Buy plain talk by ken iverson, tom varian, warren bennis foreword by online at alibris. Ken iverson, the legendary ceo of nucor steel, managed to grow the company at 17% per year and be profitable for over 30 years. Ken iverson wrote plain talk 1997 to document the management and innovation principles that led nucor from bankruptcy to the number three position in the steel industry in the united states. A renowned business leader who remains ceo of the steel industry giant he created shares his ideas and observations on how to grow a worldclass organization and the principles behind. Plain talk, by ken iverson, is a memoir of his time running the steel company nucor. Ken iverson joined nuclear corporation in 1962 when it bought vulcraft, a manufacturer of steel joists, where he worked. Learning from ken iverson investment masters class. Lessons from a business maverick book, kindle, by ken iverson, the longtime ceo of nucor, pretty much embodies that. Tom varian ken iverson led nucor corporation from near oblivion to its current place as americas thirdlargest steel company.
The book is written in a very refreshing and direct style reminiscent of books written in the early 1900s. Feb 9, 2019 plain talk your customers by ken iverson nucor stay safe and healthy. If youre not familiar with nucor, its a steel company right, steel and the most successful one of the last 5075 years, at that. Plain talk by ken iverson meet your next favorite book. Lessons from a business maverick kindle edition by iverson, ken, bennis, warren. But two years later, the ink was barely dry on the pages of plain talk when he was pushed off nucors board and into retirement. Plain talk provides a penetrating analysis of why nucor has performed so well for so long, full of insights and solid conclusions. Plain talk by ken iverson, tom varian, warren bennis. Despite the warning, above this book deserves your attention for a few reasons. In his longawaited book, ken iverson shares his ideas, observations, and the lessons hes learned about what it takes. Its a nononsense, simple guide to business success by one of americas greatest. You will receive an alert when the book is available for less than the new or used price you specify. Discover book depositorys huge selection of ken iverson books online.
If you know anything about the vagaries of prediction, you can imagine what a lesson in humiliation that. Plain talk is an easy read, i finished it in a few days. In a world that celebrates the leader, the capital allocator, the visionary and pays nosebleed multiples for their stocks, this was a great reminder that having a best in class culture can often make you just as successful. Located in the heart of des moines east village, plain talk books and coffee offers organic coffee and. A simple yet very powerful truth of most businesses today.
In his longawaited book, ken iverson shares his ideas, observations, and the lessons hes learned about what it takes to grow a supercompetitive, worldclass organization. Since the publication of the book nucor has become the number one player. Plain talk your customers by ken iverson nucor book. Twenty years ago, in 1998, my agent called and asked if id be interested in coauthoring a business book aimed at identifying 21 companies. By 1996, when ken iverson stepped down as ceo after a 30year run, nucor had risen from near bankruptcy to become the thirdlargest steelmaker in the u. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. A visionary, maverick, and genuine american business hero, ken iverson is one of the most. If youre looking for a free download links of plain talk. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to. Get the key points from this book in less than 10 minutes. Nucor was formed from the nuclear corporation of america, which grew out of reo motor company.
Within months, his handpicked successor as ceo, john. A visionary, maverick, and genuine american business hero, ken iverson is one of the most closelywatched business leaders in the world. Perhaps the highest praise for this refreshing little memoir is this. You will enjoy reading this book as much as the people who work for nucor. Credited with singlehandedly rejuvenating the rapidly declining american steel industry to the status of worldclass producer, iverson is one of the most successful and, as he likes to point out, one of the lowestpaid ceos in the u. More recently, i stumbled across ken iversons book plain talk after it was recommended by one of the investment masters. Since the publication of the book nucor has become the number one. There are no magic pills to being successful in steel. He is credited with transforming nucor steel from a nearly bankrupt company in the 1960s into the largest and most successful steelmaker in the united states. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading plain talk. Creating an egalitarian, performancebased culture is hard in a small company. The book plain talk lessons from a business maverick written by ken iverson, was a truly inspiring, and refreshing look into how a small company like nucore a very small company of 500 people at the time could take on behemoth companies like united states steel corp.
Ken iversons plain talk twenty years ago, in 1998, my agent called and asked if id be interested in coauthoring a business book aimed at identifying 21 companies that would lead the way in the 21st century. Ken iverson is the person who did as much as anyone to put that culture in place. Plain talk summary by ken iverson overdrive rakuten. Ken iverson is one of those clear thinking, logical business leaders that can so easily articulate great ideas. Lessons from a business maverick iverson, ken, varian, tom, bennis. Innovation principles from ken iversons plain talk. Lessons from a business maverick by iverson, varian isbn. Nucor was extremely successful, for a long period, in an industry that provided huge headwinds. Ken iverson had already discovered most of the business secrets revealed in todays business best sellers nucor had a culture long before zappos made it popular. In his longawaited book, ken iverson shares his ideas, observations, and the teachings hes found about what it takes to develop a superaggressive, worldclass group. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Being ethical is a matter of finding the intersection between what is equitable, right and practical.
Lessons from a business maverick by iverson, ken and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. In the late 1960s, the companys steel joist and deck business was dependent on imports from a single supplier, who kept raising prices. Plain talk by ken iverson and tom varian and warren bennis overview a genuine american business hero, ken iverson, ceo and chairman of nucor steel, is credited with singlehandedly rejuvenating the rapidly declining american steel industry to the status of worldclass producer. Lessons from a business maverick by iverson, ken abebooks. A visionary, maverick, and genuine american business hero, ken iverson i. Plain talk free summary by ken iverson and tom varian. Plain talk by ken iverson, 9780671580681, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Peter larson, chairman and ceo, brunswick corporation it is a masterpiece. Great leadership ideas and examples brought forward. At the time, iversons memoirmanagement exposition, plain talk. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Kenneth iverson september 18, 1925 april 14, 2002 was an american businessman.
And he was chairman of nucor corporation, which, under his leadership, had come from nowhere to run circles around big steel and compete headtohead with heavily subsidized foreign steelmakers. He focuses on major business objectives involves passionate employees so that they can connect with the objectives and feel a major part of the solution. The book includes a few case studies on companies, nucor being one of them. When you read iversons book it will all seem logical and commonsensical. Innovation principles from ken iversons plain talk skmurphy, inc. Ken iversons approach to guiding organizations is the wave of the future. Access a free summary of plain talk, by ken iverson and tom varian and 20,000 other business, leadership and nonfiction books on getabstract. Lessons from a business maverick book online at best prices in india on. Ken iversons plain talk details the management and innovation. A visionary, maverick, and genuine american business hero, ken iverson is. Lessons from a business maverick, was newly published. Please use the link provided below to generate a unique link valid for 24hrs. Iverson distilled his business philosophy into a book, plain talk. Plain talk provides a penetrating analysis of why nucor has performed so well.
1351 1081 825 792 1213 490 1200 622 1304 907 1458 243 1159 1417 217 130 804 1102 974 1189 826 1524 348 1263 1533 1393 32 220 654 642 1072 1442 1291 1099 421 1283 453 1429 219 939 633 1426 1406