Book Review [The Heart of Business] The 18 inches journey

 

 

About the book 

 

This book decribe what happen to Best Buy where everybody thought it was going down, while the author, Herbert Joly, worked from 2012 to 2020. 
However, it is a kind-written timely guide for workers of this era rather than a fairy tale or a legendary story of super-hero.  

Journey to life, not only to work

Herbert Joly articulates clearly the lifelong journey to challenge and growth. 

1) 

Though I'm not a person in the executive group, just a front liner in the company organization, but I wanted to learn how to unleash human magic. I wanted to absorb anything what he really did. What I find out was that he was absolutely 'the  challenging learner' . It was really terrific that he spent his first day wearing Best Buy Blue Shirt with a "CEO in Trainging" tag. And he always matched good advisers and mentors to improve in every steps.  


2) 

Many things that the Author tried to turnaround the company are in line with every lessons in the many books I have read. 
As if it were a work-book of business leadership in edition of growth mindset, there were a bunch of important concepts. I'm sure that following the good instructor like him would be much easier that finding one. 

PURPOSE, DREAM
He asked readers 'why you work and what you dream about'. 
: <The Vision Driven Leader>, <Free to Focus>

ENGAGEMENT, MASTERY
After we discover our own purpose, we need to dedicate to work for achieving mastery to get a higher perfomance. Engagement and dedication will make you 'spike people', by building the your strengths and motivating endless. 
: <Dedicated>, <Mastery, George Leonard>

VULNERABILITY, ACCEPTANCE
The building the strength starts from knowing fully who I am, including when I feel  weak and what makes me feel miserable.
: <Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir>

HOPE
The trust of hope that will help the world better places will natually grow in you, if you determine to be a purposeful leader like the author.

 

In election season, politicians ask people to believe that they are going to serve the society. However, Most of the  promise are gone away. Simarily some of business leader deceive workers into running the corporation.
To learn from them, I should practice and remind the lessons from this book until I truely absorb those lessons.


For the last, I imagined what would I going to answer the question "What's in this book?"
In conclusion, the heart of business is 'The longest journey that ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart'. It starts from the people's heart, run by it, and end up with it.