This is a book meant to be kept close by your elbow. A book you will thumb through over and over. A book with many underlined our highlighted passages. A book that has a timeless message of hope.

In Chapter 8: "Lokahi: The dynamics of teamwork," Rosa tells the story of 21-foot fishing boat she bought, noting that she was worried from the onset that this 21-foot fiberglass boat was not substantial enough for the "rolling swells of the Pacific Ocean." She goes on to relate her fishing boat, which she named Lokahi, with the skills needed to create successful, working teams at the office.

Chapter 12, "Ha'aha'a" speaks about humility. Rosa shows us how to "be humble, be modest and open in your thoughts." This is where many management teams fall down. Lack of respect gradually tears away at the teams ability to accomplish any goal. In this chapter, Rosa says, "One of the best definitions I've ever heard for humility was that 'humility is an act of courtesy.' " She is careful to note that this does not mean we should "underrate ourselves."

Instead, she teaches that using "softness of voice," and grooming ourselves to understand others by "opening our thoughts", will come back to serve us more successfully than stomping about with authority-- as if the word 'Boss' stamped across our foreheads is all one needs to get others to pitch in and do the job right.

Managing with Aloha is Rosa Say's first book. I hope it isn't her last. As she notes in her interview on my blog, "The Hawaiian people hold mana, a person's inner spirit, in very high regard. They also believe that land and non-human things can contain mana as divine power, also worthy of honor and respect. Aloha is the value of love and acceptance, and in Hawaii we consider aloha the outpouring and receiving of one's spirit. "

I have to ask, what's not to like about that?