This wise and inspiring book by Leonard Berry, moves far beyond his pioneering work in services marketing and service quality to explain how great service companies meet their toughest challenge: sustaining long-term success. In a world where customers regard flawless products as a given, service is the key differentiator between competitors in any field. From Berry's exacting study of fourteen mature, highly successful, labor-intensive companies comes an astonishing revelation: the single most important factor in building a lasting service business is not a matter of savvy business practice, but of humane values. In all fourteen award-winning companies -- Bergstrom Hotels, The Charles Schwab Corporation, Chick-fil-A, The Container Store, Custom Research Inc., Dana Commercial Credit, Dial-A-Mattress, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Midwest Express Airlines, Miller SQA, Special Expeditions, St. Paul Saints, USAA, and Ukrop's Super Markets -- values-driven leadership connects with strategic focus, executional excellence, control of destiny, trust-based relationships, generosity, investment in employee success, acting small, and brand cultivation to drive customer satisfaction, innovation, and growth. Dedicating a chapter to each of these nine drivers, this book is the most far-reaching and insightful vision ever presented of the principles and step-by-step actions that continuously bring success to life in a company. Berry's comprehensive model reveals the soul that underlies the strategies and day-to-day operations of great service companies, guiding the thousands of daily decisions of individual employees. Clear, compelling, pathbreaking, Discovering the Soul of Service is essential reading for managers everywhere.

"At the core of every great work of fiction lies its soul - the mysterious thing that motivates its characters' actions and speaks to the world with their voices saying, "Let me tell you something you need to know." The writer who aims for greatness must ask, "Where do I find that soul, and how do I unveil it?" ... In an ... exploration launched from first principles, this book introduces two new and original techniques for unveiling the deeper meaning of any story and charting its truest course - as well as a third technique that combines the first two to generate stories from scratch."--Back cover.

If you have a nagging feeling that somehow your life has gotten off track, Discovering Your Soul Mission can help you create the most fulfilling life possible. Karmic astrologer and holistic teacher Linda Brady, along with coauthor Michael Brady, shows how the desires of our personalities--what we think we want--clash with the needs of our souls--what will make us truly happy. In order to pinpoint your soul mission, Brady uses the technique of karmic astrology, which--unlike the more familiar sun-sign astrology--delves into areas known previously only to the cognoscenti. With this easy-to-use method, you do not have to obtain an astrological chart. All the required information is provided here to help you instantly discover the sign ruling your soul mission. You will learn your Soul Pattern sign, which governs old habits that you need to let go, and your Soul Potential sign, which indicates your latent qualities and hidden talents that must be developed to follow your true path. Virgo perfectionism, for instance, can give way to Pisces intuition; Sagittarian procrastination can give way to Gemini creativity. In this revised and expanded edition, Brady updates her 1998 classic with new techniques and strategies to aid readers in living happier lives, as well as with planetary tables to the year 2035, making the book useful for the next generation. She offers new chapters on Chiron and Uranus, which emerge from her work with clients in more recent years, as well as an expansion of her discussion of the transition from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius. Brady offers numerous meditation, journaling, dream work, and other exercises to explore and incorporate your soul mission into your current life. Other planetary influences also shape the particular flavor of your mission. For example, the book includes tables to find out what sign rules your style of communication and shows you how to use that personal style to further enhance your mission. This lively, interactive handbook will assist you in your pursuit of the ultimate destination of your soul road.