Full Steam Ahead! Unleash the Power of Vision in Your Work and Your Life, 2nd Edition [Hardcover]

Ken Blanchard (Author), Jesse Lyn Stoner (Author), Patrick Lencioni (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2011

Blanchard and Stoner show how to create a vision for your organization, for your team and for your own life that will unleash your power and potential. They offer numerous examples of effective visions from real companies and show how to create an enduring vision that will guide you on a daily basis and willl engage the hearts and minds of everyone on your team.

The lessons of Full Steam Ahead! are revealed through the inspirational story of two people who are able to create a vision for the place they work and for their own lives. The first edition, an international bestseller, has been translated into 21 languages. This 2nd edition is thoroughly revised, updated and expanded with:

• More information on vision for teams and departments
• A new chapter on sustainability and how to stay the course
• Updated and new examples of companies and teams
• A resource section with action steps for creating a shared vision and a team assessment

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Blanchard, co-author of the bestselling One Minute Manager series, and consultant Stoner use a parable to convey the importance of vision to a company's success. Ellie has just returned to her job at an insurance company after an unpleasant divorce. She's startled by the e-mail messages the company's new president, Jim, sends to all employees. They're honest, upbeat and filled with personal anecdotes. One morning, Ellie gets to the office early and joins the only other person there-Jim-for coffee. Their first conversation is the start of a long and productive friendship. Jim encourages Ellie to think about herself and her career, while she helps him create a vision and plan for changes at the company. This story takes up the bulk of the book, as Blanchard and Stoner incorporate Jim and Ellie's discussions of vision (which includes recognizing your purpose and values and having a firm picture of the future) into the parable. Although the book rarely breaks from Jim and Ellie to offer general counsel, the authors' simple, straightforward writing style makes their advice obvious.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This engaging story is full of practical advice that you'll be able to apply immediately. It's essential reading for any leader who needs to answer the question, 'Where are we going?' Come to think of it, that would be all of us!
- Jim Kouzes, coauthor The Leadership Challenge and The Truth About Leadership

"In the past I've shared this book with friends and coaching peers alike and continue to do so in order to share the wisdom and effective guidance that Ken and Jesse provide on each and every page."
- John Calipari, Head Coach, University of Kentucky Men's Basketball

"The clearest, the most cogent statement I've read that gives meaning and life to vision. Even Dilbert will get it!"
- Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader

"To me a clear vision answers the question, 'What mountain do we want to climb?' Full Steam Ahead! is a wonderful guidebook that will not only help you find your mountain but give you all the road maps and tools you'll need to make it to the top. Highly recommended!"
- Garry Ridge, CEO WD-40 Company

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 2nd Revised edition (April 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605098752
• ISBN-13: 978-1605098753
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.9 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Planning & Forecasting
  • #92 in Books > Business & Investing > Organizational Behavior > Organizational Learning

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Written, Well Worth It! April 8, 2003

By Leslie Wright

Format:Hardcover

If you're like me, and have spent countless hours in countless meetings trying to develop a "vision statement" for your organization without ever really getting to the point, then this book is for you. Blanchard (The One Minute Manager) and Stoner have skillfully crafted an allegorical tale of Jim and Ellie, one a successful but uninspired business owner, and the other a recently-hired employee who serves as a sounding board and confidant. In their conversations, Jim confides to Ellie that running the insurance company his father created just isn't all that exciting anymore. Notes Jim: "When my father was president, everything here was full steam ahead." He goes on to say that his father really inspired the employees - they felt like they were doing important things at work, and there was real joy in the agency then. When Ellie asks whether "full steam ahead" means being reckless, or moving ahead blindly in the face of danger, Jim responds, "No, I think it's the opposite. It means having vision - being so clear about your purpose, so committed to it, and so sure about your ability to accomplish it, that you move ahead decisively despite any obstacles." This characterizes the tone and sentiment of the book - discovering the ability to unleash transformative power by developing a clear vision of where you want to take your organization and your personal life.

The authors delineate the three elements of a successful vision: significant purpose, clear values, and a picture of the future. This last element, what the future will look like, resonated especially strongly for me as I read the book- the idea that you know you're on the right path when you can see a clear picture of what it's going to look like when you reach your goal.... Examples abound here: JFK's vision of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, Soviet athletes' technique of "mental rehearsal" in the 1976 Olympics, even skiing down a difficult hill. Using Ellie as a creative muse, Jim comes to realize that his insurance company does have purpose (peace of mind) and values (ethics, relationships, success) which permit him to develop a picture of the future where employees look forward to coming to work each day and strive to provide unparalleled customer service. Of course, the process of creating the vision is perhaps as important as the vision itself - working together to develop a common theme invests members of the organization as stakeholders, and that can build cohesion and a common sense of purpose.

In the final analysis, this book is extremely well-written, engaging, and hard to put down! Read more ›

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This 2nd edition is a Home Run! March 27, 2011

By Bob A

Format:Hardcover

I just finished the 2nd edition of Full Steam Ahead and must say I'm quite impressed. My boss handed out the book to everyone on our team, not realizing I had read the original version in 2004. I flipped through it and it grabbed my attention. I started reading and couldn't put it down. Blanchard and Stoner have hit a home run.

This book is even better than the first. If you already own the first edition, you'll appreciate this edition even more - there is more information on how a team can create a vision, how to keep a vision alive, and what to do when people are cynical about vision. There's a very helpful summary of the concepts at the back of the book. It's still packed with examples of real companies, which have been updated. And I love the story - there are new characters and more detail about life in the company. Kudos to the authors!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding New Edition; Must Read for All Managers March 20, 2011

By JKA

Format:Hardcover

Ken Blanchard and Jesse Stoner say, "Leadership is about going somewhere. Without a vision, your leadership efforts won't matter." In their powerful and practical book, Full Steam Ahead, Blanchard and Stoner show how to create an enduring vision that will guide you on an ongoing basis - for your company, your department, your team and your own life.

This is an outstanding, well-written book. Not only is the message clear, but also it is an enjoyable read. The concepts are clearly illuminated through an engrossing story. Having devoted the last 10 years to taking care of her children after her husband died, Ellie is just entering the workforce. Teaming up with Jim, president of the company she has just joined, they discover the three elements of a compelling vision and the process to make it a reality.

This outstanding new edition is even better than the first. There is more information on how vision applies to teams and departments, what to do when you get blown off course, a summary of the key concepts at the end of the book, a team assessment, and a game plan to create your own vision.

This is the book to buy for your whole team. Get another copy to take home to your family.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must If You're In Need of a Vision -- That Means All of Us! April 12, 2011

By Robert W. Jacobs

Format:Hardcover

It's an excellent distillation of the most essential elements of creating and living a vision. Don't let the size fool you. It's a fabulous example of an easy-to-read and equally important easy-to-apply book. This is the second edition of Blanchard and Stoner's book on Vision -- chock full of new material, thinking and value. Fuzzy, lifeless visions plague too many organizations. People let "life happen to them." Full Steam Ahead is the antidote to both maladies. Define your vision. Unleash the power of it -- in your organization, life, family. I've bought copies of the book for my team mates, wife and kids. Get a copy. Sit back and begin creating your preferred future. Full Steam Ahead is a great guide to help light the way.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, I am ordering more for each of my team members! March 18, 2011

By BePreparedForTheSoonReturn

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is great at demystifying the "Vision" thing and the process to get a team to understand and implement a strong team approach to accomplishing goals.

I further recommend Power Up by David L. Bradford and Allen R. Cohen for a practical step-by-step approach to a team culture that can be empowering at all levels of an organization.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highest Praise for Full Steam Ahead! October 21, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I read this book in one day having been totally absorbed in the journey that Jim Carpenter and Ellie embarked on to discover a mission statement for the insurance agency. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and liked the style of writing that made me feel as though I was overhearing someone's conversation. The most poignant part of this book was a telephone message by Jim that said, " ...if you think your self-worth is a function of your performance plus the opinion of others, then you're caught in a trap that leaves your self-esteem up for grabs every single day. But if you're playing to a higher audience or higher set of values, that's a different thing. Now you can do what is right because you know it's the right thing to do, instead of being driven by other people's opinions of you. It's what allows you to act with integrity." Another key point which stuck me from Full Steam Ahead is that it's vital to be in the present, to start living your vision once it becomes conscious, acting on what you know. I found this book extremely helpful not only on a professional level but also on a personal level.