Xmas wish …… Who would be your Guru of your choice if you were granted an extraordinary opportunity to spend a week with that person? (Current or from the past)
No ……. I am not a Gennie nor Santa but is time for reflection and to re- energize ourselves for the new year.
So …….. Who would be that person ?
My choice would’ve been ” W.E. Deming ”
Happy Holidays to all
Edison Reis
www.QualityAssuranceManagement.com
Tags: Guru, Guru of choice, Xmas wish
December 10th, 2008 at 11:36 am
I’m in doubt between:
- “Don Juan” (from “The Teachings of Don Juan” book by Carlos Castaneda)
- John Forbes Nash
- Bill Smith
Viktor Yarmak
December 10th, 2008 at 11:40 am
My choice would be Eli Goldratt in the living and when the timemachine will be finally invented: Socrates (1), Jesus (2) or Gandhi (3)
Best wishes to all!
Erwin Elands
December 10th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Deming also without hesitation
Eric Belleflamme
December 10th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I would like to spend a week with Steve Jobs, i consider him one of the world’s best business guru, i would love to learn his marketing skills and how he developed his brand.
Abhishek Gupta
December 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
My choice would be Dr. Michael Hammer.
Lisa Holcomb
December 10th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Paul Arden or Richard Branson. One’s a late, excellent marketer and advertising guru… the other an entrepreneurial mastermind with passion for business and fun.
Zach Bussey
December 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I would appreciate spending some time with Thomas Edison. To fail and persist until one succeeds…or should I say to find 10,000 ways that something doesn’t work!
Also Leonardo DaVinci. Creative mind, inventor, futurist!
Links:
http://www.accessgurunow.com
http://www.mallnowalls.com
http://www.manhattanguidebook.com
Steven Davis
December 10th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Living person: Ken Blanchard is the greatest source of inspiration for me - since I know him, I can speak to him at any time but I wanted to get in a plug for a fantastic leader and visionary
Person who has passed: Ralpha Waldo Emerson
Harry Tucker
December 10th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I would definitely would like to spend a week with my X Boss i.e. Edwin.K.Paul . I think he’s the most professional person & also very intellectual.
Minnie
December 10th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
I would pick great men from the past… 1) leaders, politicians and philosophers: Lorenzo de Medicis and Nicolo Macchiaveli… 2) artists: Leonardo de Vinci and Miguel Angelo Buonarrotti… and 3) the greatest poet of all times, Dante Alghieri. I would ask them to tell me about their main passion in life and let them talk uninterruptedly for the whole week.
Bernardo J. Araya
December 10th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Neat question.
Charles Handy = Irish business guru (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Handy )
Happy hols and peace to all,
Steve Towers
December 10th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Wayne Dyer. His book The Power of Intention so beautifully captures all the wisdom of the Hindu religion (and all other religions, perhaps) and presents in a most practical way.
Ranganathan Nambakam
December 10th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
It would be Arthur Koestler ( books: The Ghost in the machine, The art of creation). The most lucid evolutionary writer in the 20th century.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Koestler
Oscar Cuzzani
December 10th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Not too far away on the time line. It always “sound” interesting, but what could it truly tell me for today’s life?
Business:
Robert “Bob” Crandall, the charismatic leader of American Airlines.
Alternatively Richard Branson as well.
Personally:
Freddie Mercury or Katie Melua. Or spend the week with Pink Floyd that ends with the P.U.L.S.E.-concert…
Or spend a week with some carpenter’s son about 2000 years ago prior to the last supper and learn what reality there was. The same is true for my preferred authors and artists - I prefer to keep the image I have of them and admire their works.
So to make a joice, in order of preference: Bob Crandall, Richard Branson, Katie Melua. All of them “today”
Jürgen Barthel
December 10th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I would say Mahatma Gandhi.
Anyone else I guess I can read by, or about. As to living people, I see no reason why I couln’t write to them and attempt at your proposal in person. If I am or they are worth anything I can dream they’ll answer eventually, not true? And if someone doesn’t answer (as it happened here with a Bill Gates, or a Michael Eisner–whom I didn’t know who he is–, or other folks who may seem to only take and not ever be ready to give back), it means they were not worth my time in the first place… no?
Thank you for a good question, yet a very hard one, as you limit the number to one. Could we instead do one person a day each day of the one week allowed? A much easier choice then, wouldn’t you find?
Best,
Adrian
December 10th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Pablo Picasso. Seeing him create any one of his works of art would satisfy me.
Luciano Pavarotti. I cannot have enough of his music.
These are both people who were at the top of their game, and whose works bring me untold pleasure, and inspire.
Sandra Vaughn-Cooke
December 10th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I choose Edward O. Wilson. Anyone who can write a book as stunning as Consilience and another as charming as his autobiography would be fascinating company for a week.
Clare
December 10th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
I would have to say Mr. and Mrs. T Boone Pickens.
His wisdom and charm, and her incredible generosity make them
the perfect couple to hangout with! If you are Santa……
this is my wish.
Links:
http://www.pickensplan.com
shari greer
December 10th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Marketing Master - Dan Kennedy
Richard Mann
December 10th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Motzart , the passion and creativity with a fearless approch is what is so overdue in the world of Quality . His vision an abstract approch created great change.
My second would be my Hero Tom Peters , say it as you see it and be relentless to a cause !
Kreg Kukor
December 10th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Thanks Edison, Eleanor Roosevelt for me would be amazing!
Keith Frampton
December 11th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I would want to work with Jack Welch; While as a Global Master Black Belt at General Electric, I had the opportunity to work with Jack on executing the ACFC (At the Customer/For the Customer Six Sigma Initiative. I would be honored to work with Jack on a new initiative.
Links:
http://www.theaitgroup.com
Steven Bonacorsi
December 11th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
It’s Deming for me too.
Good day,
Roice
December 11th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Great question… my answer wouldn’t necessarily be related to business process improvement… more or less “understanding improvement”. It’s a toss up between…
Gautama Buddha
or
Albert Einstein,
Tony Chryseliou
December 11th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
To pick just one is just hard, any of the following would be great to spend time with…I mean I’d be more than honored and delighted;
W.E. Deming
Philip Kotler
Guy Kawasaki
Faith Popcorn
And maybe…Warren Buffett too!
I know I have a mixed choice there…yet it shows where my heart really is!
Siony Hijara
December 11th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Shigeo Shingo: I met him once, and wish he was still with us. What a genius!
Anders Nielsen
December 12th, 2008 at 11:03 am
My choice would be Peter Drucker.
Some of his quotes.
“”Management” means, in the last analysis, the substitution of thought for brawn and muscle, of knowledge for folklore and superstition, and of cooperation for force. .”
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things”.
“Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship… the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.”
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
He laid the seeds for Management as a discipline and many of his ideas are being revisited by the current Management Gurus.
Sudhanshu
Link: http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Peter_Drucker/
December 15th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I’ve already done it: Byron Katie.
If I had another opportunity, it would be to spend a week with Bill Clinton. Say what you will about his personal life and behavior, he came the closest of all American Presidents to bringing about peace in the middle east and to getting us universal health coverage. We prospered economically when he was in office as never before and certainly not since. Had there not been such a vicious witch-hunt to bring him down, we’d be better off today. I’d love to know what makes such a great mind tick and how he managed to do all he did with such efficacy and grace.
Carol Skolnick
December 17th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
My choice would be:
From the past - Leonardo Da Vinci - because so much of what he envisioned is common place today.
From modern times - Richard Branson - entrepreneur and all round nice guy.
Regards
Jenni Wright
December 17th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
The irony is that all of the great icons of the quality profession were very mathematical and statistical, and did not consider themselves gurus but simple practitioners of basic fundamental concepts.
Spending a week is a very long time, so I would probably have to think about the person as much as the knowledge they would bring.
Dan Zrymiak
December 17th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
My choice would be Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface Inc.
For his change management abilities, his visionary way of reinventing an established business model and for his early moves in sustainability issues.
Links:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=RcRDUIbT4gw
Loïc Garçon
December 28th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
The more answers we receive the more we realized that we are (or were) surrounded by several great gurus or leaders.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with the group
Happy holidays
Edison Reis
http://www.qualityassurancemanagement.com
January 1st, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Two people! Jane Goodall and Clint Eastwood!!!
Terri Williams