Master Class

For anyone with an interest in books about how to build a business and, more importantly, how to run it, we have a beauty for you. Delivering the Wow, Culture as Catalyst for Lasting Success, is written by Providence-born Richard Fain, the chairman and former CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. Named by Barron’s as one of the “World’s Best CEO’s” for three years running, he took the company from a niche cruise line with a handful of small ships in 1988 to a fleet of megaships, including the Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship ever built, and from 2700 employees to almost 100,000 today.

While the book focuses on the cruise industry, it reads like an engaging case study for any business school class. In the enjoyable, fast-paced narrative, Fain shares the inside stories of the company’s amazing growth with wit, modesty, and frequently, disarming humor. His most significant breakthrough was to go all-in on the concept of “megaships.” The company then had to redefine its marketing objectives. Their competition was now not just other cruise ship lines but also giants like Walt Disney World and Marriott Hotels, all competing to deliver the best customer experience for those vacation dollars.

For Royal Caribbean, this meant enhancing the shipboard experience for its cruise guests by completely redesigning everything. They created eye-popping four-story atriums in the center of the ship, unheard-of on-board entertainment options like bumper cars, climbing walls, ice-skating rinks, and champagne bars. No wonder “WOW” became the first word out of everyone’s mouth when boarding their first megaship. To run the company, Fain prescribed a unique corporate culture that links every employee, from top to bottom, to the same company vision, or “alignment,” as he calls it. This is coupled with establishing the company’s “North Star,” a goal towards which everyone strives, which became the secretsauce for success.

Fain, who grew up in Providence, says the city played an important role in his life. “The East Side was my home during my formative years. My 12 years at Moses Brown, Temple Beth El, and tinkering with gadgets and designs in my cousin Lyle’s basement were all key to how I grew up, to the extent I ever did. Being part of a community and having a purpose all came from that strong foundation. I wasn’t ‘taught’ how to give back. I experienced it as part of life.” Learn more at DeliveringTheWow.com