Authors: Lucinda Watson, Joanne Parrent, Parrent, Ronald Ed. Watson
ISBN-13: 9780471388203, ISBN-10: 0471388203
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Date Published: April 2001
Edition: (Non-applicable)
LUCINDA WATSON is the granddaughter of IBM's Thomas J. Watson and the daughter of IBM's former CEO, Thomas J. Watson Jr. Watson's privileged upbringing offered her access to world leaders and business moguls, connections she drew from when writing this book. Watson is a former professor of communications at Berkeley's Haas School of Business.
What are the qualities that enable certain extraordinary individuals to transcend self-doubt and stiff competition to reach the pinnacle of success? Can these qualities be learned and emulated by others? Few people are in a better position to find answers to these questions than Lucinda Watson, whose father and grandfather turned IBM into "Big Blue."
Now an accomplished scholar in her own right, Watson grew up surrounded by the greatest business leaders and thinkers of the twentieth century. Her unique access to these top-level achievers combined with her own training and expertise make her especially qualified to obtain their fascinating inside stories.
In How They Achieved, Watson interviews outstanding men and women who have reached the very peak of their professions, distilling those special qualities of personality that separate the winners from the also-rans. These legendary CEOs, celebrated entrepreneurs, and social and cultural visionaries reveal how they discovered their lifes passions, pursued their goals, and overcame adversity.
Susie Tompkins Buell reveals how she managed the evolution of the Plain Jane Dress Company into Esprit Clothing. Faith Popcorn explains how she helps Fortune 500 companies see into the future to devise new strategies and develop new products. And Jack Kornfield, author, psychologist, and founder of the Spirit Rock meditation center, talks about how he achieved a different kind of successmeasured not so much in dollars or titles but in personal satisfaction.
These and other achievers tell their stories in their own words, offering their experiences as examples for others to follow. They remember their heroes and mentors, relive their most difficult decisions, and explain how they overcame inner demons such as fear and insecurity. The message they deliver is that self-confidence and self-esteemboth key ingredients for successare not natural gifts but can be learned, developed, and strengthened. In these compelling success stories, readers will discover proven practices and philosophies that will help them find their own passions, set their own goals, and discover the inner confidence they need to achieve.
The granddaughter of IBM founder Thomas J. Watson interviews 20 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and social and cultural visionaries about how they discovered their life's passions, pursued their goals, and overcame adversity to become leaders in their fields. Interviewees include Susie Tompkins Buell of Esprit Clothing, Sybase CEO John Chen, chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, Outward Bound director Allen Grossman, winemaker Robert Mondavi, and psychologist Jack Kornfield, who founded a Buddhist meditation center. Watson teaches at the Haas School of Business, U. of California at Berkeley. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Introduction | ||
CEOs | ||
Frank Cary, Former President and Chairman, IBM | 3 | |
Dan Case, CEO, Hambrecht and Quist | 11 | |
John Chen, CEO, Sybase | 17 | |
Donald M. Kendall, Former CEO, PepsiCo | 28 | |
Jane Cahill Pfeiffer, Former CEO, NBC; Former Vice President, IBM | 35 | |
Entrepreneurs | ||
Wilkes Bashford, Owner, Wilkes Bashford Retail Clothier | 47 | |
Ted Bell, Former Vice Chairman and Worldwide Creative Director, Young & Rubicam | 57 | |
Susie Tompkins Buell, Founder/Former Owner, Esprit Clothing Company | 68 | |
Bob Cohn, Former CEO, Octel and Lucent Technologies | 77 | |
Ray Kassar, Former CEO, Atari | 93 | |
Howard Lester, CEO, Williams Sonoma | 103 | |
Nick Nickolas, Venture Capitalist | 115 | |
Bradley Ogden, Restaurateur | 123 | |
Visionaries | ||
Allen Grossman, Former Director, Outward Bound; Professor, Harvard Business School | 139 | |
Jack Kornfield, Buddhist Monk | 150 | |
Robert Mondavi, Founder, Mondavi Vineyards | 164 | |
Faith Popcorn, Futurist | 175 | |
John Sculley, Former CEO, Apple Computer | 184 | |
Alice Waters, Founder/Owner, Chez Panisse Restaurant | 194 | |
Faye Wattleton, Former President, Planned Parenthood; Founder/Executive Director, Center for Gender Equality | 206 | |
Epilogue: Thomas J. Watson, Jr., Former Chairman, IBM Corporation | 219 | |
Index | 225 |