If you like books where successful entrepreneurs lay out their philosophy, then Beat the System: 11 Secrets to Building an Entrepreneurial Culture in a Bureaucratic World by Robert W. MacDonald will be an enjoyable read. If you're looking for the "secrets" promised in the title or if you're looking for some stunning new leadership insight, you'll be disappointed.
This book gives you one person's thoughts about based on how that person succeeded in one situation and industry. If you're in insurance, you will probably get more value from the book than a reader in manufacturing. But there's value for both of you. Success leaves clues and there are clues here.
The author's core belief is that entrepreneurship and bureaucracy are mortal enemies. He believes that entrepreneurship is a lifestyle. In that context, he lays out eleven principles for acting like an entrepreneur. He calls them "secrets."
Here are MacDonald's 11 Secrets
Build parallel interests.
Be an architect of the future.
Be decisive, multifaceted and ethical to a fault.
Know the risk--measure the reward.
Communication--be a shower and not a teller.
Power to the people.
Become a trust builder.
Sharing wealth increases wealth.
Be constant, consistent, and concise.
Treat important people like important people.
Do simple things--simply do them.
There's lots of good advice here. Most of it seems targeted to people who are working in large companies. There's specific advice, for example, about how to propose a daring action.
There are also "Bonus Secrets" that fill up later chapters. These will be especially valuable for you if you're starting up a business.
This is not a carefully reasoned treatise on how to be successful. It's the perspective of a single successful individual. That's either a strength or a weakness, depending on what you're looking for.
You won't find a lot of facts to support the author's statements. On page 95, for example, he states that "The number one complaint of employees working in a bureaucratic institution is that they don't know what is happening." That may true, but there's no support offered for the statement. It's likely to be opinion stated as fact.
There are lots of interesting tidbits in this book. Take page 61, where you find this: "Traditional business plans, not matter how meticulously developed and presented are, for the most part, a waste of time, money, and effort."
On the downside, the author's style is a bit wearing at times. Cheap shots abound, nestled in parenthetical comments. These are gratuitous negative comments about Republicans, the French, and Gerald Ford, among others. None of these advance the book or give you any special insight. They're an author's indulgence that I wish had been left out.
This book is intended to be an inspirational book. So the challenge for you, if you're considering buying it is: will this be a book that's inspirational for you?
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