This book reveals the Secrets to Service Success by analyzing four
service companies
that grew from small beginnings to the leaders in their industries.
Interviews with the four CEOs who guided the companies to their
success reveal the three basic principles they all share. The CEOs
interviewed are Thomas Berglund of Securitas and J. Philip Sorensen
of Group4Falck, the world’s two largest security companies, Francis
Mackay of Compass plc and Pierre Bellon of Sodexho Alliance, the
world’s two largest food service companies.
Table of Content
Foreword ix
Acknowledgements xiii
1 Introduction 1
The Investigation 5
The Framework 6
How this Book is Organized 8
2 The Journey to Leadership 9
The Challenge 9
Four Journeys to Leadership 12
Signposts 2002 33
Four Companies: Four Winning Traits 37
3 Pick Your Game and Play it 39
Decide What You Want to Do 41
Follow a Simple, Replicable Business Model 49
Use Simple, Transparent Performance Measures 58
Questions for Service Leaders 61
4 Leadership at the Heart 63
Visionary Industry Shapers 67
Passionate and Inspirational Leaders 80
True Entrepreneurs 93
Intimate Business Knowledge 97
Questions for Service Leaders 98
5 Passion for People 101
Recruit 106
Integrate and Develop 111
Retain 122
Build Partnerships with Unions and Works Councils 132
Questions for Service Leaders 135
6 Keep It Simple 137
Flat Organization and Decentralized Decision-Making 138
Small Head Office 143
Questions for Service Leaders 147
7 Winning at Service: Final Words 149
Win by Relinquishing Power 153
Win with the Right Outlook 154
Win at Golf: Play with a Full Bag 159
Win by Turning Non-Core into Core 160
Can all Companies Win? 161
Assa Abloy: Lessons from a Non-Service Winner 166
How Large Can Winners Be? 167
Appendix 171
Index 175
About the author
Waldemar Schmidt, Executive-in-Residence, IMD, Lausanne. Before becoming Executive-in-Residence at IMD, Waldemar Schmidt was CEO of ISS, the world’s leading facilities support services group with 26 5000 employees in 35 countries. To cap his career accomplishments he now serves on the supervisory boards of 12 European companies and serves as chairman of 5 of them.
Gordon Adler, Senior Writer, IMD, Lausanne. In addition to serving as IMD’s Senior Writer, Gordon Adler also works as an editor and communications consultant/writing coach at a number of international companies. A freelance writer, he recently co-authored a book about family business, and has published in leading journals and magazines.
Els van Weering, Research Associate and Project Manager at IMD, Lausanne, creates case studies for IMD’s executive education programmes. Her areas of special expertise include corporate learning, international growth, entrepreneurship in large corporations, talent retention, strategy and leadership.
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