The author turned a small healthcare company into a major brand with'
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In 1996, Chappell and his wife, Kate, almost sold their successful company, Tom's of Maine, known for its baking-soda toothpaste, chest rubs and other natural-ingredient products. Instead, they found a new COO/partner, Tom O'Brien, former deodorant chief of Procter & Gamble, and embarked on a binge of new product launches. In this well-intentioned but unoriginal handbook, Chappell, founder/CEO of the company that bears his first name, outlines his seven-step program (the "Seven Intentions") designed to help business managers focus on social and environmental responsibility rather than on the bottom line. "Managing Upside Down" means "letting your own deepest beliefs and values... drive your business," and Chappell, who went to Harvard Divinity School, expands here on the message of his first book, The Soul of a Business (1993), which stressed that spiritual goals and the pursuit of profit are compatible. But much of his advice has a very familiar ring (flatten the hierarchy; give employees permission to act and think creatively; establish interlocking teams, etc.). As it concentrates on his own company's success story, the book often comes across as shameless self-promotion, and it is padded with testimonies from the company's stars. Platitudinous and preachy, this manifesto may nevertheless reach segments of corporate America, though its most receptive readership will probably be like-minded entrepreneurs. Chappell's insistence that companies large and small have an obligation to serve the community and protect the environment deserves to be widely heard, and Tom's of Maine practices what it preaches, giving grants to various organizations and encouraging employees to spend 5% of their paid work time volunteering in community jobs and services. Author tour. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Chappell is a founder and CEO of Tom's of Maine, a company that makes toothpaste and other personal-care products from all-natural ingredients. He started the company nearly 30 years ago with a $5,000 loan, and now it is worth more than $25 million. Chappell believes that companies should be first accountable not to shareholders but to employees, customers, and the environment. When companies heed "the spirit," the bottom line will take care of itself! He spelled out this philosophy in The Soul of a Business: Managing for Profit and the Common Good (1993) and now repeats his message. This time, though, he details seven steps--or intentions--that companies should follow: connect to the power of goodness, know thyself, envision your destiny, seek advice, venture out, constantly assess, and share! Chappell argues that most companies must reorient themselves to take these steps, and he advises what sort of leadership is necessary to do so. David A. Rouse
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Clear directions for moving to values centered leadership,
By A Customer
This review is from: Managing Upside Down: The Seven Intentions Of Values-Centered Leadership (Hardcover)
How many CEOs do you know who are willing to spell out the personal challenges leading them from the brink of selling their company to reinventing it? This book wrestles with the paradox and conflicts of leadership in a broad review of juggling the internal conflicts between one's business, making a profit, fostering a strong family while searching for meaning; an fate facing many business executives today. How not to cave in to profit as told from a profitable leader's actual life experience. Pathfinders rejoice! In this, Tom's second book, he relates anecdotes from the mind of an original entrepreneur - how to make qualitative decisions based on values, before there are any statistics on market and consumer demand. How fortunitous circumstance plus a little friendly advice can help a company relate its products directly to its mission and core values. The book's account of the SALTWATER INSTITUTE, to develop values centered leaders, provides a real-world example of what happens when he applies his own suggested principles on "venturing out". This book does the best job yet for a busy executive who wants to grasp the underlying characteristics of great people. The discussion of "destiny" is one of the first mainstream explanations related directly to its role in the success of established businesses or new ventures. The guidlines put forth in this book may well provide the foundation for sanity others are seeking as they plunge in a breakneck dive into leadership and reinvigorating their businesses.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tom Chappell Should Be A World Role Model,
By A Customer
This review is from: Managing Upside Down: The Seven Intentions Of Values-Centered Leadership (Hardcover)
Tom Chappell not only oversees a company that makes fabulous products, but he's written a book that should be the blueprint for world business. Doing what's right, and making money in the process. Not making money at any cost. His business advice is solid, and the autobiographical elements running through the book offer a rare insight to genius.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A different business perspective,
By Jerry 173 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Managing Upside Down: The Seven Intentions Of Values-Centered Leadership (Hardcover)
An interesting perspective on business from Tom Chappell, founder of Toms of Maine. His approach is a balance between profit and caring for the staff and community. He focuses on social values and environmental respect to increase customer satisfaction and his bottom line. The approach is captured in his Seven Intentions of Values-Centered Leadership.
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