The Leader's Guide to Storytelling. Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative

In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader’s Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization “stunningly vulnerable” to a new idea.

The business world has changed beyond all recognition in recent years. New skills, insights, tools, technologies and best practice have emerged. The Capstone Encyclopaedia of Business brings all of this progress together, distilling the facts and essential information into one single volume. It represents the most up-to-date, authoritative and accessible guide to the modern business world available, providing a gateway to the state of the art in marketing, finance, strategy, leadership, people management and beyond. The Capstone Encyclopaedia of Business is organized alphabetically into over 1,000 entries covering the whole spectrum of business and management including: * business terms – concepts – thinkers – practitioners * organizations – brands – companies. Each entry provides a sharp, incisive overview of the subject and, crucially, points to how the ideas can be put into practice. The Capstone Encyclopaedia of Business makes sense of the new world of business, embracing the best of the new and the most robust of the old. * The first one-volume, accessibly-priced reference book for business in years. * Kicks off this exciting new series and will anchor Capstone as the one stop shop for busy professionals. * Key title in large promotion including web site and extract mailings. * Internationally-recognized editorial board. * Annual updates will occur making this a classic key title to keep on the shelves.

The path to business success is an open road and you'd better be ready for anything! What do businesspeople and entrepreneurs have in common with bikers? More than you'd suspect. The freedom of hitting the open road is a concrete extension of the need for freedom that encourages entrepreneurs to start businesses. The desire to succeed in business by doing it your own way is no different than the desire to hit the road and plot your own course on two wheels. The Biker's Guide to Business explores these parallels and offers hard-won business wisdom specially suited for Business Bikers who do it their way-whether out on the highways or in the corporate boardroom. Introduces DeVille's Navigation Process that helps you develop your own action plan for achieving your own unique vision of success Shows you how to tailor a road map to guide your personal journey from where you are now to where you want to be tomorrow Uses biker terminology, analogies, and parallels to communicate real business wisdom Though written to appeal to bikers, the book is a handy business guide for anyone willing to take the ride Whether or not you're a biker, the passion to ride is the same passion that pushes people to succeed professionally by taking their own path. Hop on, rev up, and succeed.

All too often, simple acts of human kindness are often overlooked and under utilized by people in leadership roles. Advising mutual respect and recognition of accomplishments, Encouraging the Heart shows us how true leaders encourage and motivate those they work with by helping them find their voice and making them feel like heroes. Recognized experts in the field of leadership, authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner show us that, through love, leaders can encourage, and indeed allow those around them to be their very best. Both practical and inspirational, Encouraging the Heart gives readers a thoughtful approach to motivating individuals within an organizational structure. Read Chapter 3 or Chapter 12, or see The Encouragement Index.

A radical new management model for twenty-first century leaders Organizations today face a crisis. The crisis is of long standing and its signs are widespread. Most proposals for improving management address one element of the crisis at the expense of the others. The principles described by award-winning author Stephen Denning simultaneously inspire high productivity, continuous innovation, deep job satisfaction and client delight. Denning puts forward a fundamentally different approach to management, with seven inter-locking principles of continuous innovation: focusing the entire organization on delighting clients; working in self-organizing teams; operating in client-driven iterations; delivering value to clients with each iteration; fostering radical transparency; nurturing continuous self-improvement and communicating interactively. In sum, the principles comprise a new mental model of management. Author outlines the basic seven principles of continuous innovation The book describes more than seventy supporting practices Denning offers a rethinking of management from first principles This book is written by the author of The Secret Language of Leadership—a Financial Times Selection in Best Books of 2007.

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER‘If you want to write a novel or a script, read this book’ Sunday Times‘The best book on the craft of storytelling I’ve ever read’ Matt Haig‘Rarely has a book engrossed me more, and forced me to question everything I’ve ever read, seen or written. A masterpiece’ Adam RutherfordWho would we be without stories?Stories mould who we are, from our character to our cultural identity. They drive us to act out our dreams and ambitions, and shape our politics and beliefs. We use them to construct our relationships, to keep order in our law courts, to interpret events in our newspapers and social media. Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human.There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story – from Joseph Campbell’s well-worn theories about myth and archetype to recent attempts to crack the ‘Bestseller Code’. But few have used a scientific approach. This is curious, for if we are to truly understand storytelling in its grandest sense, we must first come to understand the ultimate storyteller – the human brain.In this scalpel-sharp, thought-provoking book, Will Storr demonstrates how master storytellers manipulate and compel us, leading us on a journey from the Hebrew scriptures to Mr Men, from Booker Prize-winning literature to box set TV. Applying dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to the foundations of our myths and archetypes, he shows how we can use these tools to tell better stories – and make sense of our chaotic modern world.

Humans have been telling stories ever since we came down from the trees.But do we really understand why?And if we did, would we be able to tell them better?We would be nothing without story. Story moulds who we are, from our character to our cultural identity. Story compels us to act out our dreams and ambitions, and shapes our politics and beliefs. We use story to construct our relationships, to keep order in our law courts and governments, to make sense of the world in our newspapers and social media. Even when we sleep, we dream in story. Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human.There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story – from Joseph Campbell’s well-worn theories about myth and archetype to recent attempts to crack the ‘Bestseller Code’. But few have used a scientific approach. This is curious, for if we are to truly understand the machinations of storytelling, we must first come to understand the ultimate storyteller – the human brain.In this original and surprising book, Will Storr takes a scalpel to story. Leading us on a journey from the Hebrew scriptures to Mr Men, from Booker prize-winning literature to box set TV, he demonstrates how master storytellers manipulate and compel us using a dazzling display of psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience. With the help of world leading story-analysts and brain experts, he shows how we can use this science to tell better stories – and reveals the benefits this can have on everything from our creative endeavours and careers to our happiness and wellbeing.

The guide for marketing a small business on Facebook The number one social networking site offers the opportunity to reach more than 350 million registered users with your advertising message. Owners of small and local businesses will benefit from these tips and best practices provided by Facebook insiders. Learn new ways to attract customers, create a business profile, and take advantage of Facebook’s many marketing features. With more than 350 million registered users, Facebook opens a worldwide forum for small businesses that were once dependent on local traffic alone This guide to small business marketing on Facebook, is packed with information from Facebook’s staff Guides you through creating a profile for your business, taking advantage of Facebook’s unique marketing features, following best practices, and getting the best return on your investment Packed with insider tips and creative marketing ideas If you have a small or local business, you can’t go wrong with the marketing advice in The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing.

Business growth expert Steven S. Little gives you the real-world strategies you need to navigate your business through economic uncertainty If you're a business owner or leader, you're no doubt feeling inundated on all sides by the gathering forces of this financial downturn—shrinking revenues, tightening resources, anxious workers, plunging profits. When economic storms hit, it's the clear-minded and action-oriented leader that ultimately guides their business to success. In order to position your business for the growth opportunities ahead, it is imperative for you to address your most critical issues now. Duck and (re)Cover is the ultimate business owner's guide to prevailing and prospering through tough economic times. It questions much of the «conventional wisdom» we all hear about recessions and instead offers an irreverently common-sense approach to survival and growth in the midst of economic uncertainty. This book focuses on the most significant challenges and opportunities facing embattled businesses today. Recommends specific, and effective strategies for keeping your business up and running, even if the economy continues to stall Includes a wealth of been-there-done-that advice that will help you clear your own path to sustainable, profitable growth Written by Steven S. Little, former president of three fast-growth companies and author of The Seven Irrefutable Rules of Small Business Growth Now is not the time for timidity. Instead, make the bold moves recommend here to not only weather the storm but to chart a course for your ultimate destination.

These days, more than ever, you need an edge to win the job, the sale, or the contract that you want. And once you have it, keeping it is part of the job. You're always selling yourself, getting re-hired everyday with everything you do and say. The Art of Business Seduction elevates your game by allowing you to recognize what's essential in getting noticed for the right reasons and by the right people. You'll get powerful tools you can use immediately, including A Strategic Communication plan The no-fail, four-step L-WAR process (Listen, Watch, Anticipate, React) Real-life exercises you can implement over thirty consecutive days that will then become a winning part of your routine and lifestyle Your secret weapon in today's business struggle, The Art of Business Seduction peels away the hype to give you the unadorned facts on what will drive your continued, consistent success.