Many of us get stuck at this time of year
in finding something new or different for your boss or colleague, family
member or a friend (or a “selfy” gift for yourself!)
A gift that many appreciate is a printed or audio version of something
to read or listen to – especially a gift that makes us more informed,
inspired or motivated.
Here are some books that I recommend for you consideration. Some are
recent and some are older gems that deserve to be gobbled up over the
months ahead.
Getting to Yes With Yourself by William Ury.
If we learn to understand and influence ourselves first, we lay the
groundwork for understanding and influencing others. In this prequel to
Getting to Yes, Ury offers a seven-step method to help
you reach agreement with yourself first, dramatically improving your
ability to negotiate with others. This book and practice is a wonderful
companion to being an emotionally smart person.
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived. A Human Story Retold Through Our Genes by Adam Rutherford.
A good friend gave me this book and I am so glad he did. In a
well-written and fascinating manner, Rutherford more than meets the
challenge of illustrating how the human species rises from our humble
origin to become the dominant creature on our planet. The difference is
Rutherford links our evolution to examine how biology, environment and
culture have shaped us.
Retirement, Live it or Leave it! A personal planning guide to enhance life after work by Richard Atkinson. A comprehensive
and easy-to-read resource for that someone that is preparing for or
already into their next chapter in life. This practical resource is both
sensible and simple to follow and offers a number of exercises to help
plan and deal with of the multi-facets of retirement.
Love your Life to Death. How to Plan and Prepare for End of Life so You can Live fully Now by Yvonne Heath.
Written through the eyes of a palliative care nurse with compassion and
deep understanding, this book deals with what all of us need to address
and deal well in advance of when we pass on. “ The best time to plan
and be prepared for grief and dying – is when you are young and healthy.
The next best time is … now! “
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This book is the instigator of self-help books. Written in 1937 (and a contemporary of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People and Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking)
Hill examines the psychological power of thought and the brain in the
process of furthering your career and life. It’s simply one of the must-readbooks in your lifetime – one I make a practice of reading annually to remind me of where I am aiming to be over my lifetime.
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. A
colleague recommended this book to me many years ago when I found myself
out of alignment with what was happening in my life. Ruiz masterfully
reveals the source of our self-limiting beliefs as well as advocating
for a simple yet powerful code of conduct. A must read for highly
value-principled individuals.
Leadership From The Inside-Out. Becoming A Leader for Life by Kevin Cashman.
One of my favourite and most challenging resources on leadership. This
book needs to be on your bookshelf or loaded on your iPad. Filled with
insightful commentary and probing questions, “ This book is dedicated to
those value-creating leaders with the courage to commit to authentic
personal transformation and the passion to serve the world around them. ”
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni. Lencioni
builds an effective story around the experiences of an abruptly retired
executive searching for meaning in his career and life. Through a
series of twists and turns the central character discovers some of the
universal causes of despair and frustration at work – as well as the
keys to overcoming them. Lencioni has also published a number of helpful
personal and team development books including, The Advantage, Death by Meetings, and 5 Dysfunctions of a Team.
Good to Great by Jim Collins. After reading
this book you will be able to stop wondering where the expression, “
Who’s on the bus? ” originated. This book has become a benchmark for
culture and strategy for many organizations as they aim for reaching and
sustaining a high level of performance year after year.
Tribal Leadership by David Logan. Birds
migrate in flocks, cattle move in herds, and human beings naturally
organize themselves into tribes. This book and what it advocates is
about leveraging the natural phenomenon of human tribes to upgrade
organizational culture and improve effectiveness, engagement, job
satisfaction, and expectations of future successes. Logan and his
associates provide powerful insights on how a tribe’s culture is
sculpted by language (the words used by people) and behaviour (the
actions and types relationships forged).
The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization by Peter Drucker and Leader to Leader Institute.
Leadership means coming up with the right answers. This book embraces
the important coaching skill of asking the right, disarming questions
that are so important to determining what’s needed, why it matters and
how to make it work.
