The Business Romantic
Give Everything, Quantify Nothing, and Create Something Greater Than Yourself
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In this smart, playful, and provocative book, one of today’s most original business thinkers argues that we underestimate the importance of romance in our lives and that we can find it in and through business—by designing products, services, and experiences that connect us with something greater than ourselves.
Against the backdrop of eroding trust in capitalism, pervasive technology, big data, and the desire to quantify all of our behaviors, The Business Romantic makes a compelling case that we must meld the pursuit of success and achievement with romance if we want to create an economy that serves our entire selves.
A rising star in data analytics who is in love with the intrinsic beauty of spreadsheets; the mastermind behind a brand built on absence; an Argentinian couple who revolutionize shoelaces; the founder of a foodie-oriented start-up that creates intimate conversation spaces; a performance artist who offers fake corporate seminars for real professionals—these are some of the innovators readers will meet in this witty, deeply personal, and rousing ramble through the world of Business Romanticism.
The Business Romantic not only provides surprising insights into the emotional and social aspects of business but also presents “Rules of Enchantment” that will help both individuals and organizations construct more meaningful experiences for themselves and others.
The Business Romantic offers a radically different view of the good life and outlines how to better meet one’s own desires as well as those of customers, employees, and society. It encourages readers to expect more from companies, to give more of themselves, and to fall back in love with their work and their lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Leberecht, chief marketing officer for NBBJ, a global architecture firm, fervently believes that we can't and shouldn't separate our work lives from our personal lives, aiming in this idealistic but overly flighty manifesto to restore a sense of meaning and transcendence to his readers' work. According to a 2013 Gallup poll that Leberecht cites, only 13% of employees are fully engaged with their jobs, while 63% report some disengagement and 24% feel "actively disengaged." The conclusion that Leberecht draws from these statistics is that in a challenging, changing time, "we must keep sacred our younger, cherished notions of work and its meaning." The book presents seven different types of "business romantics": the lover, the business traveler, the outsider, the voice, the guardian, the "visioner," and the believer. It also lists several "rules of enchantment," including "give more than you take" and "keep the mystique." Leberecht illustrates these lessons with tales of people, like Twitter editorial director Karen Wickre, who are adhering to their values in an ever-changing world. Though this is unusually well written for a business book, it's unclear which audience it speaks to and what message, other than the comforting one that work should be inspiring and fun, it aims to convey.
Customer Reviews
Opening A New Dimension In Business
My experience reading The Business Romantic was one of liberation. Finally, amid all the talk about data analytics, efficiency, objectivity and optimization in business, here is an author who remembers that, at its foundation, business remains a human enterprise. The Business Romantic has the potential to catalyze a movement to counterbalance the quantitative arm of commerce with a qualitative side that, while more soft and warm, can have equal strength. Leberecht’s work points out the need of businesses to explore the cultural dynamics that power their sales and keep their offices intact. I’m looking forward to more from this exciting author.