Up, Down, or Sideways: What You Must Always Do to Succeed When Times Are Good, Bad, or in Between
By Mark Sanborn. Tyndale House Publishers, 2011. 170 p. ISBN 978-1-4143-6221-2.
Book Release Date: October 1, 2011

Sanborn (president of Sanborn & Associates, leadership speaker, and best-selling author of The Fred Factor) shares his take on how to succeed no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. Sanborn starts the book by sharing his own story of how he experienced a downturn in business, investments, and health at the same time. The outcome of that experience is this book, which is a collection of principles around the things that we “should” do. While there are many barriers to success, Sanborn posits that if you follow these practices - which include defining success for yourself, having an optimistic outlook, and creating value - that puts you in a position to be successful.

Valuentum’s Take: This quick read presents commonsense advice on the things most people already know they “should” be doing, but is a good reminder nonetheless. While much of his advice is centered around his own experiences, his message is a good one – even if you do everything you should, “that doesn’t mean everything has or will work out perfectly for you, but that you are the kind of person whose values and persistently applied practices put you in a position to succeed.”