Tough Things First: Leadership Lessons from Silicon Valley's Longest Serving CEO

Silicon Valley legend Ray Zinn shows entrepreneurs and executives how to lead and succeed by tackling the Tough Things First

As the trailblazing founder and CEO of Micrel, Inc., Ray Zinn has relied on his training as a gymnast, passion as an inventor, and discipline as a leader to build a microchip empire. In this insightful, no-nonsense book, he tells it like it is—drawing from his vast experience and contrarian views to motivate and inspire today’s hungry entrepreneurs.

Using a tough-love approach to business and life, Zinn tells leaders about the interconnected corporate mind, eyes, body and heart, and how discipline – for the entrepreneur and for the organization – is the first and most important step. By tackling the jobs they might not love but need to master, they strengthen the entrepreneurial vision and sharpen company focus. Zinn’s advice is as sharp and hard-won as his incredible success—a publicly traded microchip company with only one unprofitable year.

Ray Zinn is the founder and CEO of Micrel, Inc., one of the world’s leading microchip companies for more than three decades.