Readers might know Henry Alford’s satirical columns from Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. In his latest book, How to Live, Alford audaciously tackles the world of wisdom. This book isn’t a typical pick for a Jack Covert Selects, since its ties to business are tenuous at best, but in these difficult financial times, it’s sometimes helpful to take a step back and look at the business of life. Alford’s difficult task in this book is to try and condense the history of wisdom into one neat little package.

In the first chapter, Alford sets the tone of the book, explaining that while there certainly are intelligent younger people, people are most likely to find experience and wisdom from those over seventy—those who have lived long and lived well. He writes that “valuable information is slipping through the cracks in the wall and seeping into the bed linens and evaporating into the current Boca Raton weather system.” What How To Live accomplishes is catching some of that information before it slips away.

An interesting aspect of the book is getting the opportunity to read the different interpretations and definitions of what wisdom is from the people Alford interviews. On his quest, Alford gets the opportunity to sit down with a handful of celebrities, one being famous playwright Edward Albee. Albee states that he thinks wisdom is a matter of perspective, that “maybe it’s finally being able to figure out what you should be worrying about and what you shouldn’t be worrying about.” Earlier in the book, Alford sits down with Granny D, who in her 70’s went on a 14 month, 3200 mile walk across the country in support of campaign finance reform. When asked about what has made her successful in her life ventures and her 63-year marriage, she writes “See the humor in the situation. Make sure you think about how unimportant the issue really is in comparison to the troubles of the whole world.”

Alford took on the task of interviewing an older generation, some famous, some accomplished, and some simply unusual. The book that comes out of Alfords ambitious journey brings wisdom and shows important lessons on adapting, friendship, holding on and letting go. Whether you start the book with expectations and preconceptions, or pick it up out of curiosity, you will ultimately be surprised and delighted with what people who have spent seventy years on this planet have seen and what they have to say about it. In these times of so much uncertainty in business, this book might not offer solutions to your most pressing problems, but it sure gives you an idea of where to look for wiser guidance and a larger perspective.

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A Good Food Manifesto for America by Will Allen

“It is time and past time for this nation, this government, to react to the dangers inherent in its flawed farm and food policies and to reverse course from subsidizing wealth to subsidizing health.

We have to stop paying the largest farm subsidies to large growers of unsustainable and inedible crops like cotton. We have to stop paying huge subsidies to Big Corn, Big Soy and Big Chem to use prime farmland to grow fuel, plastics and fructose. We have to stop using federal and state agencies and institutions as taxpayer-funded research arms for the very practices that got us into this mess.

We have to start subsidizing health and well-being by rewarding sustainable practices in agriculture and assuring a safe, adequate and wholesome food supply to all our citizens. And we need to start this reform process now, as part of the national stimulus toward economic recovery.”

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The Hub Mentality: Shifting From Business Transactions To Community Interaction by Stephen Palmer & Carl Woolston

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to catch the eyes of the consumer. Once you have them you have to keep them. Technology has transformed relationships between businesses and customers. Now, your job isn’t just to transact sales. Your job is to cultivate trust, build community, and interact with your customers on an ongoing basis.

Your job is to become a hub, a center of influence that creates value for your customers on their terms. Sales and profit are the result of fulfilling customer desires through educational, valuable content and remarkable products and services. Do this and your loyal community members become your advocates and evangelists.”

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10 Lessons Learned in Igniting Word of Mouth Movements by Brains on Fire

“It’s official: the word ‘campaign’ is becoming more and more scarce as it relates to the new world of marketing. And rightly so. People want to be engaged with a company, organization or cause beyond a short-term gimmick. So we’re starting to see the emergence of the term ‘movement,’ which makes a lot more sense.

Let’s compare the two.

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Cracking the Genetic Code: A New Way Forward For Corporations by Anne McCrossan

“Synapses are natural, visceral, reactions connecting the soft organs of the body to the central nervous system. They can be trusted to be “on the money,” and most corporate bodies—human or otherwise—are lost without them. Not being in tune with one’s own ecosystem leads to unrewarded, misplaced effort and operational dysfunction.

Enabled by technology, we now have knowledge of how to make human connections work best in corporations connected by a common purpose.

This is a document that’ll show you how to make that happen.”

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Flow, Flee or Fight: Declare Yourself For Change In Your Organization by Nevin Danielson

“It’s time for a shake-up. This one won’t happen because your boss decides it’s time. It will happen because you and your peers decide it’s time. Rather than relying on organizations to see what’s in their long-term best interest, individuals are in a better position to instigate change. It will feel uncomfortable. You’ll be labeled a heretic. As solace, you’ll have the knowledge that you’re right.”

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Deliver the “Wow!” to Make More Money by Glory Borgeson

“In this day and age, it is not enough to have a system in place for dealing with customers’ issues promptly and smoothly. Now, you need a strategy with built-in extras, benefits that are above and beyond what the public expects from you and your business. These extras have to be planned into your regular, day-to-day commerce because you can be sure that your competitors are hanging out their own honeycomb trying to attract the same bees as you.

I call these built-in extras the ‘Wow!’

These are the actions you (and anyone representing your business) do for customers and, as a result, your customers actually say ‘Wow!’”

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By Scott Davis

Nike’s view of its customers reflects the continuing Web-driven shift in our culture that has, in turn, ushered in a new era of marketing – the Network Era.

Whether it’s in establishing a soccer social networking site, its 10K Human Race or a foundation to invest in the “girl effect,” “…[we’re] not in the business of keeping media companies alive. We are in the business of connecting with customers around the world,” says Trevor Edwards, corporate vice president of global brand and category management.

Put another way, Product Director Michael Tchao states, “With Nike, you’re no longer just buying a sneaker. You are joining the largest global running club.” Shoes are its “hardware.” Ways to track progress and connect with the like-minded are its software. “It’s a very different way to connect with consumers,” he adds.

But what motivates the company hasn’t changed since Day 1: The need to get product and services into customers’ hands as effectively, efficiently and profitably as possible. It’s the underlying dynamics of getting that done that have changed. And the ability to embrace those shifting underlays is one of the hallmarks of the Visionary Marketer – who has seized the challenge to become the business’ senior executive in charge of the growth agenda.

The Network Era marks a decided shift for the marketer from control to influence. From communications to engagement and participation. From closed to open, transparent and authentic. And it’s not just customer relationships these dynamics apply to. It’s employees and peers outside of marketing. It’s shareholders. Influencers count, too – like the traditional media and bloggers, academics, and sometimes policymakers. Vendors can be figured into the network. Or peer businesses.

Managing the network opportunity for your business is no longer optional. The challenge to those who aspire to become Visionary Marketers is to understand and embrace those dynamics and make them work for the business in driving growth. Other benefits will follow, from greater and stronger brand loyalty, to an enriched, invested pool to draw upon to spur innovation, to powerful internal alliances to keep the momentum going.

From control to influence

Here’s a hard reality of today’s networked world that marketers – and management generally – have trouble with. Success demands that command and control of your brand are relinquished. It’s a fact that stretches the comfort level of traditionalists who still believe that by controlling the message and delivery vehicles, they can push the right customers to the right channels, paying the right price for the right offerings.

Today’s explosion in touchpoints disrupts that tidy old paradigm. In fact, the strong correlation between the strength of the brand and the strength of the customer’s relationship with it means the customer’s always had some level of control. Ceding some of that will not create chaos, but spur growth and loyalty.

So Adobe has found. It uses its Web site as the focal point of building and extending its brand. The end result, says Ann Lewnes, Senior Vice President of Marketing, has been greatly increased loyalty because “our customers feel they are able to shape our offerings.” Likewise, eBay and Google have created tools to allow their customers to create the kind of relationship they want with the company – enabling rather than dictating the relationship.

In this era, the network is comprised of very complex influence patterns, populated by a diverse set of stakeholders. It’s characterized by a population that’s more likely to trust fellow buyers than marketers and their messages, and makes it critical to identify what moments of truth they absolutely can’t lose control of. That recognition set Zappos’ strategy of in-house, versus outsourced, customer service. As CEO Tony Hsieh puts it, “We want people to call us. This is how to make the ‘message’ of Zappos’ brand promise stand out.”

From communications to engagement and participation

Actively participating in, engaging with and thus influencing the networks opens the business to myriad opportunities. It has the potential to create a legion of brand advocates. It opens a rich source for innovation and new ideas. It provides access to deeper insights into customer needs and satisfaction with the company (and its competitors) and the extent to which its brand will stretch to different markets or categories.

Recognition of this aspect of the Network Era led Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz, early in his second tenure, to launch the company’s participative network, mystarbucksidea.com. It encourages customers to engage in active dialog in offering up ideas for new go-to-market offerings, whether loyalty cards or potential partnerships. It took the company’s long-standing promise of delivering a world-class customer experience to an entirely new level.

The challenge to Visionary Marketers is to capitalize on their brand networks more effectively, for the importance of engagement and participation grows with each new technological advance. It’s pushed Procter and Gamble to alter its proven approaches to testing and awareness building around some of its most critical line extensions, relying word of mouth and buzz marketing and virtually ignoring mass media. Case in point: its new Crest Weekly Clean Intensive Cleaning Paste. Samples were sent to the 600,000 members of its “buzz marketing program for moms,” many of whom Twittered to spread the word virally. The sample was followed by a survey of the network to solicit product refinements. Internal expectations are for another blockbuster in its Crest powerhouse – driven by the network versus the traditional intensive sales force and promotional push of previous eras.

From Closed to Open, Transparent and Authentic

This last point is the natural offshoot of the others and reflects this reality: Your business and brands are already open and transparent as a function of consumer will. Successfully navigating in the Network Era – and embracing its realities – will shape whether your brand can become, stay or regain its relevance and authenticity.

Comcast is one that has been forced to think hard about this issue as a virtual monopoly with a reputation for poor customer service, which is discussed widely and often in blogs, Tweets and other social media venues. It’s taken this discontent to heart, aggressively monitoring and stepping up to build authenticity in the online environment. While Comcast can’t control the conversation, it can and does monitor it. Its Twittering cadre of customer service people, for example, attempt to step in to resolve issues that could spread virally, to influence outcomes and the conversation’s tenor – and add a layer of authenticity to its brand.

In any marketing program, vehicle or tactic, a business must analyze the opportunities inherent in its brand network to assess which aspects are most relevant to strategic success. While developing a social network may not be right for everyone, participating in the broader network is not optional, since it is being built with or without you. Those that find ways to work within these new dynamics will recharge their ability to meet the never changing imperative of driving growth.

Scott Davis is a senior partner of Prophet (www.prophet.com), a global consultancy that helps senior management create enduring market leadership and business impact. This article is based on his new book, The Shift: The Transformation of Today’s Marketers into Tomorrow’s Growth Leaders (Jossey Bass, $34.95). He can be reached at sdavis@prophet.com or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/scottdavisshift.

Jonathan in this video clip talks about wisdom in decision-making using the story of Moses. I promise you’ll enjoy it.

Many companies in today’s business world have lost sight of what is most important to their customers and for their company internally and that is feeling the pulse of a heart beat. Actually caring about people, yes, people and not ideas, not money, not computers, etc.

People.

It’s a simple task but one that has been eroding from today’s speedy, cold world. The author’s remind the reader that behind the web site there is a company that cares and that company needs to let people know that they do. Judith and Jim target what they term soft marketing as their audience. These are companies in the service industry that typically view service before making money (therapists, counselors, etc.). They explain their need to address these companies is that most business people dealing in sales know of one way: the hard way.

The hard sell is business to business, an impersonal machine set up to make money regardless of product, service or feeling. It’s what everyone knows and what everyone feels they need to do to make the sale.

It’s not. In fact it’s far from it. Judith and Jim answer 45 great questions asked in a recent survey about putting the heart back in sales. And here’s a little secret: it’s really not just about soft marketers being able to do this. There’s cross over. I realized that even our company uses (and can use more of) their techniques to put soul into a company.

The informal way they cross the murky marketing boundaries and connect feelings to work is just a part of the book. it goes on almost like you’re listening in on a conversation between friends. They talk about their life, their passions, their work, and even down to why they picked Morgan James as their publisher. They also have free offers and web sites in the book for more information to refer to further explain their processes.

The Heart of Marketing is not an unattainable feature in sales, it’s actually a must for most businesses.

(P.S. – My favorite part of the book is what they say about ego in business – check it out!)

As a special offer, I will send a free copy of I HATE PEOPLE! to the first two people to shoot an email to aaron at 800ceoread dot com .

Take the articles by Niall Ferguson and Dan Ariely in the July/August edition. These two authors certainly have higher institution credientals to belong on the pages of HBR with Ferguson at Harvard and Ariely at MIT. And their research certainly fits the profile of the magazine. But it’s the style and composition that is so refreshing. While the audience is clearly business executives, the pieces read like articles you would find in The Atlantic.

The editorial is a wonderful move away from the rote problem/research/conclusion arc that has been the mainstay of HBR prose. There were certainly pieces in the current issue that still match the the vintage style, though even those seemed shorter and with more callouts of additional material. Their Different Voice column interviews the fiction writer and media commentator Cory Doctorow, another refreshing choice. I am looking forward to what the fall will bring.

So, yes, the time has arrived to pick up the magazine again. Harvard Business Review is making a run at being relevant again.

Well, the issue has certainly not resolved itself, and John and Ed are still sounding the alarm—most recently in the latest issue of strategy + business with an article simply titled The Trouble with Brands. (You may have to subscribe to read this, but it won’t cost you anything.) Their basic argument is:

This overall mismatch between consumer attitudes toward brands and the market values of the universe of companies that produce and own them is, we believe, a recipe for disaster at two levels. At the macroeconomic level, it implies that the stock prices of most consumer companies are overstated: A “brand bubble” is implied in their stock prices, and once it deflates—or worse, pops—it could further drive down valuation multiples and stock prices around the world. Meanwhile, for leaders of consumer-related corporations, the mismatch points to a serious, continuing problem in brand management.

There’s much more to it than that, though, and the outlook doesn’t have to be so dire for your company. Gerzema and Lebar have done extensive research on the issue and layed out “a five-step framework for companies that wish to build an irresistible brand.” Those steps are:

1. Perform an “energy audit” on your brand.
2. Make your brand an organizing principle for the business.
3. Create an energized value chain.
4. Become an energy-driven enterprise.
5. Create a loop of constant reinvention.

To learn more about each step, and much more, read the entire article.

Our friends at Portfolio are specifically involved with one of the microsites called Penguin Business Thought Leaders. They will be interviewing authors from across the Penguin imprints and featuring a variety of books. Their first episode features retail consultant George Whalin (Retail Superstars), a reading from Small Giants, and TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky (Revolution in A Bottle).

You can find more in the Radio Room.