Happy’s Tech Talk #41: Sustainability and Circularity for Electronics Manufacturing
Facing the Future: Challenges and Opportunities in Reshoring PCB Manufacturing
It’s Only Common Sense: Stop Chasing New Customers and Start Keeping the Ones You Have
Book Review: Lead Right for Your Company’s Type
October 25, 2017 | Dan Beaulieu, D.B. Management GroupEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Lead Right for Your Company's Type: How to Connect Your Culture with Your Customer Promise
Author: William E. Schneider
Amacom 2017
$27.95
How could an executive who was successful at Apple be such a dismal failure at Penney’s? Why are certain people great at leading one company and then terrible at leading another company? Give up? It’s simple: All companies are different and what works with one company will not necessarily work at another.
In this unique book, William Schneider, a consulting psychologist focused on corporate leadership, identifies four types of companies and how to lead and manage them. These types of companies are categorized as follows:
- Predictable and Dependable: Companies that provide basic, reliable products or services. Examples: utilities, retail banks, FedEx, J.C. Penney, Walmart, NASA.
- Enrichment: Enterprises dedicated to personal development or improving lives. Examples: Habitat for Humanity, KinderCare, Patagonia, The Body Shop.
- Best-In Class: Standard-setters that excel at creating distinctive products and experiences. Examples: Tiffany, Rolls Royce, Four Seasons Hotel, Apple.
- Customized: Companies that deliver a tailored solution for each unique customer. Examples: Interior design specialists, executive search firms, PR agencies.
He then discusses the best management style for each of these types of companies. What I liked is that he provides a unique guide so that you can discover what type of company you have and then, along with that, the best ways to lead your company including specific tips and tools that will work with your organization.
Schneider has written the book in such a comprehensive way that it’s like having your own corporate psychologist for only the price of buying this book and the time it takes to read it.
Two very focused and particularly helpful sections are included in the book. The first concerns connecting your customer promise with chapters on your company’s focus, configuration, integration, balance, and adaptation. If you don’t read anything else in this book you will have gotten your money’s worth just by reading this section. Second, the appendix, which provides valuable analytics to validate assessments available for your own company’s use.
I cannot stress enough how important this book is for anyone who is running a company and particularly for anyone who is moving from a leadership position in one company to the same in another. Buy and read this book before you start at the new company.
Share on:
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
TTM Technologies, Inc. Announces Retirement Plans of its CEO and Proceeds with CEO Successor Search
08/04/2025 | TTM Technologies, Inc.TTM Technologies, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of technology solutions including mission systems, radio frequency (“RF”) components and RF microwave/microelectronic assemblies, quick-turn and technologically advanced printed circuit boards (“PCB”), today announced that Thomas T. Edman, the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, intends to retire following the appointment of the company’s next President and CEO.
Advancing Electrolytic Copper Plating for AI-driven Package Substrates
08/05/2025 | Dirk Ruess and Mustafa Oezkoek, MKS’ AtotechThe rise of artificial intelligence (AI) applications has become a pivotal force driving growth in the server industry. Its challenging requirements for high-frequency and high-density computing are leading to an increasing demand for development of advanced manufacturing methods of package substrates with finer features, higher hole densities, and denser interconnects. These requirements are essential for modern multilayer board (MLB) designs, which play a critical role in AI hardware. However, these intricate designs introduce considerable manufacturing complexities.
Brent Laufenberg Appointed CIO of the Global Electronics Association, Advancing Technology and Member Services
07/31/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association (formerly IPC International Inc.) announces the appointment of Brent Laufenberg as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO).
From Attraction to Action: Where Marketing Ends and Sales Begins
07/29/2025 | Brittany Martin, I-Connect007Before a PO hits the system, marketing has already done a lot of heavy lifting. Without strategic marketing, the PO might never arrive. At I-Connect007, we have been fortunate to help many companies achieve sales success through marketing. The key to success? Understanding how marketing leads to sales.
KYZEN Promotes Erik Miller to Chief Operating Officer
07/25/2025 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally responsible cleaning chemistries, is proud to announce the promotion of R. Erik Miller to Chief Operating Officer (COO).