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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 2000)
Page 6 IJorflanh ®b«ruer August 23, 2000---------------------------------FOCUS It’s Like That: A Spiritual Memoir In Print Elizabeth I CEO; Strategic Lessons from the Leader Who Built an Empire ALAN AXELROD ALTIIOR OF THE BUSINESS WEEK BESTSELLER PATTO N « N 1 .B A D E R 8 IIIH Elizabeth I CEO STRATEGIC LESSONS I ROM THE LEADER WHO ÉfClLT AN EMPIRE I k ' #• < ■ — — By Alan Axelrod Prentice Hall Press; 2000 Elizabeth was Turnaround Queen - leading England from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance. When she was crowned in 1558, England was on the brink o f bankruptcy, facing the threat o f invasion by Spain, tom by violent religions dissension, and lacking in pride. By the time Elizabeth died in 1603, after a forty-five year reign, England was supreme. Elizabeth had transformed her country by achieving unprecedented social stability, nurturing respect for England's military and artistic achievements, and accumulating great wealth for its coffers; England had become the most powerful nation in Europe. Favoring evolution over revolution, with a prgmatic sense o f when to work within the systema nd when to defy it, Elizabeth was a master at carrying out her vision. Describing Elizabeth’s approach to leadership as “a combination o f prudence, boldness, and genius,” Axelrod follows the Queen as she leads her nation from rampant strife and near ruin to the foundation o f the great British empire. Along the way, Elizabeth I, CEO highlights many o f the Q ueen’s convictions that remain relevant for today’s executives, including: •Create your self image - or others will create one for you. •Know you are on a public stage and no longer simply a private person. Always play a move ahead. Keep a clear head and an even keel. Require excellence. •Make expectations clear and lofty. Reward confidence and loyalty. •Know when to bend or break the rules. Rich in lively historical detail and practical wisdom, Elizabeth I, CEO is an inspiring guide for anyone eager to lead - with determination, integrity, and vision. By The Reverend Run St. Martin’s Press; 2000 Joey “Run” Simmons was sitting on top o f the world. By the time he was 20 years old, he had garnered phe nom enal fam e as p a rt f the groundbreaking rap group, Run- DMC. Nobody could do it better; and wherever Run turned, he re ceived plenty o f love. But he could not recognize that the love was not genuine. The more popular and successful he became, the more he- lost his true self: the poet with the beat, hailing from Hollis, Queens. Run was on a slippery slope down into excess and d e stru c tio n . E ven w ith the occasional moments o f clarity that life was not good, he would walk out on stage to greet his roaring fans and his clarity would disappear. Run lost everything: his career, his success, his family, his friends, and his self-love. And then, turning his life around, he got it all back, new and improved. In It's Like That: A S p iritu a l M em o ir, R un, now Reverend Run, offers his tried-and- true guide to how each man and woman can achieve well-being. Broken down into 13 chapters, Run shares his personal story o f learning from his mistakes. He follows each chapter with a “Run’s House Rule”, a straightforw ard form ula for success, akin to daily affirmations. The book includes a foreword by his older brother, Russell Simmons, founder o f D ef Jam Records. Searingly honest though never sentimental, Run charts his boyhood beginnings with rap and quick rise to the top o f both the hip-hop and rock scenes, follow ed by his devastating fall into alcohol and bankruptcy. U tterly candid, the c h a rt-to p p in g reco rd in g a rtist reveals the ease with which “’denial” can be a way o f life. Run then explains, step-by-step, his steady climb to being his own man, proud to be a husband, a father. His first step was to discover a fountain o f spirituality within him self and a special connection with God. Run writes, “Problems occur to help direct you in life. Sometimes we only learn the value o f something by losing it. Never believe it is over. I lost everything. My self-esteem was low, my vision clouded. But, deep inside, I knew that if I hung in there long enough and kept the faith, I could make a comeback. If your life isn’t what you think it should be, don’t’ give up. This book is living proof that you can stage a comeback.” Combining the intensely personal story o f the pathmaking star with the universal truths that come from righteous living, I t ’s Like That inspires and teaches us how to achieve all our dreams. 1 1 *Viiirii i r i t i 1 1 1 1U iTTHUdll «illllll Come visit us on the web at www.portlandobserver.com jç h c(for the love of ^azz 89.1
