The Innovator's Solution by Clayton M. Christensen is an intelligent book about seeing and overcoming the risks associated with new ventures and lines of business. Often companies fail in this regard which can lead to the total elimination of an established, successful company. From competing against non-consumption and resource allocation, to selecting the right people for the job and developing strategies, the book takes a good look at how new ventures are often handled or rather mishandled in current organizations and how to learn how to handle them well. The book does become very repetitive and is written with an academic approach and gets a little boring at times however the concepts and ideas are thought-provoking and helpful for business professional facing such decisions. Overall I give the book a 2 ½ start rating.I hate it when people complain (though I’m sure I do my fair share) so I thought I’d enjoy the bookThe No Complaining Rule by Jon Gordon. Though the substance of the book was not as full and complete as I had hoped, there were a few concepts which I enjoyed including the main idea of the book which is the choice is our whether we complain or not and that complaining brings negative energy to us as individuals as well as those we interact with. If we can avoid complaining and bring positive energy instead, it will have a dramatic impact on our results. Though I was hoping for more, the book was a pretty good quick read. I give it 2 ½ stars.
What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith is an interesting book about how changing even little behaviors or habits can make all the difference in becoming an even more successful person. The whole premise of Goldsmith’s book is based on the importance of obtaining feedback. The book also identifies 21 typical behavioral flaws of successful people giving readers an opportunity to self-assess and evaluate themselves. The book also provides different ideas and strategies on how and from whom to seek feedback, how to become more successful than you already are, how to change destructive flaws that are identified, and how to successfully help others notice the changes you are making enabling you to be a better leader. The book is written specifically to those who have already been successful in life and who are seeking to be even better and after much thought, I believe it merits a very strong 2 ½ star rating.Click for a more in-depth reviewThe business philosophy of this book’s title,Employees First, Customers Second written by Vineet Nayar, I’ve seen yield great results and the author proves it through his story as CEO of HCL Technologies. In this book he shares his story and how this philosophy lead to great success in his organization. Though the book was different than I had anticipated, I loved many of the ideas found in it including the role of management. This book also offers other ideas on how to put employees first such as increasing transparency, focusing on the need for constant change, looking in the mirror, and improving communication. The book wasn’t as compelling as I had hoped and lacked some depth but I think the author was very sincere and showed once again how being emphatic about a few simple things can make a dramatic impact on an organization that eventually leads to great results. In the end I think every organization should espouse this philosophy and this book can provide some insights and an example of how to get there so I give it 2 ½ stars.Start-Up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul Singer is a book written about Israel’s incredible economic growth and how it has survived and thrived despite the many seemingly obstacles such as size, lack of natural resources, and surrounding enemies. The book shares true examples of some of Israel’s top entrepreneurs and businesses to make certain points on why and how Israel has succeeded. Through these stories we learn some of the strategies, ideas, and concepts used to help spark Israel’s economy—things that I believe can be applied in our individual lives to help us reach our own success. The book is interesting yet not super entertaining but definitely does add some value to the careful reader. I give it 2 ½ stars. Have you ever felt at home or at work that you are at war against the very people who you thought were supposed to be on your side?! This issue of “internal fighting” is at the heart of the book Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars by Patrick Lencioni. Too often organizations are greatly hindered or even sometimes destroyed by people who seem at times to be unwilling to work together. This book offers clear ideas and a specific method on how to help combat and eliminate this epidemic. This book is a good read for anyone in a leadership position as the author believes leaders are most often at fault and thus have the greatest opportunity to eliminate this problem in their respective organizations. Though helpful, I did feel this books ideas were not quite up to Lencioni’s normal high standards and lacked some “meat” to it. Though good, for this reason I give it only 2 ½ stars.Click for a more in-depth reviewBuilt to Last by Jim Collins is a good business book that includes a study of many companies who have had success over a very long period of time. In the book, the author talks about the similarities between the companies he studied and shares what he believes to be the common themes among them that have helped them achieve lasting success. From persevering the core to unleashing the power of the ‘AND’ the book contains many insightful and interesting concepts to help both businesses and individuals be successful. In the end however, though parts of the book are very, very good and insightful, I believe the book in its entirety pales in comparison to Jim Collins more famous book Good to Great. Thus, even though I found parts of the book to be excellent, overall I give it 2 ½ stars.Click for a more in-depth reviewThe Seven Miracles That Saved America by Chris and Ted Stewart is a book about our great nation and how it has been preserved by divine providence to stand as the example of liberty and freedom to all the world. The book specifically talks about 7 miracles that allowed our nation to succeed and prosper when it looked as if our democracy was doomed for failure. The end of the book contains perhaps the most important message which is one of hope, faith and optimism for the future of our nation. This book helps us remember why we should all be truly grateful to be Americans! I believe this book had a lot of potential that wasn’t fully maximized by the authors but regardless it is a good book. I give it 2 ½ stars.Click for a more in-depth reviewJourney to the Emerald City by Roger Connors and Tom Smith is an interesting book about organizational culture. The premise of the book is based on the fact that organizational culture is a result of experiences that people have that determines their beliefs about the organization. These beliefs typically translate into actions which in turn produce results. Thus, to truly change culture in an organization, one must start with changing beliefs through experiences. The book offers strategies for helping us understand beliefs and experiences and how we can shape them along with some “accelerators” to culture change such as feedback and alignment. I did think the Wizard of Oz correlation was very poor and some points were not fully developed and others were repeated again and again. In the end, the main message of the book is that as leaders, we must manage our organizational cultures or it will manage us. Overall I thought the book was worth reading and would recommend it to those interested in the material--2 ½ stars.Click for a more in-depth reviewThe Power of Adversity by Al Weatherhead is an inspirational and motivating book that challenges us to not only overcome our adversity but also to tap into its unique capacity to make us better people. Through many personal stories, the author provides many strategies to effectively handle adversity such as thinking positively, putting others first, and having the right attitude. I found nearly all of the information and stories in the book to be meaningful and helpful to those struggling with adversity. It is a good book and my only complaint is I feel it could have been improved with better organization and structure to it. Overall though, I would recommend the book and give it 2 ½ stars.
Click for a more in-depth reviewBlink is a fascinating book about our unconscious behaviors, “mind-readings”, and quick judgments we constantly make as human beings each day. Through many interesting studies, the author tries to help readers learn when to trust their instincts and when to slow down and make a more deliberate decision. Though the content is very interesting, the information is not extremely uplifting nor the message profound—thus I give Blink a 2 1/2 star rating out of 4, but would encourage others to read it.
Road Rules by Andrew J. Sherman uses the analogy of how simply driving on the road can teach us life’s most important lessons. Some of these lessons include sharing the road, being guided by our navigational system, and being an all weather driver. Often, the analogy is quite clever, helpful and creative, but at other times it feels like a bit of a stretch. I wish the author could have expounded upon some points more effectively as well to enhance the analogy of the road and life. Some chapters in the book are outstanding and I really enjoyed them such as 9 & 10 but a few others were just ok. Because of this lack of consistency throughout the book, I’ve decided to give it 2 ½ stars.
Click for a more in-depth reviewThe Culprit and the Cure was a good change of pace for me, and it is an interesting book about fitness and health. The main message is that eating right and exercising regularly will save lives and save America. Though not as dramatic as it may sound, the book gives valuable insight into eating and exercising right, and it will give you motivation to live a healthier life style. Though not extremely entertaining, I would recommend the book to any who are interested in health and exercise and give it a 2 ½ star rating out of 4.
What Your Clients Won’t Tell You and Your Managers Don’t Know is a short book about client retention. The book encourages attitude and action in retaining clients, and it reminds us that retaining clients is much easier than seeking new ones. Communication and mutual trust are very important in the client/contractor relationship, and it is emphasized throughout the book. Though most of its content is not extremely unique or revolutionary, this book is a nice little refresher on smart strategies for retaining clients. I give the book 2 ½ stars out of 4.
Though Moving Forward by Dave Pelzer is not one of my favorite books, reading it can certainly add value to anyone’s life. The two most important reminders from this book are that we must believe in ourselves and that when we do, we can overcome and accomplish anything! The author also challenges readers to be leaders by staying true to their values and beliefs despite what others might think, say, or do. I did think parts of the book could have been improved and perhaps presented in a more effective manner, but overall, the book has a positive and motivating message--thus I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars.
Click for a more in-depth reviewSocial Intelligence by Daniel Goleman is an interesting book that explores the need and importance of interaction as social beings. In this book, the author explains how we are all connected and how we influence and impact each other more strongly than we may realize. The book also places emphasis on nurturing and kind relationships, and it discusses how we often treat others as objects rather than people. The book also offers insights and tips for business owners, families, parents, educators, and the government on how acting with social intelligence can result in better and more successful outcomes. Though some of the topics are a little unsettling and at times the book is a little slow, the book definitely adds valuable insights into life and is worth reading. I give this book 2 ½ stars.
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