Behind the Money Fixable: How to bring a business back to life
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Jul 30, 2025 Join James Daunt, the Chief Revival Architect and CEO of Barnes & Noble, as he shares his unconventional leadership strategies that resurrected the iconic bookstore chain during tough times. He discusses the transformative power of community-focused independent bookstores and their vital role in a digital age. Daunt emphasizes the importance of inclusive team culture and the shift towards written communication in effective leadership. He also highlights the dynamic interplay between bookstores and e-commerce giants like Amazon, showcasing the enduring love for books.
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Team Diversity Over Perfection
- Build bookstore teams with diverse skills rather than identical perfectionist hires.
- Teamwork, not individual excellence, creates effective, supportive bookshop environments.
Pandemic as Opportunity
- During COVID shutdowns, Barnes & Noble kept core teams employed and used downtime to rearrange stores and improve customer experience.
- This preparation enabled a stronger reopening, avoiding labor force rebuilding challenges others faced.
Invest in People Nicely
- Create a nice, respectful working environment to improve retail performance.
- Invest in fewer, better-paid employees with career paths rather than many low-wage, part-time staff.