The Heart of Business

A Wall Street Journal BestsellerNamed a Financial Times top titleHow to unleash "human magic" and achieve improbable results.Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy and orchestrator of the retailer's spectacular turnaround, unveils his personal playbook for achieving extraordinary outcomes by putting people and purpose at the heart of business.Back in 2012, "Everyone thought we were going to die," says Joly. Eight years later, Best Buy was transformed as Joly and his team rebuilt the company into one of the nation's favorite employers, vastly increased customer satisfaction, and dramatically grew Best Buy's stock price. Joly and his team also succeeded in making Best Buy a leader in sustainability and innovation.In The Heart of Business, Joly shares the philosophy behind the resurgence of Best Buy: pursue a noble purpose, put people at the center of the business, create an environment where every employee can blossom, and treat profit as an outcome, not the goal.This approach is easy to understand, but putting it into practice is not so easy. It requires radically rethinking how we view work, how we define companies, how we motivate, and how we lead. In this book Joly shares memorable stories, lessons, and practical advice, all drawn from his own personal transformation from a hard-charging McKinsey consultant to a leader who believes in human magic.The Heart of Business is a timely guide for leaders ready to abandon old paradigms and lead with purpose and humanity. It shows how we can reinvent capitalism so that it contributes to a sustainable future.

Named one of the Best Books of the Year by Bloomberg

"This is one of those candid books about life at the top that you will want to read for its own magic." — The Institute of Leadership and Management Edge magazine

"Hubert Joly is one of my business heroes. ...A new age of business requires a new approach to leadership…To understand the new model, read this book." — Alan Murray, FORTUNE

"Joly, former CEO of Best Buy, debuts with a striking call to action for managers of companies large and small to 'make business and the world better places.'" — Publisher's Weekly

Advance Praise for The Heart of Business:

"The Heart of Business will be the defining business book of this decade. Hubert Joly shares his highly successful, simple, profound insights that reprioritize purpose, people, and profit. His proven philosophies are a brilliant guide for all leaders and companies preparing to rapidly pivot toward serving all stakeholders in this new age of inclusive capitalism." — Angela Ahrendts, former Senior Vice President, Apple Retail; former CEO, Burberry

"Best Buy's turnaround under Hubert Joly's leadership was remarkable—a case study that should and will be taught in business schools around the world. Bold and thoughtful—he has a lot to teach." — Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO, Amazon

"Leaders often focus on the technology and business transformations underway. In The Heart of Business, Hubert Joly shows us what true and effective leadership is really about: articulating a noble purpose, putting people at the center, embracing all stakeholders, and treating profit as an outcome." — Aicha Evans, CEO, Zoox

"Hubert Joly is a refreshing voice on organizational transformation, and with The Heart of Business he now shares an equally visionary perspective on the next potential phase of stakeholder capitalism. This is must-read material for anyone looking to understand modern business as a force for global good, the changing nature of leadership, and why deep purpose needs to be at the heart of everything we do." — Alex Gorsky, Chairman and CEO, Johnson & Johnson

"In his inspiring and transformative book, The Heart of Business, Hubert Joly uses his years of experience at Best Buy to clearly show the importance of purposeful and human leadership and how to implement it. This playbook for 'unleashing human magic' will change hearts and minds not only on how companies are run but how business and capitalism are taught in business schools. This is a must- read and a defining book of our time." — Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive Global

"The philosophy of Hubert Joly's The Heart of Business is from his heart and one he has shared personally as a director of our company for over a decade. His belief that the journey to success is led by pursuing a noble purpose and putting people first is part of what he calls 'human magic.' The resurgence of Best Buy under his former leadership is just one example of the transformative power of those heartfelt principles. Over these many years it has been my privilege to be inspired by Hubert's honest sharing of these experiences firsthand. The Heart of Business is a unique and very human guide to true leadership and ways to work together, especially during these challenging times." — Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Ralph Lauren Corporation

"Through great storytelling and lessons from his own experience, Hubert invites us to think deeply about a company's purpose—to contribute to the common good and serve all its stakeholders in a harmonious fashion by unleashing human magic—and offers a set of principles and practical advice on how to make this vision a reality." — Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

"Hubert Joly is a revered leader who has unequivocally proven the business case for stakeholder capitalism. This book captures his passion for purpose and people above profits and, just when humanity is at its most vulnerable, showcases with unique insight and practical examples how to make business an unstoppable force for good." — Paul Polman, cofounder and Chair, IMAGINE; former CEO, Unilever

"Long before stakeholder capitalism and the idea of purpose in business were being talked about, Hubert Joly was already embracing both with impressive success. One of the very best business leaders now lifts the veil on why leading with purpose and humanity makes sense, along with how to make it work in the real world. Thoughtful, well researched, very practical, and eminently readable, The Heart of Business offers a joyful and inspiring vision of how to reinvent business and capitalism from the heart." — Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation

"The Heart of Business makes it clear that Hubert Joly knows what it takes to create an environment in which every unique individual is valued for who they are and what they bring to the table. He knows that diversity is not an afterthought but a fundamental business imperative. He knows how to lead with purpose and humanity. And by reading The Heart of Business, so will you." — Crystal E. Ashby, Interim President and CEO, The Executive Leadership Council (ELC)

"This book, written by one of the most compelling and compassionate CEOs in a generation, will serve as a guide for all who aspire to lead with purpose and live a professional life filled with meaning. I witnessed this firsthand as Hubert led a once-in-a-lifetime retail turnaround that was grounded, first and foremost, on the principle that purpose is as important as profit and that the work itself, while hard, can be joyful and filled with heart." — Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy

"Putting purpose and people first is the most powerful driver of performance and long-term value: this is Hubert Joly's core message. His approach, his vision of companies as a community of their stakeholders, and his call for agility and empowerment resonate deeply with my own experience heading a company that has people at its heart. This is a must-read and an inspiration for any leader wanting to make a positive economic, social, and en…