This summary reviews the first chapter of the book Fish! by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen. The chapter tells the story of Mary Jane Ramirez who takes a new position as manager of the Third Floor at First Guarantee Financial. She discovers the floor has a "Toxic Energy Dump" environment. Mary Jane finds inspiration from a lively fish market where fish orders are thrown across the room and workers juggle crabs to keep things fun. The leadership strategy portrayed is that having a lively atmosphere can make even mundane work enjoyable. The student reviewer applies this lesson by incorporating energizing activities like ethnic food potlucks and icebreaker games into meetings of their student organization,

1. Book Review
1. I chose the book, Fish!By Stephen C.Lundin,Ph.D., Harry Paul,and John Christensen. Ireadthe
firstchapter,titled,“SeattleMondayMorning.”
2. Insteadof listingoutspecificleadershipskills,the chaptersof thisbookare toldina story-format
of the life of Mary Jane Ramirez’ and her“supervisorypositioninthe operationsof First
Guarantee Financial”(2).Here isthe summaryof the firstchapter.
a. Mary Jane ismarriedto Dan. Theymove fromSoCal to Seattle because Dangota really
goodjob offerforMicrorule.
b. Aftersettling,MaryJane quicklygota jobat First GuaranteeFinancial andwasenjoying
it!The employeeslikedtoworkwithher andshe likedtoworkwiththem.
c. Dan diesunexpectedlyandMary isleftas a single-parentwithherchildren.
d. Mary Jane takesupa promotionandjoboffertobecome managerof the Third Floorat
First Guarantee Financial. The third floorhasa terrible reputationof being“slow…
unresponsive…[anda] wasteland”(4). If ithadnot beenforherfinancial situation,Mary
Jane may have nottakenup thisoffer.
e. Upon takingthe position,MaryJane quicklydiscoversthe energylevel of the ThirdFloor
as a “Toxic Energy Dump.” Her boss,Bill,callsMary Jane and tellshertochange the
energylevel,orelse he will beginmaking“changes.”
f. Mary Jane writesaboutherexperience inherjournal andgoestothe waterfront during
lunchto relieve herstress.Once she wassostressedoutthatshe walkedtothe Fish
Market on 1st
streetbecause she wasattractive to the livelyatmosphere.She meets
one of the workersandhe tellsherhisbusinessstrategy.
3. The main leadershipstrategyportrayedinthe chapterishavinga livelyatmosphere,evenif the
workyou are doingismundane orboring. Inthe FishMarket,all the store soldwere different
typesof fishand crab to eat.Yet,to make itfunand exciting,theyhadthe ordersof fishbeing
thrownacross the room,workers jugglingcrabs,andthe employees shoutingtogether,“Five
crabs flyingawaytoWisconsin”(19) if a customerorderedthis.
a. I am gladthat the Executive forSAAYhasincorporatedasimilarstrategyintoourweekly
meetings.Forexample,the mainpurposeof ourweeklymeetingsistomeetwithour
committeesandplanevents.Yet,afteralongdayof studyingandattendingclasses,the
lastthinga college studentwantsistodo more work.In orderto spice upour meetings,
we have usedthe followingtactics:
i. Hold Slavicpotlucksonce ina while
ii. Have warm-upactivitiesthatallow ustomingle withone anotherandgetto
knoweachother
iii. Have new memberspresentAll-About-Me presentationsabouttheirinterests,
careerplans,friends,family,etc.
iv. Have oldermemberspresent EthnicPresentationsaboutwhatcountrytheyare
fromand bringin a dishthat isrepresentative of thatcountry
4. I will applywhatIlearnedfromthischapterof Fish!By continuingtothinkof creative waysin
orderto make each meetingof SAAYnew andre-energizing.The Executive Boardhasfounda
listof 50 differenthilarious,personal,deep,orrandomquestionsthatwe couldpull fromto
start each meeting.Ourco-Presidentcame upwithhisownwarm-upactivitythatwe usedin
orderto get the newmembersacquaintedwiththe olderones. Let’spump-upthe energy! 