The Wright Way: 7 Problem-Solving Principles from the Wright Brothers That Can Make Your Business Soar - Softcover

Eppler, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0814414613 ISBN 13: 9780814414613

Publisher: Amacom, 2003

Synopsis

"When Wilbur and Orville Wright executed the first successful manned flight on December 17th, 1903, they stunned the world. Man could fly! Where had these two brothers come from? The impact was astonishing. (Imagine if Neil Armstrong had landed on the moon in a craft he built himself and paid for with a part-time job!) In ushering in the age of flight, the Wright brothers got past numerous obstacles the world’s other scientists hadn’t even begun to tackle. The Wright Way defines seven essential problem-solving principles the brothers used in accomplishing this enormous feat, and shows readers how to apply them to common business problems. The book presents practical, inspirational principles for achievement, including: * Hammering out problems through constructive conflict * Addressing the toughest issues -- or ""worst things"" -- first * Achieving perfection through ""inveterate tinkering"" * Pursuing useful knowledge through ""forever learning"" The book gives business leaders and managers constructive tips they can use to tackle their most difficult -- and rewarding -- challenges and opportunities. A perfect combination of savvy management guidance and historical adventure story, The Wright Way shows readers how to make their business soar when others can’t even get off the ground."

About this title

From the Inside Flap

Human flight is impossible.

Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, the Smithsonian Institution, and the United States military had all come to the same conclusion after years of failure. The New York Times was only slightly less pessimistic, opining that flight would be achieved in a million years—at the earliest.

It’s a good thing Wilbur and Orville Wright weren’t listening, because on December 17, 1903, these two brothers achieved one of the greatest feats in human history: They flew an airplane. The search for modern parallels to the accomplishment is futile; imagine if Neil Armstrong had landed on the moon—in a craft he built himself with money from a part-time job.

The enormity of the event cannot be overstated, but its genesis is something of a mystery. Who were Wilbur and Orville Wright, and how could these two unassuming bicycle builders from Dayton, Ohio, succeed where the greatest minds in the world had fallen short? Delve into their story and you will find brilliance married to diligence, perseverance born of courage, and humility surpassed only by confidence. You will also discover unmistakable patterns in the Wrights’ approach to problem solving, an unstated but clear philosophy that played a large part in their eventual triumph.

In The Wright Way, author Mark Eppler has distilled the essence of their methods into seven problem-solving principles that not only illuminate the brothers’ path to success but also hold direct relevance for contemporary business environments. Whether their organizations are foundering in a lackluster economy or are aspiring to dominate an ultra-competitive market, leaders and professionals in all fields would do well to adopt the Wright brothers’ principles of:

· Forging—shaping ideas through constructive conflict

· Tackling the tyrant—solving the toughest parts of the problem first

· Fiddling—“inveterate tinkering,” or constantly experimenting with improvements

· Mind-warping—approaching a problem logically, while seriously considering illogical options

· Relentless preparation —maintaining a lifelong passion for learning

· Measuring twice—paying meticulous attention to detail

· Force multiplication—accomplishing infinitely more in teams than as individuals

The author illustrates each of the principles with riveting historical anecdotes, contemporary business examples, and revelatory quotations from the brothers’ notes and correspondence. The resulting portrait becomes a blueprint for all those who refuse to bow to limitations.

One hundred years ago, the Wright brothers would not have had a “Seven Principles” poster tacked on their workshop wall. To them, it was simply a matter of working together carefully, tirelessly, indomitably. They had no mission statement, just a mission: to achieve the unachievable—and conquer the sky.

Mark Eppler is an award-winning speaker, a former marketing executive, and a passionate student of “everything Wright.” He has taught business and management at Indiana University and is the author of Management Mess-Ups.

From the Back Cover

How many discoveries, inventions, or events have truly changed the world? Throughout history, there have been but a few. Of these, only one can be said to have redefined the very concepts of time, distance, and scale: human flight.

Few people can name the inventor of the microchip, the laser, or the television. But everyone—everyone—knows the Wright brothers. On the centennial of their monumental achievement, what can the Wrights tell us about meeting contemporary business challenges? Read their awe-inspiring tale and learn the seven problem-solving principles that got the Wright brothers off the ground—and will have your business flying high.

“In 1899 Charles Duell, the Director of the U. S. Patent Office said, ‘Everything that can be invented has been invented.’ The Wright brothers proved him wrong in 1903. Sixty-six years later, using the same principles that are outlined in Eppler’s book The Wright Way, we landed on the moon.” — Navy Captain James Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13 and coauthor of Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13

“Eppler is a superb storyteller and a creative thinker. His engaging book is filled with practical ideas that can be applied by anyone faced with a challenging leadership role.”—Dennis N.T. Perkins, author, Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition

“The Wright Way delivers the right stuff. It’s inspirational, it’s insightful, and most important, it’s a great read!” — Doug Hall, CEO, Eureka! Ranch

“Wilbur and Orville Wright were extraordinarily smart people who solved problems in a structured and opportunistic fashion—a fact often shrouded by cultural clichés portraying them as a couple of persistent bicycle mechanics who somehow stumbled onto the solution to flight. Mark Eppler provides useful insights into the how and why of their remarkable achievements—and lessons we can all apply in business and professional life.” — Karl Albrecht, author of The Power of Minds at Work

Edition details

• Publisher: Amacom
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0814414613
• ISBN 13: 9780814414613
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232