Book recommendations for business leaders: 2/7/19

Feb 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 Wally Bock, business book reading lists, business reading lists, The Art of Waiting from the Ancient to the Instant World, Truthful Living: The First Writings of Napoleon Hill, The New Leadership Literacies: Thriving in a Future of Extreme Disruption and Distributed Everything, Leading at a Higher Level, and Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. There’s also Michael McKinney’s list of leadership books scheduled for release this month.

From Wharton: Is Waiting a Lost Art?

“Technology makes society more efficient, but is moving faster always such a good thing? A new book delves into history and looks at the benefits and consequences of waiting. Delayed Response: The Art of Waiting from the Ancient to the Instant World, by University of Maryland-College Park professor Jason Farman, says speed can stifle innovation and creativity because people don’t take the time to think.”

From Kevin Eikenberry: New Learning from an Old Master

“This new book is a treasure of Hill’s earliest writings. Gitomer kept Hill’s words verbatim. Many of these lecture notes were written in the 1910’s, so the language will be different than you are used to, and some of the popular examples are dated (much like Think and Grow Rich), but it doesn’t change the powerful writing on timeless truths about living, thinking, parenting, business, and life.”

From Bob Morris: The New Leadership Literacies

“Toffler made that prediction 34 years ago in his classic work, Future Shock, and I was again reminded of it as I began to read Bob Johansen’s latest book. He suggests that ‘the shift from centralized to distributed organizations has already begun, but the current leadership literacy — inherited from large, centralized organizations — isn’t ready for a future when anything that can be distributed will be distributed.’ That is, organizations ‘that have no center, grow from the edges, and cannot be controlled.’ Johansen explains why and how leaders must develop five specific literacies:”

From David Witt: Ken Blanchard on Leading at a Higher Level

“The first edition came out in 2006 and featured the best thinking from 18 different authors, summarizing the key concepts from all the Blanchard programs at the time. The new edition continues that tradition. Now featuring the work of 25 authors, this edition includes four new chapters: Building Trust, Mentoring, Collaboration, and Organizational Leadership.”

From Cal NewPort: The Beginning of a Digital Revolution?

“The early buzz about the book has exceeded my expectations, which helps validate a trend that I’ve been noticing over the past year or so: people seem like they’re finally ready to consider serious changes to their relationship with digital tools.”

From Michael McKinney: First Look: Leadership Books for February 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.