Guts: 8 Laws of Business from One of the Most Innovative Business Leaders of Our Time (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO CHRYSLER IN THE EARLY 1990's..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Marine Corps, Wall Street (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Read it for no other reason than to learn Bob's Seven Immutable Laws of Business.... This is vintage Bob--contrarian, thoughtful, and he's really fun to read."

Product Description

Praise for GUTS, Revised and Updated

"Bob Lutz is the only man in history to rise to the top at all three Detroit automakers–Ford, GM, and Chrysler–and Guts reveals the kind of thinking that got him there. From a guy who didn’t graduate from high school until he was twenty-two comes as good a business book as you will ever find, and one that applies in any industry. Go Bob, go."
–Jerry Flint, Forbes columnist, and 2003 winner of a Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism

"Bob has always been a charismatic leader, but he became a true businessman when he joined Chrysler. Guts is typical Lutz–it’s controversial, thought-provoking and, in the final analysis, it makes good business sense."
–Harold "Red" Poling, retired CEO, Ford Motor Company

"Bob has the rare ability to communicate with everyone on the automotive ladder–from the engineer to the guy on the assembly line to the designer . . . even the idiotic Hollywood celebrity who just likes to go fast! And whether you’re in the business of building washing machines or just writing jokes, Lutz’s laws work."
–Jay Leno, Hollywood celebrity and host of The Tonight Show

"In a world in which managerial creativity and discipline have become polar opposites, Guts presents a dynamic synthesis of both forces that will enable readers to challenge the status quo and make their organizations far more competitive."
–Stephen Girsky, Managing Director/Senior Global Automotive Analyst, MorganStanley

"Guts is about business, leadership, and life, and reaches well beyond the boundaries of the auto industry. Lutz’s laws of business, updated for today’s leaders, are key ingredients to a twenty-first-century road map for success. And it’s also a great read, delivered with the passion, integrity, and strength of character so important to making good things happen in a turbulent world."
–David Cole, Chairman, Center for Automotive Research

"I’ve known Bob Lutz for over thirty-five years, and Guts reflects all the qualities that have made him one of the great car guys of our generation. As always, he tells it like it is, and that’s what makes his book such a compelling read."
–Lee Iacocca, Lee Iacocca & Associates

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; Rev Upd Su edition (September 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471463221
• ISBN-13: 978-0471463221
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #393,758 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Callin' It Like He Sees It, August 31, 2004

By	Matthew Dodd (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a refreshing collection of straightforward thoughts and observations about business and leadership from one of the most seasoned, creative, colorful, and highly successful executives of our time-Robert A. Lutz, Chairman of General Motors North America. This revised and updated book contains the blunt, honest wisdom of an authentic maverick leader in the form of his laws of business that have stood the test of time over his thirty years in the car industry, and his rise to the top of Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.

Organized into three parts, the book opens with the story of Chrysler's second turnaround in the early 1990s. Lutz was part of the executive team that conceived and brought to life one of the most famous and successful muscle cars of all-time: the Viper. Part Two is an in-depth review and validation of Lutz's eight immutable laws of business. The final part is Lutz's corollaries to his laws, or, as he calls them, "The Rest of the Story!"

A former Marine with an ongoing, life-long love affair with the Marine Corps and its leadership practices, Lutz presented many business and leadership concepts and personal anecdotes that reflected and blended his business and Marine Corps backgrounds. From his beliefs about the need for attention to detail and critical performance evaluations, to his emphasis on holistic, empowered, cross-functional teams and the value of a culture that nurtures middle-management dissent of conventional wisdom in open forums, Lutz's insights and experiences were both entertaining and informative.

If the following lists of Lutz's business laws and corollaries even sound remotely appealing to you, read this book - you will not be disappointed.

Lutz's Immutable Laws of Business:
LAW #1: The Customer Isn't Always Right
LAW #2: The Primary Purpose of Business Is Not to Make Money
LAW #3: When Everybody Else Is Doing It, Don't!
LAW #4: Too Much Quality Can Ruin You
LAW #5: Financial Controls Are Bad!
LAW #6: Disruptive People Are an Asset
LAW #7: Teamwork Isn't Always Good
LAW #8: When You Inherit a Really Big Rat's Nest, Don't Try to Lure Them Out With Food. Use a Flamethrower

Lutz's Corollaries
*It's Okay to Be Anal Sometimes
*A Little Fear, in Reality, Ain't All That Bad
*Leadership Is All About Common Sense, Which, Unfortunately, Is Not All That Common
*Some Squeaky Wheels Don't Get the Grease, or Pros and Cons of Being a Change Agent

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear Cut And To The Point Business Advice, November 26, 2006

By	J. C. Payne (Little Rock, AR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book presents the 8-plus rules on how to run a successful business (and life) from a former GM Vice Chairman of Product Development. Robert Lutz presents a highly autobiographical, hypercritical, look at his career and how these laws he developed for himself can apply to anyone.

While the information may be a little dated, (the book was originally published in 1998, republished in 2003) the principles are universal and apply well to anyone looking for a little coaching in business. It is a lot easier to get into the book if you are a fan of cars, and to a lesser extent, military history. Lutz peppers a lot of his life experiences to get the point across, admitting freely that he wasn't always (and sometimes still isn't) the best example for focus, discipline, or innovative thinking. His own experiences with failing in school, joining the US Marine Corps, and dealing with car companies in Europe and the US helped to shape his 8 rules and 4 corollaries.

The most interesting part is a very candid and detailed breakdown of the creative process that gave birth to the Dodge Viper, and the admission that it wasn't exactly a car that was begging to be made, but by making it, it changed the culture of a car company and like any fine work of art, found its proper audience.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Insider View of Chrysler, August 27, 2008

By	Doug Aurand - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Guts by Bob Lutz is a great insiders view of how Chrysler developed their innovative Platform Teams and the thinking that went into that process. The 8 Laws are funny with real world examples, and enlightening

Definitely a "must read" for people who want to learn more about "out of the box" thinking