Bringing Out the Best in Others!: 3 Keys for Business Leaders, Educators, Coaches and Parents [With Leader's Guide]

How birth order affects personality is always a hot debate, and Connellan smartly turns the discussion into a business how-to book. The former research associate posits that standout achievers tend to be firstborn, because it's the firstborn child who enjoys the richest blend of positive expectations, extra responsibilities and frequent feedback from his or her parents. They're the ones who turn out to be""the president of the senior class, the all-star quarterback,"" he writes. Use those three factors to motivate your staffers--treat them all as""firstborns"" with unlimited potential, essentially--and you'll boost their output by 10 to 20 percent. His supporting evidence is intriguing, if skimpy: 21 of the first 23 astronauts were firstborn, as were more than half of all U.S. presidents. Connellan (Inside the Magic Kingdom: Seven Keys to Disney's Success), packages his evidence as one long narrative story--a cute device that could have been fortified with the author's direct voice. With the lessons applicable to sales, teaching and even parenting, though, this book is a motivational morsel.