It's not well remembered, but the planned 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics were scandal-ridden and in complete disarray until Romney took over as CEO in early 1999. In this management primer, he makes his rescue job seem very simple: he came in, displayed a positive attitude and hired competent, committed people, and the result was a successful Olympics that few had thought possible. That same attitude is displayed throughout this book, as Romney is quick to credit those around him for the games' success. He's thorough as he details how he revamped the budget, kept costs down and marketed the games to sponsors. His self-deprecating honesty is refreshing and appealing. As he writes after emphasizing the importance of selling the games: "I know there are people out there who love to sell, but it is far from my favorite thing." He's also honest about his criticism of the Salt Lake City leaders who were tainted by their efforts to buy votes from International Olympic Committee members to get the city the games. The same traits that make Romney, now the governor of Massachusetts, an unobtrusive leader don't always serve the book; some readers will want to see more sparks fly. But those looking for a training manual in how to run a high-profile organization will be rewarded.
Mitt Romney, Governor of Massachusetts, built a career turning around troubled companies. As the CEO of Bain Capital and Bain & Company, he and his firm helped propel the success of hundreds of companies, from venture start-ups to the world's largest corporations. In 1999, the Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee turned to him to take over and run the Salt Lake Olympic Games. Romney was reluctant-and with good reason.
Sullied by scandal, on the brink of financial disaster, and with federal investigators, bankers, and the press at its door, the Salt Lake Organizing Committee's senior managers admitted the organization was paralyzed.
But Romney had too much American patriotism to let it become a catastrophe for his country. So he accepted the biggest turnaround challenge of his life.
In Turnaround, Romney reveals how he tackled the seemingly insurmountable obstacles facing the Salt Lake Winter Games. In Turnaround, you'll learn how Romney and his management team:
* eliminated a financial crisis and delivered a profitable Olympic Games;
* built a culture of excellence that inspired gold medal performances from the employees;
* skillfully won the support of government officials, corporate sponsors, local residents, athletes and the international Olympic movement.
* built a culture of excellence that inspired gold medal performances from the employees;
* skillfully won the support of government officials, corporate sponsors, local residents, athletes and the international Olympic movement.
With Romney at the helm, and through the teamwork, tenacity, and creativity of the staff he assembled and supported, the organizing committee succeeded against the odds in producing one of the finest Olympic Games ever-a proud moment for America, a great installment in Olympic history, and a valuable object lesson in what effective management and leadership can do.
Mitt Romney is the Governor of Massachusetts. Before he was elected Governor, he led the Salt Lake Organizing Committee as its President and CEO. In 1984, Mr. Romney founded Bain Capital, a successful venture capital and investment company, and later became CEO of Bain & Company. An active member of his church and in charitable activities, Mr. Romney and his wife Ann have five sons, five daughters-in-law, and seven grandchildren.
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
The Workings of Resounding Success - Created from Chaos, September 3, 2004
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This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
I was living in the SLC area during the entire Olympic Saga. I watched with great interest as the SLC Olympic tides turned fromcrazy chaos and drama to a great swelling of community pride and
enthusiasm toward the Olympics, which ended in a grand culmination of a job done with great excellence and excitement. This tide change began and kept growing stronger and stronger upon the arrival on the scene of one man: Mitt Romnmey!
I've wondered many times, "How did Mitt do the wonderful things he did for the SLOC games to make them end with such success? The book "Turnaround" gives us all the answers to that question and more. From marketing and promotions to generating sponsors and procuring funding, to creating a new, proactive culture for the entire organization, Mitt was focused, determined and exhibited other astounding abilities as he faced the Olympic challenges with creativity, enthusiasm and insight. All of this comes through the pages of this book to the reader.
In fact,there are plenty of references in the book to the steps that were taken to solve the many challenges within the big challenge of the Olympics. Because of this, I think one of the names that would work for this book could be, "The Nuts and Bolts of Ordering Chaos into Resounding Success".(Hey, maybe they should sell it at Home Depot also!) Of course, we'd also need to combine the above book with a book on how to achieve the energy,intelligence and insight Mitt used as he carefully applied all the other steps toward creating Olympic success.
However,we don't in fact need two books because by reading both the written words and "between the lines" of "Turnaround", all aspects of the success of the Olympics become perfectly clear, and it also becomes obvious that Mitt was the lightening rod for it all to happen like it did.
This book is a fascinating read for anyone who is facing a huge,
seemily overwhelming challenge in their life, and I highly recommend it!
20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
Great inside look!, August 3, 2004
By
Becky "Becky" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
Mitt Romney's book gives a great insider account of the Olympic games. I would never have known how much work went into making the event safe! I heard some friends talking about it and thought it would just be another political type book and I wouldnt like it, but I tried it out and was happily suprised that it was written with so much heart and learned alot about the games. I will now be recommending this book to my friends too.
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
I recommend it!, August 18, 2004
This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
Mitt Romney has seemed to always have success when put in difficult situations where others would fail. This book is a detailed example of how he is able to turnaround a whole organization. Everyone would enjoy and apply the information learned from this book. I highly recommend it!
16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
Made me laugh, made me cry..., August 9, 2004
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This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
There was more than one paragraph where I had to put the book down and just kind of smile and sob a little bit - where the emotions of centuries of history and exceptional human performance were brought out in the clarity of a single, short sentence -Some excellent business school case studies could be written about the many mini-turnarounds within the big turn-around, and if turnarounds were an Olympic sport, Mitt and his team just pulled a Mark Spitz. A true testament to the results that can be produced when a large and diverse group of people come together under a charismatic leader with a focused objective.
There aren't a whole lot of examples in today's world that I can point out to my kids and say - "Now there's a righteous dude who's doing amazing things in the world." With the success of such a monumental turnaround, I'm left wondering what can we accomplish if we all work together under an inspired leader?
Now - Mitt isn't perfect. Yet, anyway. There were a few minor typos in the book that I'm sure have him a little hot under the collar, but probably weren't picked up because a proofreader wasn't part of the initial budget! :-)
Highly recommended to anyone interested in bettering their business, their community, their family, and themselves -
12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
An Excellent Leadership Study., August 7, 2006
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This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
I found the book engaging and informative. Moreover, we are using it as the core of the current leadership study for our department's management staff for North America and Japan.Romney's turnaround methods are hightly applicable to any organization needing wholesale change or incremental improvement.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Budget Inversion, September 3, 2007
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Scamp Lumm "Littlesorrel/christian zionist" (Perseus-Pisces cluster, ~100Mpc) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Paperback)
Amazing what Mitt Romney can do with numbers. If in doubt, do without. He pulled the 2002 winter games off on a no frills budget and turned a scandal into a triumph.It seems he gets so much grief just because he is a Mormon, but I'm amazed at what he can do and mostly impressed by his get up and go, can do attitude. His wife says he loves emergencies and crisis situations of any kind. He turns the financing of the games from a huge millions of dollars deficit into a millions of dollars profit. Throughout the whole crisis leading up to the games, he made it the mission of the whole team to be honest and forthright with each other and the public. It's blatantly apparent that he always makes an honest million and demands integrity of his team whoever they be. This book was truly inspirational in many ways. If you don't want to read the book or even hate Mitt Romney, at least read the "Prologue" and the first chapter. I love the story of the American flag from the World Trade Center bombing being brought into the Olympic stadium during opening ceremonies. It's really awesome!
There have been other budget inversions in our nation's history. The most remarkable one happened on the eve of this country's founding and was repaired by Alexander Hamilton, our nation's first Treasury Secretary. That tale is best told by Forrest McDonald in his biography of Hamilton.
These are great stories and must reads for government financiers!
12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
"He Walks the Talk", August 8, 2004
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
I was energized and inspired by Mitt Romney's book "Turnaround" to be more of a "doer" instead of just a "talker" in my personal life concerning the things that are important to me. I think any reader of this book would have to admit that this guy has shown incredible energy, intelligence, focus and discipline as he's accomplished the goals he sets for himself.I mean,how many people do any of us know who would be willing to step into a huge scandal on a worldwide scale and transform it into an event that everyone has reason to be proud of in the end? Hey, whatever else you might say about Mitt, you have to admit that he "walks his talk"!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
interesting narative, January 1, 2010
By
SteveNY "steveny" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Paperback)
Romney yet again demonstrates his clarity of thought and his leadership skills. He is a great communicator, a great leader and has served his country for a long time. This is a great read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Great insight to Management, May 30, 2008
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This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
I beleive it was a great insight to management. Learnt a lot from the book!
13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
A Keepsake, August 8, 2004
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Love2read (CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
Having volunteered during the 2002 Olympics this book is especially captivating. A once-in-a-lifetime experience for many will always be rememered in the pages of Mitt's book. Mitt brought a magnetism to the Olympics and to everyone involed, turning the Games into a winter wonderland instead of an American embarrassment.
8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent Advice, August 10, 2004
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Sean "Sean" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
As one who has help build many start-up companies, Mitt Romney's advice is essential to anyone in the business world. His turnaround formula is a winning one because it will work in any enviroment...finance, sport, government, telecommunications, etc. I recommend this book to all executives (and budding executives) whether your company is turning a profit or not.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
An Insight into How Romney Works!, October 22, 2007
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This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Paperback)
If you want to know how Mitt Romney approaches business this is a valuable book to read.Mitt Romney was doing really well in the business world until his dear wife Ann told him that God had been good to them and now it was time to give back. Romney did just that and turned around the Olympics. After that challeng he sorted out Massachusettes and now he has got his eye on the White House.
If you're American and qualified to vote you've got to read this book to find out who Mitt Romney is. A lot of people crticize him because of his faith. This guy has a great relationship with his wife, a great family, has been very successful in business and politics too. The President of the USA should be a man for everyone to look up at. Don't most people dream of being happily married to a beautiful woman, have great kids, become a Millionaire and then President of the USA? Maybe Mitt Romney is the man for the White House...read this book and it will help you decide!
Mitt Romney Turn Around, August 26, 2011
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This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
Amazing story of how Mitt took over a corrupt failing Olympics in Utah and turned it into a huge success. If this is an example of what he could do as President for the country, then hello President Romney.
9 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
Expect: Mitt Romney to win 2008 presidential election, December 2, 2006
By
Jian "Areader" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (Hardcover)
Through this book, I belive in Mitt Romney. He could bring this nation together ...he has the heart and wisdom.
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