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The Adversity Paradox: An Unconventional Guide to Achieving Uncommon Business Success
 
 
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The Adversity Paradox: An Unconventional Guide to Achieving Uncommon Business Success [Hardcover]

J. Barry Griswell (Author), Bob Jennings (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Book Description

April 14, 2009
Harvey Mackay, Doris Christopher, Pete Dawkins, Clay Jones and John Pappajohn know that the answer to how you recover from career toppling adversity, and then go on to achieve pinnacles of success lies in firsthand knowledge of “the adversity paradox”. They all attest to having found that the knowledge they gained from overcoming adversity played such a crucial role in their success trajectories, they now consider adversity a friend.
While many motivational business books promise easy access to prosperity and power by way of secret insight, quick and easy steps, or “insider tips” that are dubious at best, The Adversity Paradox tells it straight and offers no secret formula or silver bullet; instead it offers candid accounts from those whose skills, resourcefulness, and confidence have been tested by adversity and who have put their misfortunes to good use by gaining invaluable business lessons from them. The paths to success are diverse, but The Adversity Paradox identifies patterns that anyone can study and learn from. Business people working to overcome humble beginnings, lack of knowledge, unexpected setbacks, or any manner of misfortune may find the greatest tool for creating business success lies in this new book.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The leaders of today face real challenges.  Many challenges are challenges of adversity.  Determined leaders learn from adversity and gain character and a set of skills that propel them into the future.  This is the book to read if you want to get real insights and prepare for the hurdles that we all face in our careers from time to time.”-- Ram Charan, best-selling author and acclaimed management philosopher

“As Griswell and Jennings point out, there really is no substitute for hard work.  We have to build endurance of character the same way we build endurance of speed or strength, and it always pays off.”--Wayne Gretzky, NHL Hall of Fame player, businessman, and coach

“If you’re going to be really successful in business, you have to have the confidence that you can do what others see as impossible.  The Adversity Paradox gives readers the chance to gain that confidence from facing their own struggles, take inspiration from the victories of others, aspire to courage and character, and arm themselves with the optimism required to turn big ideas into big realities.”--Wayne Huizenga, award-winning entrepreneur and CEO, and founder of Waste Management, Blockbuster Entertainment, and AutoNation

“The overriding message of this book is consistent with my belief that every one of us is capable and deserving of success and fulfillment in life, no matter what adversity we encounter.  I am so glad to see these themes of self improvement, responsibility and positive thinking being recommended to business readers.”-- Dr. Robert Schuller, author and founder of the Crystal Cathedral Ministries

Fascinating insights into the ways that successful people have not only overcome adversity but made a friend and ally out of it. This book offers readers a great opportunity to consider how they will emerge from the major challenges we face individually and as a society. Griswell and Jennings have a deep understanding of the experiences of success arising from adversity, and their observations are unique and encouraging to us all. --David J. Skorton, President, Cornell University

The Adversity Paradox provides incredible insight into how adversity, when you have made it your friend, can dramatically change a person for the better. I have known both of the authors for over fifteen years and have witnessed the adversity paradox in action in their lives as they grappled with setbacks or misfortunes and became more and more successful. Their extensive knowledge of business, coupled with the amazing stories they compiled in this book, will improve the lives of all those who read it.  -- Ron Willingham, Founder of Integrity Selling and author of ten books

“In some of the most difficult and troubled times for American leaders Griswell and Jennings offer the right prescription. Embrace adversity, learn from adversity, and overcome adversity. The stories of individuals who squarely faced adversity, including Griswell's personal triumph, should inspire us all.”--  The Honorable Tom Vilsack, former Iowa Governor and incoming United States Secretary of Agriculture

About the Author

J. BARRY GRISWELL is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of the Principal Financial Group. BOB JENNINGS is president of Lean Management Inc., a consulting company focused on senior management methods and execution. 


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (April 14, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312385552
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312385552
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,175,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars How to Turn Adversity on It's Head and Achieve Extraordinary Success, August 30, 2009
This review is from: The Adversity Paradox: An Unconventional Guide to Achieving Uncommon Business Success (Hardcover)
Authors J. Barry Griswell and Bob Jennings set out in "The Adversity Paradox" to uncover the source of business savvy, an underlying and critical attribute of extraordinary success. They found that success and fortune were not an accident of luck. Rather, it was about adversity - embracing it then overcoming it - that played a crucial role in establishing a success trajectory that was extraordinary. Adversity can be your teacher and your friend. When approached with this attitude, you will emerge stronger, smarter, and savvier.

"Paradox" is filled with stories of business leaders -including the personal stories of Griswell and Jennings - who have overcome all manner of adversity and applied their experiences to create the business savvy to attain unmatched levels of success. They turned failure on its head and built successful careers and personal lives upon the very experiences most people work to avoid.

Griswell and Jennings include sections on how adversity transformed leading people 1) to be more introspective, 2) to become values-based, 3) to work with "and then some" attitude, 4) to identify their purpose and seek it with passion, and 5) and to develop an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. These are foundational attributes which lead to extraordinary success.

Adversity, large and small, is always lurking and it happens. Last year, 2008, millions came face-to-face with adversity due to the catastrophic global, economic meltdown. Those caught up in this mess will find "The Adversity Paradox" a hopeful book...but only if they can make adversity a friend. Severe setbacks have a way of "making us take stock of our careers and our lives - our progress towards dreams and goals, our strengths and weaknesses, our motivation, and our daily work habits which can often reveal inner resources and abilities we wouldn't have otherwise known we possessed."

We have a choice when faced with adversity and with the right choice, we will find ourselves in one of the most powerful and transformative situations life has to offer. This is a very good book for the times.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Overcoming unpromising situations, June 15, 2010
By 
charles1832 (london, - United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
A great book which gives hints on how to overcome unpromising situations and succeed in business, using the life stories of the authors as real life examples. Griswell and Jennings' rules include being more introspective, consider values,the "and then some" approach to doing more, identifying what they want and seeking it with passion and developing a desire for knowledge

Clearly laid out and accessibly written, this book is full of good advice .
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4.0 out of 5 stars Success through hard work., February 23, 2010
This review is from: The Adversity Paradox: An Unconventional Guide to Achieving Uncommon Business Success (Hardcover)
The author believes that overcoming adversities in life makes people stronger. Therefore he is advocating to face adversities face on with having in mind to learn from them. Learning from adversities and therefore benefiting from them is The Adversity Paradox".

The author continues to mention five components, on which business leaders, who have benefited from the adversity paradox, build their success upon:

1. Values (Be with integrity.)
2. Introspection (Know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. Have different advisors/mentors who help you in this matter.)
3. Work Ethic (Work hard; give always the little extra instead of working just enough to get by. If you work only sometimes hard, it does not make a big difference, but if you do it always, if you make it your habit, it will make a huge difference in your life. Only then you will reach your full potential.)
4. Purpose & Passion (To be motivated for working hard you have to find your purpose so that you can work with passion.)
5. Thirst for Knowledge (Continue to learn everyday.)

Those points are not really new, but it is refreshing to read a book, which does not tell you that success is about believing in it or in yourself, but that success is about hard work.

It surely does make sense: 1. Integrity is a must for everybody who wants to lead people. 2. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a must for utilizing and improving your skills effectively. 3. Working hard is a must for most of us if we want to be better than our peers. 4. Without Passion we would not be able to encourage us and our team to excel continuously. 5. In the fast moving business life of today, we would out of date quickly if we stopped learning.

I like the book because it gives reasonable guidelines about how to approach our career and adversities. I subtract one star because there is no light-bulb-moment.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Business savvy is not something you're born with, nor is it something you inherit. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
gray zone, adversity paradox, physical work ethic, success trajectory, kitchen consultants, human capital components, continuous thinking, individual human capital
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Principal, Global Industries, Pampered Chef, United States, The Adversity Paradox Takeaways, John Pappajohn, Wall Street, Des Moines, West Point, Horatio Alger, Clay Jones, Great Depression, Doris Christopher, Peter Kiewit, Rockwell Collins, Warren Buffett, Buenos Aires, Harvey Mackay, Gulf of Mexico, Values Behavior, Christopher's Skill, Barry Griswell, Doug Stickney, New York City, Just Add Introspection
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