Six Disciplines for Excellence: Building Small Businesses That Learn, Lead and Last

by Gary Harpst

Six Disciplines Corporation is dedicated to helping small businesses achieve and sustain success. Six Disciplines for Excellence provides six fundamental business principles that are specifically designed to help small businesses move beyond momentary success to attain enduring excellence. This book is not for those who are looking for a quick fix. Six Disciplines for Excellence is a long-term fitness program, not a fad diet.In Six Disciplines for Excellence, you will Information on creating a unique mission statement. Ways to deal with internal and external factors (such as equipment failure or an unfavorable stock market) that affect your business. Helpful charts, checklists, hints, tips, and graphs . Techniques to sustain the success you have worked hard to achieve

Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship

277 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Gary is a dynamic teacher and insightful keynote speaker who challenges and motivates his audiences. His passion is speaking about what effective leaders need to know, do and be to overcome the chaos of everyday life. He unlocks biblical wisdom for unleashing the potential in every human being to lead themselves and others.

Gary’s also been recognized during the past several years as being one of the Top 100 of the nation’s top thought-leaders in management and leadership by Leadership Excellence magazine. Gary speaks, interviews, teaches, and writes frequently on these topics.

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE

Following several years of working for the Ohio State University (BA and MBA in Computer Science) and Marathon Oil, Gary co-founded and became CEO of Solomon Software, originally named “TLB, Inc.” (The Lord’s Business) headquartered in Findlay, Ohio. Under Gary’s leadership from 1980 through 2000, Solomon Software grew to more than 400 employees and $60 million in revenue, servicing over 40,000 clients worldwide, and was sold to Great Plains Software in 2000.

Microsoft acquired the combined Great Plains and Solomon organizations in 2001and located a software development and support campus in Findlay, Ohio until 2004. When Microsoft consolidated its development locations, Gary founded a new organization with these resources and established Solomon Cloud Solutions, a technology consulting service firm for Microsoft Independent Software Vendors (ISV) and Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) Channel Partners.

As a Business Author

Gary in collaboration with Wiley Publishing is working on his third book titled "Built to Beat Chaos, Biblical Wisdom for Leading Yourself and Others." The availability date is April 2023 in retail stores and online retailers.

In 2008, Gary released his second book, “Six Disciplines Execution Revolution: Solving The One Business Problem That Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier.” It became a NYT, WSJ and BusinessWeek Best Seller.

In 2004, Gary published “Six Disciplines for Excellence: Building Small Business That Learn, Lead and Last”, which became an award-winning step-by-step book for continual business performance improvement.

Reviews

[Ed Callahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A business book which may we’ll have been an inspiration to Gino Wickman when he wrote “Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business”. The system is more complex then EOS in my opinion but has some interesting tools which some of my EOS clients might like and lots of stories to illustrate timeless principles.

[Cathy Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always appreciate well-organized material. Step one, step two etc... By giving us six phases in the planning and implementing cycle, what Harpst calls "disciplines," the author is giving those who are inexperienced with planning, implementing, and evaluating their programs a blueprint. Old hands like me get something quite valuable to share with client groups. I especially love the emphasis on getting people and systems aligned with your goals and values. After all, if we set a goal to foster creativity throughout the organization and then reward staff only for showing up on time and being productive, then our personnel system is not in alignment with our stated goals. I've gone back to this book many times since I first read it. The tools and group exercises are especially valuable.

[Bob Wallner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the principles were sound. I enjoyed the flow of this abridged book. Why 3 stars? Book ended with a sales pitch for their services! To get to the end and have to listen to a ten minute pitch on their consultants, software and website...left me on a sour note.

[Robin]

Execution strategies for business success.