Cambridge Business Association
Winners Dream
Book

Winners Dream

A Journey from Corner Store to Corner Office

Bill McDermott with Joanne Gordon
Wall Street Journal Books, 2014
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

SAP CEO Bill McDermott’s memoir explores the mind and methods of a super achiever. McDermott bought and ran his first business – a delicatessen – while still in high school. He went on to lead Xerox sales teams to record-breaking success and nearly doubled revenues at the company’s Xerox Business Services division. On his watch, software giant SAP’s valuation soared 75% and its total revenue leaped 57% to €16.8 billion. He proudly shares his secret weapons: hard work, optimism and an interest in people. McDermott and writer Joanne Gordon describe his life and values in an engaging, uplifting style, with a refreshing absence of management argot. getAbstract believes McDermott’s story will inspire entrepreneurs, salespeople and managers to find their own records to break.

Summary

“Winning Dreams”

Bill McDermott believes that to win big, you must dream big. In his leadership roles at Xerox and at SAP, he set goals that were so “audacious” they verged on the impossible. His enthusiasm charged his people with energy, and they redefined the possible.

Born in 1961, McDermott grew up in a working-class home in Amityville, on Long Island, New York. He watched his parents work hard and struggle to make ends meet. He dreamed of financial independence and providing security for his parents. At only age 11, he knew that success requires enthusiasm and execution. He analyzed the delivery territory on his paper route to craft the fastest, most efficient itinerary. He introduced himself to subscribers and asked if they wanted their newspapers at the door or in the mailbox. He invited nonsubscribers to subscribe. He sold holiday cards on his route.

He bought his first business – the Amityville Country Delicatessen – while in high school. He was a clerk there when the owner decided to sell. McDermott didn’t have the money to buy the store outright, so he persuaded the seller to finance the purchase. Lacking the cash to stock the shelves, he arranged ...

About the Author

Bill McDermott, CEO of the giant German software firm SAP, previously held executive positions with Siebel Systems, the Gartner Group and the Xerox Corporation. Joanne Gordon is a writer and a former Forbes contributor.

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