The average American business person may not necessarily recognize the name or photo of Jim Collins. He hasn’t published as many titles as most of the other authors we’ve spotlighted in this series thus far. However, the few titles he has shared with the business world have generated tremendous influence on individuals and organizations worldwide. As far as the number of best sellers, he’s just getting started. Leave room on your shelf under “C.”

While the name may not ring a bell, there’s an excellent chance you’d recognize the titles of one or more of his bestsellers, and you’ve probably been exposed to his research, theories, and strategies revealed in his work.

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

Published in 1994, Built to Last has been a fixture on the Business Week best-seller list for more than six years and has been translated into 29 languages.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … And Others Don’t

Published in 2001, Good to Great has attained long-running positions on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Business Week best-seller lists, has sold 3 million hardcover copies since publication and has been translated into 35 languages, including Latvian, Mongolian and Vietnamese.

How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In

How the Mighty Fall is his most recent book published in May of 2009. Count on this one to join the ranks of popularity of the previous two titles as the author reveals that every institution, no matter how great, is vulnerable to decline. Decline, it turns out, is largely self-inflicted, and the path to recovery lies largely within our own hands. The book describes the five step-wise stages of decline and how to reverse their course.

Beyond Entrepreneurship: Turning Your Business Into an Enduring Great Company

Collins co-authored this book with William C. Lazier in 1995 providing entrepreneurs with building blocks to help their companies sustain high performance, play a leadership role in their industries, and remain great for generations.

Collins is an American business consultant, author, and lecturer on the subject of company sustainability and growth. He frequently contributes to Harvard Business Review, Business Week, Fortune and other magazines and journals. Jim Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies—how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies. Having invested more than a decade of research into the topic, he knows of what he speaks.

Jim has served as a teacher to senior executives and CEOs at more than a hundred corporations. He has also worked with social sector organizations, such as: Johns Hopkins Medical School, the Girl Scouts of the USA, the Leadership Network of Churches, the American Association of K-12 School Superintendents, and the United States Marine Corps. In 2005 he published a monograph: Good to Great and the Social Sectors.

Driven by a relentless curiosity, Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he now conducts research and teaches executives from the corporate and social sectors.

He also re-published an autobiography called Test Pilot written by Collins’ grandfather, Jimmy Collins, for whom Jim Collins is named. Grandfather Jimmy Collins was the chief test pilot for the Grumman military aircraft company during the 1930s, and Clark Gable portrayed him in the movie version of his book. Jimmy Collins died testing the F3 biplane, which crashed while he was testing it.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

John Paul Kotter is a Harvard Business School professor who is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on leadership and change. His is the premier voice on how the best organizations actually “do” change.

Dr. Kotter is a graduate of MIT and Harvard. He joined the Harvard Business School faculty in 1972. In 1980, at the age of 33, he was given tenure and a full professorship.

Business Week magazine rated Kotter the #1 “leadership guru” in America based on a survey it conducted of 504 enterprises.

Professor Kotter is the author of 17 books, a collection that has given him more honors and awards than any other writer on the topics of leadership and change. In addition to A Sense of Urgency (2008), Our Iceberg Is Melting (2006), and Leading Change (1996), Professor Kotter is the author of The Heart of Change (2002), John P. Kotter on What Leaders Really Do (1999), Matsushita Leadership (1997), The New Rules (1995), Corporate Culture and Performance (1992), A Force for Change (1990), The Leadership Factor (1988), Power and Influence (1985), The General Managers (1982), and five other books published in the 1970s. Professor Kotter’s books have been printed in more than 120 foreign language editions, and total sales exceed two million copies. His books are in the top 1% of sales from Amazon.com.

John Kotter’s articles in The Harvard Business Review over the past 20 years have sold a million and a half copies—more than any of the hundreds of distinguished authors who have written for that publication during the same time period.

Professor Kotter’s honors include an Exxon Award for Innovation in Graduate Business School Curriculum Design and a Johnson, Smith & Knisely Award for New Perspectives in Business Leadership. In 1996, Professor Kotter’s Leading Change was named the #1 management book of the year by Management General. In 2003, a video version of a story from his book, The Heart of Change won a Telly Award. In 2006, Kotter received the prestigious McFeely Award for “outstanding contributions to leadership and management development.” In 2007, his video Succeeding in a Changing World was named best video training product of the year by Training Media Review and also won a Telly Award.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Not everyone may know this author by name, but they’ve certainly been exposed to his work. He’s an award-winning American journalist, columnist and author. He is an op-ed contributor to The New York Times, whose column appears twice weekly and mainly addresses foreign affairs. If you haven’t actually read his articles, you’ve more than likely heard them discussed on almost every cable TV channel during the evening news. He has won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize three times, twice for International Reporting (1983, 1988) and once for Commentary (2002).

Thomas L. Friedman’s reporter’s curiosity and his ability to recognize the patterns behind the most complex global developments have made him one of the most entertaining and authoritative sources for information about the wider world we live in, and that’s exactly why he’s invited to join so many weekly television news panels. He definitely helps his audience see and understand the big picture which is so critical in this age of global influence.

Friedman is also the author of landmark bestsellers like From Beirut to Jerusalem, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Longitudes and Attitudes, The World Is Flat and Hot, Flat & Crowded.

Ann and Thomas Friedman live in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. The July 2006 issue of Washingtonian reported that they own “a palatial 11,400-square-foot (1,060 m2) house, currently valued at $9.3 million, on a 7½-acre parcel just blocks from I-495 and Bethesda Country Club.” Friedman is paid $50,000 per speaking engagement.

Friedman began writing articles while on the staff of his high school’s newspaper. Upon graduating from college, Friedman joined the London bureau of United Press International. He was dispatched a year later to Beiirut where he stayed until 1981. He was then hired by The The New York Times as a reporter and was redispatched to Beirut at the start of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. His coverage of that war won him the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting.

He was assigned to Jerusalem from 1984 to 1988 and received a second Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the First Palestinian Intifada. Afterwards he wrote a book, From Beirut to Jerusalem, describing his experiences in the Middle East. Friedman covered Secretary of State James Baker during the administration of United States President George H. W. Bush. Following the election of Bill Clinton in 1992, he became the White House correspondent for the Times.

In 2002, Friedman won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary “for his clarity of vision, based on extensive reporting, in commenting on the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat.” He is also the recipient of the 2004 Overseas Press Club Award for lifetime achievement, and has been named to the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth.

Friedman first discussed his views on globalization in the 1999 book, The Lexus and the Olive Tree. In 2004, a visit to Bangalore and Shanghai gave Friedman new insights into the continuing trends of globalization and the forces behind the process, leading him to write a follow-up analysis, The World Is Flat.

If you read only one book this year, make certain it’s this one. Follow this link for our website book review: The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century.

In this revealing page-turner, Friedman demystifies our brave new world for us, allowing us to make sense of the often bewildering global scene unfolding before our eyes. His aim is not to give you a speculative preview of the wonders that are sure to come in your lifetime, but rather to get you caught up on the wonders that are already here. The world isn’t going to be flat; it is flat. What Friedman means by “flat” is “connected”—the lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution have made it possible to do business, or almost anything else, instantaneously with billions of other people across the planet. He explains it all in breathless narrative and great detail dating from the year 1492 until today.

Friedman describes “The Ten Forces That Flattened the World” and “The Triple Convergence”—subjects which most of us know very little of even though both affect us in dramatic ways.

I promise you this, open this book and you become captive until you reach the final page. Upon reaching that final page, you’ll understand why this author has attained such greatness. You may not agree with his politics, but you can’t deny his research, observations and recommendations.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Patricia Aburdene is not only a very talented author. She’s also a world-renowned speaker and advocate of corporate transformation. She inspires audiences with a concrete blueprint of how values and consciousness will transform business. She has lectured throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America, Australia, and the Pacific Rim.

Her career in business journalism began at Forbes magazine in 1978. As a Public Policy Fellow at Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 1993 to 1996, she explored emerging leadership models.

Patricia holds a BA in philosophy from Newton College of the Sacred Heart, a BS in library science from Catholic University, and four honorary doctorates. In 1990, she was awarded the Medal of Italy for her interpretation of global trends.

She collaborated with her husband John Naisbitt on the publishing phenomenon Megatrends which topped best-seller charts in the U.S., Germany, and Japan. She and John then co-authored the New York Times number-one bestseller Megatrends 2000. These big hits were followed by the bestselling Re-inventing the Corporation and Megatrends for Women.

Her new book, Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, was published in 2005. Collectively, her books have sold more than 14 million copies worldwide.

In each of her Megatrends books she proposed ten Megatrends (changes), that would shape the information age. She’s been very accurate with her predictions and many major organizations have utilized her predictions in strategically planning for the future.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Looking back over the previous authors whose bios we’ve shared with our readers, I realized that many of them would be much more familiar to Baby Boomers as opposed to those in Generations X, Y or Z (New Silent Generation). However, even though the more recent generations may not recognize these authors by name, they are, indeed, familiar with their narratives, strategies, philosophies, and anecdotes. The work of these early authors (Napoleon Hill, Denis Waitley, Og Mandino, Ken Blanchard, and Zig Ziglar) have been shared, repackaged, reframed, and updated by more recent authors for later generations.

In choosing Ziglar, I pondered my decision to include him among our author bios. I say that because Zig is much more than an author. He’s a tremendous salesman, leading sales trainer, a legendary motivational speaker, a beloved religious leader, and, of course, a very successful author. He’s done it all and yearns to share it with others.

I’ve personally lost count of the number of times I’ve been in the audience to hear this gifted orator share his down-home wisdom over the decades. However, I do remember the first time I ever saw him on a stage. Until that day, I had never seen nor heard of Zig so I had no idea as to what to expect. From the minute he walked on the stage, I was mesmerized … riveted to his every word and movement in an effort to determine if he was a motivational speaker or a very talented comedian successfully emulating an orator. I make that statement with the greatest respect, but I mean it sincerely.

He made his entrance with gigantic strides, appearing to be at least seven feet tall. I’m sure he’s shorter, but his impeccable black pin-stripped suit, long, confident stride, ear-to-ear smile, and direct eye contact transforms him into a gentle giant you immediately trust.

Zig made Fred Astaire look clumsy as he glided from side to side across that enormous stage as though he owned it—which he did during the extent of his presentation. He made certain he connected with every person in the audience.

I mentioned the possibility of his being a comedian because of his style. He jumped, glided, twirled, and kneeled on one knee—whatever it took to emphasize his point and convince you of his sincerity. Blend that incomparable choreography with a southern drawl, which immediately convinced you that he was raised in the small Mississippi berg of Yazoo City, and you were hooked for the duration. Add his many captivating props, and you were in for an exciting experience.

Very few of his boundless fan base were aware of the fact that Zig was born Hilary Hinton Ziglar as the tenth of twelve children in 1926. He lost both his sister and father in 1932 and suffered much hardship as his mother struggled to raise 11 children alone.

After a stint in the Navy, he tried his hand at college at the University of South Carolina but soon chose to pursue a career in sales. Although struggling early on, Zig soon fine tuned his craft. He sold sandwiches to college classmates for a while and then moved on to selling pots and pans where he became a true sales champion. He placed second in one national firm of more than 7,000 and first in another company with a 3,000-plus sales staff. He went on to set sales records selling a variety of products for various companies.

He soon began receiving requests to share his secrets with many sales organizations and gained such notoriety that he walked away from a record-setting sales career to focus on helping others to become more successful. The rest is history.

Zig soon became one of the world’s foremost sales trainers. His name was synonymous with confidence, motivation and success. His success with sales training led him to focus on personal development as well. In 1970, he launched his full-time speaking career and built a multi-million dollar corporation on the same philosophy he expounds to his audiences—hard work, common sense, fairness, integrity, commitment, and an infectious sense of humor.

Since 1970, an extensive array of Ziglar audio, video, books, and training manuals have been utilized by small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, U.S. government agencies, churches, school districts, prisons, and non-profit associations, affecting lives in a profound way.

Over the last 30-plus years presenting himself and his motivational ideas, he has developed a world-wide following. He has grown from a one-man show to chariman of the Zig Ziglar Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, with a staff of more than 60 employees—an organization which is committed to helping people more fully utilize their physical, mental, and spiritual resources. Zig has traveled more than 5 million miles throughout the world as a speaker.

A well-known authority on the science of human potential, Zig Ziglar has been recognized three times in the Congressional Record of the United States for his work with youth in the drug war and for his dedication to America and the free enterprise system.

Titans of business, politics and sports consider Zig Ziglar to be the single greatest influence in their lives. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Sales and Marketing, and the National Speakers Association honored Zig Ziglar with its highest award, “The Cavett.”

Individuals and institutions worldwide have utilized an extensive collection of Ziglar audios, videos, books and training curriculum. The client list of Ziglar Training Systems reads like a who’s who in American and global business. Nine of his books have been on the best-seller lists, and his titles have been translated into more than 38 languages and dialects.

Over the decades, Zig has personified his long-time motto of: “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

Last year Zig fell down a set of stairs and hit his head, resulting in a serious concussion. Suddenly, life was very different as this vibrant motivator no longer moved with the energy of a 65-year-old man as he had for so long. Almost overnight he aged 15-plus years and began the struggle to overcome and live with a brain injury.

After 32 years as the heart and soul of a business, Zig Ziglar has decided it would be best if he gave up his day-to-day operational role of his company. He has decided to hand over his company to his son, Tom Ziglar, president, and son-in-law Richard K. Oates, chief operating officer, as he concentrates on what he does best: produce best-selling books and energize crowds.

If you ever get an opportunity to see Zig in person, do yourself a favor and do so. You’ll never regret it. I’ve heard many colleagues say they make it a point to see Zig in person as often as possible. Does that mean that previous motivation didn’t last? I think not. Zig, himself, says “that people often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why I recommend it daily!”

Here are just some of the many books Zig Ziglar has written:

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Here’s another author whose work adorns the bookshelves of many organization presidents and C-Level leaders (CEO/CFO/CIO). I also find his books in many of the corporate libraries I browse among our clients all over North America … and for good reason.

Lencioni’s books feature fictional characters facing familiar organizational problems. Readers at every level of the organization can relate to complex issues being addressed, the characters facing those issues, and the settings in which they evolve.

Lencioni’s work will never be confused with that of your typical academian. I’m quite certain that’s by design. Each of his eight bestsellers, selling 2.5 million copies in 20 different languages, is a quick and easy read. Readers quickly identify with his fictional characters and welcome his simple solutions to these complex challenges.

A former Bain consultant and HR exec at Oracle, Lencioni, started his business, The Table Group, in 1997 because he felt most consultants ignored organizational health. The name of his firm speaks volumes about the man and his associates. The name is based on their belief that the single most important and effective tool in business, even in this era of technological advancement, remains the table. There is simply no substitute for the basic idea of people sitting down together around a table to resolve the critical issues around their business, whether those issues relate to operations, strategy or teamwork. Yet, how many organizations invest the time and energy to do so in today’s chaotic business environment?

The Table Group is a firm dedicated to helping organizations, and the people who work within them, become “healthier” and more effective. They provide consulting and speaking services, as well as a host of products and tools to leaders who want to improve teamwork, clarity and morale within their companies.

Over the past decade, the firm has worked with a variety of world-class organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, hospitals, churches, schools, military and professional sports organizations.

As a consultant and keynote speaker, he has worked with thousands of senior executives and executive teams in organizations ranging from Fortune 500s and high tech start-ups to universities and non-profits. He has delivered dozens of keynote addresses on leadership, organizational change, teamwork and corporate culture.

He is frequently interviewed for national media including features in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Fortune Magazine has listed him as one of “10 new gurus you should know.” He is on numerous advisory boards and sits on the National Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In addition to his seven successful business books, he has recently applied his management insights to assist overwhelmed families—who, he says, need the same kind of help his clients do. The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family: A Leadership Fable about Restoring Sanity to the Most Important Organization in Your World is destined to be his next best seller.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Pretty common name. Very uncommon man … for a number of very legitimate reasons. In my travels as a keynote speaker, seminar leader and consultant, I come across more of Maxwell’s books on the shelves of CEOs, managers, and supervisors than any other author I can think of. I’ve dedicated an entire shelf in my own library to Maxwell’s works and can’t imagine a collection that didn’t include at least a few of his classics.

John C. Maxwell is an American author, professional speaker, and internationally recognized leadership expert. Why uncommon? Let’s take a look.

• He is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, having written more than 50 books which have sold more than 16 million copies!
• Those books have been translated into more than 50 languages.
• Maxwell was one of only 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com’s 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame.
• Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies.
• Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and organizations as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point and the National Football League.
• Maxwell serves on the Board of Trustees at Indiana Wesleyan University and has a building named after him there, the Maxwell Business Center.
• Maxwell is the founder of INJOY, Maximum Impact, ISS and EQUIP, an international leadership development organization working to help leaders. It is involved with leaders from more than 80 nations.
• His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide.

In 1985, Maxwell founded INJOY® in San Diego, California, with a mission to develop leaders of excellence and integrity. The company moved to its current location in the Atlanta area in 1997 and established Maximum Impact a few years later to extend that impact reach. Each business develops tens of thousands of leaders each year. This is done primarily through large events, corporate training programs across the United States and Canada, and through high-quality resources in the form of books, audio and DVD training kits, monthly mentoring subscriptions, and small group curriculum.

John C. Maxwell has also achieved the number 1 ranking on the international Leadership Gurus survey for two years in a row. The “Leadership Gurus 30″ award identifies the top leadership professionals in the world by merit and public voting. Contenders are judged on their ability to develop and instil leadership in others. Those in the Top 30 Gurus are the “Cream of the Crop,” the world’s top 30 most influential leadership professionals. All not only apply their own leadership principles to achieve superior results in their organizations but develop and influence leaders and leadership throughout the globe.

The research came from e-mails sent to 22,000 business people, consultants, academics and MBAs around the world for nominations and an in-depth public opinion poll.  The criteria for judging the top 30 focused on: originality of ideas, practicality of ideas, presentation style, international outlook, impact of ideas, quality of publications and writings, dispersion of publications and writings, public opinion, and guru factor.

While all of this sounds quite impression, consider the list of competitors who placed below John C. Maxwell. Each is known worldwide for their achievements.

• # 3 Tom Peters (In Search of Excellence, etc.)
• # 4 Stephen Covey (Seven Habits, etc.)
• # 5 Marcus Buckingham (First, Break All the Rules, etc. )
• # 7 Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager, Raving Fans, etc.)
• # 8 Anthony Robbins (Unlimited Power, Awaken the Giant Within, etc.)
• # 9 Jack Welch (Jack Welch and the G.E. Way, Winning, etc.)
• #11 Jim Collins (Built to Last, Good to Great, etc.)
• #14 Harvey Mackay (Swim with the Sharks, etc.)

As you can easily see, Maxwell topped a list of some pretty impressive company.

John C. Maxwell was born in Garden City, Michigan, in 1947. His father, Melvin Maxwell, was a minister in a local Wesleyan church. John followed his father into the ministry, completing a bachelor’s degree at Ohio Christian University in 1969, a Master of Divinity degree at Azusa Pacific University, and a Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. Maxwell received five honorary doctorates of divinity (including ones from the California Graduate School of Theology and Liberty University).

For more than 25 years, Maxwell led churches in Indiana, Ohio, and California. In 1995 he left Skyline Wesleyan Church (near San Diego) to devote himself full-time to speaking and writing. Driven by his passion for leadership and joy of adding value to others, John C. Maxwell has spent decades researching and studying leadership and communicating his insights across the globe.

I must admit that I was a little reluctant to draft this piece as part of our continuing series of “Meet the Authors.” To be perfectly honest, I was concerned that I may not be able to do justice to this particular man.

A very long time ago, a CEO gave me a copy of the best-selling book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, and asked me to summarize it at his annual meeting for a large group of sales managers. By the way, this particular book has been used by thousands of sales organizations in training their staffs. I hesitated as I have never really been that interested in the area of sales. I’ve heard all of the traditional spiels and shtik that are guaranteed to provide successful sales. I’ve attended the rallies and heard most of the motivational speakers sharing their wisdom. It just didn’t interest me as I’ve always been a firm believer that the best insurance of great sales is even better service! It always worked for me.

However, I took the assignment, read the book, and made the presentation. It was well accepted by all in attendance and the CEO was very pleased as a faithful follower of “Og” Mandino. End of this story—beginning of another.

I was so taken by the brilliance, clarity, enthusiasm, and spirit of this captivating author and the mystique he utilizes to lull readers into an aura of understanding that I became an immediate and eternal fan of this man and his work. He has written 19 books which have sold more than 50 million copies and been transferred into 25 different languages. He was the President of Success Unlimited magazine until 1976 and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association’s Hall of Fame. Although he died in 1996, he remains one of the most inspirational and best-selling authors today. While his work is admired and supported by many different faiths, those who simply enjoy an inspirational message are also very supportive fans.

A year after reading his bestseller, I had the opportunity of hearing Og speak in person at a day-long motivational rally. Although he shared the stage with six other well-known speakers, it was obvious that he had mesmerized the audience of several thousand in attendance. It was at this time that I realized Og offered more than a rare ability to tell a story. This man had a voice like none other I had ever heard. It was the voice of a story-teller … a voice which could demand and maintain the attention of thousands of people at the same time making each one of them feel as though they were the only one in the room with him. His unique cracker-barrel New England accent transports you to the heart of Massachusetts the moment you hear it.

In fact, if you’d like to hear it for yourself simply visit the following link and you can hear a short version of Og’s life in his own words as you read along or enjoy a variety of pictures from his past.

The mystique that I mentioned earlier evolves from a rare combination of several exceptional characteristics. 1.) enchanting parables 2.) a hypnotic voice and stage presence 3.) and the ability to draw on his own life experiences as he created memorable narratives which provide valuable learning opportunities. That’s quite a package. It was enough to encourage me to add his audio tapes to my collection of his enthralling books.

I have dedicated a special shelf in my library for Og’s works … they’ve had that much of an impact on me. Two of those books contain a personal note scrawled across the page in green ink … a habit he originated early in his career as green had always been his favorite color. Having his entire collection at your fingertips is similar to having access to a college education in your own home. In fact, one of his books is titled The University of Success, and its content certainly provides the promise of the title.

Offering a wide variety of subject matter, Og prepares you for a life of positive planning and positive thinking. He points out the path to success and motivates the spirit within to achieve its full potential. Pick up a Mandino classic and you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve completed it.

I had the privilege of meeting Og on three different occasions and can testify that he was a very humble, charismatic man who was eager to share his wisdom, experience, and insight with any and all who were willing to receive it.

I don’t intend to include any book reviews here. We do that on our web site. However, to demonstrate the variety of content and the power of his storytelling, let’s peek between a few covers.

The Greatest Salesman in the World
This is the book that launched his career and, in the process, transformed the lives of millions of his readers who put the information and learning in this slim volume into their daily lives. This is the legend of Hafid, a camel boy of two thousand years ago, and his burning desire to improve his lowly position in life, as told to his apprentice Erasmus. He attempts to learn how to be a great salesman. In the process of his learning, he makes a decision that will influence his life forever. The book includes the wisdom of “ten scrolls” of learning, which the reader is encouraged to follow.

The Greatest Miracle in the World
In this classic, readers are introduced to a mysterious, long-haired, giant old man, Simon Potter, who calls himself a Ragpicker because he’s spent his life rescuing humans who had ended up on life’s refuse pile. Simon befriends Mandino and reveals ageless wisdom and knowledge as they search for the greatest miracle in the world. These two strangers become the best of friends, only in the end to have never met at all. The chilling conclusion will leave you speechless and wanting more.

The Return of the Ragpicker
He’s back-k-k-k! The title tells it all.
 
The Twelfth Angel
This is a real tear-jerker about a company president who loses his wife and son in a tragic car accident, a hopelessly uncoordinated little boy, Timothy Nobel, and his baseball team, the Angels. In the end, little Timothy teaches us lessons that will live with us forever. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll share this story of love, courage, persistence and victory.

The Choice
This book focuses on a concept that many people have obviously forgotten … this is the fact that we do, in fact, have choices! We must, of course, choose wisely. We must also correct the choices we’ve made and are not happy with. Most importantly, we must take responsibility for whatever our choices are—and where they lead us. At one point in this revealing parable, the main character is faced with a decision he has to make: his son will die in two months unless he is willing to give up his own life in order for his son to live.

Books written by Og Mandino:

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

For the next issue of the Top 10 Books, I’m reviewing two engaging books by this author: The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success and Mastering The Seven Decisions … that Determine Personal Success.

Based on conversations with a number of friends and associates, I found that few were actually familiar with this author’s previous work even though his talent is known world-wide. I found this somewhat baffling due to the research I conducted.

In the spirit of introduction, let me provide you with a number of reasons why you should become familiar with not only this author but also his body of work. I assure you that you’ll be delighted you did.

• Andy Andrews is an internationally-known speaker and novelist whose combined works have sold millions of copies worldwide. In fact, a book by Andy Andrews is sold every single minute somewhere in the world!
• He’s been hailed by a New York Times writer as a “modern day Will Rogers who has quietly become one of the most influential people in America.”
• His work has appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com.
• His work has appeared on these lists as fiction, nonfiction, business, religion, self-help, and literature!
• His work has been translated into nearly 20 languages including Braille.
• He has produced a home study audio program, Timeless Wisdom from the Traveler, and life-study curriculums in high schools, mental-health organizations, and prisons nationwide.
• His books have been required reading for some of America’s high schools, as an aid to “principled rehabilitation” by the Supreme Court of Tennessee, and a “life skills” tool for the members of several franchises of Major League Baseball and the National Football League. The Traveler’s Gift is also used extensively in corporate climates all over the world by such companies as Microsoft, General Motors, AIG, Legg Mason, and KFC.
• He has been received at the White House and has spoken at the request of four different United States presidents.
• His two-hour PBS special is entitled Andy Andrews: The Seven Decisions and is now airing nationally to incredible reviews.
• Every senior leader the United States Air Force has in Europe and the Middle East recently assemble in one room—at one time—to hear him speak.
• He would walk the golf course with Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez as she played her last tournament as a touring professional.
• He was invited to spend an afternoon with General Norman Schwarzkopf and his son, who was about to depart for college.
• In the twilight of his life, 91-year-old Bob Hope invited him to chat alone by the swimming pool in the entertainer’s back yard.

Any one of the above accomplishments would be very significant on its own. Together they reflect evidence of why people are drawn to this author and professional speaker. He knows how to connect to his audience regardless of their age, race, religion, political beliefs, education or experience. He speaks in such a way that those who hear his words (in books, audio programs, or in person) are captivated and inspired to listen, learn and apply the lessons, tips, tools, and strategies he provides.

Andrews lived a relatively normal life until the age of nineteen, when both his parents died—his mother from cancer, his father in an automobile accident. “I took a bad situation and made it much worse,” Andrews says with a rueful smile, referring to choices he made during this tragic period of his life. Within a span of several years, the young man found himself literally homeless, sleeping occasionally under a pier on the gulf coast or in someone’s garage. It was at that time when Andrews asked the question that would focus his search for what would ultimately affect millions of people. The question? “Is life just a lottery ticket, or are there choices one can make to direct his future?” To find the answer, he first went to the library. There, over time, he read more than two hundred biographies of great men and women. How did they become the people they were? he wondered. Were they simply born this way? Or were there decisions made at critical junctures in their lives that led to such success? The young Andrews finally determined that there were seven characteristics that each person had in common. “What will happen,” he mused, “if I study these seven common denominators and harness them in my own life?”

The rest is history. “The Seven Decisions,” as he calls them, were the engines used to carry Andrews’ life in a different direction. And 20-plus years later, these same Seven Decisions became the outline around which he built the story of The Traveler’s Gift and the basis of his PBS Special.

Perhaps the most astounding fact about The Traveler’s Gift might be that, for all its success, the manuscript was turned down by 51 publishers before it was finally accepted after more than three years by Thomas Nelson Publishers. Now, of course, Andrews can laugh. “The seventh decision,” he says, “is ‘I will persist without exception.’ If anyone knew how many times I locked myself in my office and read my own book—they’d be amazed.”

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

I must admit that I’m a little biased about this particular author as I’ve read everything he’s written, attended numerous seminars at which he was a keynote speaker, and have been strongly influenced during my career by his work.

Early in my career, as a regional manager for an international firm, I was charged with the task of finding a keynote speaker for our annual award’s banquet. Having read several of his books and having attended one his seminars, I contacted his organization to learn more about scheduling him for our special event. We chatted several times in preparation for his appearance and I must admit he made me feel as though I had known him for quite some time.

We had dinner together the evening before his presentation, and I shared the fact that I’d give anything to be able to impact people the way he does. His simple reply was: “Why don’t you?” I explained that public speaking scared me to death, and I would be indeed fortunate to survive his introduction the next day as that task also fell to me. He spent the rest of the evening sharing his wisdom on the importance of self esteem, self confidence, and risk taking. He obviously didn’t have to do that, but I certainly appreciated it and it was a turning point in my career! That’s the kind of man he is.

I managed to survive his introduction the following day, and he congratulated me after the program, suggesting that I pursue my aspiration to become a speaker. That was 25 years ago, and since that time I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to speak professionally to national and international audiences in a wide variety of industries … none of which would have happened without his encouraging words. I’m certain he wouldn’t recognize me if we bumped into each other face to face in an airport today. However, he’s been an inspiration to me for decades.

Allow me to explain why. The day after our dinner meeting, I watched this man stroll to the center of the stage and, within moments, captivate an audience of close to 1,200 people! Using no podium, no notes, no slides, no PowerPoint, he stared into the eyes of his audience and delivered his message of inspiration in a very quiet, precise, and informative way. You could have heard a pin drop. At the end of his presentation, the entire room stood as one and applauded for what seemed forever. I’ll never forget that presentation and the inspiration he provided to me and the other 1,199 people in that auditorium that snowy night in Fort Wayne.

Let me share with you some of the many reasons why this man can mesmerize an audience with what appears to be a great deal of ease.

Denis Waitley is much more than a best-selling author, speaker, poet and lyricist … he’s the world’s foremost producer of personal development and motivational audio programs. He is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world. His program “The Psychology of Winning” is the all-time, best-selling audio cassette program on personal and professional excellence based on his studies and consults in the following areas:

• Apollo astronauts pre and post their illustrious flights into space.
• Fortune 500 top executives from every walk of life.
• World-renowned Olympic gold medalists from many countries.
• Super Bowl champions from a variety of teams.
• Returning POWs from several conflicts.
• Heads of state from all over the world.
• Boardrooms of top multi-national corporations.
• Classrooms of students of all ages and cultures.

From years of interviewing “winners” from every walk of life, he created The Psychology of Winning in which he shares a remarkable set of strategies that can change your life dramatically. He found there is often only a small difference between the top leaders in every field and those who merely “do well.” In The Psychology of Winning, Denis Waitley offers simple, yet profound principles of thought and healthy behavior that guide men and women to the top in every field of endeavor … principles that give you the winning edge in every situation.

This very popular theme lead to additional international best sellers such as Seeds of Greatness, Being the Best, The Winner’s Edge, The Joy of Working, and Empires of the Mind. With over 10 million audio programs and many non-fiction books sold in 14 languages, Denis Waitley is the most listened-to voice on personal and career success.

For the past 40 years, he has inspired, informed, and enlightened millions of individuals with his 15 non-fiction books, hundreds of audio programs, and entertaining, penetrating live keynote lectures, seminars and television appearances.

Denis Waitley has painted word pictures of optimism, core values, motivation and resiliency that have become indelible and legendary in their positive impact on society.

Denis has been described by his peers as “the poet laureate” of modern-day philosophers. Career highlights include:

• B.S., U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis
• Ph.D. in Human Behavioral Psychology
• Simulation Trainer for the Apollo Astronaut Program
• Rehabilitation coordinator for Vietnam POWs and Iranian hostages
• Former Visiting Scholar at the University of Southern California
• President of La Jolla Clinic Research Foundation
• President of the International Society for Advanced Education
• President’s Council on Vocational Education
• Author of “The Winning Generation,” a student-oriented video workshop used in over 1,000 schools nationwide
• Founding Director of National Council on Self-Esteem
• Associated with Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Science
• Former Chairman of Psychology, Sports Medicine Council, U.S. Olympic Committee
• Received the National Youth Award for outstanding work with young people

If you’re interested in learning more about the concept of winning, check out some of the following titles:

Check Amazon.com for a list of his many audio cassette programs.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.