Summary: How to Succeed in Business by Breaking All the Rules

Review and Analysis of Kennedy's Book

BusinessNews Publishing

• Publisher: Must Read Summaries
• Year: 2016
• Topic: Business
• eBook ISBN:
  9782806246967
• Subtopic: Entrepreneurship
• Index: Business

The must-read summary of Dan S. Kennedy's book: `How to Succeed in Business by Breaking all the Rules: A Plan for Entrepreneurs`.

This complete summary of the ideas from Dan S. Kennedy's book  `How to Succeed in Business by Breaking all the Rules` points out that most business books give “rules for success”. However, the research suggests that in fact, people should do the opposite: you can actually achieve more by ignoring conventional wisdom than you’ll ever achieve simply by following the masses. Eschewing these conventional wisdoms takes bravery, arrogance, and an understanding that you alone are responsible for your own destiny, but the rewards can exceed your greatest expectations.
This summary highlights some myths propagated by business books and demonstrates their flaws. Positive thinking, for example, isn’t the cure-all many believe it to be, especially if it breeds blind optimism and stops people from doing their research. Creativity should be valued, but it’s important to realise that you need to make money – sometimes it’s best to base your ideas on ones in the past. Even the most inventive films, such as Star Wars, are founded on old ideas (in this case, Westerns). Prevailing wisdom says that winners never quit, but actually, winners know when to jettison things that aren’t working. 

Added-value of this summary: 
• Save time
• Understand the key concepts 
• Increase your business knowledge

To learn more, read `How to Succeed in Business by Breaking all the Rules` and start thinking for yourself!

Summary of How To Succeed In Business By Breaking All The Rules (Dan S. Kennedy)

1. FORGET ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER BEEN TOLD ABOUT POSITIVE THINKING AND MOTIVATION

Main Idea

Norman Vincent Peale, the original developer of the concept of positive thinking, didn’t mean for it to be interpreted as a cure-all. Instead of sitting in a corner thinking uplifting thoughts, work at building a solid foundation incorporating a strong self-image, well defined goals, practical plans and the acquisition of know-how. You’ll then be positioned to achieve positive results through using your initiative and methodically following through.

Supporting Ideas

Positive thinking has altered since it was originally suggested. Most people today have the concept that if you think good thoughts, only good things will happen. The problems with that idea, however, are:

1. Many high achievers have successfully used negative emotions - such as revenge - to motivate themselves to achieve their goals. While it’s true that optimism is helpful, blind optimism can be dangerous. It’s far better to expect negative situations to arise and to be prepared to handle them rather than to blissfully expect everything to come together because you have a positive mindset.
2. Positive thinking was never intended to completely and magically eliminate disappointments from people’s lives. It was originally designed simply as a tool to help people cope with negative occurrences more effectively, and that’s where its most useful applications lie.
3. In the final analysis, if you’re results oriented, it doesn’t matter whether you’re motivated by negative emotions or positive emotions, as long as you achieve the objective you’re after. In other words, go with whatever works for you.
4. “Getting motivated” in the traditional sense is a futile exercise if you don’t have the tools, the know-how and the opportunity to achieve your goal. You are far better off spending the time you would otherwise spend getting revved up to systematically assembling all the elements needed to achieve your objectives.

2. THE MYTH OF THE NATURAL BORN SALESMAN - OR ANYTHING ELSE

Main Idea

Never worry about genetics, natural talent or IQ. The truth of the matter is you can achieve pretty well whatever you set your mind to. Everyone has handicaps and weaknesses, and it’s an individual choice whether they serve as barriers that restrict you or as hurdles that challenge you as you leap over them and move forward. Nothing but your own decisions and determination will decide your achievements.

Supporting Ideas

The world at large loves the concept of the natural born anything. Yet, in reality, the world is full of people who just go ahead and do whatever they want to do regardless of whether or not they have any initial talent or aptitude in that field. Eventually, they become so good at the basics of their field that people start to talk of them as having that mystical natural born talent.

Your past, including your beliefs, experiences and self-image, will only define your future if you let it. You have the ability to either give or deny permission for past events to control your future accomplishments. Nobody else can make that decision for you.

There will be some things which you’ll find much more interesting than others, and it is in those areas that you are more likely to develop the skills and characteristics required to succeed. If you pick a career in that field, you’ll have a passionate interest in what you’re doing, which in turn will translate into value-added skills you’ll be able to profitably exploit.

Never consider that you can’t succeed because of a low IQ. Most studies today suggest IQ measures only about 20-percent of the factors that determine success in any field, and IQ can readily be offset by other factors if you are determined to be a success. In the real world, IQ generally has much less useful value than factors such as street smarts, common sense or know-how.

Key Thoughts

Kid to his father, about a report card filled with Fs: “Well, Dad, what do you think the problem is: heredity or environment?”

3. THE ...

Table of contents

• Title page
• Book Presentation
• Summary of How To Succeed In Business By Breaking All The Rules (Dan S. Kennedy)
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