Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy

He recounts the surprising history of his company, starting with its roots in his father's small construction business, which Sharp joined after getting a degree in architecture. Shifting into hotels wasn't easy, and he learned by trial and error.

His breakthrough was a vision for a new kind of hotel, one that featured superior design, top-quality amenities and, above all, a deep commitment to service. Sharp realised that customers would gladly pay extra for a "home away from home" experience. But creating that experience would be possible only if everyone - from managers and supervisors to bellmen, servers and housekeepers - was fully engaged. The front-line staff, who have the most contact with guests, can make or break a five-star reputation.

Readers will be fascinated to learn how Four Seasons does it, year after year, around the world.

Isadore (Issy) Sharp has outlined in his autobiography experience and wisdom that have created a foundation for these memorable quotes to be built upon. Quotes are updated daily as a countdown to the release of: "FOUR SEASONS: The Story of a Business Philosophy".

30. "If quality is your edge, you can't compromise it." - Isadore Sharp

29. "People derive the most satisfaction from doing the best they can." - Isadore Sharp

28. "Remember, we can't change employee behaviour without changing ours." - Isadore Sharp

27. "I owe my success to my freedom. I think for me independence has an incalculable value." - Isadore Sharp

26. "I was sure from my experience that people usually try to live up to expectations." - Isadore Sharp

25. "What the customer remembered was not the complaint but the outcome." - Isadore Sharp

24. "Empowerment is synonymous with trust." - Isadore Sharp

23. "We have to have employees who think for themselves and act on it ." - Isadore Sharp

22. "If we believe in our employees, they will believe in themselves." - Isadore Sharp

21. "What we believe about people, positive or negative, is self-fulfilling." - Isadore Sharp

20. "We either trust our employees or we don't. We can't hedge our bets with penalties." - Isadore Sharp

19. "We have to have employees who can remedy service failures on the spot." - Isadore Sharp

18. "What we believe about people is fundamental to workforce attitude and motivation." - Isadore Sharp

17. "An atmosphere of fear and anxiety is less productive than one of enjoyment." - Isadore Sharp

16. "We treat our employees with the same understanding we want them to give our guests." - Isadore Sharp

15. "I was saying people who had been considered expendable by management now had to come first." - Isadore Sharp

14. "We ask employees to see the company's interest as their own and voluntarily take responsibility." - Isadore Sharp

13. "Service, I'm convinced, is THE key." - Isadore Sharp

12. "We are only what we do, not what we say we are." - Isadore Sharp

11. "I consider the emotional capital of a company an often overlooked component of success." - Isadore Sharp

10. "It's much easier to sustain momentum than restart it." - Isadore Sharp

9. "Any lasting business relationship must be solidly based on mutual respect and trust." - Isadore Sharp

8. "To stay ahead, we'd have to continually do better what we were already doing well." - Isadore Sharp

7. "Skills come with great experience, and our low turnover made our creation of culture a rare advantage." - Isadore Sharp

6. "Whenever I need specific information, I turn to people more skilled than I am in acquiring it." - Isadore Sharp

5. "We reinforced togetherness by eliminating things that divide." - Isadore Sharp

4. "If employees feel secure in their job, they won't mind telling us the things that didn't go right." - Isadore Sharp

3. "We listen to our customers, and we listen to each other." - Isadore Sharp

2. "Our product was not a commodity; it was a unique prestige-value buy." Isadore Sharp

1. "We built an economic engine--service--by understanding our customers' needs." - Isadore Sharp

Follow the book chat on Twitter for these exclusive quotes from the book each day until the release date

"There's something different about a Four Seasons hotel. It's like gravity doesn't have the same effect there - the weight of the world lifts from your shoulders as soon as you walk in the door. I've often wondered how they do it. Now I know. It's an inspiring story." -Morgan Freeman

"I have a great deal of respect for Issy Sharp and Four Seasons. I stay at their hotels all the time. This book is a terrific read by one of the smartest men in any business." -Larry King

"Regardless of your business, regardless of your price point, Four Seasons offers invaluable lessons for us all." -Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence

"No one - in our generation - has established a global brand name so totally identified with unquestioned quality as Issy Sharp." -Peter Munk, Founder and Chairman, Barrick Gold Corporation

"This isn't just another 'rags to riches' story but a story about a leader who embodies three essential qualities of exemplary leadership - trust, integrity and optimism - how he leveraged those values to create quality at Four Seasons, and how just about every business that cares about excellence can do the same." -Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California, and author of Judgment and Transparency