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Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck: What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur and Build a Great Business [Hardcover]

Anthony K. Tjan , Richard J. Harrington , Tsun-Yan Hsieh
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 7, 2012
What’s your entrepreneurial profile?

Do you have what it takes to build a great business?

In this book, three prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs—now venture capitalists and CEO advisers—share the qualities that surface again and again in those who successfully achieve their goals. The common traits? Heart, smarts, guts, and luck.

After interviewing and researching hundreds of business-builders across the globe, the authors found that every one of them—from young founder to seasoned CEO—holds a combination of these four attributes. Indeed each of us tends to be biased toward one of these traits in our decision-making, and figuring out which trait drives you will lead to greater self-awareness and likelihood of success in starting and growing a business.

So are you:
• Heart-dominant, like renowned chef Alice Waters or Starbucks’s Howard Schultz?
• Smarts-dominant, like Jeff Bezos of Amazon or legendary investor Warren Buffett?
• Guts-dominant, like Nelson Mandela or Virgin’s Richard Branson?
• Or are you most defined by the luck trait, like Tony Hsieh of Zappos (and a surprisingly high proportion of other successful entrepreneurs)?

Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck includes the first Entrepreneurial Aptitude Test (E.A.T), a simple tool to help determine your specific profile.

Though no single archetype for entrepreneurial success exists, this book will help you understand which traits to “dial up” or “dial down” to realize your full potential, and when these traits are most and least helpful (or even detrimental) during critical points of a company lifecycle. Not only will you know how to build a better business faster, you’ll also take your natural leadership style to the next level.

Frequently Bought Together

Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck: What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur and Build a Great Business + The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Price for both: $34.43

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Editorial Reviews

Review

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly Bestseller

Named a “Best Business Book of 2012” by Fast Company

“this book contains some valuable self-help advice…” — The Economist

“In examining what they regard as the four key aspects most often associated with successful entrepreneurs, they have understood the importance of clear messages to help people apply their findings.” — Management Today (Australia)

‘"Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck,’ by Anthony Tjan, Richard Harrington, and Tsun-Yan Hsieh, gives you what you really need to succeed in business: Entrepreneurship tests, real world stories, workable strategies, and lots more. Maybe the subtitle of this excellent book says it best: ‘What it takes to be an entrepreneur and build a great business.’ Check it out.” — USA Today

Heart, Smarts, Guts and Luck will identify the right path for any entrepreneur—from those in the early stages of a startup, to veterans scaling an established business.” — Open Forum from American Express

Heart, Smarts, Guts and Luck is a book that you can read from start to finish. In fact, that’s exactly what I’d recommend.” “You’ll have fun as the authors take you on a journey of self-discovery that includes examples of successful entrepreneurs in each entrepreneurial profile.” — Small Business Trends (smallbiztrends.com)

“Take the test and pick up the book for your team. They’ll both help you further hone your skills, and understand the skills of others in order to create a better team.” — 800 CEO READ

ADVANCE PRAISE:

Deepak Chopra, author, Spiritual Solutions; Cofounder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing —
“Reminds us all of the power of self-awareness for success in business and life.”

Sunil Mittal, Founder, Chairman, and Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises —
“Heart, smarts, guts, and luck are crucial not just for those who start a business; they must also be in the DNA of everyone who wants to succeed in a transnational, high-growth company.”

Tony Hsieh, New York Times bestselling author, Delivering Happiness; CEO, Zappos.com —
“A practical and fun read for entrepreneurs.”

Keith Ferrazzi, New York Times bestselling author, Never Eat Alone; Founder and Chairman, Ferrazzi Greenlight —
“Great, really great . . . not just for businesspeople, but for anyone trying to make better decisions and to better manage relationships.”

David Lawee, Vice President of Corporate Development, Google —
“Refreshingly human. Gets at the core of what it takes to build a successful entrepreneurial venture.”

Henry McCance, Chairman Emeritus, Greylock Partners —
“The authors have a rare combination of entrepreneurial and operating backgrounds, together with the experience of partnering with founders in a venture capital context. They have collected a perspective on what makes a successful entrepreneur—which everyone should enjoy and benefit from.”

Lord Rothermere, Chairman, DMGT —
“This book redefines the business book genre. It gets to the heart of the entrepreneur with clarity and common sense, which makes it both inspirational and a cracking good read.”

About the Author

Anthony K. Tjan is Managing Partner of the venture capital firm Cue Ball and was the founder of the pioneering Internet advisory group, ZEFER, as well as former Senior Partner and Vice Chairman of Parthenon Group. Richard J. Harrington is Chairman of Cue Ball. Dick began his career as a small business owner; as CEO of Thomson Corporation, he transformed the diversified holding company into Thomson Reuters, the largest information services company in the world. Tsun-yan Hsieh is a widely respected business guru who, over his 30-year career as a Senior Director of McKinsey and Chairman of LinHart Group, has become a trusted counselor to founders, CEOs, and boards throughout the Americas and Asia.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press (August 7, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1422161943
  • ISBN-13: 978-1422161944
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anthony K. Tjan (Tony) is Managing Partner of Cue Ball, a venture capital firm based in Boston. Most recently, Tony was Senior Partner at The Parthenon Group, a leading strategic advisory firm where he continues as its Vice Chairman. He spent seven years as a special strategic advisor to The Thomson Corporation, and its then CEO, Richard Harrington (now his Partner at Cue Ball). At Thomson, he played a key role working alongside the CEO on its transformational growth strategy. In 1996, Tony founded and was CEO of the Internet services firm ZEFER, a pioneer in early commercial web initiatives. Tony started his career with McKinsey & Company and holds his AB and MBA degrees from Harvard University. He was also a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Tony sits on several boards, is a contributor to Harvard Business Review, and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of MIT Tech Review.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars READ THIS BOOK NOW! August 7, 2012
Format:Hardcover
I don't like most business books. They are filled with jargon and they don't address the nuts and bolts of what it really takes to build a business from the ground up. Well, trust three really really smart entrepreneurs and business veterans to come up with one of the best books I have ever read about how to start (and more importantly SUSTAIN) a business, no matter what it is. Anthony Tjan - I have been reading his blog posts for years for the Harvard Business Review - and his two co-authors (one of whom was the CEO of what is now Thomson-Reuters and the other who is some mucky-muck for McKinsey) write in a funny, insightful, super-practical and most of all READER-FRIENDLY way to give you all the benefit of their experience. This isn't some dry tome that will leave you annoyed and angry and looking up words in the dictionary. Instead it's a book that's perfect for anyone who a) wants to start his/her own business b) wants to figure out what they are doing wrong (or right) midway through their business career c) enjoys practical wisdom and tips and techniques to make the whole thing work better. Highly, highly recommended.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I usually don't enjoy reading business books because I find I can summarize them on one page and I never finish them. I get bored quite easily and I find that they don't apply to my situation.

Very different with Tony Tjan's book. This, for me, has become among my top 3 business books ever.

Why?

- It's well written, inspiring and entertaining
- It's based on real research and you can tell that the authors have been building and leading businesses for years
- It has lots of tangible advice - I have learned a ton, from changing my own behaviors to the way I'm leading my company
- It helped me identify areas where I can grow and increased my self-awareness

As an entrepreneur I highly recommend this book to anyone who is building anything, from building a non-profit or tech-startup to leading a Fortune 500.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Wisdom -- some of it shockingly counter-intuitive -- from la crème de la crème of successful people from all walks of business and life, told not only in parable but with data and directness. The E.A.T survey tells a timeless truth: that knowing oneself is fundamental to thriving. Every aspiring entrepreneur should take this test.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional
I have regularly read business books, including books on entrepreneurism, during my over 50 year career. Read more
Published 2 months ago by ralph g wrobley
5.0 out of 5 stars Best ever book i have read on entreneurship
Anthony, i have never read such a practical to the point , and a book full of guts! I recommend nothing other than this to anyone who consider entrepreneurship seriously.
Published 3 months ago by Farai Manyemba
4.0 out of 5 stars A great read for the person starting out as an entrepreneur!
This is a great book for someone who is considering becoming an entrepreneur and who wants to get a better understanding of what it really takes. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Neil Grossman
5.0 out of 5 stars A Practical, Real World Guide for Entrepreneurs
Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck is an honest look at what it takes to be a great entrepreneur, backed by extensive research into how it's really done. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Dorie Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read that book
As an Entrepreneur, I didn't learn anything that I didn't know but I got my ideas reordered and that is such a great help in our long-lasting journey. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mel
2.0 out of 5 stars Trying to quantify the unmeasurable?
In this book, an attempt is made to identify what character traits make a successful entrepreneur, plus it makes an attempt to measure how much of each would be needed. Read more
Published 4 months ago by G. J. Kooij
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Business Book!
This is a fun, quick read and provides lots of insightful tools for self-reflection and deepening your understanding of your leadership style. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Elisa Miller-Out
4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful
I read a lot of business books and found their framework intriguing and insightful. They concede its a work in progress but it looks promising. Read more
Published 4 months ago by BLC
4.0 out of 5 stars Quite useful
I quite enjoyed reading this and did feel that I got something out of it.

It is quite short and fairly lightweight in many respects. Read more
Published 5 months ago by The Emperor
5.0 out of 5 stars Helpfull book
It's a really good choice to understand better the way enterprenuership works. When someone prepares himself studying and working hard, but success doesn't come, is because maybe... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Bernardo Collia Orozco
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