Orbiting the Giant Hairball
A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace
by Gordon Mackenzie
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“Good book! Glad you survived the primitive tech @matt_perez I’m grappling with one of those glued together paper things right now too Four (+1) Studios by Ann PendletonJullian, which is excellent. | My favorite creativity book So many choices! I love @francescagino's and @steingreenberg's stuff. My top pick:"Orbiting the Giant Hairball" by the late Gordon McKenzie, the "creative paradox" at Hallmark. His spirit, stories, and wisdom are irresistible”
Source →Recommended by 3 notable people, including John Maeda and Bob Sutton
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Should I read this?
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Leadership, Business, and Nonfiction.
Creativity is crucial to business success. But too often, even the most innovative organization quickly becomes a "giant hairball"a tangled, impenetrable mass of rules, traditions, and systems, all based on what worked in the pastthat exercises an inexorable pull into mediocrity. Gordon McKenzie worked at Hallmark Cards for thirty years, many o...
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Why recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Leadership, Business, and Nonfiction.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Tim Kastelle
“Good book! Glad you survived the primitive tech @matt_perez I’m grappling with one of those glued together paper things right now too Four (+1) Studios by Ann PendletonJullian, which is excellent. | My favorite creativity book So many choices! I love @francescagino's and @steingreenberg's stuff. My top pick:"Orbiting the Giant Hairball" by the late Gordon McKenzie, the "creative paradox" at Hallmark. His spirit, stories, and wisdom are irresistible”
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Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Good to Great by Jim Collins. Recommended by 32 sources.
“The book walks you through a multi-year research project, contrasting spectacular performers with mere survivors. The core insight—that sustained greatness hinges on disciplined people, thought, and action—feels sturdy and actionable. But the book’s arguments rely on retrospective selection of companies, and some of its darlings later faltered. You’ll find a methodical, almost monastic tone that rewards patience but may irritate if you want contemporary, tech-savvy lessons.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.
Orbiting the Giant Hairball
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