Equipped to Lead: Managing People, Partners, Processes, and Performance

Interesting insights from a couple of guys who have been there. Well written and certainly educational.

As the Managing Partner of national consulting firm, I have the privilege of interacting with senior executives of Fortune 500 companies on a regular basis. Almost without exception, these leaders are always looking for a better way to manage their company and utilize the resources with which they are entrusted. I truly believe that Equipped to Lead provides one of the most innovative and practical management systems that I have ever seen. Whether you are managing a small family owned business or a multinational corporation, this management system will provide you with new ideas that can be immediately implemented. One section of the book I found interesting in Equipped to Lead was that of the importance of sparking passion in employees so that the employees can identify with a higher purpose and thereby "become builders and not custodians". Another interesting and unique concept was the development of a "Prioritization Table". This should be used daily by anyone in a management capacity. And finally, the 4P's used to monitor and manage People, Processes, Partners and Performance is exceptional. I have known one of the authors, Galen Walters for over 45 years. Galen started a graphics design and printing business, literally in a back room of his house. He grew that business to be one of the national powerhouses in the printing industry. During this time, Galen developed a magnificent management system and methodology that I believe, was in large part, responsible for his success. He named it the 4P's. In this book, Galen Walters and Dan Sanders clearly and concisely lay out for the reader this refreshing and unique approach to management. This is one of those rare management programs that is not just conceptual or theory but was developed and proven over and over again in the building of a very successful business. It is the type of program that should make a major impact on the bottom line of any organization. I found Equipped to Lead to be outstanding and would consider it a must read for anyone in management, in business or for anyone contemplating going into business.

I have just finished reading Equipped to Lead and found it hard to put down between oportunities. I read the book in two afternoons sitting on my balcony on a beautiful Ohio summer afternoon. Having been in the world of senior management for some 45 years, it appears as if Galen Walters and Dan Sanders have opened the door for many who have struggled with the chaos that seems to prevail throughout industry today. I share many, if not all, the philosophical approaches outlined in this wonderful book. If all of us in senior management responsibilities would implement, at least to some degree, the 4P system, I believe our worlds would be more acceptable and profitable. The profit would not only be financial but personally rewarding as well. I have tried to always put people first and it has not been an easy task. When you put the people, process, partners and performance altogether, then the result will equal success. My personal compliments to the team of Walters and Sanders for a great piece of work.