondering whether this was going to be a good book or not, but then it moved into the stories and that's when it really took off. The authors outlined five different arts: possibility, timing, leverage, mastery, and leadership.
All of these apply to business. What really struck me were the arts of possibility, leverage and leadership. In the chapter about possibility, the authors really made me step out of my comfort zone. They ask, "How will your business make a difference in the world?" or "What is your dream?" In terms of my personal life, it got me wondering, "What is my dream?" I have what my mother calls, `gypsy feet,' so it got me wondering about my wandering, what is my dream? How do I want to make a difference in the world and my own life? The other aspect of the art of possibility is the art of thinking big. I especially like the story about Grameen Bank, where the professor has the dream of eliminating poverty. How big a dream is that!? It gets me thinking that anything I want to achieve is possible. I just have to dream it first.
Then in the leverage section, they further bring to light the fact that I can create everything that I dream about-I just have to leverage everything around me. They gave this formula: first identify what you want, then figure out where it exists, and finally figure out how to get it. I was a little stumped at first, but then began to see how it works. They cite the story of an ancient general who ran out of arrows halfway through the battle. What did he do? He figured out that the enemy army was really jumpy and would shoot arrows at anything coming. He waited until a foggy morning then sent over ships filled with straw men wearing army uniforms. The enemy shot the straw men full of arrows and presto, the general had arrows again. I began to see that I could apply that kind of cleverness and resourcefulness to what I want in my personal life. Plus, there's a real sense of fun in that kind of clever art.
Finally, leadership was a great concept to really make me think. I've always thought about leadership in terms of leading groups of people, but in reading I began to realize that I could become the leader of my own life. The way these authors write about it, leadership is about not letting my ego get in the way of my vision. It's about humility and service, concepts about which I've learned the hard way, both of which have benefited my life greatly. I never realized the extent to which these qualities are leadership qualities. The good news is, I now know I am the leader of my own life.
As I got further into the book, got used to the Zen aphorisms I actually started to like them. I realized that this book is just as much about the Art of Life as it is about the Art of Business!
Sincere thanks to the authors,
Paula Goodro


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Art of Business: In the Footsteps of Giants

Discover how modern business giants such as Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Gordon Moore of Intel, and Earl Bakken of Medtronic have developed enterprises with soul by applying the five strategic arts of possibility, timing, leverage, mastery, and leadership outlined by the ancient strategist Sun Tzu in The Art of War. Such enterprises achieve organizational excellence and lasting market dominance, and their leaders are envied, copied, and avidly followed by many. This book offers you the opportunity to walk with these giants, learn their secrets, delve into their minds, and experience these five arts as they do.

Get 22% OFF

Click here for more information about The Art of Business: In the Footsteps of Giants