I recently started a podcast as another platform to discuss
leadership, strategic foresight, organizational behavior, and innovation. It
has provided a great opportunity to interview leaders in various industries and
listen to their stories and what has made them successful. I believe as a
leader you need to continually invest in your growth in order to move your
organization to another level of success. Growth is vital as a leader because,
as Marcus Lemonis states, "Leadership is about reinventing
ourselves." This does not mean we change who we are but we grow and become
a more experienced leader.
Not only is talking with other leaders a great way to
grow, but something every leader needs to have in their tool belt to
be successful is the desire or will to read. Reading is a great source for our
continued development. Whether it is learning more about organizational
strategies, leadership issues, personal development or to gain ideas that you
can implement into your organization, reading is important.
As a leader, it is
important to read books not only associated with your industry, but outside of
your industry as well. I look to read books from different industries along
with biographies, historical pieces, plus personal development books.
The following are books I
have read that I would recommend.
by General Stanley McChrystal
In a day and age when the old systems seem to continue to operate with not much success, General McChrystal writes about one the biggest organizations that is cemented in their ways, the military. He provides insights into the new type of organization needed to fight in today's world and how that can be translated into the business world. The chief issue that mires organizations in their failures is a lack of communication. McChrystal writes, "Most organizations are more concerned with how best to control information (internally) than how best to share it."
by Sir Alex Ferguson with Michael Mortiz
As an avid Manchester United supporter, I have been a fan of Sir Alex for many years. He is the most decorated British manager in football winning 38 trophies in 26 years of management, which includes 13 Premier League Titles, 5 FA Cups, and 2 UEFA Champions Leagues. Sir Alex writes about want true leadership means to an organization. He writes, "My job was to make everyone understand the impossible was possible. That's the difference between leadership and management." This is one of many principles that can be taken an implemented as a leader.
by Erik Durschmied
Erik Durschmied begins his book with an opening quote from Carl von Clausewitz in his book On War (1832). It states, "Chance and uncertainty are two of the most common and most important elements in warfare." The same can be true about business. As a lifelong fan of history, this book provided interesting background to a few of the world's most significant battles. It shows how little mistakes and chances can change an outcome, which can be the same in the organization you might lead.
by Andy Andrews
The bookstores and libraries are full of the newest "self-help" books and how we can become a better self today. Andy Andrews goes beyond the subject of self-help and offers an outline, a foundation constructed from seven daily decisions we can make in order to be successful. Andrews believes that it comes down to two decisions, a committed heart or an undecided heart. "Most people fail at whatever they attempt because of an undecided heart. Success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape."
by Jim Gaffigan
Finally, you always need a "fun" book on a list to read. I am a huge fan of Jim Gaffigan and found this book a few years ago. If you have seen any of his stand=up routines, you will know that Jim enjoys food. This book provides you a little inside look at this favorite topic. Jim goes so far as to divide the United States into different "food lands." They include "Seabugland, Super Bowl Sunday Foodland, Seakland, Mexican Foodland, Easting BBQLand, Wineland, Food Anxietyland, Coffeeland, Blubberland, and Luauland." This is a light, enjoyable book to relax your mind and give yourself a rest.
You can see from this list, that they do not all come from the business section of the bookstore. However, each book has significant amount of information that can be related to your organization and your leadership. From team building and new operational process, to being more confident and being aware of the small decisions, these books become great tools for your development. Who knows, you might even be inspired by Jim Gaffigan.
