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 The Bridge to Growth: Servant Leadership by Jude Rake, The End of Loyalty by Rick Wartzman, Wooden on Leadership, Freedom Inc. by Frédéric Laloux, and Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed by Daniel McGinn.
From Michael McKinney: The Bridge to Growth
“WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT, strategy or execution? I believe both are critical. But what if something else is just as important? There is a third ingredient to business success, one that many companies undervalue: servant leadership.”
From Steve Denning: How GE, GM, Coca-Cola And Kodak Put Shareholders Ahead Of Employees
“The End of Loyalty (Public Affairs, May 2017) by Rick Wartzman tells the story of the destruction of the social contract between employer and employee in America through the lens of four iconic companies: Coca-Cola, GE, GM and Kodak. At the start of the story in the 1940s, these firms—and, by implication, many others — were obsessed with creating more and better jobs. The economy and the middle class flourished. Today, that social contract has been destroyed.”
From Ken Downer: Wooden on Leadership: Think Small
“Someone said that you shouldn’t ‘sweat the small stuff’ but based on what I just read, they have it all wrong. Sometimes it’s the small things that can make all the difference. If you want to be effective as a leader, there’s good reason why you should pay close attention to the ‘small stuff.’ Here’s why.”
From Harold Jarche: freedom inc. review
“If you liked the book Reinventing Organizations (2014) then you will like Freedom Inc. written in 2009. If have not read Frédéric Laloux’s Reinventing Organizations, read Freedom Inc. instead. Freedom Inc. has many case studies from the same companies that are in Reinventing Organizations but the former are more comprehensive. Carney & Getz definitely have done their homework as they delve into what creates a liberating company. They are much less prescriptive than Laloux in what they learn about corporate liberation and instead focus on finding core principles. They understand that in complex human systems all contexts are different. They offer insights from a wide variety of companies and industries.”
From Daniel Gross: Getting Psyched
“In his engaging and original book, Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed, Daniel McGinn takes us far beyond the clichés of yoga poses, centering exercises, and nap rooms. McGinn, an editor at the Harvard Business Review with a ‘lifelong fascination with how people get psyched up before important events,’ as he describes it, has traveled around the country to visit operating rooms, performance halls, baseball fields, sales floors, and other high-pressure work environments to learn how people with a range of skills and backgrounds prepare themselves mentally for the rigors of their daily work.”
Reading recommendations are a regular feature of this blog. Want more recommendations about what to read? Check out my Three Star Leadership blog and Michael McKinney’s LeadingBlog.