Over 80% of the businesses in the United States are family-owned and managed. From the corner deli or barbershop to global empires in brewing, media, and cleaning products, family businesses employ over half of the country's workforce, and are the dominant business model in many countries around the world. Family businesses embody the entrepreneurial spirit that drives innovation and economic growth and that represents the hopes and dreams of millions for independence, self-sufficiency, and wealth. And yet the track record for entrepreneurial businesses is poor: over three-quarters will fail during the first five years and only 10% will survive a decade. Family business statistics show that fewer than one-third pass successfully to a second generation, often the result of insufficient planning. Edward Hess, who has researched and served as a consultant to family businesses for over 20 years, argues that the business and the family are distinct overlapping living organisms, constantly changing and influencing each other. In order for both to thrive, each family business must establish a proactive process for defining roles, articulating goals, and communicating them constantly. Drawing from numerous in-depth examples (both positive and negative) and presenting templates and other practical resources, Hess offers a fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of family business management and specific strategies to promote the health of the enterprise--involving family business leaders and members, non-family employees, board members, and shareholders. A comprehensive guide, The Successful Family Business covers the spectrum of topics from creating a family values statement and code of conductto resolving conflicts among siblings to managing transitions in leadership and the potential sale of the business. Other issues include: defining perks and benefits (for family and non-family members), working with the board of directors, and going public. Hess concludes with a series of operating rules that apply to every family business and a listing of practical references and resources. The result is a book that will help anyone involved in a family business to develop successful practices that both maximize the value of the business and enhance family relationships.

To compete with today's increasing globalization and rapidly evolving technologies, individuals and organizations must take their ability to learn-the foundation for continuous improvement, operational excellence, and innovation-to a much higher level. In Learn or Die, Edward D. Hess combines recent advances in neuroscience, psychology, behavioral economics, and education with key research on high-performance businesses to create an actionable blueprint for becoming a leading-edge learning organization. Learn or Die examines the process of learning from an individual and an organizational standpoint. From an individual perspective, the book discusses the cognitive, emotional, motivational, attitudinal, and behavioral factors that promote better learning. Organizationally, Learn or Die focuses on the kinds of structures, culture, leadership, employee learning behaviors, and human resource policies that are necessary to create an environment that enables critical and innovative thinking, learning conversations, and collaboration. The volume also provides strategies to mitigate the reality that humans can be reflexive, lazy thinkers who seek confirmation of what they believe to be true and affirmation of their self-image. Exemplar learning organizations discussed include the secretive Bridgewater Associates, LP; Intuit, Inc.; United Parcel Service (UPS); W. L. Gore & Associates; and IDEO.

New and evolving technologies and increasing globalization continue to impact many businesses. To compete in this rapidly changing environment, individuals and organizations must take their ability to learn -- the foundation for continuous improvement, operational excellence, and innovation -- to a much higher level. In Learn or Die, Edward D. Hess combines recent advances in neuroscience, psychology, behavioral economics, and education with key research on high-performance businesses to create an actionable blueprint for becoming a leading-edge learning organization. Learn or Die examines the process of learning from both an individual and an organizational standpoint. From an individual perspective, the book discusses the cognitive, emotional, motivational, attitudinal, and behavioral factors that promote better learning. Organizationally, Learn or Die focuses on what kind of structures, culture, leadership, employee learning behaviors, and human resource policies are necessary to create an environment that enables critical and innovative thinking, learning conversations, and collaboration.The volume also provides strategies to mitigate the reality that humans can be reflexive, lazy thinkers who seek confirmation of what they believe to be true and affirmation of their self-image, a reality that makes seeking the truth and high-quality learning difficult. Exemplar learning organizations discussed in the book include the secretive Bridgewater Associates, LP; Intuit, Inc.; United Parcel Service (UPS); W. L. Gore & Associates; and IDEO.

To remain successful, companies must respond to the challenge of achieving continual internal or core growth. But how is this done, and why do some strategies work better than others? In The Search for Organic Growth, leading writers on business strategy and organization offer authoritative analysis and practical guidance on implementing a strategy for organic growth. All businesses go through life cycles, and momentum can be created in many ways from new products and market extensions, to add-ons and enhancements. The book also answers crucial questions such as how to keep customers happy during periods of change, how to foster an entrepreneurial environment and satisfy individual potentials, and how to turn the immense short-term revenue pressures of a push towards growth to your advantage. A lively resource for business school faculty, MBAs and executives, this book is ideal for any reader interested in connections between latest business thought and practice.

Values-based leadership is based upon honesty, respect, trust and dignity, and it regards every employee within a company as a valued human being. This book describes the characteristics of leaders who focus on positivity and virtues to create and sustain highly successful organizations such as Synovus Financial Corporation, HomeBanc Mortgage Company, and the United States Marine Corps. It also addresses leader mistakes and forgiveness, and how difficulties and challenges can be overcome to achieve spectacular results. This inspiring book offers practical advice that can be applied to individual leadership styles and roles. As society tries to rebound from the recent scandals involving fraud, financial improprieties, and unethical behavior among its leadership, the fundamental message of Leading with Values is clear: acting ethically and virtuously, and treating all stakeholders with respect and dignity, can create extraordinary outcomes without sacrificing performance and profits.

Wall Street believes that all public companies should grow smoothly and continuously, as evidenced by ever-increasing quarterly earnings, and that all companies either "grow or die." Introducing a research-based growth model called "Smart Growth," Edward D. Hess challenges this ethos and its dangerous mentality, which often deters real growth and pressures businesses to create, manufacture, and purchase noncore earnings just to appease Wall Street.

Smart Growth accounts for the complexity of growth from the perspective of organization, process, change, leadership, cognition, risk management, employee engagement, and human dynamics. Authentic growth is much more than a strategy or a desired result. It is a process characterized by complex change, entrepreneurial action, experimental learning, and the management of risk. Hess draws on extensive public and private company research, incorporating case studies of Best Buy, Sysco, UPS, Costco, Starbucks, McDonalds, Coca Cola, Room & Board, Home Depot, Tiffany & Company, P&G, and Jet Blue. With conceptual innovations such as an Authentic Earnings and Growth System framework, a seven-step growth funnel pipeline, a Growth Decision Template, and a Growth Risks Audit, Hess provides a blueprint for an enduring business that strives to be better, rather than simply bigger.

Humility Is the New Smart Your job is at risk-if not now, then soon. We are on the leading edge of a Smart Machine Age led by artificial intelligence that will be as transformative for us as the Industrial Revolution was for our ancestors. Smart machines will take over millions of jobs in manufacturing, office work, the service sector, the professions, you name it. Not only can they know more data and analyze it faster than any mere human, say Edward Hess and Katherine Ludwig, but smart machines are free of the emotional, psychological, and cultural baggage that so often mars human thinking. So we can't beat 'em and we can't join 'em. To stay relevant, we have to play a different game. Hess and Ludwig offer us that game plan. We need to excel at critical, creative, and innovative thinking and at genuinely engaging with others-things machines can't do well. The key is to change our definition of what it means to be smart. Hess and Ludwig call it being NewSmart. In this extraordinarily timely book, they offer detailed guidance for developing NewSmart attitudes and four critical behaviors that will help us adapt to the new reality. The crucial mindset underlying NewSmart is humility-not self-effacement but an accurate self-appraisal: acknowledging you can't have all the answers, remaining open to new ideas, and committing yourself to lifelong learning. Drawing on extensive multidisciplinary research, Hess and Ludwig emphasize that the key to success in this new era is not to be more like the machines but to excel at the best of what makes us human.