Book recommendations for business leaders: 8/23/18

Aug 23, 2018 | 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 Tough Man, Tender Chicken: Business and Life Lessons from Frank Perdue, The Meaning Revolution: The Power of Transcendent Leadership, The Leader Habit: Master the Skills You Need to Lead–in Just Minutes a Day, The Excellence Dividend: Meeting the Tech Tide with Work That Wows and Jobs That Last, and Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries. Plus a list of books on breaking bad habits.

From Skip Prichard: Tough Man, Tender Chicken: Lessons from Frank Perdue

“Frank Perdue was a visionary business leader. He focused on culture, leadership development, packaging, promotion, and operational excellence perhaps years before others. Recently, his wife, Mitzi Perdue, wrote a biography Tough Man, Tender Chicken: Business and Life Lessons from Frank Perdue. The book paints the picture of the man, allowing us glimpses into his personal life, but also is full of business and leadership advice.”

From Wharton: Should Leadership Feel More Like Love?

“Six-figure salaries and free lattes in the break room are enticing, but corporate workers increasingly are seeking something more. They want a sense of purpose, a feeling of true camaraderie, and a belief that they are having an impact within the company and outside of it. That’s where good leadership can make all the difference, says Fred Kofman, an adviser in leadership development at Google and former vice president of development at LinkedIn. His latest book, The Meaning Revolution: The Power of Transcendent Leadership, suggests that leaders should set goals greater than simply making quarterly numbers.”

From Kevin Eikenberry: The Leader Habit: Master the Skills You Need to Lead in Just Minutes a Day

“You know that if you take a tough skill and make part of it habit, your success will improve. Such is the case with leadership. Build strong leader habits, and you will become a stronger and more successful leader. The question is – what are the habits and how do you build them?”

From Theodore Kinni: The Enthusiasms of Tom Peters

“In his exuberant new book, the management guru sums up 50 years of experience with exhortations to pursue excellence.”

From Eric Barker: The System That All Creative Geniuses Use To Develop Their Ideas

“Peter Sims is the bestselling author of Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries. It was one of the best books I read in 2012 and I’ve posted about it numerous times.”

Also from Eric Barker: 5 Fascinating Books On How To Break Bad Habits

“Psychological research shows people overestimate themselves in nearly every arena — including modesty. Which raises an interesting question… What’s the one thing almost everyone will cop to being utterly dismal at?”

Every Monday, I do a blog post about business reading and business books. Follow this link to the most recent post, a review of The Art of Action by Stephen Bungay.

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.