I know I’ve written about this before but this is a plea. If there is one and only one book professionals should read in 2008, it is Strategy and the Fat Smoker. I promise you will not be able to put it down and if you’re anything remotely like me, you’ll have a lot of dog eared pages. Why?
David Maister has carefully synthesized more than 20 years experience as an advisor to professional firms in a way that is totally fresh, challenging yet inspiring. If after reading the book you toss it to one side and shrug then you’re either an idiot or close to retirement. Seriously. I mean that. So what have I learned? The lead paragraph to chapter 19 encapsulates it for me:
For individuals and organizations to succeed – to get done what they know they should be doing – they need to possess three things: passion, a sincere interest in (and understanding of) people, and principles.
I have two of those things, the third I need to work a lot harder upon.
