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 Outsizing: Strategies To Grow Your Business, Profits, And Potential, How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World: The Definitive Guide to Adapting and Succeeding in High-Performance Careers, Grace: A Leader’s Guide to a Better Us, It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work, and Self as Coach, Self as Leader: Developing the Best in You to Develop the Best in Others. There’s also a summer reading list from Strategy+Business.
From Skip Prichard: Outsizing Strategies to Grow Your Business Potential
“Many business leaders claim to have competitive advantage and yet they struggle to achieve the growth that they think is possible. What strategies separate winning organizations from the rest? What is required to implement strategy and execute with excellence? In his book Outsizing: Strategies To Grow Your Business, Profits, And Potential, Steve Coughran tackles these questions. I had the opportunity to speak with Steve about some of his insights and tips to outsize your strategy, profits, and potential.”
From Mark Gimein: A winning effort
“In his new book, Neil Irwin finds that people who succeed in management careers do so by trying new things, learning from failures, and embracing changes in direction.”
From Michael McKinney: Grace: A Leader’s Guide to a Better Us
“Grace is a critical part of who great leaders should be. To that end, John Baldoni has tackled for us in Grace: A Leader’s Guide to a Better Us, an attribute that is in short supply today. Grace is something all leaders should model for the benefit of those around them so that it spreads to society in general.”
From Bob Morris: It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work
“This is Jason Fried and David Heinemeier’s fourth collaboration on a book after co-founding a software company, Basecamp. Each of the four books has a core thesis. For the latest: ‘A business is a collection of choices. Every day is a new chance to make a new choice, a different choice…no matter where you live in an organization, you can start making better choices. Choices that chip away at crazy and get closer to calm. A calm company is a choice. Make it yours.’ That is the WHAT of this book.”
From Mary Jo Asmus: Self as Coach, Self as Leader: Interview with Pamela McLean
“It is unusual of for me to do interviews or promote books on this site. An exception was made when I was asked to interview Pamela McLean. A well respected thought leader in the the emerging and evolving world of coaching for 30 years, I couldn’t resist. And when I read her latest book called ‘Self as Coach, Self as Leader,’ I knew that you also needed to hear what she had to say. (P.S. the book is accessible, compelling, and tells a story that shows how difficult it is to be a great coach. Whether you are a leader who coaches others in your organization or an independent professional coach, what she has to say is relevant and fresh).”
From Strategy+Business: 2019 summer reading: 10 business books
“A selection of books perfect for your commute — or the beach.”
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.