What do you do when some of your favourite reads and other resources don’t quite land under a clear and easy heading? Below are some of the books and other resources that I and others have delighted in:
The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power
Joel Bakan
Available as a book and as a DVD, Bakan’s book makes a devastating case against corporate greed, exploring the implications of the laws which govern the way we do business.
One Minute Manager, One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey etc.
Kenneth H. Blanchard
These small books (and others in the series) do a fantastic job of making leadership easy to understand and to do. More than any other books I’ve recommended here they pass the “transatlantic flight test” – they’re quick to read and easy to stow in your luggage.
Good to Great and How the Mighty Fall
Jim Collins
I confess I haven’t read either of these books but my colleagues have. They may be a little dated and still they are firm favourites and at least one of them passes the “transatlantic flight test” and can be read in one go.
Oh! And for the longest reading list for leaders you’re ever likely to find go to http://www.jimcollins.com/tools/recommended-reading.html
Working with Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman
Goleman has made significant contribution to our understanding of research which highlights the role that emotional intelligence plays in our success in the workplace. Essential reading for leaders, both to help them shape their own approach and to help them to coach and develop others.
Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen
If you’re looking to transform your leadership style, this book provides succinct guidance. Rooted in the owner’s experience of transforming the ‘World Famous Pike Place Fish Market’ (see below).
When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace from the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market
Joseph Michelli & John Yokoyama
If you can – though it seems nigh-on impossible – get the CD abridged version of this inspiring book, which tells of the owners personal transformation and what it meant for the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market.
Quiet Leadership
David Rock
A recommendation from a colleague, I picked this book out because it is rooted in an understanding of the neuroscience of leadership.
The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and with Life
Lynne Twist
For so many of us, work and money are intimately connected. But what is money and what is its meaning in our lives? Lynne Twist’s book is a compassionate and eloquent exploration of this question.
Winning!
Clive Woodward
As coach to the UK rugby team, Woodward set out to create a winning team and was both painstaking and determined in addressing every aspect of what it would take to make this dream a reality, leading to the team’s success in winning the Rugby World Cup in November 2003. A fascinating read which opens up many avenues for exploration.
The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America
David Whyte
Whyte makes a powerful case for bringing ourselves fully into the workplace, offering a profound sense of what it means to locate our work deep within the soul. Whyte’s book offers a completely new perspective on what it means to work.
Life at the Frontier: Leadership Through Courageous Conversation
David Whyte
In this talk, Whyte highlights the need for authentic, real and courageous conversation whilst also recognising the challenges involved. Speaking with humour and compassion, Whyte tells some leadership home-truths.
www.TED.com
If you haven’t got time to read a book, go to www.TED.com for some twenty-minute ‘sound-bites’. This is a valuable resource for leaders who want to explore current thinking in small chunks.