Name: What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School
Rating: 4 (140 reviews)
Author: Mark H. McCormack

What’s in it for me? Walk and talk like a street-smart business savant.

Perhaps you’ve aced all of your exams at business school, and maybe you’ve already read countless books about how to succeed in your entrepreneurial efforts. But regardless of how much theoretical knowledge you’ve accumulated, it’s quite a different matter to apply these lessons out in the real world.

And that’s what these blinks have for you: tips and tricks for building and running businesses, handed to

you from those who already have years under their belt on the job market, and who are already doing business – really, really well.

In these blinks, you’ll also learn

how Pepsi won over Burger King;
why holding back is sometimes the best move; and
the advantages of starting your business on a slow burn.

Get insights from your business colleagues by listening to them closely.

When it comes to business, it’s easy to buy into the misconception that it’s all about numbers and growth. But it’s not! It’s about people.

It doesn’t matter if you’re selling a product or hiring someone; to get ahead in business, you have to know who exactly you’re doing business with. If you know their personality and what makes them tick, you’ll be able to predict their behavior.

You’re probably used to the clichéd slick businessman facade. But remember, a businessman won’t fulfil that stereotype with everyone. He’ll talk to his boss, clients or employees in different ways.

If you’re aware of these different fronts, you’ll know that there’s more to the “suit” than meets the eye. There will always be a lot going on beneath the surface.

But how do you discover the richness of someone’s personality? You have to really listen.

Listening isn’t a passive process – you have to actively take in what you’re hearing and make an effort to understand what people are telling you.

Let’s take Pepsi as an example.

For years, Pepsi tried unsuccessfully to court Burger King, urging them to sell their product alongside Coca-Cola and arguing that customers wanted options in their drink choices. But Burger King kept declining their proposal, claiming that they did offer a choice, as they had plenty of other types of soda on offer.

It was only then Pepsi started listening to Burger King. They saw what was going on below the surface, so they changed tactics. In their next pitch, they took a novel approach.

“Hey,” they said, “we’re both number twos.” After all, Burger King had long since played second fiddle to their rivals McDonald’s, just as Pepsi had to Coca-Cola. This convinced Burger King, and they switched to Pepsi in solidarity.

Listening is one thing, but making a good impression is also important. Let’s look at that next.

Use feelings of discomfort or rejection to fuel and motivate your efforts.

Imagine you’re trying to sell something. You really want a positive response and you’re negotiating and persuading your way toward a deal.

It’s sometimes at this very moment that you can feel something’s off, that something’s not right. Do you stop? Or do you press on?

Manage work and play with an organized yet realistic schedule, and don’t deviate from it.

There’s no denying it: business executives are busy people. They run around trying to do everything at once and never seem to have time for their hobbies, let alone time to relax.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. If you manage your time wisely, you can still do non-work-related activities.

Key ideas in What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School

What is What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School about?

What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School (1984) is an introduction to everything your professors don’t and can’t teach you at business school. Learn tips and tricks that only people with real job-market experience have in their arsenal, like how to make a good impression and how to leverage the concept of fear when making sales.

About the Author

Mark H. McCormack (1930-2003) founded and for several years chaired the International Management Group (IMG), an international organization offering consulting, marketing and management services to prominent figures in sports, as well as other celebrities. McCormack was once an aspiring golfer himself, and later turned to the world of business. He was also a lawyer and writer, and penned several books, including The Terrible Truth About Lawyers.