Focus on PEOPLE and PROFITS will follow
”Alan and Harriet Lewis and Grand Circle Corporation demonstrate that emerging company owners are the true corporate heroes . . . the leading edge of a new approach to philanthropy and competitiveness.”—Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School
The travel industry has been one of the hardest hit by the recent recession. Yet Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation has been increasing profitability—and growing at a rate of nearly 20 percent per year—for the last two decades. Now, co-owners Alan and Harriet Lewis share the fascinating inside story of Grand Circle: how they grew their business into an international powerhouse, how they integrated their values and philanthropy into a working business model, and how they realized their dream of creating a different kind of company that profits everyone involved.
In Leading Through Turbulence, the Lewises show you how to:
Adapt and thrive in times of change and crisis
Create a corporate culture that promotes talent and growth
Invest in leadership at all levels—and in people with potential
Give back to the world through good works and philanthropy
Whether you’re an executive, a manager, a business owner, or an entrepreneur, you’ll find real inspiration and insight in the Lewises’ incredible story. You’ll learn how one company navigated the highs and lows of a changing global market—and how you can, too. You’ll discover practical ways to balance risk and reward, profits and losses, and personal values with professional ethics. You’ll see how the travel industry bounced back after the 9/11 attacks and how one company rose to meet the challenge of new online competitors. Most important, you’ll enjoy a deeper, more satisfying level of success by staying true to yourself, your coworkers, and your community at large.
Life is a journey. Leading Through Turbulence shows you how to reach your destination. Safely. Smoothly. Successfully.
In 1985, Grand Circle Travel was a small travel company with $27 million in sales—but losing $2 million a year. Today, Grand Circle is a $600 million international business, one of the largest and most successful tour operators in the world.
How did its owners, Alan and Harriet Lewis, navigate the highs and lows of a turbulent market—and come out on top?
How did Grand Circle grow and thrive despite fierce competition from emerging giants like Expedia and Travelocity?
What can every manager, CEO, and entrepreneur learn from this homegrown company’s success?
This is no ordinary business book. It is your personal guided tour through an ever-growing market of global opportunities, high-level profits, and powerful human connections. Reading the Lewises’ inspiring story, you will learn how to manage the bumps in your own journey and make the way to your own success while staying true to yourself and your values. This is leading through turbulence.
