Book Review: The Dream Manager – Employee Engagement Done Right

employee engagement, employee

For those who regularly follow my blog, you’ve come to know that my book reviews are not a detailed review of the book. You can get that on Amazon. Rather, they are an understanding of the application of what is in the book and why it may be beneficial for you. If you care about making the most of the greatest asset in your organization, then you will want to continue reading on… I wish …

Care About Diversity at Your Organization? Put How Women Rise on Your Must-Read List.

How Women Rise | Women in the Workplace | Women in Business

If you care about diversity and a stronger representation of women in your organization, How Women Rise needs to go to your “must read” list. Released in April 2018, How Women Rise is a collaboration between Marshall Goldsmith and Sally Helgesen. How Women Rise: A Brief Look at the Authors Marshall is an executive coach to leaders of many major organizations and is the author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, a …

A Book Review: Mindset

mindset

Confession time.  Have you ever read a book because you thought it would confirm something you already knew or understood?  Usually I seek out books to learn about something new or for a view of the world that differs from mine.  When I starting reading Mindset by Carol Dweck, it was for a different reason.  I fully expected the book to confirm something I thought I knew about myself.  I was wrong. Carol’s oft-referenced book …

A Book Review: GRIT

grit

GRIT is written by Angela Duckworth, a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and a professor with degrees in neurobiology, neuroscience and a PhD in psychology.  This lady has studied our brains and how they function.   In GRIT she addresses the keys to human performance uncovered through decades of research and brought to life by real-world examples from her studies and her own life.  Included in the book is a simple assessment to determine just how GRITTY you …

A Book Review: The Energy Bus

energy bus

Curious to know more about the book that ranked #2 on the Wall Street Journal best seller list behind StrengthsFinder 2.0, I downloaded The Energy Bus on Audible.  Less than a week later I was ordering multiple hardback copies as holiday gifts.  What inspired and excited me about this book to want to share it with others? Why do I recommend this great little book?  Because it visualizes possibility and potential and makes it accessible …

A Book Review: The Happiness Advantage

happiness

My first read of The Happiness Advantage was in 2012, around the same time I came across the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 and its related strengths assessment.  I am not sure which spawned which but the two are more closely related than I knew at the time as both have roots in the Positive Psychology movement.  Dr. Donald O. Clifton, developer of the StrengthsFinder® Assessment, challenged the focus on dysfunction by asking “What will happen when …

A Book Review: Strengths Based Leadership

leadership

Most of us have experienced this; the company retreat or off-site where a portion of the time is spent learning about ourselves, our teammates and a new way of looking at our relationships.  Communication skills, building trust, leadership through XYZ or a nature or wilderness experience designed to teach us more about ourselves and working together.  Perhaps you are asked to take an assessment prior to the gathering to understand your colors, a letter that …

Intentionality

Continuing with George Leonard’s book Mastery, the fourth key is intentionality.  In the book, Mr. Leonard defines intentionality with words such as character, willpower, attitude, imaging, the mental game.  He goes on to describe the power of visualization in performance with many examples coming from the world of sports. If you have ever practiced visualization you know the power and impact it can have.  Visualization is not simply mental rehearsal, it is feeling and experiencing …

Surrender

We continue to work through the 5 Keys of Mastery.  Last week was about Practice and it involves more than you think.  So what role does Surrender play in Mastery?  Waving white flags or your dog’ s underbelly is not what is being referenced here, rather it is to yield to the instruction and the demands of your discipline.  Are you willing to look the part of the fool as you try something new?  To …

The Journey to Mastery: 5 Keys

to mastery

With the recent discussion of mastery in these messages, you need to know about the book of the same title written by George Leonard.  I was first introduced to this little gem of a book and the keys to mastery in 2011 when I took a “master class” on coaching. In the book, Mr. Leonard identifies the Five Master Keys to Mastery: Instruction – the coach and other forms of instructions such as reading, video, …

A Book Review: “Now, Discover Your Strengths”

discover your strengths

Highlight, underline, highlight, underline, dog-ear, dog-ear, dog-ear. Now, Discover Your Strengths is the most demarcated book in my bookshelves. Here’s why: my most commonly occurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior is that focusing on strengths is the way to stimulate personal and group excellence. Nothing is more powerful for me than to witness the transformation of something, and especially someone, from strong to superb. It takes just as much effort to take something from …

A Book Review: “Getting Naked”

Given the furor over the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, you may wonder what a review of a book titled Getting Naked is doing in a professional coach’s repertoire. Because we all do it every day and if we can embrace it physically then we can embrace it mentally and become a stronger leader. “I have to get naked to be a better leader?” You’ve imagined an audience in their underwear to overcome presentation jitters. …

A Book Review: Me, Inc.

me, inc.

If feel good, niceties and political correctness are important to you, then read no further. Gene Simmons’ book Me, Inc. (yes, that Gene Simmons of KISS) will offend your delicate sensibilities.  If instead you are interested in a “tell it like it is, it ain’t all necessarily nice, but here’s what you need to know book,” then read on. This is the most recent of a total of eleven books that Gene has published and …

Top 10 Best Books

Thinking you might be looking for a good read over the holidays or need some last minute gift ideas, I’ve pulled together a list of Top Ten Best Books. Regular readers of this blog will recognize some familiar titles. The insight in these books is timeless and timely! There are a few new surprises as well and some that have reviews forthcoming. So peruse away and lose yourself in a good book over the holidays! …

A Book Review: “Essentialism”

pursuit

Recommendations from colleagues allowed the book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less  by Greg McKeown to make it to the top of my reading and listening list.  I am on my second listen and first read and have continued to uncover new ideas that allow for the unfurling of the jumbled knot that is partially visible on the cover of the book. Why is this book important to you?  Unless you are one of the …

A Book Review: “StrengthsFinder 2.0”

strengths

When things aren’t going as smoothly as we planned or in the direction we imagined; when we find our life and our business a far cry from what we have envisioned, our mind defaults to the thought that something needs “fixin” – that is Texan for the verb “to fix.” What is wrong, what is broken, what do we need to fix? We have a proclivity to zero in on our weaknesses. If business isn’t …

A Book Review: Getting Things Done

getting things done

Completing the trifecta of recommended reading on productivity, also known as time management, is David Allen’s detailed book on just how to get things done. I recommend three books when it comes to prioritizing and taking action in your life. Stephen Covey’s “First Things First” which begins with the end in mind (read my book review here). That is, his book helps you determine the truly important things to you, your life and where you …

A Book Review: Start with Why

start with why

In his book, “Start with Why” author Simon Sinek challenges us to redefine why we do anything and everything. Our simple rote answers of “to make money” or “to lose weight” are obvious in their intention, yet far from inspiring. As we are in the season for resolutions and goal-setting, I want to share this book recommendation with you. If in the past you have struggled to set meaningful goals, forgotten about your goals or …

A Book Review: “The Five Love Languages”

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman is a book I heard mentioned frequently in the past few years so I purchased a copy for summer vacation.  It was my attempt to diversify my reading from all the business and self development books I so thoroughly enjoy.  Little did I know I had so much to learn, and self-develop, in this department! The book is eye-opening and mind-opening.  Much as we like to think we …