Shortform Books

Richard Rumelt: Good Strategy, Bad Strategy Overview

What is Richard Rumelt’s Good Strategy, Bad Strategy about? What makes a good organizational strategy according to the author? In Good Strategy Bad Strategy, Richard Rumelt lays out the essential components of good organizational strategy and the faulty thinking behind a bad strategy. He also describes specific and measurable techniques for designing a focused strategy that gives your organization the best chance of success. Below is a brief overview of Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt.

Committed Sex: It Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

Are commitment and desire mutually exclusive? Do you think it’s possible to maintain sexual desire in a lifelong relationship? Many couples therapists think that it’s normal for desire to fade and that lust is immature or based on fear of commitment. But according to psychotherapist Esther Perel, you can have both commitment and desire in the same relationship, they just may not always take place at the same time. Here is what Esther Perel has to say about committed sex.

How to Support Your Team: Leadership Skills

How good are you at supporting your team? Do they ever feel let down by your leadership? Submarine captain David Marquet’s experience can help you learn how to support your team and understand what difference it can make. Marquet found that, when officers and chiefs supported their teams, they developed trust. Ultimately, this advanced the ship’s objectives. Read more to learn how to support your team—and how that care fits in with your organizational goals.

L. David Marquet: Traditional Leadership Is Dead

Why does the traditional leadership model frequently fail to achieve the best results? What’s a better alternative? In Turn the Ship Around, submarine captain L. David Marquet shares his experience with traditional leadership in the U.S. Navy. Everywhere he turned, the assumption was that people are either leaders or followers. Experience taught him something different, and he changed the way he led. Read more to learn why traditional leadership is not always the ideal model.

What Is the Muse? The Source of Creative Inspiration

What is the muse? How can understanding the creative muse help you with your artistic projects? The muse is traditionally seen as a mythical force that inspires artists creatively. Almost every ancient culture, from Greeks to Native Americans, has an identified embodiment of this force of nature. Understanding and harnessing the power of the muse will help with creative inspiration and output. So, what is the muse? Find out below.

Are You Undermining Your Sales Success?

Are you struggling to get sales? What do you think the issue is? Do you think the problem is systemic (to do with the system) or individual (to do with the people)? According to sales expert Mike Weinberg, if your company’s sales department is struggling to hit its goals, the reasons can be both systemic (to do with the company’s processes) and individual (to do with the sales reps). In his book New Sales Simplified, he outlines possible systemic and individual factors that could be undermining your ability to acquire new business. Here’s a quick look at the issues that

Motivational Success Stories: Living the One Thing

What motivational success stories illustrate the principle of the One Thing? How has a narrow focus spurred success in real life? In his book The One Thing, Gary W. Keller shares several motivational success stories that all have one thing in common. Each success came about because of a focus on One Thing. The One Thing is different in each story, but the common denominator is a focus on one thing at a time. Keep reading for motivational success stories.

Living a Purposeful Life: The Key to Focused Thoughts

Would you like to keep your thoughts from wandering into fears and doubts? How can living a purposeful life lead to more positive, focused thoughts? When you live a purposeful life, you have a positive, productive place to center your thoughts. As you focus on your purpose or duty, your thoughts are less likely to drift into negative territory. You’re better able to control your thought patterns and shape your circumstances. Read more to learn how living a purposeful life is a key to focused thoughts.

Small Steps to Success: Leverage the Domino Effect

How can you take small steps to success? How does the domino effect apply to accomplishment? Taking small steps to success is a smart way to get there. When you attack your goals by starting with the one, right thing, it leads to bigger things—you build energy in a geometric progression. Success builds on success, sequentially, as you move from One Thing to another until you reach the highest level possible. Read more to learn how to take small steps to success.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Quotes by Cal Newport

Are you looking for quotes from Cal Newport’s book So Good They Can’t Ignore You? Do you want the context of the quotes and an analysis of what they mean? So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport considers the question: What makes people love their work? Drawing on interviews with professionals, performance science, case studies, and experimentation with strategies in his own career, Newport discovered that the popular recommendation to follow your passion is very much not the path to loving your work. Continue reading for So Good They Can’t Ignore You quotes with context and explanation.