To get a flavor for how Don Winkler instills the principles of the Breakthrough Leadership Process throughout the organization, select one of the articles below by clicking on the icon to the left of the abstract.

Motivated to Succeed
St. Petersburg Times, August 23, 2001
By J. Nealy-Brown

How Do We Break Out of the Box We're Stuck In?
Fast Company, October 18, 2000
By Keith Hammonds

Up Front
Heavy Mettle They may have trouble reading and spelling, but those with the grit to overcome learning disabilities like dyslexia emerge fortified for life
People Magazine, October 30, 2000

CEO rises above severe dyslexia
USA Today, July 19, 2000
By Del Jones

Automotive News All Stars
Ghosn made Nissan the one to watch
Automotive News, July 03, 2000
By James B. Treece

Winkler gives commencement speech at Shelton School
DALLAS, Texas, May 20, 2000

Creative Solution
Dyslexic executive tells kids: When life gets tough, reach for a red rubber nose
An article that appeared in Detroit Free Press, May 18, 2000 By Charlotte W. Craig

Turning Differences into Advantages
An article that appeared in the Perspectives newsletter, published by the International Dyslexia Association, Spring 2000 Edition

Don Winkler dedicates the Ford Industrialist Club at The Lab School of Washington
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 30, 2000

Unorthodox Management Yields Results At Ford Credit By Mark Yost
An article that appeared in Dow Jones News Service, April 26, 2000

"Up 'til now" took on a new meaning for 100 students at the Eton Academy
BIRMINGHAM, Mich., April 6, 2000

Excerpts from Simplicity
The New Competitive Advantage in a World of More, Better, Faster by Bill Jensen
Check out related information under "Recommended Books"

Barbara Bush recieves "Visionary Award" from Ford Credit Chairman
DEARBORN, Mich., March 10, 2000 -- Laguna Beach, California... Don Winkler, Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Credit Company, today, honored Barbara Bush with his Visionary Award, a beautiful crystal sculpture of an eagle in flight which honors individuals who through their vision and commitment have been able to achieve extraordinary success in their life goals.

Weathering "Creative Destruction"
An article that appeared in Investor's Business Daily, December 7, 1999: Why do some companies thrive while others dive? The answer lies in a company’s attitude toward change. Managers today must make innovation the centerpiece of their business philosophy and restore the entrepreneurial spirit that sparked their companies in the first place. This article offers seven useful suggestions aimed at making a company an agent of change rather than a casualty of it.

Breakdown or Breakthrough? Handled Well, Mistakes Can Transform a Business
An article that appeared in Bank One Corporation's internal employee newsletter, "The Wire" under the Leadership Today section, October 1999:Don Winkler explains why the Breakthrough Process is so important to employees and companies, particularly in troubled times.  Managers and employees must recognize that failure is a stepping stone to success. People don't fail; events do.

Winkler Driven to Become 'Farmer'
An article that appeared in Bank One Corporation's internal employee newsletter, "The Wire" under the Leadership Profile section, March 1999:Don Winkler attributes Finance One's success to his Breakthrough Leadership Process. He stresses the importance of having a vision and a purpose in order to succeed. Don believes his purpose in life is to be a farmer - to pick the right seeds and help them grow.

CNNfn's Business Unusual
Want to learn how Don Winkler has turned a learning difference to his advantage in business?  Check out Lauren Thierry's March 1, 1999 interview with Don on CNNfn's "Business Unusual" program.

Learning Curve
An article that appeared in Business First, March 1, 1999: This article, accessible through Business First's web site, is about the value that employees with learning differences can bring to organizations as they see things differently and can provide fresh perspectives.

The One to One Interview
An article that appeared in The Leader - the international newsletter for Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group: Don Winkler takes questions before he makes a speech instead of waiting until the end. He is a man open to new ways of doing business. In this article, Don tells how the Senn-Delaney Leadership program has helped Finance One grow.

Members In The Spotlight: Finance One Corporation
An article that appeared in ASFA's Credit Magazine, September/October 1998:The growth of Finance One, the consumer and commercial finance subsidiary of BANK ONE CORPORATION, has been spectacular - average annual earnings increases of more than 25% over the past three years. Traditional bankers wonder how Finance One does it. Don Winkler notes that the keys to success are around you but sometimes difficult to see. It just requires looking in a whole new way, as the Finance One team has done.

Bohemian Lifestyles Breaking Community Bonds
An article that appeared in The Express-Times, October 18, 1998: We have gone from a time when, for better or worse, most of us lived, worked, worshipped, and did just about everything together for a few generations, to a time when a growing portion wanders. Would a Don Winkler of today have as good a chance of turning a supposed disability into an advantage as he would have 50 years ago?

Banc One Exec Revs Up Auto Lending
An article that appeared in Automotive News, August 24, 1998:Don Winkler sees things differently from most folks - always has. He has overcome learning disabilities including dyslexia on his way to becoming CEO of Finance One, the consumer and commercial finance subsidiary of BANC ONE CORPORATION. In this article, Don shares what Bank One's indirect automobile finance business is up to.

The Little Ideas That Could
An article that appeared in The New York Times "Viewpoint" Section, June 14, 1998:Management theories du jour are worn like the latest designer suits, often more for their looks than their value. We trek from "seeking excellence" to viewing the corporation as a "fluid portfolio of businesses" and from "re-engineering" to "total quality management" to "continuous change management." The search for big ideas distracts people from recognizing that organizations are transformed more deeply and continuously by the relentless pursuit of small ideas.

Smooth Sailing On The Sea Of Success
This article appeared in over 130 U.S newspapers, May-August 1998:The executive who believes unacceptable risk invites opportunity is unlikely to build a business into a Fortune 500 corporation. Using similar reasoning, the executive who avoids risks in the pursuit of opportunities will not be able to perceive those risks because he is not looking for them. To succeed we must open our minds and question every principle by which we define our business.

Breaking Through Gray-Flannel Barriers
An article that appeared in The Public Relations Strategist, Spring, 1998:It's almost axiomatic that business organizations create the world they perceive. Don Winkler challenges us to break through the self-imposed barriers that businesses erect and to create a new reality for success.

Climbing Barriers - A Phillipsburg Native's Struggle with Dyslexia Led him to Uncover a Sharp Business Intellect.
An article that appeared in The Express-Times, Spring, 1998:Unable to form mental pictures naturally, Don Winkler compensates for the impairment of dyslexia by questioning everything he sees. He has offered forward-thinking innovation in just about every job he's had - not despite his condition but because of it.

A Banc One Executive Credits His Success To Mastering Dyslexia
An article that appeared in The Wall Street Journal "The Front Lines" Section, April 24, 1998:This article, accessible through The Wall Street Journal's web site, describes how Don Winkler's learning differences have contributed to his impressive success. They have compelled him to think differently. (A related "Front Lines" article followed in the Journal on May 1, 1998.)

The Limousine Syndrome: Tunnel Vision From The Back Seat
An article that appeared in Directorship, April, 1998:It is an axiom of business that organizations attempt to make reality fit their perceptions, and that large and powerful organizations may actually succeed for a time. Reality always wins ultimately, and enterprises whose perceptions are in conflict always lose. There are myriad theories to explain success in business, but few designed to predict mediocre performance or failure. Don Winkler has evolved such a theory - the Limousine Syndrome.

Building Business Breakthroughs
An article that appeared in Chief Executive, July/August, 1996:You can increase the earnings of any business by 25 to 50 percent a year, in almost any economic or competitive situation. Sound impossible? It's not - if you have the courage to break out of old patterns and operate in the realm of infinite possibilities. Don Winkler tells us how.

DSC To Build National Finance Company From Strong Foundation
An article that appeared in Banc One Diversified Services Today, June 1993:Likening himself to a "farmer" who "plants" ideas, new Finance One CEO Don Winkler is out to grow a national consumer finance company for BANC ONE. A new subsidiary of Banc One Diversified Services Corporation has been created to propel BANC ONE'S already successful consumer finance business into a national company with multiple product lines.

CEO Named at New Consumer Finance Subsidiary
An article that appeared in The Columbus Dispatch, May 19, 1993:Announcement that Bank One Diversified Services Corp. named Don Winkler president and chief executive officer of Finance One Corp., a newly formed subsidiary.

Donald Winkler Tells How He Copes With Learning Disabilities
An article that appeared in The Forman Letter, June 1991:Don Winkler tells students of the Forman School that he uses technology, mirrors, time management, and all of his senses to develop his talents and skills and overcome learning problems.

Dyslexia Didn't Do In Executive
An article that appeared in Register Citizen, May 31, 1991:Learning disabilities should not be viewed as insurmountable barriers to success in life; they can be overcome. This was the message delivered by Don Winkler to students at the Forman School, a private school offering specialized programs for those with learning disabilities.

Top Banker Tells How He Beat Odds: Learning Disabilities A Daily Struggle
An article that appeared in Republican-American, May 31, 1991:Tools and technology helped banker Donald Winkler overcome his learning disabilities and become a successful Citicorp executive who oversees billions of dollars a day.

Fee-Based Services New Basis For Bank Income
An article that appeared in American Banker, April 27, 1982:Banking trends are clear. People are demanding a greater variety of financial services but bankers are prisoners of tradition. The banking industry must challenge existing banking regulations in order to compete in the new marketplace where insurance and securities firms are taking hold. Banks must offer these other services - insurance, securities, etc. and do so economically.

Future Banking...A New Concept In Correspondent Banking
An article that appeared in Northwestern Banker, August, 1981:"Future Banking," an innovative correspondent banking service concept unveiled in 1980 by Citibank of New York, is marketed aggressively by the largest New York bank nationwide. Giving credence to the importance Citibank places on this business, executive management bank spun off all of its correspondent relationships with banks and holding companies of under $300 million into a new subsidiary, Correspondent Resources, Inc. (CRI). Alan Weber is President of CRI and Don Winkler is Vice President.

The Motivating Manager - Focus On: Donald A. Winkler
An article that appeared in Modern Business Reports, November, 1979: "The ability to motivate makes the difference between the manager and other employees. Employees are judged by what they do, but the manager is judged by what he can motivate others to do." With these words, Don Winkler sums up the importance of motivational skills to the manager's role.

Check out these other articles by or about Don Winkler at your local or on-line library! Look for them on this site in the future.

• Dyslexia Defeater Speaks at Tree-Lighting Ceremony - Princeton Packet - December 15, 1998
• CEO Triumphs Over Disabilities - The Times - December 11, 1998
• Executive's Success Didn't Come Easy - The Morning Call - October 26, 1998
• Former Phillipsburg Resident Turns Disability into Ability - Phillipsburg Free Press - July 2, 1998
• Who's News: Banc One Corp. - The Wall Street Journal - May 19, 1993