Think In Systems: The Theory and Practice of Strategic Planning, Problem Solving, and Creating Lasting Results - Complexity Made Simple
Zoe McKey - 2018
Sometimes our best efforts can result in the opposite of what we want over time. How can we avoid these unwanted results? If we apply conventional thinking to complex issues, we often maintain or increase the very problems we want to fix. There is, however, a solution to get the desired results. Think in Systems is a concise information manual offering high-level problem-solving methods for personal and global issues. The book presents the main features of systems thinking in an understandable and everyday manner, helping you to develop this skill top analysts and world leaders use. If you thought that complex thinking is only for people who deal with complex issues like running a company or country, think again. Every issue is complex. Running out of gas is a simple problem, but I’m sure you’re dealing with much greater headaches on a daily basis. Your life is a system. Everything that is connected to your system (life) is a part of it. However, you are just a subsystem in the larger picture. Your town, country, the world, the solar system are all bigger systems you are a part of. These systems are interconnected. Whatever you do will affect the system and whatever the system does will affect your life. Systems can have positive and negative effect on your life – or on the life of people generally. The greatest problems like hunger, war, and poverty are all failures in the system. Similarly, fights with your loved ones, being stuck in a rut at your job are also system failures. They are not only your fault. Thus they can’t be fixed with a simple cause-effect thinking. Learn to use systems thinking in your business, relationships, friendships, and general political, socio-economic, and environmental issues. Systems thinking boosts your critical thinking skills, makes you more logical, enhances your analytical abilities, and makes you more creative. Systems thinking won’t put extra pressure on your cognition. Quite the contrary, you’ll have fewer headaches knowing that you surely didn’t miss any detail when you tried to solve a problem. "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Albert Einstein • Learn the main aspects, concepts, and models of systems thinking. • Design models and systems maps to solve your problems • Find solutions to your underlying problems, not just the symptoms • Improve your mental health, wealth, and relationships Systems thinking is a relatively new discipline which doesn’t get the exposure it deserves. However, our world grows more connected, interdependent and complex with each passing day. Becoming a systems thinker will help you to overcome your confusion and fear of missing the whole picture, and help you find more effective solutions to your personal (and if you are up to it), global problems. •Widen your understanding of international economic, political, and socio-economic affairs •Manage your business better •The most helpful materials, books, and experts to learn even more about systems thinking Identify your problems more accurately. Find solutions to your problems, don’t just treat the symptoms.
Obvious Adams (Illustrated): The Story of a Successful Businessman
Robert Rawls Updegraff - 2013
Hardly anyone has heard of it, but those who do swear by it, and they tend to be some of the world's top copywriters. For example, Gary Bencivenga, who retired in 2003 as the world's most effective and highest paid copywriter, named Obvious Adams as one of the most important copywriting and business books he's ever read. Some say that Bencivenga was given the book by David Ogilvy himself, the father of modern advertising. And some even whisper that the allegorical character of Obvious Adams is a veiled reference to Claude Hopkins, whose work is studied by serious marketers to this day. So make use of this treasure that you hold in your hands. Read it once, to enjoy the story. Then read it a second time, to appreciate the wisdom that it shares. Make notes in the margins, and carefully apply what you learn - and your future customers will thank you for having done so!
Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success
Matthew Syed - 2010
Fans of Predictably Irrational and Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point will find many interesting and helpful insights in Bounce.
Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life: Train Your Brain to Get More Done in Less Time
Paul Hammerness - 2011
Dr. Paul Hammerness, a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist, describes the latest neuroscience research on the brain's extraordinary built-in system of organization. Margaret Moore, an executive wellness coach and codirector of the Institute of Coaching, translates the science into solutions.This remarkable team shows you how to use the innate organizational power of your brain to make your life less stressful, more productive and rewarding. You'll learn how to:Regain control of your frenzyEmbrace effective uni-tasking (because multitasking doesn't work)Fluidly shift from one task to anotherUse your creativity to connect the dotsThis groundbreaking guide is complete with stories of people who have learned to stop feeling powerless against multiplying distractions and start organizing their lives by organizing their minds.
Shine: How to Survive and Thrive at Work
Chris Baréz-Brown - 1996
Some days you feel bullet-proof. People listen to you, your meetings run like clockwork, and you keep having new ideas. Other days are like wading through quicksand. You can’t get anything done, and when the printer jams (again) you want to quit.Wouldn’t it be great if every day went your way? If you jumped out of bed every morning ready for anything?You can stand out, break the rules, and making things happen. You can be a bit more ‘Elvis.’ You can love every minute. The only limitation is you: your energy, your belief, your perspective.
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life
Scott Adams - 2013
So how did he go from hapless office worker and serial failure to the creator of Dilbert, one of the world’s most famous syndicated comic strips, in just a few years? In How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Adams shares the strategy he has used since he was a teen to invite failure in, to embrace it, then pick its pocket. No career guide can offer advice for success that works for everyone. As Adams explains, your best bet is to study the ways of others who made it big and try to glean some tricks and strategies that make sense for you. Adams pulls back the covers on his own unusual life and shares what he learned for turning one failure after another into something good and lasting. Adams reveals that he failed at just about everything he’s tried, including his corporate career, his inventions, his investments, and his two restaurants. But there’s a lot to learn from his personal story, and a lot of humor along the way. While it’s hard for anyone to recover from a personal or professional failure, Adams discovered some unlikely truths that helped to propel him forward. For instance:• Goals are for losers. Systems are for winners.• "Passion" is bull. What you need is personal energy.• A combination of mediocre skills can make you surprisingly valuable.• You can manage your odds in a way that makes you look lucky to others.
The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change
Matthew E. May - 2010
It tells the story of a hardworking family man who finds himself in crisis when his company closes. Through his struggle, and guidance from unlikely sources, he learns subtle lessons in the form of "personal zen" principles, coming to understand that it is often the involuntary challenge, the setbacks, that harbor the power to transform. When approached as an opportunity -- no easy task when simple survival is the first order of business--unforeseen trials can sometimes result in an altogether new lease on life. Shows how "personal leadership" can lead to real (and not always easy) breakthroughs Includes key lessons on commitment, preparation, struggle, breakthrough, and transformation Is based on "Shibumi, " a Japanese word without literal definition that describes the height of personal excellence, elegant performance, and effortless effectiveness.For those struggling with personal breakthroughs, "The Shubimi Strategy" offers a new way to face work and life challenges for balanced solutions.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
David Allen - 2001
In Getting Things Done, veteran coach and management consultant David Allen shares the breakthrough methods for stress-free performance that he has introduced to tens of thousands of people across the country. Allen's premise is simple: our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve effective productivity and unleash our creative potential. In Getting Things Done Allen shows how to:* Apply the "do it, delegate it, defer it, drop it" rule to get your in-box to empty* Reassess goals and stay focused in changing situations* Plan projects as well as get them unstuck* Overcome feelings of confusion, anxiety, and being overwhelmed* Feel fine about what you're not doingFrom core principles to proven tricks, Getting Things Done can transform the way you work, showing you how to pick up the pace without wearing yourself down.
Earn the Right to Win: How Success in Any Field Starts with Superior Preparation
Tom Coughlin - 2013
No modern coach, in any sport, understands that better than NFL veteran Tom Coughlin. He led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories with his system of relentless preparation and old-school resilience. He teaches his players that you can never guarantee a win, but you can always earn the right to win—with focus, consistency, hard work, and anticipation of obstacles. And if you’ve earned the right to win, you can sleep soundly before a big game and take the field with confidence. Now Coughlin shares his best advice and anecdotes and shows how they apply beyond the gridiron. His philosophy focuses on mental preparation and consistency in the face of adversity. And his direct, honest wisdom can help leaders in any field rev up their own organizations. Coughlin’s lessons include:Using time efficiently, both in making and sticking to a schedule and planning for the long-termPreparing for unexpected opportunities and building flexibility into your game planPaying close attention to the details, because every piece of information is an advantage over the competitionEstablishing trust and open communication with your teamCoughlin illustrates his lessons with previously untold stories about prominent players like Eli Manning, Doug Flutie, and Michael Strahan. Earn the Right to Win can help you master a winning combination: preparation, smart decision making, and toughness in the face of adversity. It’s a powerful guide for leaders in any kind of organization.
The Real-Life MBA
Jack Welch;Suzy Welch - 2016
Over the same time frame Jack has advised more than seventy-five companies through private equity and dozens more in a senior advisory role at IAC. Now Jack and Suzy Welch draw on their experiences to address the biggest problems facing modern management and offer pragmatic solutions to overcome them.Going beyond theories concepts and ideologies they tackle the real stuff of work today. When you get down to it they argue winning in business is all about mastering the gritty inescapable make-or-break real-life dilemmas that define the new economy the old economy and everything in between.Work is a grind. We just got whacked. My boss is driving me nuts. I m stuck in career purgatory. My team has lost its mojo. IT is holding us hostage. Our strategy is outdated the day we launch it. We don t know what our Chinese partners are talking about. We re just not growing. These are some of the day-to-day issues the Welches take on. Coupled with Jack s years of iconic leadership and Suzy s insights as former editor of the Harvard Business Review their new database of knowledge infuses The Real Life MBA with fresh relevant stories and equally powerful solutions that every manager at any level can
The Art of Possibility
Rosamund Stone Zander - 2000
The Art of Possibility combines Benjamin Zander's experience as conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and his talent as a teacher and communicator with psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander's genius for designing innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment. The authors' harmoniously interwoven perspectives provide a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of life. Through uplifting stories, parables, and personal anecdotes, the Zanders invite us to become passionate communicators, leaders, and performers whose lives radiate possibility into the world
So What?: How to Communicate What Really Matters to Your Audience
Mark Magnacca - 2009
It's tough, but true-the people you're trying to communicate with, sell to, or convince don't really care about you. Nor do they care what you're offering them-until they understand exactly how it'll benefit them. If you recognize that one hard, cold fact-and you know what to do about it-you'll make more money, achieve greater success, and even have more fun! Magnacca shows you how to answer the "So What?" question brilliantly, every time-no matter who's asking it or what you're trying to achieve. This book will transform the way you communicate: You'll use it every day to get what you want-in business and in life!
TransForm: Dramatically Improve Your Career, Business, Relationships, and Life: One Simple Step at a Time
Jeff Haden - 2014
It provides concrete, practical, real-world ways that anyone can increase personal productivity, improve professional relationships, achieve goals, become a better leader, develop both personally and professionally... and become remarkable. You'll notice I didn't solicit a bunch of testimonials. Or have friends and family write reviews. What other people -- even notable people -- think about a book is interesting but ultimately irrelevant. All that matters is what you think... and I think you'll find at least five things you can start doing differently in less than fifteen minutes. The book is broken down into 10 sections: 1. Happiness 2. Goals 3. Success 4. Personal Development 5. Personal Productivity 6. Professional Relationships 7. Leadership 8. Praise 9. Entrepreneurship 10. Remarkable Want to improve your life? Want to be more successful and happier? I promise you can.
First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
Marcus Buckingham - 1998
With vital performance and career lessons and ideas for how to apply them, it is a must-read for managers at every level.
Master Your Focus: A Practical Guide to Stop Chasing the Next Thing and Focus on What Matters Until It's Done (Mastery #3)
Thibaut Meurisse - 2019
In his latest book, you’ll learn exactly how to develop laser-sharp focus so that you can complete your key projects and achieve your major goals. Master Your Focus is a clear and concise walkthrough that demonstrates how to use the power of focus to achieve tangible results. Using Thibaut’s straightforward instructions, you’ll learn how to zero-in on key tasks and stick to them until you complete them 100%. In Master Your Focus, you’ll discover:
What true productivity really is (and how to master it)
The 3 types of focus and how exactly you can develop each of them
How to stop jumping from one thing to the next and finally complete your key tasks (and why this is so critical)
How to dramatically reduce your learning curve by finding the right information and applying it effectively
How to achieve more by doing less
The 17 simple strategies to boost your focus
And much more.
Master Your Focus is your must-read guide to help you sharpen your focus and skyrocket your results long term. If you like easy-to-understand strategies, practical exercises, and no-nonsense teaching, you will love this book.
Buy Master Your Focus to sharpen your focus today!
This book is the third book in the "Mastery Series" below:
Book 1 - Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings
Book 2 - Master Your Motivation: A Practical Guide to Unstick Yourself, Build Momentum and Sustain Long-Term Motivation