The British are coming! The British are coming! Pret A Manger is a London-based company with ambitions to revolutionize that uniquely American institution: the fast-food restaurant. Its sandwiches taste great -- and its growth strategy offers plenty of food for thought. Scott Kirsner page 38
How does pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly accelerate the pace while reducing the cost of innovation? By corralling scientists around the world in a Web-based system of eR&D. Bill Breen page 44
Freeman Hrabowski is nurturing a new generation of African-American scientists and mathematicians. His lesson plan: high standards, hand-on help, and some killer chess. Chuck Salter page 34
Well, in part, the fans do. And maybe that's why it's winning more! A soccer club in Finland marries grassroots enthusiasm with cell-phone interactivity. The result looks to be quite a kick. Ian Wylie page 32
Tom Burbage and his 500-person team at Lockheed Martin went after the biggest military deal in U.S. history -- and scored a $200 billion victory: a contract to build the Joint Strike Fighter. They didn't play it safe; they played to win. Bill Breen page 66
Nine amazing and instructive lessons on the power of breaking the mold, the genius of the unexpected move, the thrill of standing out from the crowd, and the virtues -- yes, virtues -- of conservatism. Keith H. Hammonds page 82
Skydiving champion Cheryl Stearns, who has jumped out of airplanes more times than any other woman on the planet, explains how she uses fear to her advantage, makes soft landings, and plans a world-record plunge from 130,000 feet (seriously). Chuck Salter page 94
The dirty little secret of Carly Fiorina (and every other woman CEO, for that matter): They're held to a different standard than guys. George Anders page 114
Forget everything that you've ever learned about mentoring, especially the idea of hitching your wagon to a rising star. Here's how Intel is reinventing the old approach to mentoring to teach, inspire, and reconnect its employees. Fara Warner page 116
Author Ben Cheever knows what it takes to look for -- and land -- a job. After losing his, he worked at a sandwich bar, sold computers, and stocked books (and failed a math test to be a stockbroker). Here are his five rules for finding work in today's tough job market. Alison Overholt page 122
You can't move beyond your biases if you don't recognize them. Mark Williams helps execs and rank-and-file employees "build bridges, manage conflict, and find common ground." But first, he helps them see which of the "10 Lenses" they use to see the world. Read about his ideas -- and then take the online version of the 10 Lenses test. Keith H. Hammonds
E-learning is the future of learning. The real question is, When, and in what form, will the future arrive? For a set of lessons in successful e-learning, take a lesson from class.com. Anni Layne Rodgers
The Internet is out of favor, Wall Street is in retreat -- yet E*Trade refuses to back down. It claims more than 3 million account holders, owns an online bank, and sponsored the half-time show at the Super Bowl. Will E*Trade make the grade? Consult our A - Z Fast Companies Directory for essential reading, insider comments, and information on job opportunties.
