Reviews of Building a Better Business

“One of the most stimulating and challenging reads in this field for a very long time.  Often I wondered how the ideas could be applied only to find the answer on the next page.  It is not that we should agree on every idea – but that we should improve what we do by facing the challenges presented by this book” Sir Digby Jones, Director-General, Confederation of British Industry

“A really helpful guide to success.  Essential reading for anyone running a business.  I love the positive spirit of this book, about making great things happen – for customers, staff and shareholders – great purpose and great fun at the same time.”   Brent Hoberman Co-founder and CEO of Last-Minute.com

“Excellent management books should spur you into action. This one does! A thoroughly enjoyable and refreshing read, containing clearly-distilled views which do provoke even the most experienced leader to think again.” Lord Leitch, Chairman of the Employment Panel, former CEO of Zurich Financial Services in UK and Asia, Former Chairman of the Association of British Insurers

“Essential truths which we will come to see as pivotal in our understanding of how successful organizations will be led. Patrick Dixon’s own passion and purpose are self evident in these pages and everyone in a leadership role will be invigorated by reading of his desire to build better business - and a better world.” David Smith, CEO, Global Future Forum

“Patrick Dixon is first among equals in “how-to” business writings. This brilliant book reveals how passion for your customers and your mission is vital in developing strong brands. For anyone who cares about business success, Building a Better Business is a must read.” Professor Liping Cai, Director Purdue Tourism & Hospitality Research Center, Purdue University, USA

“May I congratulate you on a perfect summary of all important factors that contribute to success in business and private life. What a potential for better results – and ultimately success!” Robert Salzl, CEO Arabella Hotel Holding International GmbH and Co

'It can be a little bit scary when you read a book like 'Building a Better
Business'. So much of it resonates instantly with one’s own personal and business circumstances and experience. It is also comforting to realize that none of us are alone in trying to build better businesses and more particularly, as Patrick Dixon says, a better world.' Paul O’Toole, Chief Executive, Tourism Ireland

“If you want to be a great leader, you need to read this book.  A vital guide to management and business success, full of practical examples which provoke, inspire, encourage and challenge.  Tackles many of the most important issues in business today.” Professor Prabhu Guptara, Director of Executive Learning, Wolfsburg, subsidiary of UBS

“Building a better world is a message that every business leader needs to listen to and turn into action. Patrick Dixon correctly suggests that purpose is always three sided: the satisfaction of performance goals for the enterprise must be hitched to the personal goals of those who lead it and those who work in it, and all has to be accomplished with an eye to the broader good of society at large. This is a must-read for those who care about our common future”. Professor Derek Abell, President, European School of management and Technology, Berlin

'Patrick Dixon clearly underlines the importance of the relational and ethical dimension in building and sustaining a successful business - advice which I believe no business leader can afford to ignore.' Michael Schluter, Founder and President, The Relationships Foundation, Cambridge

“Patrick Dixon’s message is powerful, practical and important for every business leader. One of the most striking things about the Young Presidents Organisation’s 9,000 business owners, with combined turnover of several trillion dollars a year, is a common desire to make a difference, to use business success to make important things happen in our wider world – and that is what this book is all about.  The good news is that when we are truly passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, our customers are better cared for, staff feel more committed, the community benefits – and our business is also more likely to be profitable, as well as personally fulfilling.” Alex Cappello , Chairman Young Presidents Organisation, Chairman and CEO Cappello Group

BUY Building a Better Business NOW

$20,000 donation to your favourite charity

You don't have to buy a copy of "Building a Better Business" to enter the $20,000 Challenge, although reading it will help you understand the values behind the challenge, and how to approach it more effectively. The winner can nominate a charity of their choice to receive a donation of $20,000 from Global Change Ltd.

The Building a Better World Challenge works as follows:

Post on the bulletin board an example of a successful advertising campaign, marketing exercise, mission statement, corporate value, leadership principle, change management strategy or motivational tool that is built upon any other common principle than the general expectation of building a better world as a result, in the sense of promising a better life or improving things in some way. It can be a better world in the present or the future or both, for an individual or individuals, those they care about, for the wider community or their wider world, or for some balance of several/all of these.

Join in the Challenge Now!

The purpose of the Challenge is to explore strengths and weaknesses of what the author believes is a universal principle of human behaviour and organizational success. The value of any theory is found, however, in defining the exceptions to it that can be said to prove the rule. A successful challenge must fit into the mainstream of human activity and motivation.

It may be that the Challenge as above will turn out to be too difficult (as pointed out in the book, it has already been running with a $1,000 prize for some time without a successful challenge), in which case we may consider broadening it to include other aspects of human behavior, as it can be argued that all conscious decisions that people take are also at root determined by desire to improve things in some way, for themselves, for others or within their wider world. See book for further discussion of issues related to this idea and how they work in all successful corporations.

No purchase of this book or of any other kind is needed to make a challenge, although challenges will be judged in the context of the message in this book – in other words, attempts to win by inferring a particular narrow interpretation of the words ‘better’ or ‘world’ will fail unless the spirit in which those words are being used in the challenge is entirely consistent with the spirit of the book itself, which is also described online.

By entering the Challenge, you agree to be bound by the rules and requirements set out here.

Initial judging by online community

Each challenge will be timed and dated by the bulletin board and available for comment by the rest of the online community. From time to time the author will participate in these comments and discussions.

Independent panel to provide final assessment

Twelve months from publication of the most recent international first edition in English or any other language of the book, any challenges that are clearly undefeated by the rest of the online community including the author (publicly listed comments) will be forwarded to a panel of three independent judges to assess.

In the event that there is more that one successful challenge, the judges may either split the award equally or at their discretion, given the relative merits of the challenges. In the event that there is more than one successful challenge, essentially variants of the same challenge, the award will be made to the person who posted the first challenge of that nature.

If no successful challenge has been made, the period of the challenge may be extended up to a maximum of five years further. If it remains the case by then that no successful challenge has been made, the $20,000 will be donated to a charity of the author’s choice.

The Challenge is subject to English law and the exclusive jurisdiction of English courts. The decision of the judges will be final and binding and no correspondence can be entered into. The name of any winner or winners will be posted on the bulletin board.

Note: the publisher of "Building a Better Business" accepts no responsibility for the operation of this challenge.

(NOTE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED - after a decade! Despite many attempts online and in conference audiences, the challenge remains unbroken. A gift of $20,000 has been made by the author to the AIDS charity ACET (AIDS Care Education and Training).

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