Book recommendations for business leaders: 11/7/19

Nov 7, 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 Contagious You: Unlock Your Power to Influence, Lead, and Create the Impact You Want, Doodles on Leadership: Experiences within and beyond Tata, What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence, Love Is Just Damn Good Business: Do What You Love in Service of the People Who Love What You Do, and What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture. Plus, there’s a pointer to Michael McKinney’s look at new leadership releases for November 2011.

From Skip Prichard: Your Leadership Power is Contagious

“Anese Cavanaugh’s book Contagious Culture helped leaders create healthy corporate culture. Now her latest work, Contagious You shows individuals how to guide and serve others in a compelling way.”

From Art Kleiner: Can you be a shaper of great institutions?

“Former Tata Group director R. Gopalakrishnan, who’s written a new book, says the best leaders focus on building both a better business and a better world.”

From Michael McKinney: Stephen Schwarzman’s 25 Rules for Work & Life

“BLACKSTONE chairman, CEO, and co-founder Stephen Schwarzman has written a book about the potential that can be realized when you combine personal responsibility with ambition. What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence chronicles his life leading up to the founding of Blackstone and the journey to build it into what it has become today. He shares the lessons and the opportunities that have come his way as a result of his success. It is inspiring and instructive. Well worth the time to read.”

From Wharton: All You Need Is Love: The Case for Bringing Greater Passion to Work

“Love is the most powerful emotion on the planet, yet we’ve been conditioned to check our feelings at the door when we arrive to work each day. Leadership consultant Steve Farber thinks that’s a mistake. In his new book, he explains why love is part of a successful strategy for business. Companies large and small can reap the rewards when both managers and employees make personal connections, share their passions, and invest in each other and their customers. Farber shares his vision in his book, Love Is Just Damn Good Business: Do What You Love in Service of the People Who Love What You Do.”

From the Economist: Creating the right culture in a business

“IT SEEMS obvious that, for a company to succeed, it needs the right products. But many people believe the right culture is just as important. Creating that culture has been the holy grail for managers ever since Tom Peters and Robert Waterman focused on the issue back in 1982 in their book ‘In Search of Excellence’. The idea is back in fashion today. A prime example is a new book called ‘What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture’ by Ben Horowitz, of the venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Mr Horowitz uses some unexpected case studies—Genghis Khan, Japanese samurai, Toussaint Louverture (leader of a slave revolt in Haiti) and a reformed gang leader called Shaka Senghor.”

From Michael McKinney: First Look: Leadership Books for November 2019

“Here’s a look at some of the best leadership books to be released in November 2019.”

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.