The era of authoritarian cowboy CEOs like Jack Welch and Lee Iacocca is over. Shankman, a pioneer in modern PR, marketing, and advertising, profiles the famously nice executives, entrepreneurs, and companies that are setting the standard for success in this new collaborative world.

The companies that win today understand the importance of having systems in place to provide exemplary service, making people a priority over products, putting the client experience at the top of the list and valuing relationships over technology. Successful businesses approach the future with an attitude of high touch over high tech. Nice Guys Finish First provides stories, lessons, concrete takeaways and action items. The reader will go beyond finding out why nice guys finish first and discover how to be successful using the lessons provided. The book walks the reader down a path to becoming a student of Sandler's system: Invest, Inspire and Execute. The chapters break the system down into smaller pieces, guiding the reader through practical application and lessons about leadership, technology, consistency, trust and empowerment. In addition, the book examines the importance of developing a culture of happiness, creating a positive attitude, effectively dealing with failure, managing a better life and mistakes to avoid on the road to success.

Testimonials for Nice Girls Can Finish First “In Nice Girls Can Finish First, Daylle Deanna Schwartz proves that women who are basically good-hearted can still be taken seriously in both their business and personal lives. In fact, when used properly, kindness and consideration can go further than selfishness and bitchiness. Good lessons to learn and live by.” ~~Nina Disesa, chairman of McCann Erickson New York and author of Seducing the Boys Club. "Never underestimate the power of a woman - especially a nice one. This book is a must read for today's world where, thankfully, nice is finally getting the respect it deserves. Mean is so last millennium. Nice Girls Can Finish First offers brilliant tools and savvy advice for making 'nice' work for you in business and in life. Nice girls do finish first and this is their 'how-to' manual." ~~Linda Kaplan Thaler, CEO of The Kaplan Thaler Group and bestselling author of The Power of Nice. “Anybody can be a bitch. And effective as that might be in the short run, in the long run (and it is a long run) it'll bring you down. It takes a woman who's smart, strong and confident to assume the best from people and motivate them to deliver it. Daylle Deanna Schwartz shows you how to finish first - every time.” ~~Gail Blanke, Author, Throw Out Fifty Things, Clear the Clutter Find Your Life, life coach and motivator “Daylle Deanna Schwartz provides many constructive techniques for being soft-spoken, friendly and considerate to others in ways that get satisfying results. This book is for women who are fundamentally nice, want to stay true to that and who also want to be taken seriously, earn respect and get their needs met.” Terrie M. Williams, author of The Personal Touch: What You Really Need To Succeed in Today's Fast-Paced Business World THE NICE GIRL'S GUIDE TO GETTING AHEAD-WITHOUT GETTING MEAN Are you a “People Pleaser”? Do you put up with put-downs? Say yes when you're dying to say no? Sit down when you should be standing up for yourself? Congratulations, you're a nice girl. Nothing wrong with that-unless your need to be liked is holding you back from having the career, money, love, respect, and happiness you deserve. This step-by-step guide from a self-described former “doormat” shows you that you don't have to be a demanding diva or mean girl to get what you want. There's a “nice” way to be assertive-in business and in life. Once you learn the secret, you can: Speak up-without shouting Say no-without sounding negative Be strong-without being aggressive Get respect-without getting tough Ask for anything you want-and get it! Filled with subtle conversational techniques and people-friendly pointers you can put to work immediately, Nice Girls Can Finish First is the perfect go-to guide for women who know they deserve more out of life-but don't want to step on other people to get to the top. This book proves you can be strong, confident, powerful, successful-and nice too!

The inspirational bestseller that ignited a movement and asked us to find our WHY Discover the book that is captivating millions on TikTok and that served as the basis for one of the most popular TED Talks of all time—with more than 56 million views and counting. Over a decade ago, Simon Sinek started a movement that inspired millions to demand purpose at work, to ask what was the WHY of their organization. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, and these ideas remain as relevant and timely as ever. START WITH WHY asks (and answers) the questions: why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who have had the greatest influence in the world all think, act and communicate the same way—and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.

The era of authoritarian cowboy CEOs like Jack Welch and Lee Iacocca is over. In an age of increasing transparency and access, it just doesn't pay to be a jerk—to employees, customers, competitors, or anyone else. In Nice Companies Finish First, Shankman, a pioneer in modern PR, marketing, advertising, social media, and customer service, profiles the famously nice executives, entrepreneurs, and companies that are setting the standard for success in this new collaborative world. He explores the new hallmarks of effective leadership, including loyalty, optimism, humility, and a reverence for customer service, and shows how leaders like Jet Blue's Dave Needleman, Tony Hsieh of Zappos, Steve Jobs of Apple, Ken Chenault of Amex, Indra Nooyi of Pepsi, and the team behind Patagonia harness these traits to build productive, open, and happy workplaces for the benefit of their employees, themselves, and the bottom line.

Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval have moved to the top of the advertising industry by following a simple but powerful philosophy: it pays to be nice. Where so many companies encourage a dog eat dog mentality, the Kaplan Thaler Group has succeeded through chocolate and flowers. In THE POWER OF NICE, through their own experiences and the stories of other people and businesses, they demonstrate why, contrary to conventional wisdom, nice people finish first. Turning the well-known adage of “Nice Guys Finish Last” on its ear, THE POWER OF NICE shows that “nice” companies have lower employee turnover, lower recruitment costs, and higher productivity. Nice people live longer, are healthier, and make more money. In today’s interconnected world, companies and people with a reputation for cooperation and fair play forge the kind of relationships that lead to bigger and better opportunities, both in business and in life. But being nice doesn’t mean acting wimpy. In fact, nice may be the toughest four-letter word you’ll ever encounter. Kaplan Thaler and Koval illustrate the surprising power of nice with an array of real-life examples from the business arena as well as from their personal lives. Most important, they present a plan of action covering everything from creating a positive impression to sweetening the pot to turning enemies into allies. Filled with inspiration and suggestions on how to supercharge your career and expand your reach in the workplace, THE POWER OF NICE will transform how you live and work.

A human-centric guide to solving complex problems in engineering management, from sizing teams to handling technical debt. There’s a saying that people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. Management is a key part of any organization, yet the discipline is often self-taught and unstructured. Getting to the good solutions for complex management challenges can make the difference between fulfillment and frustration for teams—and, ultimately, between the success and failure of companies. Will Larson’s An Elegant Puzzle focuses on the particular challenges of engineering management—from sizing teams to handling technical debt to performing succession planning—and provides a path to the good solutions. Drawing from his experience at Digg, Uber, and Stripe, Larson has developed a thoughtful approach to engineering management for leaders of all levels at companies of all sizes. An Elegant Puzzle balances structured principles and human-centric thinking to help any leader create more effective and rewarding organizations for engineers to thrive in.