Additional information
by Peter A. Luongo (Author), Curt W. Coffman (Foreword by)
Many leaders remember those life-changing moments when it suddenly became crystal clear what had to be done to reach their organizations' goals. It wasn't until Pete Luongo was faced with that one epiphany in his life, a difficult period that required him to rebalance life's priorities and bring a new understanding to his work, that he recognized that all results are based upon behaviors appropriate to the circumstances. Through this understanding--that actions are determined by specific, well-defined standards--he developed a model for success, one that is both sustainable and that allows people to retain their personal dignity as they pursue their life plans.
In this book, Luongo illuminates the ten most common obstacles to success and pairs them with the ageless principles that help readers overcome them. His straightforward advice, based on data and hard-won experience, provides an understandable and virtually guaranteed plan for improvement and achievement.
Front Jacket
Foreword by Curt W. Coffman
Co-Author of the New York Times bestselling "First, Break all the Rules"
Let me be frank (and I don't mean Sinatra), I am nothing short of being bored and exhausted with the thousands of leadership books that have come to swim in the pools of bookstores everywhere. Leadership is one of those topics that people love to hear themselves talk about but very few choose to listen to. We all have a theory that has largely been formed from our own justification of why we did or continue to do certain things. Books, articles and papers from academics to alleged renaissance leaders have produced pontifications about how to be a great leader.
I am amazed at the tremendous amount of creativity put into the discovery of a new model or a new set of metaphors while the actual meat of the book takes a back seat. Many of these books have become reference guides for me to find both pithy and slightly off-center ways, of saying the same thing. Try it - it works!
While my cynicism is obvious, I find it refreshing when a text comes along that brings back those moments of aha's and genuine intellectual and emotional engagement. I really live for those words that come off the page, strumming a chord of curiosity and providing a moment of new understanding. So has the book I'm proud to introduce to you.
Pete Luongo didn't decide to sit down and write a book on leadership, he was called to do so. See, there are those times in one's life where the ability to "not" do something is no longer an alternative. Pete and his witty, charismatic and "loving" personality are mere byproducts of a set of experiences he has noted, been moved by and found enormous success with. There is no doubt in my mind that this book began long before Pete was writing it.
This may sound strange, but this is a book that has long been in process and only recently found its author. Now, don't get me wrong, Pete is one of the most "full of life" and passionate people I know, and his life experiences are a perfect fit for this book's longing to be told and understood. His experiences simply became the medium for which a set of truisms are told.
In reading Pete's text, I am convinced that these truths should be incorporated into the business and personal lives of leaders, managers and people following their passions everywhere. This set of truths will not bring about an academic revolution in the field of leadership and management, but they will lead us back to the basic and most critical issues which determine our impact and success.
See, this is not a leadership book at all! It is a time-tested, proven course illuminating the golden thread connecting every person to a life of excellence and purpose.
Author Biography
Pete Luongo retired as President and CEO of the The Berry Company in August of 2003, a career that spanned more than thirty-three years. During his last nine years, he was part of the team that led the billion-and-a-half dollar yellow page advertising agency through a period of record sales growth, numerous contract acquisitions, and the perpetuation of the nearly one-hundred-year-old company as an industry leader as well as "a great place to work." While his goal of giving back has encompassed many pursuits, none is more important than taking his 10 Truths About Leadership to organizations throughout the world. An accomplished business leader, corporate strategist and compelling communicator, his message transcends business transformation, emerging technology, product innovation, and strategic imperatives.
