Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story

Peter Guber's account of his career in the entertainment industry is very insightful. Read this book to discover the hidden power of storytelling, and also learn how sometimes the most simple ideas - when executed well - can catapult your career in a legacy company, such as a major player in the traditional motion picture industry. Peter's honest assessment, of his numerous successes and failures, is a testament to his accomplished career as a man of action. His point of view perhaps can be summed up as this; if you can't tell it, you can't sell it. Clearly, one of Peter's many talents is that of a master salesman. That said, this book will be a inspirational guide to all young executives that want to prove that they're worthy of additional responsibility -- by demonstrating that they can solve a fundamental weakness in a company's current business model. Peter says that the most propulsive business stories shine a light on an interest, goal or problem that both the teller and the audience share. The power of these stories stems from the strong "me-to-we" connection that's made. In my opinion, the most insightful story that Peter tells is about the process that Columbia Pictures - and other big media companies of that time - typically used to select directors and other key members of new film projects that cost in the tens of millions to produce. Because most studio executives lacked meaningful insights regarding the availability of these independent contractors, the typical process for production team member selection would best be described as seat-of-the-pants decision making (that's my term, not Peter's). The key point: the leadership selection process for a major motion picture would help to explain why so many films fail at the box-office and result in a huge financial loss for the studio. Peter's big idea for improving efficiency was to install a big (floor to ceiling) white corkboard and a bunch of colored push-pins that he used to map out the current and pending availability of the required talent -- and key production team leadership -- needed to produce a successful project. This rudimentary scheduling tool was so innovative that it was a launch-pad for his career. He shares many other true stories that will simply make you shake your head in disbelief. Therefore, I found this book to be both informative, about one of America's most recognized source of celebrity figures, and very entertaining.