Book Review Excerpts
⭐ Publishers Weekly/BookLife Talks with Norm Oshiro (June 29, 2020):
https://booklife.com/news/authors/06/29/2020/booklife-talks-with-norm-oshiro.html
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⭐ Publishers Weekly / BookLife
"Taking the tone of a trusted mentor, Oshiro sets out to impart hard-won knowledge… Oshiro's clear account of his career—including both achievements and failures—gives readers confidence in his advice. His sterling ethics are on display throughout, and his empathetic tone and well-paced narrative will easily draw readers in. He is especially generous in praising his time at Ross Perot's company, Electronic Data Systems, singling out Perot as a guiding light in his working life. Great for fans of Bill George's True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, Peter F. Drucker's The Effective Executive."
— Publishers Weekly / BookLife
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⭐ Kirkus Reviews
"In this debut business book, Oshiro shares leadership lessons he learned over more than three decades working for the technology company EDS, founded by Ross Perot and later acquired by HP. The author recounts his evolution from entry-level programmer to manager, overseeing the work of nearly 200 colleagues. The book recounts the author's best and worst moments at work, along with providing a thoughtful discussion of what readers can learn from his experiences. Oshiro is an excellent storyteller, and he presents a vivid picture of corporate life."
-- Kirkus Reviews
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⭐ San Francisco Book Review (Book rated 5-Stars, ★★★★★)
"Oshiro's thoughtful personal examples clarify and expand on the instruction provided, which makes his guidance all the more accessible and user-friendly—it demonstrates the real-world application of his advice. Readers will find that although it covers some of the hard business management aspects, it covers more of the day-to-day interactions and challenges, and 'soft' aspects, things that are generally not covered in an MBA program. His chapter on expecting uncomfortable, overwhelming, and, at times, terrifying situations encourages readers to prepare for worst-case scenarios and recognize these situations as opportunities..."
— San Francisco Book Review
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⭐ From the Back Cover
If your main concern is that people "like" you, you will never be a respected and successful leader.
The topics discussed in Individual Performer to Manager come from experiences Norm Oshiro lived through, working with people in the trenches every day. Norm started as an individual performer and progressed into management over a thirty-year career with a large multinational corporation. His goal is to help others enhance their success, especially those who think they lack the needed traits or aptitude or are too timid to attain higher levels.
If you are on a management track, this book will provide key advice to prepare you for the challenges ahead. Even if you have no desire to move into management, the topics covered will broaden your understanding of that role, helping you advance further as an individual performer. Delivered on a personal, experiential level rather than a typical business-management perspective, Norm's insights are both practical and relatable.
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⭐ Author Bio (from back cover)
Norm Oshiro holds a BA in Sociology (with a focus on Inter-Ethnic Relations) from the University of Hawaii, an MS in Meteorology from the same institution, and an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC). He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute (PMI). He spent 11 years in Meteorological research, which required computer programming, followed by 32+ years advancing through the ranks at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and Hewlett-Packard (HP). As he moved into leadership, he assessed and ranked employees, confronted performance issues, rewarded and promoted employees, and carried out painful layoffs.
Born and raised in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, Norm surfed almost every day and never did particularly well in school—including his first two years of college—until a mentor inspired him to reach for a better future.
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⭐ Publishers Weekly/BookLife Talks with Norm Oshiro (June 29, 2020):
https://booklife.com/news/authors/06/29/2020/booklife-talks-with-norm-oshiro.html
________________________________________________
⭐ Publishers Weekly / BookLife
"Taking the tone of a trusted mentor, Oshiro sets out to impart hard-won knowledge… Oshiro's clear account of his career—including both achievements and failures—gives readers confidence in his advice. His sterling ethics are on display throughout, and his empathetic tone and well-paced narrative will easily draw readers in. He is especially generous in praising his time at Ross Perot's company, Electronic Data Systems, singling out Perot as a guiding light in his working life. Great for fans of Bill George's True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, Peter F. Drucker's The Effective Executive."
— Publishers Weekly / BookLife
________________________________________________
⭐ Kirkus Reviews
"In this debut business book, Oshiro shares leadership lessons he learned over more than three decades working for the technology company EDS, founded by Ross Perot and later acquired by HP. The author recounts his evolution from entry-level programmer to manager, overseeing the work of nearly 200 colleagues. The book recounts the author's best and worst moments at work, along with providing a thoughtful discussion of what readers can learn from his experiences. Oshiro is an excellent storyteller, and he presents a vivid picture of corporate life."
-- Kirkus Reviews
________________________________________________
⭐ San Francisco Book Review (Book rated 5-Stars, ★★★★★)
"Oshiro's thoughtful personal examples clarify and expand on the instruction provided, which makes his guidance all the more accessible and user-friendly—it demonstrates the real-world application of his advice. Readers will find that although it covers some of the hard business management aspects, it covers more of the day-to-day interactions and challenges, and 'soft' aspects, things that are generally not covered in an MBA program. His chapter on expecting uncomfortable, overwhelming, and, at times, terrifying situations encourages readers to prepare for worst-case scenarios and recognize these situations as opportunities..."
— San Francisco Book Review
________________________________________________
⭐ From the Back Cover
If your main concern is that people "like" you, you will never be a respected and successful leader.
The topics discussed in Individual Performer to Manager come from experiences Norm Oshiro lived through, working with people in the trenches every day. Norm started as an individual performer and progressed into management over a thirty-year career with a large multinational corporation. His goal is to help others enhance their success, especially those who think they lack the needed traits or aptitude or are too timid to attain higher levels.
If you are on a management track, this book will provide key advice to prepare you for the challenges ahead. Even if you have no desire to move into management, the topics covered will broaden your understanding of that role, helping you advance further as an individual performer. Delivered on a personal, experiential level rather than a typical business-management perspective, Norm's insights are both practical and relatable.
________________________________________________
⭐ Author Bio (from back cover)
Norm Oshiro holds a BA in Sociology (with a focus on Inter-Ethnic Relations) from the University of Hawaii, an MS in Meteorology from the same institution, and an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC). He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute (PMI). He spent 11 years in Meteorological research, which required computer programming, followed by 32+ years advancing through the ranks at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and Hewlett-Packard (HP). As he moved into leadership, he assessed and ranked employees, confronted performance issues, rewarded and promoted employees, and carried out painful layoffs.
Born and raised in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, Norm surfed almost every day and never did particularly well in school—including his first two years of college—until a mentor inspired him to reach for a better future.
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