This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Learn More

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Dont Fire Them, Fire Them Up Scuttle Your Ships Before Advancing

By Janean Chun

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

What are the odds of a 33-year-old self-avowed graduate from Springsteen U turning around the sales performance of a Xerox district office so spectacularly that it makes national headlines?

Probably about as likely as Ed McMahon showing up on your doorstep with that sweepstakes check in hand. Nonetheless, Frank Pacetta's story (told with Roger Gittines) is true . . . and he tells it succinctly in Don't Fire Them, Fire Them Up: A Maverick's Guide to Motivating Yourself and Your Team (Simon & Schuster, $23 cloth).

"If I had been my boss, I would have fired me at several points along the way," confesses Pacetta. "Fortunately, I hung on and matured."

The rest of this article is locked.

Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

Subscribe Now

Already have an account? Sign In