The World's Best Book Summaries
Do you need other people? Are you a giver or a taker? Do you tend to run ahead of others and leave them behind? Many leaders think in terms of what’s best for themselves and base their decisions on their personal goals and opinions. John C. Maxwell writes that, to be an effective leader, you must prioritize your team’s needs over your personal ambitions. Keep reading for Maxwell’s advice on how to practice selflessness in leadership.
Do you have positional authority? Do you have moral authority? Which is more powerful? As a leader, you must develop your influence over others. To do so, you must gain moral authority—respect and recognition for exemplary personal qualities, values, and actions. Having positional authority may force people to follow you, but earning moral authority makes people want to follow you. Read more to learn how to earn moral authority as a leader.
Do you want your business to be environmentally friendly? What can businesses learn from Patagonia? Patagonia’s mission is to make the best product, to cause no unnecessary environmental harm, and to use business as a force for solving the environmental crisis. If you want your business to do the same, you can follow Patagonia’s business principles. Continue reading for six environmentally friendly business practices to build a sustainable company.
What’s considered a high-quality product? What are three traits every good product must have? A crucial part of Patagonia’s mission is to make the best product possible. This means creating a product that’s functional, durable, and repairable. Dive deeper into the principles of a high-quality product, according to Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard.
What makes a business authentic? What are ways to introduce people to your products? Authenticity in business goes a long way, especially if you want to keep new customers around. By being transparent, you’re building a relationship of trust with your customers. In his book Let My People Go Surfing, Yvon Chouinard discusses the importance of authenticity at Patagonia. Continue reading to learn how to be an authentic business that makes its mission clear.
Do you want to prioritize the well-being of your employees? How can you create a more casual workplace? In his book Let My People Go Surfing, Yvon Chouinard says that a core tenet of Patagonia’s business philosophy is prioritizing the well-being of its employees. Your business depends on your employees, so ensuring their happiness and safety is a recipe for success. Discover three employee well-being initiatives that you should utilize as a manager.
What did Yvon Chouinard do before Patagonia? Where did Chouinard’s love for the environment come from? The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, never wanted to be a traditional businessman. His true passion was the outdoors, and more specifically, advocating for environmental protection. Take a look at what inspired Chouinard to become an entrepreneur.
When was Patagonia founded? What challenges did Patagonia face after launching? Yvon Chouinard founded the outdoor apparel company Patagonia to expand upon Chouinard Equipment. Like with the climbing gear he manufactured, Chouinard wanted to produce clothing that was simple, practical, and durable. Discover more about the history of Patagonia clothing.
What are Patagonia’s best innovation practices? What makes Patagonia stand out from other outdoor apparel companies? After launching Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard quickly discovered that running an apparel business wasn’t the same as making climbing equipment. The company quickly had to pull together creative strategies that would help it succeed. Keep reading to learn more about Patagonia’s innovation strategies.
What should you consider when creating a business model? How should you evaluate and test a new model? A business model defines how a company creates, delivers, and captures economic value. Drawing from concepts in the books Business Model Generation and Running Lean, we’ve created six exercises containing several business model questions that will help you devise a model that fits your vision. Continue reading for these exercises you can do with your team.