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Dan's Biz Bookshelf: Broken to Better—13 Ways Not to Fail at Life and Leadership

None of us are perfect and this book by Michael Kurland talks about what we can do when we discover that we are not.

Most of us have a difficult time acknowledging when we are not operating on all eight cylinders. When we feel ourselves slipping a bit in our leadership role it’s not easy to admit it, and harder to decide to make changes, hopefully improvements.

While we are all so quick to judge and advise others, it is much more difficult to make those judgments and then improvements on ourselves. Now you don’t have to go it alone.

As he describes in his book, Kurland has been there. He hit the proverbial rock bottom: Divorce, spirit-killing job, and a dismal “Is this all there is?” outlook on life. He decided it was time for a change. He resolved to do something about it. Most importantly, he knew that the quality of the rest of his life was up to that guy looking back in the mirror.

By writing this book he not only gives us a front row seat to his metamorphosis, but he also inspires us with his story as well.

Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he picked himself up, resolved to improve himself in all ways (physical, spiritual, business), sold everything he owned, and, following old Horace Greely’s advice, headed west to California to launch a new business called Branded Group. The company is now very successful and has been named one of the Fastest Growing Companies in America by the Financial Times.

So, how did he do it? How did he go from the bottom to the top? Well, that’s what this book is all about.

From the very beginning, he writes about how he changed his way of thinking, how he changed the way he viewed the people around him, and how he chose to be determined and purposeful to the point of getting things done—and done properly, correctly, and effectively.

I particularly like his chapter on being inspiring:

Being an inspiring leader starts with this willingness to change. Here are some practical tips to be inspiring by being a better leader:

• Examine your motivation
• Be transparent
• Be resilient
• Cultivate a continuous improvement mindset
• Maintain your reputation

These are all values that apply to any business leader who strives not only to be successful but truly inspirational as well.

Look, we’ve all been there. We have all faced challenges in our leadership journey, so I would advise you to use this fine book as your personal roadmap to becoming a successful and fulfilled leader.

By the way, don’t let the title fool you. This is not only for leaders but for anyone who is constantly facing the everyday challenges of life. That’s pretty much all of us. Don’t face those challenges alone, let Michael Kurland be your guide.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.

Broken to Better: 13 Ways Not to Fail at Life and Leadership

Author: Michael Kurland

Copyright: 2022 by Houndstooth Press/Michael Kurland

Price: $22.99 hardcover/$15.99 paperback

Pages: 161