Customer Reviews

Instinct: Tapping Your Entrepreneurial DNA to Achieve Your Business Goals

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

In addition to learning a great deal about what Harrison refers to as "entrepreneurial DNA" and "the DNA of success," I also thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because the material is so well-organized and presented with a clarity and eloquence I seldom encounter in books which respond to questions such as these:

1. "What prevents one person from evolving and adapting to change [while there are others who get ahead] regardless of the obstacles that stand in [their] way?"

2. "Are some people [in italics] naturally [end italics] endowed from birth with characteristics that invariably lead to success?"

3. "And if so, what about those of us who may not be so genetically gifted?"

4. "Are we doomed to a lifetime of repeated failure if those qualities don't come naturally?"

5. "Is success the product of something in our DNA or something we learn?"

6. "Or is it some combination -- a genetic, instinctive predisposition that we can enhance at crucial moments in our lives by using learned skills and abilities?"

Harrison offers his own responses to these important questions, and explains the reasons for the conclusions he has reached. Those responses are best revealed within his narrative. I'm not giving away the plot, however, when adding that Harrison explains how highly successful people have leveraged certain inherited traits and learned how to compensate for those that they lack. He thereby suggests how those who read his book can do the same.

This is not an easy read but well worth the effort to absorb and digest the material. Obviously, following Harrison's suggestions is much easier said than done. He has carefully studied the works of Charles Darwin and believes in the concept of natural selection. At one point, he asserts that evolution "is what it's all about -- in business, careers, and life....Evolution has refined our genetic instructions over centuries to help us survive as a species. The DNA that has been passed on is the DNA that worked." To his credit, Harrison focuses most of his attention on 22 exemplary entrepreneurs and business leaders who agreed to share their personal stories. (A complete list of them is provided on pages 227-228.) The process of self-inquiry which Harrison recommends begins with completing a comprehensive "Entrepreneurial Personality Quiz" which consists of five sections. After each, Harrison suggests what response patterns may (just may) indicate. This is by no means a definitive exercise. Its purpose, rather, is to give to each respondent at least a sense of her or his entrepreneurial quotient.

Please go back and re-read the six questions listed earlier in this brief commentary. If you are as interested now as I was then in learning what Harrison's responses are, I urge you to purchase this book and then read it one chapter at a time, then re-read the chapter before proceeding to the next. The journey he invites you to begin should proceed at your own pace. Enjoy each moment while keeping in mind that there is both "good news" and "bad news": that journey never ends.

I am a voracious business book reader, and the one quality I value above all else in this genre is its "easy-to-read" factor. I don't like having to read something more than once, as I feel that I should be able to absorb it the first time I read it.

Instinct does not have the easy flow that I usually look for in a book, however, I do have to keep in mind Mr. Harrison is a trained biologist. The information is highly insightful, and incredibly on point. I do recommend this book as a valuable addition to anyones leadership library. However, I do forewarn that it's not the kind of book you "can't put down".

This book is a must read - from those interested in a start-up venture to corporate managers wanting to maximize their success and leadership skills. With the right mix of scientific evidence and real life examples, Tom Harrison's Instinct reveals not only how to act on your entrepreneurial DNA, but also how to compensate if you do not have perfect instinctive genes.

This book is sure to find its way into business schools serious about their entrepreneurial programs.

Tom Harrison's inspiring story of success and the practical guidance he shares is a wonderful synthesis of theory and real-world experiences. As an entrepreneur and business owner, I am a fan of the business book genre and over the years I have had the pleasure of reading and crediting a great many authors for my own professional growth. Tom is now among those authors. I'm getting copies of the book for my entire management team.

The book presents a scientific framework for understanding entrepreneurship along with practical guidance on how to be successful in business. This book is important not only for those of us who resonate with a genetic predisposition to entrepreneurship, but also for those who want to grow their abilities to think and succeed in creative business ventures.

I'm so sick of business books that have "THE ANSWER" for everything, which usually turns out to be just the same old stuff.

This book points out that "one-size-fits-all" advice ignores the fact that we all come to our careers from different starting points. We all have inborn traits that either help us succeed or make us our own worst enemy. This book is great because it points out that the real secret is knowing what those traits are for yourself. And it shows how to develop and use them to find the right fit for you.

The entrepreneurial stories are fascinating, but I also found it interesting as a parent. If you recognize a child's inborn tendencies early, you can help create the evironments and conditions that make the most of what they're naturally good at. That gives them an early experience of success, which the book says is important.

This is not just another useless business book.

Harrison sandwiches his entrepreneurial lessons firmly between hard science and qualitative anecdotes, avoiding the over-obvious 'duh factor' of most business titles. He manages to keep the narrative flowing and free of formulaic panaceas to all of life's ills.

The lessons comfortably adapt to individual personalities and reassure the reader in being the best of themselves versus 'like me'. By the end of Instinct, you'll certainly have gleaned at least a few tricks to sharpen yours.

And you'll sleep better knowing nice guys can finish first.

This book is an extremely ambitious project. Linking core DNA construct with behavior is exploring uncharted territory and Tom Harrison is courageous in attacking the subject.

The extent of the biological - attitudinal connection is arguable but the practical tools that reveal consistent behavioral patterns is compelling even life-shaping. I would love to see Tom pursue another link - that of spiritual impact on behavior. It's equally if not more ambitious than this effort.

In the end, I thought his editor may have let him down a bit in that the book's readability is somewhat less than optimum. Nevertheless, this is a provocative piece and one to be included in any journey of self-discovery.

Harrison's Instinct should be read by all who are preparing to start a business or those procrastinating. It should be read by all business school students and graduates to seek the truth about where their true skills and talents lie. Instinct shows you how to build the courage to be yourself while helping you explore your own strengths. It provides a blunt and business-scientific analysis of determinants of entrepreneurial success; outlining what will work, what needs tweaking and when to change course. Instinct will prevent you from spinning your wheels and wasting time going in directions that won't work for you. It helps clarify your thought and intuitive feel about yourself and what you want to do. It is a must read if you want to achieve the best outcome within your comfort zone or if you are willing to step out of your zone just enough to succeed.

Do yourself a favor..do yourself a big favor, and sometime over the next week, take out some time and begin to read this book..It will change your view on life..it may even change your life..that is the kind of impact it can have..if you are open to it, if you really sit and read it, and absorb what are you reading and see how it applies to you, you will begin to analyze events and people in a new light..

I am not sure how many books i can say that about, but this is one of them.. no, this is not tony robbins or any seminar..this is real and it is being backed up by scientific evidence..

We often find that we feel more comfortable in certain settings and surroundings..and we all have strengths and weaknesses...tom harrison has analyzed why we feel more comfortable in certain setttings and how we sh/d learn to seek out those circumstances and, therefore, give ourselves a higher likliehood of success, no matter the endeavor..

i found myself dog-earing so many pages and actually going back to the book and reading it a second time to better understand my own strengths, and to seek out those scenarios where i can utilize them most effectively.

I can not say enough about Instinct and c/d not think of telling someone a better, or more insightful, book to study..don't just read it..take it to heart, or better yet, take it to mind.

SE

It took me a weekend to read INSTINCT but what I learned from this book will stay with me forever! From the first chapter entitled, Doing Your Genetic Inventory, to the very last page, where the author provides both insight and instruction about how to create a formula for professional success, I was captivated by the scientific research and personal anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book. I love the quote "The DNA of your vision and the DNA of your personality have to match." What an inspiring concept for entrepreneurs at all levels!