Index

Abstract language, 76

Accountability, 28, 72–73, 197–199

Accuracy, 22, 113

Achilles, 142

Acquisitions, 213–237

Advantage, cumulative, 129, 131

Agility, 19, 22, 95–98

Agility, verbal, 142

Alexithymia, 156–157

Allen, Bill, 56–57

Ambiguity, 9

Analysis paralysis, 113

Anchoring, 53

Anderegg, C.R., 85–87, 88

Apollo 13, 199

Apollo Syndrome, 199

Apple, 84–85, 123–125, 161

Aptitude, 193–194

Ariadne, 37, 59

Aristotle, 103–104, 105–106

Arrogance, 83

Ash Warriors, 85–87, 88

Assumptions, 37, 62, 74

Avatars, 119–139

Bank of America, 227–228

Banting, Dr. Frederick, 202–203, 205

Barbie, 89

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, 32

Bay of Pigs, 179–182

Beane, Billy, 184–186

Beatles, the, 121

Behavior, 193–194

Behavior, culture and, 61–79

Behavior, demeaning, 146

Behavior, non-compliant, 147

Behavior, unresponsive, 144–145

Belbin, Meredith, 199–200

Best, Charles, 202–203, 205

Big data, 18–19, 34, 97

Boeing, 56–57

Bonds, 39

Brand, Peter, 185

Brewer, Christine, 136–138

Brooks, Herb, 205–206

Budget, 42

Bureaucracy, 87

Challenger disaster, 51

Change orientation, 64–69

Change, 21–22, 44, 94–95, 233–234

Chaos, 143

Charisma, 122–123

Chua, Amy, 32, 33

Clarity, 28

Clinton, Hillary, 154

Coaching, 162

Coca-Cola, 224

Collaboration, 207

Collins, Jim, 21–22

Collip, James, 202–203

Comet, the, 55–56

Communication, 73–79, 163, 204

Community, a need for, 170–172

Competence, 177, 182–183, 195

Competition, 9, 38, 135

Competitive advantage, 9, 45–50, 59

Complexity, 9, 52–53

Concrete language, 76, 77–78

Conflict resolution, 201

Consensus, 72

Consistency, 88–90, 110

Corporate culture, 61

Cost advantage, 9

Countrywide, 227–228

Courage, 131–135

Covey, Dick, 129–131

Credibility, 10

Critical thinking, 107

Crockett, Davy, 121–122

Cuban missile crisis, 179–182

Culture, 25–27, 84, 171, 229

Culture, behavior and, 61–79

Cumulative advantage, 129, 131

Customer focus, 90–95

Customers, best, 232–233

Dear Boss letter, 172–173, 177

Decision-making, 199–201

Decision-making, pattern of, 107–108

Decision-making, strategy vs., 50–55

Delegation, 163

Demands, unrealistic, 148

Deontology, 105

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, The, 143

Diamond, Jared, 95–96

Differentiation, advantage, 9

Discipline, 32, 44, 48, 58, 87

Disney, Walt, 121–122, 126–127

Diversification, 39

Downing, Thomas, 82–83

Driving force, 222

Drucker, Peter, 38, 39, 58, 59, 101

Due diligence, 218–220, 234–236

Dysfunction, 55

E⁵ Star Performer Model, 31, 102, 119, 121

eBay, 224

Egalitarianism, 28–30

Einstein, Albert, 127–128

Elitism, 29, 30

Emotions, 21, 78

Empathy, 155–156, 174

Empathy, lack of, 145–146

Enterprise, 31, 49–50, 102, 114–115, 221, 223–224, 225

Ericsson, Anders, 114

Ethics, 31, 102, 103–106

Evaluation, M&A and, 222–228

Excellence, 27–31, 102, 110–114, 169, 171

Excellence, results and, 81–98

Exceptionalism, 103

Execution, 57

Exemplars, 119–139

Experience, 31, 102, 115–117, 193–194

Experimentation, 42

Expertise, 31, 102, 106–109

External arrogance, 83

Eye of the Customer, 42

F² Leadership Model, 174–176

Failure, 181, 199

Failure, fear of, 158–159

Failure, top performers and, 141

Fairness, equality vs., 30

Fear, 21, 158–159

Feedback, 42, 163

Ferranti, 219

Fighter Weapons School, 25–27

Financial synergy, 227–228

Fiorina, Carly, 159–160

Flawed judgment, 150–154

Flexibility, 19

Force, 65

Ford, Henry, 30

Forrest, Nathan Bedford, 65–66

Framing, 52

Franklin, Benjamin, 122–123

Frustration, 28

Future, 46, 47–48

Galarraga, Armondo, 112–113

Gardner, John, 170

Gates, Bill, 124

General learning ability, 108–109

Generationalism, 34

Generations, 17, 33–34

Gladwell, Malcolm, 114–115

Global economy, 9

Global shift, 19–20

Grant, Ulysses S., 65–66

Great by Choice, 21

Greenfield, Robert, 121

Groupthink, 51

Growth, 69, 214–215

Guerin, James, 219

Gunderson, Dr. John, 143

Guns, Germs, and Steel, 95–96

Hard work, 114–115

Helmsley, Leona, 154

Helplessness, learned, 135

Hewlett-Packard, 160

Hidden Wealth of Customers, The 92

Hillenbrand, Laura, 133

Hoosiers, 208–209

How Now, Dow Jones, 13

Implementation, 55–58, 97–98, 220–221

Impression management, 142

Incentive, 68

Incompetence, 182–183

Indecision, 71–73

Inference, 54–55

Innovation, 67, 69, 71

Insecurity, 158

Instability, 9

Instant gratification, 46, 47

Integration, 228–236

Integrity, 106, 195

Intelligence, natural, 109

Internal arrogance, 83

International Signal and Control (ISC), 219

International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), 216

Interpersonal skills, underdeveloped, 155–156

Isaacson, Walter, 128, 188

Janis, Irving, 51

Jensen, Arthur, 109

Jeremiah Weed, 25–26

Jobs, Steve, 53, 84, 123–125, 161–162, 188

Joyce, Jim, 112–113

Judgment, 54–55, 130

Judgment, flawed, 150–154

Just-in-time, 40

Kennedy, John F., 179–182

Keys, Ron, 172–173

Knowledge, 128, 209

Landing in the Executive Chair, 107, 199

Language, 75–77

Latisse, 40

Laurel resting, 46, 48

Leadership, 86, 108–109, 208

Learned helplessness, 135

Learning ability, general, 108–109

Learning culture, 69–71

Learning, 131

Lee, Bill, 92

Legacy, 189–190

Lewis, Michael, 184

Lincoln, Abraham, 200–201

Lovell, Jim, 199

Luck, 22

M&A, 213–237

Mabry, John, 210–212

Macleod, John, 202–203

Macy’s, 237

Magritte, Rene, 81

Marshall Fields, 237

Mattel, 89–90

McChrystal, Stanley, 151, 152

Measuring team members, 192–194

Mediocrity, 9, 70, 101

Mergers, 213–237

Merton, Robert, 129

Miracle on Ice, 205–206

Mission statement, 231

Moneyball, 184–186

Morality, 30

Motivation, 174

Mount Pinatubo, 85

Mozilo, Angelo, 228

Musial, Stan, 189

Narcissism, 142–144, 145–149, 162

NASA, 51

Nellis Air Force Base, 25–26

Non-compliant behavior, 147

Nonverbal communication, 78–79

Objectives, clear, 205

Occam’s Razor, 52–53

Onboarding, 63

Opportunities, 97

Optimism, 134–135

Organization, traits of the exceptional, 22–34

Outliers, 114

Palin, Sarah, 153–154

Pan Am, 55–57

Paradox, 14–16, 16–22

Passion, 44, 111, 115, 123–125

Pattern of decision-making, 107–108

Pelosi, Nancy, 154

Pepsi, 160

Perceptions, 21, 74

Perfectionism, 83, 113–114

Performers, top, 13–35, 63, 83, 191–212

Peter Principle, the, 182–184

Peter, Laurence, 182, 183

Petraeus, David, 151–152

Pioneering, 66–67

Planning, strategic, 19

Potential, 182

Potential, perceived, 38

Power, 96, 152–153

POWs, Vietnam, 131–133

Predictability, 195

Prerequisites of, 37

Presley, Elvis, 120–121, 126

Principle, strategic, 43–45

Problem-solving, 68

Process, leadership as a, 171

Profitability, 44

Protectionism, 20

Quaker Oats, 225–226

Quality, 82

RAND, 40–42

Rand, Ayn, 29–30

Raw talent, 84, 126–128

Recklessness, 150

Recruitment, 186–189

Remorse, lack of, 147

Resilience, 131–135

Results, excellence and, 81–98

Retention, 16

Rigidity, 147

Riley, Jeannie C., 88–89

Risk, 152

Sabermetrics, 185

Sacred cows, 9

Satisfaction, 92

Schein, Edgar, 61

Sculley, John, 160–162

Self-absorption, 146

Self-awareness, 173

Self-awareness, lack of, 156–158

Self-esteem, 33

Self-fulfillment, 30

Seligman, Martin, 135

Senge, Peter, 70

Setili, Amanda, 97

Shields, Brooke, 40

Short-term success, 47

Sifneos, Dr. Peter, 156

Snakes in suits, 141–145

Snapple, 225–226

Social media, 17, 21

Social skills, 174

Southwest Airlines, 92–93

Specialized talent, 17

Speed, 9

Sprint, 226–228

Stars, 101–117

Statham, Harry, 158–159

Status quo, 53

Stewart, Martha, 154

Strategic planning, 19

Strategic principle, 43–45

Strategy, 23–25, 37–59, 61, 171, 214–221

Strategy, decision-making vs., 50–55

Strategy, outdated, 16

Success, 71–72

Success, fear of, 158–159

Success, prerequisites of, 37

Success, short-term, 47

Succession planning, 187, 234–236

Sullenberger, Captain, 116

Sunk costs, 54

Superiority, 146–147

Surrealism, 81

Suspicion, 147–148

Synergy, 218

Synergy, financial, 227–228

Systems analysis, 41

Talent, 31–34, 110–111, 171

Talent, raw, 84, 126–128

Talent, specialized, 17

Taylor, Jack, 49

Teams, virtuoso, 194–209

Technology, 17, 18–19

10,000-Hour Rule, 114–115

Theseus, 37, 40, 59

Theseus’s paradox, 15–16

Timeless advantage, 38–40

Timelessness, 41–42, 58

Tolerance, 68

Top performers, 13–35, 63, 83, 191–212

TOPGUN, 82–85, 88, 89, 210

Training, 86

Traits of the exceptional organization, 22–34

Transiency, 41–42, 58

Transient advantage, 40–41

Trust, 169, 177–182, 195–197

Turmoil, 44

Tyson, John, 235

Unbroken, 133

Uncertainty, 64–69

Unfair practices, 92–93

Unresponsive behavior, 144–145

Values, 62, 63–64

Vanguard, 221, 223–224, 225

Verbal agility, 142

Vietnam POWs, 131–133

Virtuoso teams, 194–209

Virtuosos, 102, 103–117, 119–139, 162–163

Voice of the Customer, 42

Voigt, Debbie, 137, 138

Vulnerability, 196

Wal-Mart, 24, 39, 43

Wealth, 96

Weiner, Anthony, 151

Wiseman, Dr. Richard, 75

Wood, Marvin, 208

Workforce changes, 16–18

Wozniak, Steve, 124

Wright, Jimmy, 24

Zamperini, Louis, 133–134