May 14, 2008
Back To The Cottage
Afterword
by John Sipple
John Sipple ends the Back To The Cottage series by reflecting on the personal experiences that accompanied his journey from the Cottage to the Corporation and back, pointing out the significant turning points that shaped his character. Here's an excerpt:
As I described in an earlier chapter, growing up was a pretty ideal time for me – small town, farm, good parents, sports, etc. I don‘t ever remember feeling like I was someone special nor did I feel insignificant – I was just a kid growing up.
Then I went to college. I was the first in my family to do so and though it was a small college I went to, I thought it was huge. I was a decent football and baseball player and I wound up playing both in this small college. Half way through the baseball season that first spring I was leading the conference in hitting. I think that might have been the first time I thought I was something special.
The following year I was a starting defensive back on the football team and by my senior year I was co-captain and quarterback – the position I had also played in high school. My grades were decent and I had been elected by my class to be one of the class officers. It is no wonder that I needed a size 7 ½ helmet – my head had swollen significantly.
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Back to the Cottage — More PDF Downloads
Back to the Cottage unpacks John's numerous leadership experiences and traces the development of the values that made him an effective leader. These are the lessons learned not in a high powered educational institution or a corporate leader development boot camp, but in the family's cottage business of his youth.
Preface
Chapter 1: Field Tested
Chapter 2: The Cottage
Chapter 3: Cottage Principles
Chapter 4: Shuttering the Cottage
Chapter 5: From the Cottage to the Corporation
Chapter 6: The Case Study
Chapter 7: Searching for a Strategy
Chapter 8: Design Team
Chapter 9: The Design
Chapter 10: Walking The Talk
Chapter 11: Curve Ball
Chapter 12: Final Practicum
