The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them. -Mark Twain
Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story
by Peter Guber
I highly recommend this read. All leaders in any organizational situatoin need to be more mindful of the power of Story … and how to consciously and effectively leverage it. Peter tells us stories to help us understand just how to to this. I’ve read a lot of books on story and this is the best I’ve seen for storytelling in business.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
My client, friend, brother-from-another-mom, threatened to not talk to me until I read Pressfield’s book. It is one of those quick reads that you do not want to be quick. As much as I hate to admit it, I needed his wonderfully explicit message about Resistance!
Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions by Guy Kawasaki
I bought this book as I felt it might be what I was looking for to support my annual Personal/Professional Development Story. It was a good pick. It is one of those I will hold back from the shelf as I am still studying some things I want to test, use to adjust some of my connection activities, and leverage as I continue to evolve my strategies.
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal
by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
The subtitle says it all. However, this brief excerpt is very important. “But it is not necessarily the nature of the job that determines how meaningful and motivating it is. The challenge we all face is to find ways to use the workplace as a forum in which to express and embody our deepest values.”
The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World
by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D.
Even if you are an extrovert, there are important people in your life that are introverted. Both introversion and extraversion are personality preferences and both are wonderful. As Marti points out, 66% of people are extroverts. So, if you are one of the introverts, you may feel misunderstood; maybe because you don’t understand yourself. This is a must read for both preferences.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith
No matter where you are in your career, this is a must read. Marshall builds on the fact that, as we increase in our professional level of expertise, our issues become more about behavior. Too many of us ignore this fact. Marshall points out these issues in great detail and what to do about them. Please read it.
Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan
This was beach reading when in SC. Please consider reading this. It is a wonderful story and highlights the powerful abilities we were originally given as human beings … only to have these abilities dulled and sometimes eliminated by what we call modern life.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm’s talent for research and storytelling in the explicit manner make yet another great book. What is Malcolm’s message? From page 268; “To build a better world we need to replace the patchwork of lucky breaks and arbitrary advantages that today determine success – the fortunate birth dates and the happy accidents of history – with a society that provides opportunities for all.”
Linchpin: Are You Indispensible? by Seth Godin
I’m pretty certain that Dan Pink and Seth Godin were hanging out at the same place during most of their respective writing of these recent books. Like Drive, Seth’s new book is a must read for everyone working in the 21st Century. Reading Seth’s latest reminds me of a great quote by Ananda Coomaraswamy; “The artist is not a special kind of person; rather each person is a special kind of artist.” Read this book by Seth!
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
It is no wonder that I love this book – as Dan talks about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. And in my book, I talk about the balance between the internal and the external – that your confidence is found in who you are. Dan – like Malcolm Gladwell, Chris Anderson, and select others – is a great researcher and writer making a specific case compelling. A must read for anyone who calls himself/herself a manager!
The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures
by Dan Roam
Anyone who facilitates meetings/gatherings of any size must read this book. Dan also has many an entertaining and educational video clip available just by searching the web.
The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality
by Dalai Lama
This book was recommended to me by a solid spiritual partner. It is an interesting story of one great man’s desire to bring together science and spirit – seeing them as inseparable.
Free – The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson
Similar to Tom Friedman, Chris uses a talent for research and storytelling to educate us on this not so new concept of ‘free.’ And helps us understand what potential lies ahead.
Flow – The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Mihaly Csikzentmihayli has studied the concept of flow for many years. The findings of his extensive research are described in this intelligent book. In this thorough representation of his life’s work he tells us the eight things that must align for an individual to experience flow. To me, a surprising finding in Csikzentmihayli’s work is that it appears happiness does not necessarily have much to do with whether or not an individual experiences flow. However, happiness is often a result.
The Speed of Trust – The One Thing that Changes Everything
by Stephen M.R. Covey
This book is worth at least a good perusal. I really like the message that trust begins with self-trust and that we best demonstrate respect for others when we respect ourselves enough to keep the commitments we make to self.
Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds
“If you ever do any sort of presentation – and that is probably most of you – this is a must read. It will help you get your message through in a simple, right-brain engaging manner … all while letting the message of who you are take center stage!”
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
“I began reading this in hopes of gleaning something for my own business. I’m blown away by what I’m learning and what I can use in my small operation. I believe it also has application for an individual leader in her/his own growth and development … which I will be experimenting with on leadership coaching clients!”
Tribes – We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin
Crossing the Unknown Sea – Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity by David Whyte
“Anything by David Whyte is worth the effort to read … you don’t really read David Whyte, you get taken along on a wonderful journey. Please read this book!”
Why Work Sucks – And How to Fix It by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson
“A must read for every leader in the 21st Century … It’s about performance and results … not our time-warped way of viewing work in this society.”
Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die by John Izzo
Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together by William Isaacs
The World is Flat – A Brief History of the 21st Century by Thomas Friedman
The Extreme Future – The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World … by James Canton, Ph. D.
The One Thing You Need to Know – About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success by Marcus Buckingham
A Whole New Mind – Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age by Daniel H. Pink
Small Giants – Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham
The Transparency Edge – How Credibility Can Make or Break You in Business by Barbara Pagano & Elizabeth Pagano
The Long Tail – Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson
Birth of the Chaordic Age by Dee Hock
Wikinomics – How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything by Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams
Go Put Your Strengths to Work – 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance by Marcus Buckingham
Crucial Conversations – Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler
Influencer – The Power to Change Anything by Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, Switzler
“A great use of stories gleaned from excellent research. You will go on a wonderful journey through stories told well … all to learn the two basic things that make us change our behavior in right ways.”
