Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008 - (Page 12)

OFF THE SHELF The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company By Joseph Michelli McGraw-Hill, $24.95, 284 pages One doesn’t normally link bespoke elegance with the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Awards. Yet the RitzCarlton hotel chain does exactly that. For more than 100 years, the company has been known for providing its guests luxurious, attentive service. Less known is that it’s a multiple Baldridge Award winner, and that since 1999, its leadership training center has shown more than 50,000 people in all lines of work how to excel as a service provider in their respective fields. The Ritz-Carlton way is distilled down to five basic rules: define and refine; empower through trust; use metrics and diagnostics to understand what’s happening; deliver “wow”; and build for the future. Although the numerous examples come from the hotelier’s experience, they’re translated into takeaways that any manager or leader can easily apply to his/her enterprise. Anyone who thinks that customer service is a “soft” skill will be prompted to revisit that notion after reading how, at the 69 Ritz-Carlton properties worldwide, customer service is as much a science as an art. The Art of Influence: Persuading Others Begins with You By Chris Widener Doubleday, $16.95, 106 pages Once upon a time, Marcus Drake received an unusual present upon graduating an A-list business school: a weekend with self-made billionaire, humanitarian and all-around wonderful guy Bobby Gold. Throughout the one-on-one business trip, Bobby tells Marcus the basic secret behind his fortune: “influence is the key to success.” As events unfold during Marcus’ up-close-and-personal look at Booby’s enterprise, he learns the importance of putting others first, how to be the type of person you want to attract, the difference between character and skill, and other nuggets of wisdom. Widener’s business fable is simple to grasp, but not simple-minded. It’s the latest product from his Made for Success imprint, which aims to get people to pull the best from inside themselves. He’s found an effective, entertaining way to present and explain a thought-provoking concept without talking over his readers’ heads or talking down to them. Leaders at All Levels; Deepening Your Talent Pool to Solve the Succession Crisis By Ram Charan Jossey-Bass, $27.95, 172 pages Companies in all industries are grappling at unprecedented levels with issues of leadership transition. As Baby Boomer managers wind down their careers, businesses are trying to determine who will take their places. In far too many situations, the answer isn’t clear. Charan’s answer to the problem is that, in essence, leaders are made, not born. Charan, the author of several widely read books on management, uses examples from corporations such as Colgate-Palmolive and Banco Popular to flesh out the process of developing a solid succession process. In one respect, the book’s subtitle is a bit of a misnomer: it’s not about deepening the talent pool so much as it’s about extracting the most from it. His recommendations including using the right criteria for selecting leadership candidates, and using an apprenticeship model, customized to fit both the needs of the talent and the company, to develop the next generation of leaders. Good Is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals By Keith R. Wyche Portfolio, $24.95, 242 pages There aren’t too many road maps for mid-career professionals of color with eyes on upward advancement. Many of the standard career development books offer sound advice for everyone, but sometimes it’s better for diverse professionals to hear it from someone who’s been down a similar path. Wyche takes the time to explain the ups and downs of climbing the corporate ladder in detail and with sensitivity for his target audience. One of the Diversity MBA Top 50 Under 50 Corporate Executives for 2007, Wyche relates stories from his own experience at Pitney Bowes, AT&T, and IBM. He provides insight into how corporate decision makers think, and what professionals of color need to do accordingly. He also stresses the importance of planning, preparation, and cultivating an effective brand identity. Perhaps the most valuable lesson comes at the beginning of the book, when Wyche explains how he transformed the bitterness left over from early setbacks into a mindset focused on putting himself in the best possible position to succeed. 12 w w w. d ive r s it y mb a ma g a z in e. c o m http://www.diversitymbamagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008

Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008 Contents Letters to the Editor In Your Own Hands Editor's View Business Briefs Off the Shelf Diversity MBA 2008 Awards Gala and Leadership Forum "Diversity Next Practices" Illusion of Inclusion Good Is Not Enough Revisiting Your Personal Brand Discover Your Power Voice Authentic Leadership In An Ever-Changing Marketplace Stopping the Brain Drain: How Companies Can Keep Talented People of Color Corporate Succession Planning - How Do You Fit In? How To Manage Virtual Teams Beyond Demographics Recruit, Recognize, Retain, Reinvest – Winning the Talent Acquisition Game Leave Ego at the Door Modernizing Supplier Diversity Taking the Leadership High Road… When You Can Find It Think Boardroom Bound; It’s Happening Who's Who In Diversity Fail to Succeed 4-Star Start-Up, Chris Ward: Character Above All Get Them at Hello – Tips to Improve Your Marketing Kit Sonny Vu, Entrepreneur A World at Your Fingertips Big Brother Wants Your Bank Account Stepping Off The Corporate Ladder HR Focus with Monica Ross A Unique New England Vacation Bold Caballeros y Noble Bandidas Women of Color and Cancer: The Chicago Phenomenon Being Single Isn't Easy International MBAs Flock To U.S. Schools Smart Strategy Gadgets+Gizmos Advertiser's Index

Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008

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