"Simplicity works for me, in business and in life. It can work for you too."
Ken Allen was described by French business magazine Air & Cosmos as "the man who transforms those around him... he has the rigor of the Germans, the humor of the British and the enthusiasm of the Americans." He was voted Germany’s No.1 Turnaround Manager and is known in China as 'The Singing CEO'.
Ken rose from humble beginnings to the top of his industry and along the way found the simple secrets of success – in business and life. Packed full of advice on everything from defining your core business values to winning the hearts and minds of your people, this inspirational book reveals the strategies and skills you need to achieve happiness and prosperity.
If you’re in business and you have a global outlook, you can’t afford not to read this book.
Ken rose from humble beginnings to the top of his industry and along the way found the simple secrets of success – in business and life. Packed full of advice on everything from defining your core business values to winning the hearts and minds of your people, this inspirational book reveals the strategies and skills you need to achieve happiness and prosperity.
If you’re in business and you have a global outlook, you can’t afford not to read this book.
If you’re in business and you have a global outlook, you can’t afford not to read this book.
In pictures
Success is radically simple.
How does one of the world’s best known businesses averaging annual revenues of €14 billion fail to make a profit?
That was the conundrum for DHL Express, but in reality, the situation was far, far worse. Since its first delivery in 1969, the company had rarely been profitable. By 2002, when it was sold to Deutsche Post, it was running yearly losses of €150 million; the brand famous for its ‘ain’t no mountain high enough’ ads was in imminent danger of collapse. As the global financial crisis approached in 2008, those loses had soared to €2.2 billion.
This book, however, is not the traditional ‘turnaround story’. Radical Simplicity is the life story and learnings of global CEO, Ken Allen. Drawing on over 30 years’ experience of addressing the fundamentals that can destroy both multinationals and small enterprises, Ken explains how an uncompromising focus on people, product and process unleashes the economic power of your core business. And this approach clearly works, because by 2018, the company was making €1.9 billion a year.
This Yorkshire born, son of a coal miner, found his niche and quickly established himself as the ‘Turnaround Guy’, THE specialist brought in to change business fortunes. As global CEO of the world’s best known logistics brand, his approach has always been based on clarity, honesty, respect and an unfailing belief in the power of people to effect genuine change. He encapsulates his philosophy in one phrase: SELF Reflection.
Ken's philosophy
S
S is for Simplicity, which is the overriding principle behind Ken’s approach to work – the framework that provides the architecture of what you want to build.
E
E is for Execution, the discipline needed to get the right things done, which requires a comprehensive understanding of a business, its people and its processes. When you believe you have made the right decision and are following the best path for you, execution is much easier; you can clearly see what’s important to do and what you should stop doing.
L
L is for Leadership, which then empowers and supports every level of the organization to perform and improve. All leaders should be experts and motivators, and leadership starts at home: If you don’t have the personal discipline to lead yourself to where you need to go, how will you be able to lead others?
F
F is for Focus, which keeps the organization on track – as a result a company can grow, both in terms of revenue and profitability. The task may seem daunting, so keeping a single-minded focus on achieving short-term outcomes keeps you on the right path and helps you to ignore the enormity of the task ahead.
Reflection
Reflection is the next step in the process, and ensures that you stay relevant; you review, learn and adapt.
In person
Achievements
During his time with DHL, Ken rolled out the world’s largest training and cultural reinforcement initiative – Certified International Specialists.
In 2018, amongst many of the honors awarded to DHL Express, DHL was voted the 6th Best Place to Work globally by Fortune magazine.
Employee Opinion Survey Scores 2009-2018
- Active Leadership
- Employee Engagement
% of favorable employee responses
