How to Be a Fierce Competitor – What Winning Companies and Great Managers Do in Tough Times

<p>Preface xi</p>
<p>Acknowledgments xiii</p>
<p>1 The Fierce Competitor Company 1</p>
<p>2 Bad Times Are Good Times 4</p>
<p>3 Hustle. Hustle. Hustle. 6</p>
<p>4 Leadership Is Not Pushership 9</p>
<p>5 The Difference Between Leaders and Managers 11</p>
<p>6 Know Your Company s Raison d Etre 13</p>
<p>7 Manage As You Would Invest 15</p>
<p>8 I Visit Customers in Stores 18</p>
<p>9 Always Answer the Phone 20</p>
<p>10 Pile Up Cash 24</p>
<p>11 Be Ever Fearful 27</p>
<p>12 Show Fearlessness 29</p>
<p>13 Play What If? Games 31</p>
<p>14 Leadership Is Full Disclosure 33</p>
<p>15 Get a Kitchen Cabinet 35</p>
<p>16 Always Have a Plan 37</p>
<p>17 Stay Off Magazine Covers 39</p>
<p>18 I Never Made a Dime Talking 41</p>
<p>19 Never Take Your Hand Off the Tiller 43</p>
<p>20 Control or Roll 46</p>
<p>21 Get Out of the Office 48</p>
<p>22 Walk Around the Company 51</p>
<p>23 Never Forget the Third Shift 53</p>
<p>24 Be Obsessive About Execution 56</p>
<p>25 Get Rid of Executive Parking Spaces 60</p>
<p>26 Fight Unionization 63</p>
<p>27 People Are Not the Most Important Asset 67</p>
<p>28 Nurture Those You Hire and Acquire 69</p>
<p>29 Prune All Deadwood 71</p>
<p>30 Bulldoze All Silos 73</p>
<p>31 Broom Out All Bureaucracy 75</p>
<p>32 Scoop Up Newly Available Talent 78</p>
<p>33 Forget About Pedigrees 80</p>
<p>34 Pay for Performance, Not for Activities 82</p>
<p>35 Continuously Rip Out, Tear Out Bad Costs 85</p>
<p>36 The Do and Don t Cut List 89</p>
<p>37 Forget Monthly Reports 91</p>
<p>38 No Money, No Meeting 93</p>
<p>39 Be Fanatical About Selling 96</p>
<p>40 Don t Fire Sales People 100</p>
<p>41 Hire Fiercely Competitive Sales People 103</p>
<p>42 Banish All Selling Thieves 106</p>
<p>43 Always Conduct Daily Sales Meetings 109</p>
<p>44 The Big Opportunity 111</p>
<p>45 Never Cancel Batting Practice 115</p>
<p>46 Double the Training Budget 118</p>
<p>47 Love That Cranky, Fickle, Demanding Customer 120</p>
<p>48 Fire the Strategic Customer 122</p>
<p>49 Customer Service Is a Survival Strategy 125</p>
<p>50 Worship at the Altar of Quality 129</p>
<p>51 Get Rid of Mr. Ought–to–Be 132</p>
<p>52 Always Leave Flowers, Floor Mats, and Footprints 134</p>
<p>53 Don t Cut Prices 137</p>
<p>54 You Are Never on Vacation 140</p>
<p>55 Lock, Load, and Launch 142</p>
<p>56 Sue the Blankety–Blanks 144</p>
<p>57 Welcome Serendipity 147</p>
<p>58 Go Green! 149</p>
<p>59 Be a Master Gardener 151</p>
<p>60 Summary: Characteristics of the Fierce</p>
<p>Competitor Companies 154</p>
<p>About the author 159</p>