The Vital Difference

Introduction

Sustained corporate success that extends over decades and continuously expands without apparent end or limit has thus far been a luxury enjoyed by very few companies. So unusual is this phenomenon that when it does occur, we tend to look upon it in awe and admiration rather than closely scrutinizing its origins and history for a clue to the process. In fact, we are so sure that this high achievement is the result of some exceptional talent or extraordinary luck that we rarely even ask the most fundamental question: "What is the process by which sustained corporate success is achieved?" Some may even wonder whether there actually is a process at all. But science assures us that there is a process behind all phenomena—physical, social, psychological, and even spiritual.

There is an inexhaustible potential within the organization. It is inexhaustible because the more it is drawn from, the greater it grows. The more enthusiastically it is tapped, the more it increases at its source. The more it is enjoyed, the more it expands.

People and companies have grown to where they are—and they continue to develop—by drawing from this boundless potential. Those who have used this potential to unleash the powers of sustained corporate success have learned how to make a vital difference, in their lives and in the lives of their organizations. The first qualification is to want it. The more you want it, the more you grow. The more conscious you become of it, the more it beckons you to further growth. That is the essential message of this book.


About the Authors

Frederick G. Harmon is a management consultant and author based in Annandale, Virginia. He was formerly Corporate Vice President of the American Management Association and President of The Presidents Association, AMA's chief executive officer division. Before joining the organization in 1970, he spent 15 years as a business writer and editor, including positions as staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal and editor-in-chief of International Management Magazine.

Garry Jacobs is partner in Mira International, a management consulting firm based in Napa, California, with over 20 years experience working with companies in the USA, Europe and Asia. He is also Director of the International Center for Peace and Development in Napa, a non-profit organization conducting research on strategies to promote global peace and economic development.


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