Comeback : How Seven Straight-Shooting CEOs Turned Around Troubled Companies [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Martin Puris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 1999

The seven leaders profiled in Comeback have two things in common: They brought their companies back from the dead, and they did it by seeking out the truth and sharing it with their employees.

Martin Puris believes that this instinct for the truth is essential to leadership. And he should know. He has built one of the best advertising companies in the country, having led campaigns for BMW, Burger King, UPS, and Club Med. In addition to being a writer and a CEO, Puris was an adviser to President George Bush. Now, he's gained rare access to seven inspiring leaders and their stories about thriving under extreme business pressure.

Puris presents intimate portraits of chief executives at Compaq, Continental Airlines, Honeywell, Adidas, Chrysler, U.S. Surgical, and UPS. All these companies had veered dangerously off course, and it took the efforts of these seven straight-shooting CEOs to set them right. Oz Nelson did it by convincing UPS to embrace new technologies. Gordon Bethune did it by giving across-the-board bonuses to Continental employees for improvements in customer satisfaction. Michael Bonsignore did it with a level of candor most executives never approach: He told Honeywell employees their company would be sold out from under their feet if things didn't change. Martin Puris takes us inside the offices of these talented executives to present seven intimate stories of resurrection and leadership at its best.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Martin Puris, head of the Ammirati Puris Lintas advertising agency, believes halting the downward spiral of a once-successful business is far more difficult than starting a company from scratch. And the lessons learned from such experiences, he proposes in Comeback , are applicable to those charged with the ultimate success or failure of any business. Through a series of well-crafted profiles of the remarkably effective top executives of Honeywell, Adidas, UPS, Compaq, Continental, Chrysler, and U.S. Surgical, Puris shows how keeping one's finger on the corporate pulse and continually winning employees' trust--all activities practiced by these leaders--can manifest themselves in different ways to rescue a declining operation from certain catastrophe. "It seems to me that the lesson, despite an endless river of books, articles, lectures, seminars and wilderness retreats testifying to the contrary, is that there is no one true path to leadership," he writes. "The qualities of intellect and character touched upon here will, I hope, offer a kind of touchstone to those who wish to exercise positive leadership themselves." --Howard Rothman

From Booklist

Puris cofounded a New York advertising agency in 1974 and now heads Ammirati Puris Lintas Worldwide, one of the 20 largest advertising firms in the U.S. His interest here is leadership; to Puris, the mark of an effective leader is the ability to guide a company through a major turnaround or transformation. He portrays chief executives who have successfully done this at seven companies, two of which have been his clients. Included are Compaq's Eckherd Pfeiffer, Adidas' Robert Louis-Dryfus and Christian Tourres, U.S. Surgical's Leon Hirsch, UPS's Oz Nelson, Chrysler's Robert Eaton and Bob Lutz, Honeywell's Michael Bonsignore, and Continental Airlines' Gordon Bethune. Puris stresses that the common trait among these men is their willingness to seek out and listen to the truth--even, or especially, if it means getting bad news. Puris is a good storyteller; as he weaves his tales, he makes his case that this truth-seeking is the essence of leadership. David Rouse

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; 1st edition (January 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812931270
• ISBN-13: 978-0812931273
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,921,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the will to survive, December 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Comeback : How Seven Straight-Shooting CEOs Turned Around Troubled Companies (Hardcover)

I really liked this book..it's less of a business book than it is an adventure story. The characters are interesting...some downright exciting...and the plots carry you right along through what could have been just another series of "Business Case Studies" (read, dry). But, no, this book moves.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars heros for our time, December 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Comeback : How Seven Straight-Shooting CEOs Turned Around Troubled Companies (Hardcover)

The third world war will be fought in the market place...and CEOs are the Pattons of the new economy. These are fascinating stories of coroporate heros...warts and all. I read it in one night.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the longest yard, December 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Comeback : How Seven Straight-Shooting CEOs Turned Around Troubled Companies (Hardcover)

The most difficult job in the world is that of turning around a troubed business. The CEOs involved in this fascinating saga of renewal faced the devil and beat him. An admirable bunch and a well written chronicle of their efforts!