Book recommendations for business leaders: 10/3/19

Oct 3, 2019 | Reading Lists

Stephen King says that if you want to be a writer, there are two things you must do: read a lot and write a lot. This is about the “read a lot” part. I include reading lists and book reviews that will help you do business more effectively and write better for business.

In this post, I point you to reviews of Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up, How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World: The Definitive Guide to Adapting and Succeeding in High-Performance Careers, Gettin’ (un)Busy: 5 Steps to Kill Busyness and Live with Purpose, Productivity, and Peace, A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas, and That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea. Plus leadership book recommendations from Suzi McAlpine.

From Wharton: How Radical Self-Inquiry Can Create a Thriving Workplace

“Executive coach Jerry Colonna wants managers to stop focusing on output and achievement. Instead, he wants them to engage in radical self-inquiry, which builds the maturity required for leaders to lift up others, not just themselves. It’s part of what sees as a bigger rebooting — a process he went through himself. The former venture capitalist fought through depression and suicidal feelings to lead a more fulfilling life, both professionally and personally.”

From the NY Times: The Mystery of the Miserable Employees: How to Win in the Winner-Take-All Economy

“This article is adapted from the book How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World.”

From Skip Prichard: 5 Steps to Getting (un)Busy

“In the new book Gettin’ (un)Busy: 5 Steps to Kill Busyness and Live with Purpose, Productivity, and Peace, Garland Vance uncovers the lies that keep us trapped in overcommitted lives and how we can stress less, accomplish more, and start enjoying our lives.”

From Greg Satell: The Power Of A Question

“That’s when I first learned the power of a question. As Warren Berger explains in A More Beautiful Question, while answers tend to close a discussion, questions help us open new doors and can lead to genuine breakthroughs. Yet not all questions are equal. Asking good questions is a skill that takes practice and effort to learn to do well. Here’s where to start.”

From Michael McKinney: “That Will Never Work”

“The real story is longer. While it is messy, complicated, it is much more exciting. Marc Randolph shares it all in That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea. I read a lot of business books, and I can say this is one of the best you’ll ever read on starting and growing a business—the emotions, the triumphs, the failures and the lessons learned. The story is a well-told page-turner.”

From Suzi McAlpine: Some of the best leadership books

“But if it’s non-fiction you’re after on your holiday, here are some of the best leadership related books I can recommend for you to buy or download on your kindle:”

Reading recommendations are a regular feature of this blog. Want more recommendations about what to read? Check out my Three Star Leadership blog, Michael McKinney’s LeadingBlog, and Skip Prichard’s Leadership Insights.