"Everywhere, companies face the challenge of operating in a world in which they no longer have the control; over markets that they once had. The Internet and other advanced information technologies give the masses enormous power to resist companies' attempts to take control of their minds and wallets. This has changed the rules of marketing and management and given life to new forms of organizational architecture."
For an insightful read, one that illuminates the greatest transformation in capitalism since Adam Smith and shows how to achieve success in this radically new era, pick up a copy of my friend David Wolfe's new book, Firms of Endearment. You'll learn why today's most successful companies bring love, joy, authenticity, empathy and soulfulness into their businesses, and deliver emotional, experiential, and social value - not just profits.
Here are a few endorsements:
"Firms of Endearment is one of the most important business books in years, if not decades. Its introduction of the concept of ironic management alone marks it as a breakthrough book for business in the 21st century. Chock full of new thinking, Firms of Endearment seems destined to influence business management theory as no book has in a long, long time."
- Peter Derby, former Managing Executive for Operations and Management, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Former Chairman & CEO, DialogBank and Troika Dialog Investment Banking Group
"This book not only challenges capitalism's traditional marketing paradigm but the very 'genes' of capitalism. If any book is going to launch a New Capitalism of Caring, it is this book that redefines great companies as stakeholder value builders, not just shareholder agents."
- Philip Kotler, C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at Northwestern University (named by the Financial Times as the #4 management guru of all time behind Jack Welch, Bill Gates, and Peter Drucker)
Posted February 19, 2007
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Posted by: Felix Gerena | February 19, 2007 at 10:04 AM
By the way, if the concept of endearment is attractive for some readers they should alos take a look at my idea of "The age of heartware".
http://www.amazon.com/Three-amigos-message-Felix-Gerena/dp/1847288502/sr=1-1/qid=1171973673/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-9454633-0776857?ie=UTF8&s=books
Posted by: Felix Gerena | February 20, 2007 at 07:15 AM
One more thing I would like to add to the post. I have heard a lot about "lov" guiding business and passion driven systems, and that kind of rhetoric. I think most leaders who talk like that don't know a word about it.
Love is not passion. Passion is "falling in love" with an ideal. It is related to the idea of perfection.
Love is asymmetric acceptance, that is the acceptance of what is not perfect. That is, compassion.
As Mauss and Levi Strauss showed in their works on exchange, social life is basically an exchange. And the normal rule is for a exchange to be symmetric. What is extraordinary is the acceptance of an asymmetric exchange. And that is love.
Posted by: Felix Gerena | February 20, 2007 at 07:59 AM
I am in complete agreement with you Felix. Wise words indeed.
Posted by: Tom Asacker | February 20, 2007 at 11:06 AM
Great suggestion--I have heard good things about FOE. Will check it out :)
Posted by: Karen Sweeney | February 20, 2007 at 05:37 PM