Resources
There are many valuable resources publicly available for anyone interested in learning some basic tools for improving their executive abilities. These are some of the books, websites and resources that we turn to time and again.
Self Leadership
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. No one has ever captured better than Stephen Covey the fundamental skills necessary to be successful in life and work. It’s worth rereading until these habits are ingrained within.
Brain Rules by John Medina. Dr. Medina integrates significant brain research so that we can both understand how our brain works and in turn, how we can be more effective. It is fun, interesting and practical and the basis for one of my most popular presentations.
BRIEF – Making an Impact by Saying Less by Joseph McCormack. McCormack provides an excellent model to improve meeting presentations. Learning to articulate in an organized and illustrative manner is key to executive success.
Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are by Dr. Amy Cuddy. Body language plays a critical role in the perception of your presence. This intriguing but factual research by Dr. Amy Cuddy with Harvard helps you increase your confidence and project more powerfully.
Manage Your Energy not Your Time by Tony Schwartz. While time management is important, even more critical is understanding how to manage your energy. This article illustrates how to change your mind set about the use of time and energy.
Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin. This book echoes themes from two other favorite books, “Mastery” by George Leonard and “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell, which is that the key to success is consistent and deliberate practice, aka hard work. Geoff Colvin’s book is featured because it debunks the fear many have of not having the smarts or talent that they need to be highly successful.
Team Leadership
From Values to Action by Harry Jansen Kraemer, ExCEO of Baxter. Kraemer does a good job of making the connection between being values-driven and obtaining results. Nothing inspires a team as much as working for a leader who exhibits and cultivates the kind of values outlined in this book.
The Next Level by Scott Eblin. All leaders on their way up move from some kind of specialized expertise to general management. This book offers clear-eyed advice about what to let go and what to pick up.
It’s Okay to be the Boss by Bruce Tulgan. This articulates some of the basics of management that trip up even the most senior of executives. It’s a great situational handbook but all senior leaders should know the content by heart.
Touchpoints by Doug Conant, exCEO of Campbell Soup. Conant gives a simple but profound formula for effectively leading people. In every interaction, move the issues and the people forward. He breaks the mindset that there are times to manage the business and times to manage the people; both can and should be done simultaneously.
Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. If reading parables is not your favored way of learning, go straight to the summary in back to find the most clear and effective way to build a team that is out there. While simple in design, it’s very hard to execute well.
Servant Leadership by Robert Greenleaf. This is a seminal book about the power of leaders who want to serve first and this conscious choice then aspires one to lead. He paints a compelling case for the value of listening which leads to understanding which leads to the most effective actions.
Organizational Leadership
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni. This is Lencioni’s best book because of its concise and clear methodology for the creation of Organizational Health, a competitive advantage for companies of all sizes.
The Talent Masters by Bill Conaty and Ram Charan. This books illustrates that talent drives numbers and while very GE-centric, it outlines a comprehensive approach to managing talent as carefully as every other aspect of the business.
Great by Choice by Jim Collins. All of Collins’ books are best-in-class but this book illustrates a more entrepreneurial mindset and a factor called the 20 Mile March which lays out the characteristics that give companies the edge in volatile times.
Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan. Bossidy provides a roadmap for executives to create robust dialogue about people, strategy and operations management that result in consistent financial and organizational success. He emphasizes over and over again how these elements cannot be delegated to others but are the role of anyone at the head of an organizational unit.
Playing to Win by A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin. One of the clearest and on point strategy books since Michael Porter. Lafley defines strategy as the specific choices you make to win in the marketplace and the book outlines what to do and what not to do. Excellent read.
Make to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Organizational success aligns and mobilizes employees through consistent and compelling communication. Most executives can learn a great deal from this book about how to communicate personally and how to evaluate organizational communications.