There is no silver bullet that will hit the bull’s-eye of a successful life or business. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. But there are simple truths which, combined with hard work, increases the chance of success. ~ Terry Leahy

Tesco is the largest supermarket chain in the UK. For every £1 spent on groceries in the UK, £3 is spent in Tesco. Terry Leahy spent fourteen years as CEO of Tesco and oversaw its expansion from groceries into everything from electrical goods, clothing and mobile phones. As at the writing of this review, he is no longer CEO but he has taken the time to put down his thoughts on management into a book

Humble Beginnings

I find  ‘Management in 10 Words‘ to be an inspiring, simple and practical book because Leahy takes me on a journey that starts from his humble beginnings in a council estate in Liverpool. We pass through his early days in Tesco as a marketing man. He ends up as the chief executive and proceeds to grow the company into the largest retailer in the UK and the third largest in the world.

This gives you and me hope. With plenty of heard work, persistence and a bit of luck you can achieve success in your carer or business. Yes luck. You do need the lucky breaks to get ahead. But being in the right place at the right time is not enough. Luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity. Preparedness is you playing your part in readiness for the opportunity that will surely come your way.

Success Princples

Success depends on what lies deep within us. If you spend your life never daring to go where your hopes and dreams might take you, you will end your days deep in a dark valley of frustrated hopes, looking at what might have been. ~ Terry Leahy

There are a lot of success principles to learn from Management in 10 Words. Here are a few

• Embrace failure as an opportunity learn. Misfortune and mistakes may knock you back, but keep on moving.
• Deliver value that exceeds what your customer or client is paying for.
• Welcome competition. It brings the best out of you.
• Keep things simple. It will make you more creative and innovative.
• Be a person of your words because, Trust is the bedrock of leadership.

Be Ambitious. Do not be trapped by your past.

This book very much encourages you to be ambitious, and to persevere in the pursuit of your ambition. Terry has a clear message to those who think or say to themselves ‘I can’t achieve my ambitions’, or believe that they have a disadvantaged background or up bringing. Do not be trapped by your past or be a prisoner of your background.

The past is just that – Don’t let it limit your future ~ Terry Leahy

Most of the book is made up of the 10 guiding principles that helped Terry on his way to the top. These principles are simple enough to be applied by you and I to our small or large teams, small or large businesses or simply as guides to live by.

Management in 10 Words

1. Truth
2. Loyalty
3. Courage
4. Values
5. Act
6. Balance
7. Simple
8. Lean
9. Compete
10. Trust

Set down your bias against the largest supermarket in the UK that is probably responsible for the closure of many small businesses. Read this book and learn from a true leader and business giant. Well done Terry.

Question: Have you read this book? if not why not get a copy and tell me what inspires you in the book? If you have read it why not let me hear from you by leaving a comment below.