Book Review by Germaine Gordon

I asked for it, and I got it! Assistance during my Time of Transition- A Book Review of The Benevolent Dictator
This time last year I had the delight of reviewing the book Delivering Happiness by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. As a result, I’ve been able to get advance copies of some really great books. When The Benevolent Dictator- Empower your Employees, Build your Business, and Outwit the Competition by Michael Feuer came across my desk I thought, this may be what I need to take my business to the next level. I am a firm believer that the Universe gives us everything we need in perfect timing so I wasn’t surprised that this was no ordinary business book.

I comment that The Benevolent Dictator is no ordinary business book because some of the lessons given by author Michael Feuer are not just for the work environment, but for life. A quote I often heard from television talk show host Dr. Phil is that we are “Life Managers”, and for the person who may not be an entrepreneur, managing a family or a volunteer event is just as important. With this book Feuer gets right to the point with 40 life lessons that help the current or future business owner make positive changes in order to grow and succeed. He draws from his experience as the Co-Founder of office retail giant OfficeMax and also shares his lessons learned from starting a new venture in a down economy. 

The book is broken down into four phases of business beginning with: Phase One- Start-Up, then on to Phase Two- Build Out and Put the Idea to the Test, Phase Three- Constant Reinvention, Phase Four- The Payday. For me there were many great points, so for brevity, I will give you the first five I jotted down:

1. Always have a short term plan.
2. Be willing to abandon a plan when necessary, change quickly, and deal with the unexpected.
3. Have laser sharp focus and an attack plan.
4. Don’t fixate on the problem. Look further down the road for possible solutions
5. Smart Entrepreneurs run a business with their heart, head, and gut.

For the full scope of each point, you must read the book and have a pen and paper handy. In order to truly appreciate and absorb the information, I feel no less than a highlighter is required. Put some of these thoughts on sticky notes or notecards and put them in places where they can be easily reviewed every day. I have all of my helpful points on a big sheet of paper which I hang in my son’s room (he wants to be a business owner). Begin to put what you read into practice and notice how it changes your bottom line. Buy a copy not only for yourself but for recent graduates of both high school and college. They will not only have a foundation for any future business ideas but also for managing life.

You can buy this and other books I love including Small Message, Big Impact: How to Put the Power of the Elevator Speech Effect to Work for You by Terri Sjodin at my Amazon.com hangout to your right. Also checkout my review of her book in the customer discussion section of the book page.