It's All Politics: Winning in a World Where Hard Work and Talent Aren't Enough


Kathleen Kelley Reardon - 2005
    You cannot afford to be apolitical at work if you have any aspirations for advancement. The only way to avoid politics is to avoid people—by finding an out-of-the-way corner where you can do your job. Of course, it’s the same job you’ll likely be doing for the rest of your career.In any job, when you reach a certain level of technical competence, politics is what makes all the difference with regard to success. At that point, it is indeed all politics. Everyday brilliant people take a backseat to their politically adept colleagues by failing to win crucial support for their ideas. Sometimes politics involves going around or bending rules, but more typically it’s about positioning your ideas in a favorable light, and knowing what to say, and how and when to say it.…Keep in mind that people benefit from perpetuating the image of politics as something you either know or you don’t. Ignore them. Political acumen is largely learned from observation. And then it’s a matter of practice, practice, practice. When a journalist suggested that golfing great Gary Player was very lucky, he replied: “It’s funny, but the more I practice, the luckier I get.” The same is true of politics.An indispensable guide to mastering the ins and outs of office politics—the single most important factor in getting ahead in your careerAs management professor and consultant Kathleen Reardon explains in her new book, It's All Politics, talent and hard work alone will not get you to the top. What separates the winners from the losers in corporate life is politics.As Reardon explains, the most talented and accomplished employees often take a backseat to their politically adept coworkers, losing ground in the race to get ahead—sometimes even losing their jobs. Why? Because they’ve failed to manage the important relationships with the people who can best reward their creativity and intelligence. To determine whether you need a crash course in Office Politics 101, ask yourself the following questions:Do I get credit for my ideas?Do I know how to deal with a difficult colleague?Do I get the plum assignments?Do I have a mentor?Do I say no gracefully and pick my battles wisely?Am I in the loop?Reardon has interviewed hundreds of employees, from successful veterans to aspiring hopefuls, examining why some people who work hard and effectively at their jobs fall behind, while those who are adept at “reading the office tea leaves” forge ahead. Being politically savvy doesn’t mean being unethical or devious. At heart, it’s about listening to and relating to others, and making choices that advance everyone’s goals. Like it or not, when it comes to work, it’s all politics. And politics is all about knowing what to say, when to say it, and who to say it to.

Building Trust: In Business, Politics, Relationships, and Life


Robert C. Solomon - 2001
    But what, precisely, is trust? How can it be achieved and sustained? And, most importantly, how can it be regained once it has been broken?In Building Trust, Robert C. Solomon and Fernando Flores offer compelling answers to these questions. They argue that trust is not something that simply exists from the beginning, something we can assume or take for granted; that it is not a static quality or social glue. Instead, they assert thattrust is an emotional skill, an active and dynamic part of our lives that we build and sustain with our promises and commitments, our emotions and integrity. In looking closely at the effects of mistrust, such as insidious office politics that can sabotage a company's efficiency, Solomon and Floresdemonstrate how to move from na�ve trust that is easily shattered to an authentic trust that is sophisticated, reflective, and possible to renew. As the global economy makes us more and more reliant on strangers, and as our political and personal interactions become more complex, Building Trust offers invaluable insight into a vital aspect of human relationships.

The Art of Psychological Warfare: 51 Principles of Conflict Resolution, Negotiation, Strategy, Office Politics, Career Building, Self Help, & Motivation for Success & Happiness in Business & Life


Mark B. Warring - 2015
    The August 26, 2015 reviewer is correct in that there are some typos and at least one misuse of speech in this first edition and they will be corrected if there is enough interest for me to publish a corrected and expanded second edition. The reviewer suggests you read Mr. Greene's book instead, and while his books are excellent, I view his voice and message as distinctly different than mine.Furthermore, the reviewer admits he did not take the time to fully read my book, which would've only taken him about an hour to do, but still feels he can appropriately label it as "paranoia" with "the author... constantly looking over his shoulder, watching for the boogeyman." Emulating Mr. Greene's poetic and heightened writing style, he states "Where this book is flawed and reeks of amateur, Greene's book is slick and authoritative."I don't think my book is for everyone, because not everyone is willing to honestly evaluate how the self interest of others can, at times, collide with their own self interest. If you want a book with no grammatical errors, that is politically correct, and will not challenge your thinking in any way, then this book is not for you. If, on the other hand, you find the subject matter interesting based on the description below and are open minded enough to have your views challenged, then give this book a try. At present I have lowered the price from $2.99 USD to 99 cents in hopes of generating more interest in the book, and hopefully more balanced reviews.If you know anything about Amazon sales rank and pricing, then you know that very little revenue has been generated from this book. I didn't write and publish this for the money. I did it to challenge you. I humbly invite you to take this journey with me. You've got nothing to lose. Sincerely, Mark B. WarringThis book is not a joke. Psychological warfare is happening all around you regardless of whether you admit or not. Why continue to be an unknowing victim? Why continue to hopelessly wish that the world becomes fair? Why not understand the methods others are using against you so that you can know what your options are to defend yourself? You can be a good person with a strong sense of self while engaging in psychological warfare. And you don't have to lose your mind in the process.This brief book of approximately 10,000 words is about the way the world really works and what you can do about it. It is not a book about being nice to people and actively listening to them. Those books have their place, and I'm not necessarily knocking them, but this book won't waste your time with politically correct tactics that you're already smart, studied, and savvy enough to know about.This is a book about confronting your private thoughts about inevitable conflicts. Some of this book may completely shock you and cause you to confront reality for what it truly is. Think of this book as Lao Tzu meeting Sun Tzu meeting Machiavelli meeting Napoleon Hill and formulating a practical treatise for our time.No matter how little or how much money or power you have, you'll be attacked and exploited. But in the wake of conflict and stress, you can be happy and self expressed, as this is ultimately a book about enjoying life's highest victories. Please join me on this journey. Buy this book now and start reading it. I don't think you'll regret it.

Get Rich in Real Estate: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Acquiring Properties in NYC


Elliot Bogod - 2019
    The author, Elliot Bogod, is a Founder and Managing Director of Broadway Realty, a real estate brokerage in Manhattan. With over twenty years experience, Elliot has sold over $2 billion in New York real estate. In this book, you will find: • A list of “magic words” often used in real estate investment, with clear and detailed explanations • Methods for evaluating the locations for your investments, using vibrant Manhattan neighborhoods as an example. • Review of different types of residential investments: condominiums, co-ops and townhouses • Detailed advice on investing in various types of commercial real estate: retail locations, offices, restaurants, hotels, garages and others • Multiple strategies, tactics and techniques for building wealth through your investments • Clear and concise information on mortgages, taxes and laws • Methods for achieving success through managing a team of experts working for you

You Win in the Locker Room First: The 7 C's to Build a Winning Team in Business, Sports, and Life


Jon Gordon - 2015
    In the season prior to his arrival in 2008, the Atlanta Falcons had a 4-12 record and the franchise had never before achieved back-to-back winning seasons. Under Smith's leadership, the Falcons earned an 11-5 record in his first season and would go on to become perennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders earning Smith AP Coach of year in 2008 and voted Coach of Year by his peers in 2008, 2010 and 2012.You Win in the Locker Room First draws on the extraordinary experiences of Coach Mike Smith and Jon Gordon--consultant to numerous college and professional teams--to explore the seven powerful principles that any business, school, organization, or sports team can adopt to revitalize their organization.Step by step, the authors outline a strategy for building a thriving organization and provide a practical framework that give leaders the tools they need to create a great culture, lead with the right mindset, create strong relationships, improve teamwork, execute at a higher level, and avoid the pitfalls that sabotage far too many leaders and organizations.In addition to sharing what went right with the Falcons, Smith also transparently shares what went wrong his last two seasons and provides invaluable lessons leaders can take away from his victories, success, failures and mistakes.Whether it's an executive leadership team of a Fortune 500 company, a sports team, an emergency room team, military team, or a school team successful leaders coach their team and develop, mentor, encourage, and guide them. This not only improves the team, it improves the leaders and their relationships, connections, and organization.You Win in the Locker Room First offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of the most pressure packed leadership jobs on the planet and what leaders can learn from these experiences in order to build their own winning team.

Moonshots: Creating a World of Abundance


Naveen Jain - 2018
    From redefining civilian space exploration to creating a path to free energy to disrupting healthcare and education, Jain is at the forefront of the exponential technology developments that will forever change how we live and work. In Moonshots Jain reveals the secrets of the "super entrepreneur" mindset—the catalyst for creating an exciting and abundant future. He then walks readers through the application of these powerful concepts in three moonshot initiatives that he is leading today, one of which is Moon Express, a private lunar venture that promises to open up the moon's vast resources for the betterment of humanity. In Jain's world, the term "moonshot" is meant both literally and figuratively! Journey with Jain through these illuminating pages and awaken your own moonshot potential. It’s a discovery that will change your life—and quite possibly the world.The book cover includes interactive augmented reality features.Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018

7 Billion: How Your World Will Change


National Geographic Society - 2011
    To mark the event, National Geographic magazine commissioned seven articles that explore the fascinating issues—including demographics, food security, climate change, fertility trends, managing biodiversity—surrounding this topic, which are collected for the first time in this special ebook.   Envi­ronment editor Robert Kunzig starts by sketching out a natural history of population. The issues associated with population growth seem endless: poverty, food and water supply, world health, climate change, deforestation, fertility rates, and more. In additional chapters Elizabeth Kolbert explores a new era—the “Anthropocene,” or the age of man—defined by our massive impact on the planet, which will endure long after our cities have crumbled; and takes us to the Mediterranean, where she delves into issues associated with increasing ocean acidification. In Bangladesh, Don Belt explores how the people of this crowded region can teach us about adapting to rising sea levels. In “Food Ark” we travel deep within the earth and around the globe to explore the seed banks that are preserving the variety of food species we may need to increase food production on an increasingly crowded planet. In Brazil, Cynthia Gournay explores the phenomenon of “Machisma” and shows how a mix of female empowerment and steamy soap operas helped bring down Brazil’s fertility rate and stoke its vibrant economy. Additionally we explore threats to biodiversity, and the return of cities—which may be the solution to many of our population woes. Join National Geographic on this incredible journey to explore our rapidly growing planet.

One Page Talent Management: Eliminating Complexity, Adding Value


Marc Effron - 2010
    You also know what it takes to build that talent—and you spend significant financial and human resources to make it happen. Yet somehow, your company’s beautifully designed and well-benchmarked processes don’t translate into the bottom-line talent depth you need. Why?Talent management experts Marc Effron and Miriam Ort argue that companies unwittingly add layers of complexity to their talent building models—without evaluating whether those components add any value to the overall process. Consequently, simple processes like setting employee performance goals become multi-page, headache-inducing time-wasters that turn managers off to the whole process and fail to improve results.In this revolutionary book, Effron and Ort introduce One Page Talent Management (OPTM): a powerfully simple approach that significantly accelerates a company’s ability to develop better leaders faster. The authors outline a straightforward, easy-to-use process for designing results-oriented OPTM processes: base every process on proven scientific research; eliminate complexity by including only those components that add real value to the process; and build transparency and accountability into every practice.Based on extensive research and the authors’ hands-on corporate and consulting experience with companies including Avon Products, Bank of America, and Philips, One Page Talent Management shows how to:• Quickly identify high potential talent without complex assessments• Increase the number of “ready now” successors for key roles• Generate 360 feedback that accelerates change in the most critical behaviors• Significantly reduce the time required for managers to implement talent processes• Enforce accountability for growing talent through corporate culture, compensation, etc.A radical new approach to growing talent, One Page Talent Management trades complexity and bureaucracy for simplicity and a relentless focus on adding value to create the high-quality talent you need—right now.

Applebee's America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community


Douglas B. Sosnik - 2006
    "Applebee's America" cracks the twenty-first-century code for political, business, and religious leaders struggling to keep pace with the times. A unique team of authors -- Douglas B. Sosnik, a strategist in the Clinton White House; Matthew J. Dowd, a strategist for President Bush's two campaigns; and award-winning political journalist Ron Fournier -- took their exclusive insiders' knowledge far outside Washington's beltway in search of keys to winning leadership.They discovered that successful leaders, even those from disparate fields, have more in common than not.Their book takes you inside the reelection campaigns of Bush and Clinton, behind the scenes of hyper-successful megachurches, and into the boardrooms of corporations such as Applebee's International, the world's largest casual dining restaurant chain. You'll also see America through the anxious eyes of ordinary people, buffeted by change and struggling to maintain control of their lives.Whether you're promoting a candidate, a product, or the Word of God, the rules are the same in Applebee's America.- People make choices about politics, consumer goods, and religion with their hearts, not their heads.- Successful leaders touch people at a gut level by projecting basic American values that seem lacking in modern institutions and missing from day-to-day life experiences.- The most important Gut Values today are community and authenticity. People are desperate to connect with one another and be part of a cause greater than themselves. They're tired of spin and sloganeering from political, business, and religious institutions that constantly fail them.- A person's lifestyle choices can be used to predict howhe or she will vote, shop, and practice religion. The authors reveal exclusive new details about the best "LifeTargeting" strategies.- In this age of skepticism and media diversification, people are abandoning traditional opinion leaders for "Navigators." These otherwise average Americans help their family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers negotiate the swift currents of change in twenty-first-century America.- Winning leaders ignore conventional wisdom and its many myths, including these false assumptions: Voters only act in their self-interests; Republicans rule exurbia; and technology drives people apart. "Wrong, wrong, and wrong."- Once you squander a Gut Values Connection, you may never get it back. Bush learned that hard lesson within a year of winning reelection."Applebee's America" offers numerous practical examples of how leaders -- whether from the worlds of politics, business, or religion -- earn the loyalty and support of people by understanding and sharing their values and goals.

Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections On the Road of Life


Mark Scharenbroich - 2010
    It’s about being a part of a community, knowing that contributions matter and experiencing a greater affiliation with others.The premise begins at the 2003 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle company’s 100 year anniversary celebration. Thousands and thousands of bikers throughout the world attended the event. As a Harley owner stoodproudly by his bike at that event, what two words from a passerby would have made their weekend? “Nice Bike.”“Nice Bike” is more than a casual compliment. It’s the engine that is fueled with the three actions of acknowledging, honoring and connecting with others. Nice Bike can help you with your daily interactions, create more meaningful relationships and add more joy in your journey on the road of life.When you have a better understanding of how to make meaningful connections, you can live a life filled with a greater sense of self worth and accomplishment in your work and in your life. Acknowledge, honor, and connect and you will change the world, one person at a time.

The Connected Company


Dave Gray - 2012
    When your customers are delighted, they can amplify your message in ways that were never before possible. But when your company’s performance runs short of what you’ve promised, customers can seize control of your brand message, spreading their disappointment and frustration faster than you can keep up.To keep pace with today’s connected customers, your company must become a connected company. That means deeply engaging with workers, partners, and customers, changing how work is done, how you measure success, and how performance is rewarded. It requires a new way of thinking about your company: less like a machine to be controlled, and more like a complex, dynamic system that can learn and adapt over time.Connected companies have the advantage, because they learn and move faster than their competitors. While others work in isolation, they link into rich networks of possibility and expand their influence.Connected companies around the world are aggressively acquiring customers and disrupting the competition. In The Connected Company, we examine what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, and why it works. And we show you how your company can use the same principles to adapt—and thrive—in today’s ever-changing global marketplace.

Natural Capitalism


Paul Hawken - 1999
    This groundbreaking book reveals how today's global businesses can be both environmentally responsible and highly profitable.

Giving effective feedback : check in regularly, handle conversations, bring out the best


Harvard Business Review - 2014
     Giving Effective Feedback quickly walks you through the basics of delivering feedback that gets results, including:• Choosing the right time to talk• Engaging in productive dialogue• Helping both star and struggling performers• Developing a plan for effective follow-upDon't have much time? Get up to speed fast on the most essential business skills with HBR's 20-Minute Manager series. Whether you need a crash course or a brief refresher, each book in the series is a concise, practical primer that will help you brush up on a key management topic. Advice you can quickly read and apply, for ambitious professionals and aspiring executives—from the most trusted source in business. Also available as an ebook.

Simple Thinking: How to remove complexity from life and work


Richard Gerver - 2016
    You'll learn how to expand your mind and understand your true potential through the power of thinking simply, while stripping back the jargon and digging to the core of any obstacle in your way. Let's be honest, life is full of unnecessary complexity and it's left most of us confused, angry and disenfranchised. This book will help you to remove the baggage, cut through the clutter and begin your smooth path to success. Learn how to: Live and act with resiliency, authenticity and passion Learn to trust your instincts again and see the world through new eyes Recalibrate your thoughts, behaviours and actions Declutter your mind, streamline your day and be successful at life Simple wisdom, simply shared, is personal development unplugged – and when you begin peeling back the layers to expose the heart of the problem, you become well-equipped to devise a simpler, yet more effective solution. Simple Thinking will help you in achieving this state of clarity and confidence.

Catch Them Being Good: Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Coach Girls


Tony DiCicco - 2002
    The authors include exercises that foster teamwork and develop essential skills. They also answer parents' most common questions, such as how to tell if the coach is doing a good job and what to do if a child wants to quit. Filled with stories about the Olympic and World Cup championship teams, this useful handbook is infused throughout with DiCicco's philosophy that at every level playing soccer (or any sport) is about playing hard, playing fair, playing to win, and having fun.