Portraits of Success: 12 Keys to Sustaining Value in Any Business

by James Olan Hutcheson

Portraits of Success offers solutions to the most common problems faced by closely held firms as they strive to create value that can and will be sustained by future generations of management.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0793152593
• ISBN13: 9780793152599
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Dearborn Trade
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Get the Scoop

I really enjoyed the scoop on how other small businesses dealt with difficulties. ....good read! Helpful advice I will use to further my own family's Inn. Now I know what we are doing right & where we can improve.

Read this book twice and revisit it often

This is a difficult book to categorize - on one level it's a framework for business (or personal) success, on another it's an account of one man's personal observations and astute conclusions. Above all, it's lucid and remarkably well written. At the core it's about building self-esteem in yourself and others, and how to develop your most important assets - your people. I like the way Mr. Hutcheson immediately draws you into his life and the forces and personalities which influenced him from an early age. He clearly explains what the book is about and why he wrote it, weaving in story telling, analysis and definite purpose. He continues by laying out the nine keys to sustaining value, which are actually guidelines that can be used in business or in personal endeavors. Each key is empirically supported, is illustrated and reinforced by portraits of success, and is laid out as a set of action items which clearly show how to use the key.My first pass through the book was fast and left me with the impression that much of it was common sense. A more careful reading, however, showed that what seems like common sense if actually the author's ability to articulate insights gained through a lifetime as an executive who worked his way up in a family business, and his later observations as a consultant. I was so impressed with what I read that I gave a copy to my boss (I work for a privately held company based in India), and he was as impressed as I with the advice given and the clear outline for implementing it. It's about leadership, doing the right things for the right reasons, and how to build and maintain a distinctive culture. This is a down-to-Earth book that imparts excellent advice and the insights behind the advice. It is inspirational, yet practical, and is true to its title with respect to providing nine keys to sustaining business value.

Advice from a veteran

This is a good book, especially for someone who is embarking on a business career.The author has "been there,done that." He has vast experience in a variety of businesses, much of which he shares with us in this book, which is unlike most others in its genre in its presentation of proven business practices designed to result in success.I, too, have "been there." I started and ran my own commercial art business for ten years which, although I had only five employees, was a lively experience and--believe it or not--I discovered the truth of much that Hutcheson says here. I wish I'd had the book before I started the business. It would have saved me some rough spots, perhaps.I recommend this book for anyone who is embarking on a career in business who has aspirations toward a management position. There are no 'secrets' divulged here, but the author has a succinct and entertaining style and a lot of good, hard advice to impart. The book is replete with many examples in the real world to emphasize his points and bring them home.Joseph Pierre

How to "Paint" Your Own

There are many other books now in print which also claim to offer all manner of business "keys" or "secrets." What sets this book apart from most of them is not easily explained but I now attempt to do so. Hutcheson draws upon a wealth of real-world business experience, first during the years when he went to work part-time as a telemarketer at Olin Mills, Inc. (which his grandfather founded), eventually heading the Olin Mills Portrait Studios; and then after he left Olin Mills to found his own company, ReGENERATION Partners. The range and depth of his practical experience in the business are thus extensive. The nine "Keys" Hutcheson shares in this book are based on personal experience, not theory. What also differentiates this book from most others I've read is Hutcheson's consistent emphasis on both human value and human potentiality. He understands full well that one of the greatest challenges decision-makers now face in their organizations (regardless of size or nature) is to help ordinary people produce extraordinary results... and do so in collaboration with others. Hence the importance of respect for human dignity in any workplace. Hence the importance of a manager's faith in human potentiality. Throughout his book, Hutcheson affirms that respect and faith in no uncertain terms.With regard to the nine "Keys" themselves, no news there. They could just as easily be seven (Covey) or 21 (Maxwell). Everyone is in favor of building companies that last, believes that companies need effective leadership, that a meritocracy is preferable to anarchy, etc. Of course, Hutcheson makes no claim that his "Keys" are "Secrets." Again, what sets his book apart from so many others is the meticulous care with which he presents and discusses the "Keys" in terms of achieving and then sustaining maximum value in an organization. Because there is a continuity to his thought processes when developing his ideas, the chapters should be read in sequence. With regard to the "Portraits," Hutcheson "paints" several. Those I found of greatest value are of Legend Airlines (which illustrates the power of "fable") and Southwest Airlines (which illustrates the importance of "traditions, myths, and shared beliefs"); also, those of the New York Yankees, Dell Computer, and Katz's Deli. (Katz's Deli? Yes. Read Chapter 7 in which Hutcheson explains why it is imperative to "give the next generation room to grow.") Frankly, I was surprised to encounter a discussion of Dennis Rodman in Chapter 2. What's he doing in this book? Hutcheson explains why. He tells his own "business story" in the Preface and then concludes the book with "Closing Reflections." The tone and style of the narrative throughout made this reader feel that I was engaged with Hutcheson in a personal, albeit one-way conversation. (So many other business books seem to be an anthology of graduate school lectures.) Credit Hutcheson with having a caring personality as well as a sense of humor.Who will derive the greates

Don't Miss This One!

Portraits of Success by James Olan Hutcheson is completely in focus as to what needs to be done in running a closely held business, or any business for that matter. In a time where the integrity of a number of businesses is in question, his book stresses the importance of communication, merit, tradition and balance in having a successful business. What a timely lesson for any business owner or CEO!