Bluestone Development Systems

Michael E. Gerber’s book, Awakening the Entrepreneur Within, How Ordinary People Can Produce Extraordinary Companies, gives some small business development advice that’s worth reading.

You are likely aware that Michael Gerber is the founder of E-Myth Worldwide.  He has written several other books on small business including: The E-Myth Revisited and E-Myth Mastery.  Gerber has dedicated his life to small business consulting since the mid 1970’s.  Before that he was an encyclopedia salesman.

Michael Gerber is for sure a super salesman with loads of experience, so he knows what works.  But personally, I think he overdid it with the testimonials in the book and on his web page.  I felt like the book is crammed with fluff.  His self-promotion is glaringly evident.

But, tons of endorsements and testimonials say that Michael Gerber is the best thing since sliced bread.  Many testify that Gerber’s organization has transformed their thinking, their approach, and their small business success.

Dreaming is not for everyone: Or is it?

My point: the book will not appeal to every small business owner.  That’s because the book reads like two books in one.

On the one hand, you will find solid information on an approach he calls intentional dreaming.  It’s about thinking big, idea development, planning and implementation.  On the other hand, significant sections read like a poorly written romance novel.  Yes, that’s only my opinion.

The book has sections that appeal to the opposite sides of the brain.  The two aspects are intertwined.  Gerber stresses his view on that, and he also talks about the need to monitor your thought processes as you develop your business concepts.  Ideas and thought processes are central to the theme of Awakening the Entrepreneur Within, so there is nothing wrong with that.

Solid business advice

After struggling with the pie-in-the-sky sections for awhile, I found myself taking plenty of notes.  In short, I changed my mind about the value of this book.  Even thou I think it’s an elaborate promotional device for Gerber’s dream that he calls “The Dreaming Room”, he still offers a ton or two of solid value.

Here are just a few details:

Awakening the Entrepreneur Within is 286 pages organized in five parts.

• Part One:  The Preparation,
• Part Two:  The Dreamer and The Dream
• Part Three: The Thinker and The Vision
• Part Four:  The Story Teller and The Purpose
• Part Five:  The Leader And The Mission

The titles of each part outlines the essence of his message:  Preparation, Dream, Vision, Purpose and Mission.

Part one includes a conversation between Gerber and his mother. He said ”It was exactly at the moment when “In the Dreaming Room” was born in earnest”…Michael Gerber offers that chapter free.

What does the dreaming room promise?

Gerber’s subtitle implies that he will show how ordinary people can produce extraordinary companies.  More importantly, he delivers on his promise by detailing methods which could produce an extraordinary company or two.

Come on, you know ya gotta think big!

Aspects of the book that I found noteworthy:

• Gerber’s list:  10 Leadership Beliefs
• Gerber’s list:  My Operating Standards
• Chapter 21:  The Wisdom of Process
• Chapter 27:  The Revelation of the Dream

Gerber also gives an example of a white paper, “WHO IS MANNY ESPINOSA?” that’s wonderfully illustrative.  The paper is an example of what one can emerge from a dream.  After all, we are talking about ideas here.

Golden Pyramid

At the sake of sounding girl-like, I just loved Gerber’s Golden Pyramid.  “The Revelation of the Golden Pyramid” on page 243 is worth much more than the price of the book.  His “Golden Pyramid” is a summary of good advice.  It’s a proven approach that will help you build a business that works.

Gerber has a talent for boiling the subject of building a business, which is complex, down to simple terms.  So, is it simple or is it complex?  Can I choose yes?

I should tell you that I checked this book out of the local library after passing over it numerous times at the book store.  I have read Gerber’s other books, and had the same issue with his style.

But, I think all of Gerber’s work is worthy of your consideration.  His work offers solid business advice on small business development.  No matter what you think of Gerber’s writing style, or even his advice, he is a highly successful business guy.  He didn’t get there sitting on his can.

Conclusion & Suggestion

Yes, I think the book is loaded with fluff, and hype.  But then again, what should one expect.  After all, the book focus is on a method for you to achieve your dreams.  Gerber’s idea of intentional dreaming, also called by others thinking big, is at the heart of most inspirational writing.

The book will give you plenty to think about.  If you are interested in small business development, it’s probably worth your time.  Read it.  If you come to a section that you don’t like, just keep reading.  It will change.

As I said earlier, it reads like two books in one.  So maybe you could just think of it as two books in one, and a bargain.

You can learn more about Gerber’s program here; www.awakeningtheentrepreneur.com

Just the facts

Awakening the Entrepreneur Within, copyright 2008 by Michael E. Gerber.  All rights reserved.  First Edition, Published by HarperCollins publishers, New York.

Bluestone Development Systems has no association with the author, or his company.  We have never ever attended a dreaming room! 

Proven Methods to Build Winning Teams

Wooden on Leadership, written by Coach John Wooden and Steve Jamison provides useful perspectives on leadership principles and how to inspire and build team success.

Wooden on Leadership gives us a look at one man’s leadership qualities and habits applied during his highly successful career of building winning organizations.  Coach Wooden shows how to develop a high-performance team and how to teach skills that build success.

Former UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, is a member of the basketball hall of fame as both a player and a coach.  Wooden shares his leadership wisdom, core concepts, methods and beliefs he used to teach his teams how to attain what he calls competitive greatness and true personal success.

The material is relevant to business and the process of building a winning organization.  Each chapter includes: Rules to Lead By, Point-by-Point Action Steps, Key Concepts and Leadership Tenets.

Perhaps one of the most useful insights that Wooden shares is: “The best leaders are lifelong learners: they take measures to create organizations that foster and inspire learning throughout.  The most effective leaders are those who realize it’s what you learn after you know it all that counts most.”

He spent time talking about the fact that it’s important to learn to be a good teacher.  Wooden points out that even if one is knowledgeable and skilled, that does not mean that one will be skilled at teaching.  If you need your team to “get it”, you need to be good at teaching.  Many frustrated business professionals could make faster and easier progress if they took time to work on their personal skills related to teaching.

Additional key perspectives that I found particularly interesting:

• Get the Fundamentals in place and practice continuous improvement
• He emphasized the need to develop processes, analyze, test and improve
• His reflections on mistakes and what he did to overcome the early pitfalls

 

Pyramid of Success

Coach Wooden discusses his “Pyramid of Success” in detail.  His approach to team building could serve as an outline to develop your own systems for team building and personal success.  The book offers plenty to think about.  This book is based upon the successful career of an honest hard-working guy.

It’s interesting too that many of Coach Wooden’s methods are found in the total quality management (TQM) literature; however, he does not use the quality management lingo.  He applied solid process development approaches and used methods of quality management that are on the cutting edge.

Wooden on Leadership is aimed at those interested in developing their leadership skills and develop teams to improve their business.  Sports and basketball fans will love it for sure.

Summary: Wooden on Leadership has plenty of illustrative ideas on continual improvement, the core values of leadership and team building.  The Success Pyramid alone is worth the price.  His notes and suggestions in each chapter offer even more value.  It’s easy to read and offers provocative ideas with emphasis on doing your best and achieving long-term success.

Just the facts:

Wooden on Leadership, First Edition, Copyright 2005 by John Wooden and Steve Jamison, McGraw-Hill, Business/Leadership, 293 pages