Book excerpt: If two people always agree, one of them is unnecessary, Henry Ford once said. He was on to something: The best businesspeople suggest alternatives to ideas and strategies. When practiced effectively, this can lead to innovations that dramatically boost sales. Edward F. Schultz, a leading consultant to businesses both big and small, explains why conventional or group thinking results in conventional results--something no business owner wants. The key to lasting success is engaging in differential thinking, which will allow you to. retain top-quality employees; help customers achieve their goals; provide employees with the support they need to succeed; reduce inefficiencies and ineffectiveness; and achieve small, incremental goals on the way to your ultimate target. Each chapter includes separate insights designed to address a different element of leadership, weaving together theory and practical application. Filled with real-life scenarios on coaching employees and managers, this guidebook for owners, leaders and entrepreneurs will get you the bottom-line results you crave. But youll only get them when you Look Beyond the Obvious.