Everybody Matters - by Bob Chapman & Raj Sisodia (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Now revised and expanded with five new chapters for the 10th anniversary of its 2015 publication, the beloved classic on truly human leadership

"Bob Chapman, CEO of the $1.7 billion manufacturing company Barry-Wehmiller, is on a mission to change the way businesses treat their employees." - Inc. Magazine

Starting in 1997, Bob Chapman and Barry-Wehmiller have pioneered a dramatically different approach to leadership that creates off-the-charts morale, loyalty, creativity, and business performance. The company utterly rejects the idea that employees are simply functions to be moved around, "managed" with carrots and sticks, or discarded at will. Instead, Barry-Wehmiller manifests the reality that every single person matters, just like in a family. It's not a cliché on a mission statement; it's the bedrock of the company's success.

It's natural to be skeptical when you first hear about this approach. Every time Barry-Wehmiller acquires a company whose team members have experienced more traditional management practices, the new team members are skeptical too. But they soon learn what it's like to work at an exceptional company where the goal is for everyone to feel trusted and cared for--and where it's expected that they will justify that trust by caring for one another and putting the common good first.

Chapman and coauthor Raj Sisodia show how any organization can reject the traumatic consequences of rolling layoffs, dehumanizing rules, and hypercompetitive cultures. In this tenth anniversary update to Everybody Matters, Chapman and Sisodia share new statistics and analysis on the leadership crisis that continues to plague modern businesses and that only Truly Human Leadership--pioneered at Barry-Wehmiller--can fix. Packed with additional insights gained over a decade as the company has evolved, weathered a pandemic, and grown from $1.7 billion in annual revenue with 100 acquisitions to $3.6 billion with more than 140 acquisitions, this updated classic is needed now more than ever.

As Chapman says, "The way we lead impacts the way people live." Once you stop treating people like functions or costs, disengaged workers begin to share their gifts and talents in service of a shared future. Uninspired workers stop feeling that their jobs have no meaning. Frustrated workers stop taking their bad days out on their spouses and kids. And everyone stops counting the minutes until it's time to go home. This is the journey documented in Everybody Matters; now it's time to transform your own workplace.

Review Quotes

"Profit matters, but people matter more. Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia use real-world examples to illustrate how the humanity so often absent in today's boardrooms is actually a direct path to sustained growth. It's a message that should be taken to heart by business leaders everywhere."
--RON SHAICH, founder, chairman and CEO, Panera Bread

"Bob and Raj beautifully illustrate the important intersection of business and the true essence of the human spirit. One company, one employee at a time, Barry-Wehmiller is changing the world--and the world of business! If this model can be successful in manufacturing, it can be successful anywhere."
--KIP TINDELL, chairman and CEO, The Container Store

"It is almost impossible for me to adequately convey my admiration, excitement, and incredulity. . . . To give people the power and freedom to care for each other, to trust that people want to do well and be good . . . and to see how these things create value for everyone--it doesn't get better than that. I have (happy) tears in my eyes as I write this."
--AMY CUDDY, associate professor, Harvard Business School

"Is it possible to run a successful business without treating people like numbers? Can a corporate culture of mistrust and insecurity be transformed into one of caring and fulfillment? Everybody Matters answers these questions with an enthusiastic 'Yes!' If you're ready for a new way of doing business, this is the book for you."
--DANIEL H. PINK, author of To Sell Is Human and Drive

"When it comes to maximizing potential, Chapman and his team at Barry-Wehmiller have it figured out. This deeply moving and practical book will have you asking yourself 'Why haven't we been doing this?' Now you can begin tomorrow!"
--JACK CANFIELD, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul(R) at Work and The Success Principles(TM)

"Everybody Matters simply blew me away. This is THE book that practically every corporate CEO in North America has been breathlessly waiting for . . . even if they don't yet know it!"
--BOB BURG, coauthor of The Go-Giver

"'Everyone is someone's precious child.' Has there ever been a more inspired guiding principle for encouraging deeply ethical, responsible stewardship of those entrusted to our care in the workplace? Bob Chapman is a modern-day prophet and Everybody Matters is his prophecy for our ears--and for this challenging leadership hour."
--DEREK VAN BEVER, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School

"In a world still struggling with disengaged workplaces and disconnected leadership, Everybody Matters remains a transformative call to action. Chapman and Sisodia show that putting people first isn't just good for morale, it's essential for sustained business success and employee well-being. This updated edition proves that truly human leadership isn't a lofty ideal--it's a practical and urgent necessity."
--JOHNNY C. TAYLOR, JR., SHRM-SCP, president and CEO of SHRM

"Having taught many executives and MBA students about Barry-Wehmiller, I can tell you, the lessons of Bob Chapman's journey will both challenge and inspire you. Prepare to rethink the purpose of leadership, the value of values, the right way to measure success, the roots of human motivation, the link between strategy and culture, and the potential of business to improve the world."
--JAN RIVKIN, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School

"Bob Chapman gets it exactly right--leadership is about people, not just profits. His updated edition of Everybody Matters is packed with heart, wisdom, and real-life stories that show what happens when leaders put people first. If you want to be the kind of leader who truly makes a difference, this book is for you."
--JOE HART, president and CEO of Dale Carnegie

"Discovering Everybody Matters as a twenty-something business leader has saved me heartache and, more importantly, given me a road map to make an enormous difference in countless lives. This book is a must read for anyone leading people, especially up-and-coming leaders!"
--AARON WITT, founder of BuildWitt

About the Author

BOB CHAPMAN is the chairman and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a global capital equipment and engineering consulting company. A combination of almost eighty acquired companies spread among ten operating divisions around the world, Barry-Wehmiller's vision is to use the power of business to build a better world. Chapman blogs about leadership and culture at www.trulyhumanleadership.com.

RAJ SISODIA is the FW Olin Distinguished Professor of Global Business and Whole Foods Market Research Scholar in Conscious Capitalism at Babson College. His most recent book is the Wall Street Journal bestseller Conscious Capitalism (with John P. Mackey, cofounder and co-CEO of Whole Foods Market).