How to be a Chief Operating Officer: 16 Disciplines for Success


Jennifer Geary - 2017
    It embraces a range of disciplines, from Technology to Human Resources, from Legal to Risk. Yet, unlike other senior executive roles, there is no established framework or body of knowledge to support the COO. This book de-mystifies the COO role and breaks it into 16 core elements; the three fundamental pillars of Culture, Strategy and Change, plus 13 technical areas. It outlines responsibilities, warning signs, and how to boost performance. It equips you with the questions you need to ask to gain early insight, diagnose the issues and move into execution. Drawing on industry standards and enriched with expert insight and real-life current examples, it condenses a vast range of knowledge and experience into one accessible read. This book, which can be consumed in one sitting, will make you a more effective leader, faster. This is the book that current COOs wish they had at the outset of their journey. It is the book that your CEO, Board and team need you to read. ‘A must-read guide for all aspiring COOs. Packed with practical insights and based on real life experiences, it gives a clear and powerful road map for this transformational organizational role.’ Justin Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF ‘It is rare for a single book to command such breadth of expertise, practical insight and advice that is so easy to put into action. This is a consequence of the superb clarity of Jennifer’s writing, and the fact that she has earned her expertise – and the scars that come with it – from working on the business end of the stick for over twenty years.’ Mark Waddington, CEO, Hope and Homes for Children ‘Crisply written, clear and to the point.’ Ben Brabyn, CEO, Level 39 ‘An impressive read. De-codes the very tricky role of COO and inspires you on how to be a great one.’ Niamh O’Keeffe, Author of “Your First 100 days” and “Your Next Role” ‘The defining text on the role of the COO and its component parts. This is an informative and useful read for existing COOs. It is a must read for new COOs, aspiring COOs and most importantly CEOs and Heads of HR in hiring COOs for their organisations.' Paul Ford, CEO, Anchura Partners ‘The role of COO is a balancing act, and requires multiple hard and soft skills. This nifty handbook provides a shortcut to understand the critical skills required, and is filled with nuggets of practical and accessible advice.’ Sinead Mahon, Banking COO ‘This book takes one of the most frameless and unstructured roles in business today, and using personal experiences seeks to help others to demystify the role and deliver insight on how to be effective and successful. Insightful and extensive, a book I would have loved to have access to when I was starting out in my career.’ Pam Murphy, COO, Infor

Dream Like a Champion: Wins, Losses, and Leadership the Nebraska Volleyball Way


Brandon Vogel - 2017
    In Dream Like a Champion Cook shares the coaching and leadership philosophy that has enabled him to become one of the game’s winningest coaches. Growing up in San Diego, Cook acquired his coaching philosophy from his experiences first as a football coach, then as a student of the sport of volleyball on the beaches of Southern California. After a stint as an assistant volleyball coach at Nebraska, he returned to Nebraska as head coach in 2000 and won the national championship in his first season. Even with a bar set so high, Cook saw at Nebraska’s tradition-rich program the potential for even greater growth and success. He decided to focus on higher expectations, training, motivation, goal setting, and other ways to build the strongest teams possible.  In Dream Like a Champion Cook shares the philosophy behind Nebraska’s culture of success and reveals how he’s had to learn, evolve, and be coached himself, even in his fifth decade as a coach. With openness and candor he delivers insights about his methods and passes along lessons that can be used by leaders in any field. Cook also shares behind-the-scenes anecdotes about Nebraska volleyball moments and players—and how he coaches and teaches his players about life beyond the court.

Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success Playbook: Applying the Pyramid of Success to Your Life


John Wooden - 2005
    Readings based on Wooden’s own life experiences and spiritual development through the years revealed that success is built block by block, much like a pyramid. From confidence to faith, the building blocks contribute to moral character and form our key values. Coach Wooden and author Jay Carty would be the first to admit, it is not enough to simply read about the Pyramid of Success, one must also act on it. Enter Coach Wooden’s Playbook for Success, a pocket guide to the principles and Bible verses that Coach Wooden has lived and shared for more than 40 years.  Like sitting next to the legendary coach himself, working through each principle in the Playbook and spending time with God will encourage and set you on the road to success.

Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters


Barbara Kellerman - 2004
    Many would argue that tyrants, corrupt CEOs, and other abusers of power and authority are not leaders at all--at least not as the word is currently used. But, according to Barbara Kellerman, this assumption is dangerously naive. A provocative departure from conventional thinking, Bad Leadership compels us to see leadership in its entirety. Kellerman argues that the dark side of leadership--from rigidity and callousness to corruption and cruelty--is not an aberration. Rather, bad leadership is as ubiquitous as it is insidious--and so must be more carefully examined and better understood. Drawing on high-profile, contemporary examples--from Mary Meeker to David Koresh, Bill Clinton to Radovan Karadzic, Al Dunlap to Leona Helmsley--Kellerman explores seven primary types of bad leadership and dissects why and how leaders cross the line from good to bad. The book also illuminates the critical role of followers, revealing how they collaborate with, and sometimes even cause, bad leadership. Daring and counterintuitive, Bad Leadership makes clear that we need to face the dark side to become better leaders and followers ourselves. Barbara Kellerman is research director of the Center for Public Leadership and a lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

The Turnaround: How America's Top Cop Reversed the Crime Epidemic


William Bratton - 1998
    When Bill Bratton was sworn in as New York City's police commissioner in 1994, he made what many considered a bold promise: The NYPD would fight crime in every borough...and win.  It seemed foolhardy; even everybody knows you can't win the war on crime.  But Bratton delivered.  In an extraordinary twenty-seven months, serious crime in New York City went down by 33 percent, the murder rate was cut in half--and Bill Bratton was heralded as the most charismatic  and respected law enforcement official in America..  In this outspoken account of his news-making career, Bratton reveals how his cutting-edge policing strategies brought about the historic reduction in crime.Bratton's success made national news and landed him on the cover of Time.  It also landed him in political hot water.  Bratton earned such positive press that before he'd completed his first week on the job, the administration of New York's media-hungry mayor Rudolph Giuliani, threatened to fire him.  Bratton gives a vivid, behind-the-scenes look at the sizzle and substance, and he pulls no punches describing the personalities who really run the city.Bratton grew up in a working-class Boston neighborhood, always dreaming of being a cop.  As a young officer under Robert di Grazia, Boston's progressive police commissioner, he got a ground-level view of real police reform and also saw what happens when an outspoken, dynamic, reform-minded police commissioner starts to outshine an ambitious mayor.  He was soon in the forefront of the community policing movement and a rising star in the profession.  Bratton had turned around four major police departments when he accepted the number one police job in America.When Bratton arrived at the NYPD, New York's Finest were almost hiding; they had given up on preventing crime and were trying only to respond to it.  Narcotics,  Vice,  Auto Theft, and the Gun Squads all worked banker's hours while the competition--the bad guys--worked around the clock.  Bratton changed that.  He brought talent to the top and instilled pride in the force; he listened to the people in the neighborhoods and to the cops on the street.  Bratton and his "dream team" created Compstat, a combination of computer statistics analysis and an unwavering demand for accountability.  Cops were called on the carpet, and crime began to drop.  With Bratton on the job, New York City was turned around.Today, New York's plummeting crime rate and improved quality of life remain a national success story.  Bratton is directly responsible, and his strategies are being studied and implemented by police forces across the country and around the world.  In Turnaround, Bratton shows how the war on crime can be won once and for all.

Daily Routine Mastery: How to Create the Ultimate Daily Routine for More Energy, Productivity, and Success - Have Your Best Day Every Day


Dominic Mann - 2017
     From energizing morning routines, to insanely efficient work routines, to empowering evening rituals, the ultra-successful structure their days to utilize every last waking minute to its fullest potential. And in this book, you will learn how to do the same. How will you learn to create the ultimate daily routine? Inside the book: The secret to creating the ultimate morning routine so you can have your best day every day (Hint: It has 3 parts) How to get more done with an ultra-efficient work routine (plus the ultimate work routine for squeezing every last drop of potential out of your work hours) How to renew your energy throughout the day with an “energy ritual” for all-day energy and productivity (plus how to schedule tasks according to your energy levels) Why having cold showers every morning can leave you feeling more energized, happy, and productive The secret to waking up feeling energized (Hint: It has nothing to do with how long you sleep for) How to finish your day with a powerful evening routine so you can kick ass the next day (plus an example of a great evening ritual you can copy) And much more… To create a powerful daily routine and perform at the peak of your abilities day in and day out, scroll up to the top of this page and click BUY NOW.

The 80/20 Manager: Ten ways to become a great leader


Richard Koch - 2012
    Now he shows managers how to use the Principle to achieve exceptional results at work - without stress or long hours.

The Culture Engine: A Framework for Driving Results, Inspiring Your Employees, and Transforming Your Workplace


S. Chris Edmonds - 2014
    Yet culture drives everything that happens in an organization day-to-day, including what the organization focuses on, whether problems are ignored or resolved, and how employees and customers are treated. How does one go about creating a culture, something that, on one hand, is so important, but, on the other hand, seems so amorphous? Through the creation of an organizational constitution.An organizational constitution is a formal document that states the company's guiding principles and behaviors. These liberating rules present the best thinking on how the organization wants to operate. It's a "North Star" that outlines the company's or team's clear playing field for performance and values. "Purposeful Culture "is the first book to show how to create a high performing culture through the creation of an organizational constitution. The book outlines who should be involved, provides samples of effective constitutions and valued behaviors, how to socialize the draft statement, and how to engage employees in the process from start to finish.

You're It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most


Leonard J. Marcus - 2019
    An active shooter. A media controversy. A data breach. In You're It, the faculty of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University takes you to the front lines of some of the toughest decisions facing our nation's leaders-from how to mobilize during a hurricane or in the aftermath of a bombing to halting a raging pandemic. They also take readers through the tough decision-making inside the world's largest companies, hottest startups, and leading nonprofits.The authors introduce readers to the pragmatic model and methods of Meta-Leadership. They show you how to understand what is happening during a moment of crisis and change, what to do about it, and how to hone these skills to lead high-performing teams. Then, when crisis hits, you can pivot to be the leader people follow when it matters most.A book for turbulent times, You're It is essential reading for anyone preparing to lead an adaptive team through crisis and change.

Self Power


Deepak Chopra - 2012
    But to reach that state of empowerment is a difficult task, calling for courage, will power and - often - guidance. In Self Power, Chopra offers that guidance and encouragement, while inspiring his readers to take their lives into their own capable hands no matter what challenges they may confront--job loss, financial difficulties, relationship issues, health problems or spiritual questions.

The Indigo Story: Inside the Upstart that Redefined Indian Aviation


Shelley Vishwajeet - 2018
    books

Confronting Reality: Doing What Matters to Get Things Right


Larry Bossidy - 2004
    It is the first book that shows how to connect the big picture of the new era of business with the nitty-gritty of what to do about it. Through a completely new way to understand and use the business model as the primary tool for confronting reality--a breakthrough that will become the management innovation of this decade--you'll know sooner rather than later whether your fundamental business premise is under assault, where your best opportunities lie, what you should change and what you should leave alone, and how to realistically plan the future of your business. The fundamentals of how a business makes money are being rapidly and permanently altered by sweeping structural changes. With their extraordinary depth and breadth of experience, Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan are the ideal guides for everyone--entrepreneur, mid-level manager, or CEO--about what is to be done so you can get things right in this challenging, radically changed world. They start by showing you how to understand the most fundamental element of any business: whether you can realistically make the money you hope to in the game you're playing. Bossidy and Charan show how to use the business model to develop a robust, reality-based process for thinking about the speci?cs of your business in a holistic way. They show how to tie together the financial targets you must meet, the external realities you face, and internal activities such as strategy development, operating tactics, and selection and development of people. Through the lens of the business model, as well as the skillful use of initiatives and development of people with the right leadership characteristics, you'll see how Robert Nardelli at Home Depot, Jim McNerney at 3M, Dick Harrington at the Thomson Corporation, Michael Wisbrun at KLM, Joseph Tucci at EMC, and John Chambers at Cisco confronted reality. Whether they faced crisis or opportunity, all made the right kinds of changes through a combination of business savvy (the art of understanding the fundamentals driving a business) and business model thinking.

The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late


Leigh Branham - 2005
    Incorporating data from surveys performed by the prestigious Saratoga Institute of more than 19,000 employees, this critical book examines in depth:* How the employee and the employer travel a two-way street of expectation and reality; What are the warning signs of unmet expectations, and how can you best act on them?* How incomplete talent strategies lead to employee-job mismatches; why a passion for matching must become a core competency in your organization.* The ultimate cost of insufficient or ineffectual feedback; a five-step coaching process that builds strong and durable working relationships.* How growth and advancement opportunities are not keeping pace with new career expectations; how to create opportunities and help your employees create their own.* Best pay practices, rewards programs, and other initiatives for valuing and recognizing employees; understanding the emotional impact of compensation and recognition programs.* The real toll that stress and overwork take on your employees--and on your bottom line; a look at how the best places to work in America got that way, even without high-profile or "newfangled" perks or benefits.* How leadership and employees can (and must) build an environment of mutual trust and confidence; the three universal questions every employee needs answered, and how a disengaged workforce is the direct result of detached leadershipThe key to becoming an Employer of Choice -- a workplace where top talent are knocking down the doors to get in -- is to develop the attitudes and implement the programs that address each of the above areas. The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave presents 54 Best Practices that will serve as the building blocks for a proactive approach to employee satisfaction, growth, and retention."

Agile for Everybody: Creating Fast, Flexible, and Customer-First Organizations


Matt Lemay - 2018
    This practical book demonstrates how entire organizations—from product managers and engineers to marketers and executives—can put Agile to work. Author Matt LeMay explains Agile in clear, jargon-free terms and provides concrete and actionable steps to help any team put its values and principles into practice. Examples from a wide variety of organizations, including small nonprofits and global financial enterprises, bring to life the on-the-ground realities of Agile across industries and functions. Understand exactly what Agile is and why it matters Use Agile to address your organization’s specific needs and goals Take customer centricity from theory into practice Stop wasting time in "report and critique" meetings and start making better decisions Create a harmonious cycle of learning, collaborating, and delivering Learn from Agile experts at companies like IBM, Spotify, and Coca-Cola

The 5 Choices


Adam Merrill - 2015
    The sheer number of distractions threaten our ability to think clearly and make good decisions. If we react to these stimuli, moving mindlessly from one task to another, we will fail to accomplish the things that matter most in our professional and personal lives. In this book, readers will learn how to make the five fundamental choices that will increase their ability to achieve what matters most to them. Backed by science and FranklinCovey's years of experience and research in this field, The 5 Choices helps readers increase their productivity and develop an inner sense of fulfillment and peace. The five choices are simple but require a radical shift in mindset and will lead to increased personal and professional success.