O Great One!: A Little Story About the Awesome Power of Recognition

A parable about the secret to engaging and motivating people to do great things in all walks of life, by the bestselling author of Taking People With You.

Based on real experiences that David Novak had as the Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, this parable will empower readers to recognize the contributions of those around them in order to drive bigger and better results. It’s not hard, it’s not expensive, and you don’t need an MBA or even a position of authority to do it. It’s a deceptively simple principle that can have a huge impact on both your life and your business.

Jeff Johnson, the new CEO of The Happy Face Toy Company, has one year to save his family’s famous toy company, which has fallen on hard times following the death of his father. If Jeff fails, the whole company will fail. As he races to save his family’s legacy by getting the company back on track, Jeff encounters downtrodden factory workers and an uninspired executive team. Then a birthday gift from his grandson gives Jeff an important insight into why business is suffering: the secret ingredient to making people happy and engaged is missing.

During his time as CEO of Yum!, Novak harnessed the power of employee recognition to revitalize the culture. The principles he lives by, from handing out personalized awards to coaxing office culture into life, are at the core of this parable. Novak recently founded OGO Enterprises, the world’s first recognition brand focused on appreciating all people for who they are and what they do.