Recommended Reading for High-Performers
Categories: general business thinking and inspiration on how to define "success" - thus, this book is good for anyone who's in the game
Who should read: those wanting to change their outlook on how you're thinking and doing business. Also, maybe those just looking for a good read with some good anecdotes that make you think and reflect. Notes and highlighting factor: above average. There are some really good anecdotes and documented stories that I am using in my practice - and thinking about how I work. |
Commentary: I first was introduced to this author through his blog and immediately was engaged with how talks about business thinking and approaches towards success (however that is defined for you). Eric speaks in a very modern voice and is elegant in how he frames his theories with anecdotes and data. Mostly, the book is a motivator to those open for a change of perspectives and thinking. While pretty set in all of those areas, by gains from the book were still meaningful because of how he teaches and illustrates his points. Chapters like "Do nice guys finish last?" featuring explorations of gang members, pirates and serial killers give you an idea on how Eric's creativity and imagination creep into your head and make you stop and think.
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Categories: management and leadership, performance management
Who should read: anyone who have a need to answer questions about the value and place in our culture of companies Notes and highlighting factor: high. I have filled a notebook with thoughts and ideas for my practice and methods I use. This one will definitely be a "read again" every year or so. |
Commentary: I am giddy in my enthusiasm for this book! There's no "if you're a CXO, sales manager, seller, HR exec then you need to read this" because EVERYONE should read this. I do not use the word transformational to describe many books (Peak, below, is almost there...) but this book is the right message for the right time for all of us wondering why we work so hard and feel so unfulfilled. Author Gareth Chick - a man with some chops galore - writes intelligently and directly about where the human being amongst us fits inside the corporate landscape. This book will empower you to truly make change within your business sphere, perhaps inside your company, and HOPEFULLY in your own career and life.
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Categories: performance management, goal achievement, sales management
Who should read: anyone who wants to get better and improve performance Notes and highlighting factor: high. I marked-up this book a lot and extracted notes from most every chapter. Tons of nuggets in here. |
Commentary: I love this book's main theme: to grow your skills, you must learn the significance of "deliberate practice", the art of practicing the right way. I also love how the authors address these two popular myths: competencies and abilities are limited by genetically prescribed characteristics, and, all it takes to improve is effort. Again, it's all about practicing the right way and the book outlines what the right way looks like. Their ultimate lesson resonates strongly with me: it takes a real technical approach to understanding skill gaps and knowing how to specifically approach and build an improvement plan.
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Categories: negotiations, sales management
Who should read: those who wish to learn real and actionable negotiation tactics and strategies Notes and highlighting factor: super high. I thought I knew a lot about the subject but found value and nuggets in every chapter. |
Commentary: The author is highly qualified to write this landmark book on negotiating having served for decades in the FBI as lead negotiator for all those sticky things those G-Men negotiate (like hostages). Generally, teaching negotiations is so hard because of all the variables and situational differences that apply in real life, which is why most books on the subject are filled with theory (and thus, hard to get through). In this entertaining read, Mr. Voss presents good, solid, simple theories AND smartly explains how to apply them. My biggest compliment is the truth that when I finished the book, I started reading it a second time because, well, one can't learn enough about negotiating!
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Categories: executive leadership, performance enrichment, coaching
Who should read: anyone who leads teams and/or wants to know how to positively motivate people Notes and highlighting factor: high. I literally went through each page of the book and transcribed passages into a word doc that now sits on my desk for inspiration and blatant, unashamed copying. |
Commentary: Any book written by the ex-CEO and Chairman of one of the most dynamic and successful companies of all-time (Eric Schmidt, Google), gets my attention. This book is a wonderful account of one of the most successful behind-the-scenes motivators of Silicon Valley titans: Bill Campbell. The insiders view into the brains of makers/shakers and how Bill approached and helped them is a wonderful blueprint not just for business, but in how we relate to people in general.
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Categories: business story telling, human engagement
Who should read: anyone who feels the need to connect on a more emotional and human manner with clients and business associates Notes and highlighting factor: low. The book is comprised of short stories that make it easy to pick-up/put-down. I didn't take any notes, yet I remember the main themes and use them actively. |
Commentary: "Story telling" has been in vogue for many years and the author, an ex-P&G brand manager, does a really good job of using his stories to encourage and teach us how to improve our abilities. His approach - and writing style - makes for an enjoyable read, yet the lessons are effective and meaningful. Because of the way he categorizes his stories (and lessons), you won't feel the need to read everything...like me, I read what I was most interested in and still derived a lot of value.
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Categories: business positioning, self-brand positioning and promotion
Who should read: those who want to create a more humanly accessible and emotional brand - for your company or yourself. And, for those who need to re-focus your purpose. Notes and highlighting factor: low. I didn't mark-up the book that much, but the central theme is very compelling and lodges in the mind quickly and strongly. |
Commentary: Simon Sinek is an agency guy who is a smart and savvy promoter. His theme of focuses on the "WHY you're in it" ("it" = your job, your life, etc.) is a great reminder in these times where noise and hype distort the specific. At first I was skeptical reading from yet another "branding guy" - and he doesn't help his cause with excessive regurgitation and repetition - but he is engaging and smart in how he tells tales of corporate brand positioning related to how we should think about our own "personal corporation".
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Categories: entrepreneurism, management
Who should read: anyone who feels like giving up, or who is looking for that extra gear Notes and highlighting factor: low...it's not that kind of a book, but the "remembrance factor" is high. What a story by the King of Sneakers, Nike CEO Phil Knight. I wasn't compelled to take notes on anything specific...I just sat back and let the great tale of his life-long fight inspire me. |
Commentary: What a fighter. Phil Knight had a vision, and yes, tons of smarts, but his account for how he created and built Nike is a tale for anyone wanting inspiration to chase a dream, or just keep trekking to a higher altitude. Phil is a true American business hero who created gazillions of dollars of value through grit, determination and lots of cunning. His book captures it all and it's both an enjoyable and inspirational read.
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Categories: management, corporate performance
Who should read: Those who love reading about what separates strong performing companies from those who get left in the dust Notes and highlighting factor: low. I didn't record many notes, but that doesn't mean it wasn't an impactful read. |
Commentary: there was an obvious high amount of research that was invested to tell the tale of high-performing teams and companies and how they thrive in adverse conditions. However, the creativity in how the authors frame their lesson is what creates the magic in the read; the authors brilliantly correlate business success with tales that depict calculated human behaviors and decisions as the drivers for consistent success. The book inspired me to think deeper about the discipline and self-control needed to achieve results amidst chaotic and unpredictable market conditions.
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Categories: business cartoons, entertainment, comedic inspiration
Who should read: someone who needs a good laugh about "bid'ness" Notes and highlighting factor: low. It's not quite at the level of a "coffee table book about coffee tables", but it deserves a regular check-in for provocative and quick laughter...and maybe a few business ideas too. |
Commentary: Tom's work is funny, poignant, and "business-sharp". This is a book of cartoon panels that hit the funny bone of those of us working in marketing and branding capacities in tech-forward industries and companies. I know Tom is personally motivated by the "do what you love" motto, and while that's a hard thing for many of us to get to, Tom helps inspire us through laughter and a full-bodied mirror. Ultimately, Tom's work encourages us NOT to settle professionally. Great job, Tom, keep cranking out the "funny".
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Categories: management and leadership
Who should read: anyone who wants to be a better manager and leader Notes and highlighting factor: high. I marked this thing up so much it looked like a school book. I also put a couple pages on my printer so I could have some hard copies roaming around my desk. |
Commentary: I love this book because it reinforces a communication theme I bought into a long time ago and preach a ton: brevity and clarity. This book offers a simple framework for people management that is based on the theme that different types of people require different approaches and management. "Situational management" was ushered in by these authors years ago and is still highly relevant and necessary. The authors do an outstanding job packaging the lessons quickly and in a way that makes it easy to remember.
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Categories: management and leadership, entrepreneurism
Who should read: anyone who wants to be entertained by a wild start-up story Notes and highlighting factor: zero. Sometimes you just gotta watch the train wreck and admire it for what it is...and be thankful you weren't in it. |
Commentary: The story of Elizabeth Holmes is well documented, yet this book by the Wall St. Journal writer who cracked the code is wonderfully written and a fascinating story at the intersection of dreaming big and wrecking-ball management. Holmes might be revered by some for being a gutsy and dynamic entrepreneur, yet she's a disaster of a manager which outweighs her vision and drive. Sometimes it's more impactful to read an account of how NOT to do it...and certainly it can be more fun, as this book proves.
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Categories: management and leadership, life
Who should read: everyone Notes and highlighting factor: the entire book |
Commentary: Bias alert: John Wooden is my God. First, as my close circle knows, he is why I attended UCLA even though I came many years after his run as "Coach". Second, and most importantly, he is an incredibly principled man who lived with a scary-good amount of integrity and competitiveness. ANY book that has to do with the "Wizard of Westwood" is a winner, yet this particular book is filled with small excerpts and passages that inspire a "life worth living"! His lessons work as much in the B2B sales world as it does in the home...as they did dominating college hoops in the '60s and '70s. Long live Coach Wooden!
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Categories: culture, team building, entrepreneurship
Who should read: founders, those wanting to change /build culture in your company Notes and highlighting factor: average...good lessons as told through stories and anecdotes of the author's big hand in growing Netflix. |
Commentary: Patty is a really sharp entrepreneur and executive in Sillicon Valley who writes with a lovely and engaging human tone. What makes this book so valuable is Patty's rationale and human approach to building teams and companies. Hearing how she and Reed Hastings (and others) built a juggernaut (Netflix) with a unique and authentic approach to people (and people dev) made me look hard in the mirror at my past successes and failures (er, "learning moments"). Also, kudos to her for paying respect to the reader by not stretching out her thesis and pushing too far with fluff. Patty's story is so valuable I've immediately begun using nuggets and learnings with my clients.
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Categories: selling, sales leadership, sales culture
Who should read: sellers, sales managers, those wanting understanding about modern day selling strategies Notes and highlighting factor: exceptionally high...notes galore about selling approaches and process |
Commentary: This book was all the rage in 2011 when it came out and remains a must-read for B2B sellers and sales managers. The main premise debunking "relationship strength" as the key lever for B2B sellers is not ground-breaking, but the detail and lessons supporting the premise keeps today's "solution provider" practitioners motivated and focused. Insight to how corporate buying decisions are made adds a great dimension that forces us out of our skin thinking about expanding our regular selling behaviors.
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