My role is about unleashing what people already have inside them. That is maybe suppressed in most work environments. – Tony Hsieh
In 2020, the world was shocked to learn that the retired CEO of Zappos – arguably one of the happiest places to work – had died of smoke inhalation alone in a shed in Connecticut. Over the weeks that would follow, we learned of the mental and physical decline that Hseih has experienced in the last years of his life. In Happy at Any Cost, Kirsten Grind and Katherine Sayre share the story of a man with an incredible mind that ultimately succumbed to mental illness and those that took advantage of his generous spirit.
Readers will learn, or be reminded, of the mind that changed how many would think of customer service and company culture. Zappos was very successful in online sales, but it was more successful in the recognition that they were in the business of serving people…by selling shoes (and clothes). After surviving the 2008 recession and being acquired by Amazon, the company would go on to redevelop downtown Las Vegas and create an industry around training others in service. Hsieh was central to all of this and guided the organization until his retirement in September of 2020.
As readers will see, however, his personal happiness may have been elusive as he continually retreated to drugs and alcohol and chased new ways to build community. As sad as it is to watch a brilliant mind going to waste, it may be worse to consider all those that gathered around Hseih and watched his demise while doing nothing. His generosity combined with drug usage resulted in a community of people that, at best, ignored warning signs and, at worst, took advantage of someone that was deeply in need of help. The authors have provided a balanced reading that doesn’t hide the ugly side of Hsieh’s ife, nor does it glorify it. Hsieh’s death was an avoidable tragedy and a loss to his family and community.
There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. – Tony Hsieh