Guts!: Companies that Blow the Doors off Business-as-usual

In this book, the Freibergs look at twenty-five businesses and introduce the chief executives who are creating a new corporate ethos that blows the doors off business-as-usual. Drawing on five years of research, the Freibergs provide a behind-the-scenes look at these leaders and their companies. Among them: James Blanchard, CEO of Synovus Financial, a financial services giant with more than 16 billion dollars in assets; Roy Spence, Jr., President of GSD&M Advertising, which AdWeek magazine named Southwest Agency of the Year seven times; and James Goodnight of SAS, a world leader in intelligence software. Although the leaders in the book represent a wide-range of industries, they share a common vision: They see business as a heroic cause and understand that good leadership isn't a matter of position, but of influence. They reject hierarchical rules, rituals, and expectations, and have replaced in-the-box management with a culture based on passion and innovation. They regard their employees not as "human resources," but as individuals with unique gifts and talents. And make everyone in the company responsible for the company's brand and culture.