Soul of the Firm [Paperback]

C. William Pollard (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0310234875 | ISBN-13: 978-0310234876 | Publication Date: March 25, 2000

'Bill Pollard speaks with a voice of experience. His book deals with the practice of leadership- over time, under pressure, living with reality, getting the desired results. The Soul of the Firm tells how ServiceMaster has successfully grapple with the key issues of leadership. That is why it is so worthwhile.' -Max De Pree 'Bill Pollard demonstrates in great detail ServiceMaster's value system, a system that emphasizes the importance of the dignity of the individual. Readers will benefit greatly from Bill's wisdom. This is an important book that should be widely read.' -W. Earl Sasser, James L. Heskett, and Leonard A. Schlesinger 'Rarely are we given an open and generous look inside the corporate leader who is the embodiment of the mission and values of the enterprise. . . A powerful book.' -Frances Hesselbein 'A fascinating story about servant leadership and an extraordinary culture at ServiceMaster.' -Richard L. Thomas 'A remarkable book. . . . ServiceMaster invented 'lea production' for the service sector by listening to and empowering its employees on the front line. This book is the moving story of the wellspring of that culture and philosophy, told by a reflective, modest corporate leader.' -Elmer Johnson

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

C. William Pollard, chairman of the $3 billion ServiceMaster Company, believes that a commitment to people--employees as well as customers--is the real reason for his worldwide corporation's continuous growth in revenue and profit during the past quarter century. In The Soul of the Firm, he explains just how that bond has been forged and how it is now manifested in a company that claims more than 200,000 employees and more than six million customers in 31 countries. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Total Quality Management (TQM) meets Christian leadership values in Pollard's account of the financial and spiritual success of the ServiceMaster Company, a firm that trades under major brand names like Terminix and TruGreen-Chemlawn. A former lawyer who is now the chair of ServiceMaster, Pollard recounts his experience in developing a company devoted to offering services to people as well as to making profits. Using the company slogan, Pollard sums up the intentions of the company regarding people and profits: "To honor God in all we do/To help people develop/To pursue excellence/ To grow profitably." This success story of a businessman who has found a way to combine the insights of Christianity with the doctrine of capitalism is for libraries where TQM books are popular.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (March 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310234875
• ISBN-13: 978-0310234876
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #736,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

C. William Pollard is chairman emeritus of the ServiceMaster Company. He joined ServiceMaster in 1977 and has served not once but twice as its CEO. During his leadership, ServiceMaster was recognized by Fortune magazine as the #1 service company among the Fortune 500. He lives in Wheaton, IL.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A corporation with a true soul and solid core values., April 27, 2003

By 

Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soul of the Firm (Paperback)

This book describes a rarity in the modern Western corporate arena; a company that operates in the marketplace of publicly held companies led by a set of core values aligned to putting people before profits. The values espoused by the ServiceMaster Company include; "To Honor God In All We Do, To Help People Develop, To Pursue Excellence, and To Grow Profitably."

As stated by the CEO, C. William Pollard, "the first two are 'ends', the second two are 'means'. Few find fault with our commitment to a set of principles, it is the God language that raises some eyebrows." That is not the only thing this Company has done to raise eyebrows, meeting the numbers, delivering consistent world-class service, and delivering profits to shareholders also gets attention.

This book is a great look into a Company with values all organizations could benefit from. Among them is the concept that "employees want to work for a cause, not just a living". When you think about what ServiceMaster actually does (not the most glamorous or well-paid work) we can understand how difficult this would be to execute.

The book itself is a quick read, and full of some good insight. It is not as in depth as I would have liked, but overall provides some outstanding ideas on how to prioritize values, and remain true to one's principles. The example set by the Company and the CEO demonstrates that not all of Corporate America places greed as their highest priority.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continues where the "E-Myth" left off..., January 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Seattle, Wa.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Soul of the Firm (Hardcover)

The credibility of the author is that he's been CEO of Service Master, who did over 2 BILLION last year. He does an excellent job of showing how a major corporation can care about clients and employees AND lead it's industry in market share and profits. He delivers on the implications of the title, and continues where the 'E-Myth' left off, by talking about a well rounded firm indeed having a 'soul', & cares for the 24 hour person; not just the 8 hr person on the clock. He postulates THAT will be REQUIRED in the Firm that is to prosper into the next century. Quick read. Good summary at end on leadership highlights....

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best guides for truly people-centered leadership, March 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Soul of the Firm (Hardcover)

Pollard has developed a fantastic culture at ServiceMaster through his belief in the dignity and value of people. On each page of the text, this principle only becomes clearer and more obvious. Belief in the inherent value of people above all else, commitment to excellence, and unwavering values combine to set the stage for management decisions at ServiceMaster. If you believe that you want to help people change an organization - THIS is the place to START!