Subir Chowdhury - The Difference: When Good Enough Isn’t Enough

A disarmingly powerful, fresh-news slant on why and how people (you and I and everyone we work for, or with, or work for us), are the most important factor in every facet of business success, and why so many miss the mark. If youre looking to create breakthroughs in your business and in your life, this book is for you.

TONY ROBBINS

Subir Chowdhury nailed it with this book. The Difference has what you need to succeed in business and life that they dont teach you in school.

MARK A. WAGNER, PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS AT WALGREENS

Subir has simplified the true meaning of business life with his gripping, hauntingyet disarmingly liberatingbook. Readers completing the last page of The Difference will entirely be transformedyou will be quite different from the person you were when you began the journey!

JAY ABRAHAM, WORLDWIDE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIST

The Difference is superb. Subir Chowdhury has again eloquently and insightfully captured why some organizations win and others dont. The STAR framework leads to marvelous cases, tools, and actions that can be quickly adapted to improve organizational success. The applications to professional and personal settings are captivating and useful.

DAVE ULRICH, RENSIS LIKERT PROFESSOR AT THE ROSS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, AND PARTNER AT THE RBL GROUP

When good enough isnt enough is a profound distinction that will make a significant difference in your business and your life. The fact that Subirs extraordinary reputation was informed by his grandfathers wisdom of the ages advice from Bangladesh is a testament that true principles transcend geography, not just time. We are all blessed that Subir chose to pick up the pen as his grandfather intended. The secret of teaching his grandson to write to the authors of the books he was reading is worth the price of this book alone. It reveals the principle used to fuel Facebook and LinkedIn. Read this book twice.

GREG LINK, COFOUNDER OF THE COVEY LEADERSHIP CENTER AND AUTHOR OF SMART TRUST

Drawing on the real-world situations he deals with in his professional life, Subir Chowdhury reveals why certain organizations succeed while others dont. Thoughtfully written, and a compelling read.

NARAYANA N. R. MURTHY, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF MENTOR OF INFOSYS LIMITED

Insightful! The Difference shows managers and leaders at every level how to better engage and develop a companys most fundamental resource: its people. It is the difference between good enough and being truly great.

R. C. BHARGAVA, CHAIRMAN OF MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LTD. AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS, IIT KANPUR

Myths about how we should live our lives abound. But they are just that, myths. And too often they lead us to lesser and poorer lives. In this straightforward and inspiring book, Subir Chowdhury distills a lifetime of experience, rising from impoverished beginnings in Bangladesh, to his decades of consulting work with CEOs of many of the top Fortune 500 companies, to becoming one of our leading thinkers on workplace culture and organizational values. His STAR model for making a difference at work and in our personal lives is seemingly simple, but surprisingly nuanced and profound. This short but powerful book could change your life.

RITA GUNTHER MCGRATH, PROFESSOR AT COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL AND AUTHOR OF THE END OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Wed all like to make a difference in our lives and make the world a better place; the wisdom and insights that Subir Chowdhury imparts in this short but remarkable book will help to show you how.

ERIC J. TOPOL, MD, PROFESSOR AT THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND AUTHOR OF THE PATIENT WILL SEE YOU NOW

The Ice Cream Maker

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Copyright 2017 by Subir Chowdhury

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Crown Business, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

ISBN9780451496218

Ebook ISBN9780451496225

Cover design by Tal Goretsky

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For Malini

A s I was writing this book, the tragic story about contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, was making national news. The city, in a cost-cutting maneuver, changed the source of its water supply. Repeated mistakes were made by local, state, and federal officials, which led to the presence of lead in the water delivered to Flint homes. The lead showed up in the blood of Flints children, but it affected everyone who used the Flint municipal water supply.

The story grabbed my attention for two reasons. First, I was a longtime resident of Michigan. And second, it is the kind of tragedy that I hope The Difference will help people avoid. The story of the contaminated Flint water supply involves failures on the part of local and state regulators to anticipate the problem, or respond to complaints. Community members persisted in efforts to call attention to the contaminated water, despite having their complaints be summarily dismissed. The difference between how those two groups of people responded to the crisis is the very issue that I address in The Differencea difference that ultimately lies in the mindsets of the people involved.

My previous books, several of which have been international bestsellers, contributed to the field of quality improvement. I wrote them primarily for executives, managers, companies, and organizations who want to learn how to go about improving the quality of their products and services. This book is aimed at overcoming a fallacy that too many of us, in todays hectic, demanding times, have succumbed tothat good enough is good enough. What I have found, in my decades of work with many of the top leaders in business, is that we have to do better than good enough. We have to strive for excellence. And that process and way of thinking all begins with developing a caring mindset. While the ideas in this book emerged from my personal experience, and my experiences in the field of quality improvement, its lessons are universal. I believe they apply to everyone, both in their business careers and in their lives outside of work. I believe this book has the potential to resonate with students, stay-at-home parents, shopkeepers, public servants, teachersanyone who wants to make a difference in their organization and in their lives.