Inside The Zen Bubble

Regarding the naming of the book In Search of Excellence by Bob Waterman and Tom Peters, Walter Kiechel III writes:

Then, “hastily,” they say, they [Bob and Tom] put together what they called a “thought starter” with the one-word title, “Excellence.”

But -- why that particular word, I wonder?

I’m gonna stick my neck out and say: I’ll bet those guys were under the zen influence at the time. (The pic below is below-up-able.)

P.S. Waterman, Peters and Richard Pascale (all of McKinsey & Company) -- along with Tony Athos (of Harvard Business School) -- developed what eventually became the 7S framework.

Everything Else Comes After

Can you match the S.M.I.B.S.F. (Single Most Important Business Success Factor*) on the left with its description & source on the right?

Answers:

1. PASSION = John Hagel, et. al, The Power of Pull
2. OWNERSHIP & SELF-ACCOUNTABILITY = Les McKeown, Predictable Success
3. GUMPTION = Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

*a little clunky, no?