Chosen by BusinessWeek as one of the top 5 books of 2006 in careers. Read the full story at businessweek.com.
Imagine discovering what successful people have in common, distilling it into a set of simple practices, and using them to transform your life and work. Authored by three legends in leadership and self-help — including Built to Last co-author Jerry Porras — it challenges conventional wisdom at every step. Success Built to Last draws on face-to-face, unscripted conversations with hundreds of remarkable human beings from around the world. Meet billionaires, CEOs, presidents of nations, Nobel laureates and celebrities — the rich, the famous and the unknown. Meet unsung heroes who've achieved lasting impact without obvious power or charisma. Famous or not, most started out ordinary. Discover how successful people "harvest" their strengths and their weaknesses, their victories and their surprising failures. Discover how you can find meaning in your life and work just as they did and summon the courage to follow your passions. Above all, see how they've sustained success for decades and you can too.
Foreword by Senator John McCain
Acknowledgements
Introduction–From Built to Last to Success Built to Last
Chapter 1: From Great to Lasting–Redefining Success
Part I: Meaning–How Successful People Stay Successful
Chapter 2: Love it or Lose–Passions and the Quest for Meaning
Chapter 3: Portfolio of Passions–It’s Not About Balance
Chapter 4: Why Successful People Stay Successful–Integrity to Meaning
Part II: ThoughtStyles–Extreme Makeovers Start in Your Head
Chapter 5: The Silent Scream–Why It’s So Damn Hard to Do What Matters
Chapter 6: The Cause Has Charisma–You Don’t Have to Be Charismatic to Be Successful
Chapter 7: The Tripping Point–Always Make New Mistakes
Chapter 8: Wounds to Wisdom–Trusting Your Weaknesses and Using Your Core Incompetencies
Part III: ActionStyles–Turning Passion into Action
Chapter 9: Earning Your Luck–Preparing for Serendipity by Using Big Hairy Audacious Goals
Chapter 10: Naked Conversations–Harvesting Contention
Chapter 11: Creating Alignment–The Environment Always Wins
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out–A Look at the Research Behind Success Built to Last
Endnotes
Biographical Index
Index
A Note from Sir Richard Branson Richard Branson is best known for his successful
Virgin brand, encompassing everything from a record label, a chain of music retail stores, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, and more. In September, 2006, Branson agreed to donate $3 billion to fight global warming.
"There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions—in a way that serves the world and you. In this book you will learn from unknown and famous people—inspiring leaders like Nelson Mandela and entrepreneur Michael Dell—along with schoolteachers, scientists, community workers, athletes, artists, Nobel laureates and the Presidents of nations.
"From Bono and Quincy Jones to Maya Angelou and The Dalai Lama, they all challenged themselves to do more, be more and give back more than even they thought possible. Everyone wants success, but you can do better than that. This is an extraordinary book that finally reveals a meaningful 'secret formula' for success based on the lives of remarkable people."
Lessons of Lasting Success Watch video of co-author Mark Thompson as he interviews figures featured in
Success Built to Last.
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| Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group | President Jimmy Carter | Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines | Senator John McCain |
