Compass: Creating Exceptional Organizations: A Leader's Guide

A how-to-do-it compass for business leaders, executives, and managers of for-profit and nonprofit organizations, large and small. The traditional view of economic reality holds that the pursuit of self-interest benefits not only individuals but also society. While this book acknowledges the past successes of this premise, it offers a new, more powerful paradigm”the simultaneous pursuit of both self-interest and concern for others. This new orientation provides a guide for behavior that reflects both the greatest aspirations of humankind and the reality of the world in which we live. As a leader, you can act according to this new paradigm and create Exceptional Organizations that are viable (they achieve their purposes while acting according to society's highest values), sustainable (viable over time), and valued (all your owners, employees, clients, providers, and communities benefit far more than with competitors). Such Exceptional Organizations foster the personal, professional, and moral growth of their members and are valued by society because society is among their stakeholders.

William F. Brandt Jr. is a co-founder and former CEO of American Woodmark Corporation, a $600 million public company, and has written for numerous publications. He consults and is a university educator in the areas of CEO coaching, leadership development, strategic planning, and cultural change. Brandt also serves on a number of for-profit and nonprofit boards including a university, a healthcare system, a hospital, and an international humanitarian aid organization assisting 37 countries. Brandt's company, American Woodmark, was formed in 1980 to acquire Boise Cascade Corporation's kitchen cabinet business. American Woodmark is the third largest cabinet manufacturer nationally, serving Home Depot, Lowes, and major builders. Sales have grown from $35 million to more than $600 million. The company went public in 1986. Brandt has degrees from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business. He is executive-in-residence at the Byrd School of Business Administration, Shenandoah University, where he is also a member of their adjunct faculty. He lives with his wife in Winchester, Virginia.