Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity


Kim Malone Scott - 2017
    While this advice may work for everyday life, it is, as Kim Scott has seen, a disaster when adopted by managers.Scott earned her stripes as a highly successful manager at Google and then decamped to Apple, where she developed a class on optimal management. She has earned growing fame in recent years with her vital new approach to effective management, the “radical candor” method.Radical candor is the sweet spot between managers who are obnoxiously aggressive on one side and ruinously empathetic on the other. It’s about providing guidance, which involves a mix of praise as well as criticism—delivered to produce better results and help employees achieve.Great bosses have strong relationships with their employees, and Scott has identified three simple principles for building better relationships with your employees: make it personal, get (sh)it done, and understand why it matters.Radical Candor offers a guide to those bewildered or exhausted by management, written for bosses and those who manage bosses. Taken from years of the author’s experience, and distilled clearly giving actionable lessons to the reader; it shows managers how to be successful while retaining their humanity, finding meaning in their job, and creating an environment where people both love their work and their colleagues.

Simply Managing


Henry Mintzberg - 2013
    So he has taken his classic book Managing, done some updating, and distilled its essence into a lean 176 pages of text.The essence of the book remains the same: what Mintzberg learned from observing twenty-nine managers in settings ranging from a refugee camp to a symphony orchestra. Simply Managing considers the intense dynamics of this job as well as its inescapable conundrums, for example:• How is anyone supposed to think, let alone think ahead, in this frenetic job?• Are leaders really more important than managers?• Where has all the judgment gone?• Is email destroying management practice?• How can managers connect when their job disconnects them from what they are managing?If you read only one book about managing, this should be it!

Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future


Andy Stanley - 2002
    Now with an all-new look, this repackaged version continues to advance the mission of the first release. Mentoring young leaders as they face the unique issues of a changing world has been pastor and bestselling author Andy Stanley’s passion for more than a decade. Here he shares material from his leadership training sessions, developed to address essential leadership qualities such as character, clarity, courage, and competency. This is the perfect guide for any new leader—or for the mentor of a future leader! Straight Talk to Tomorrow’s Leaders Five characteristics mark the man or woman who will shape the future. -Courage -Clarity -Competence -Coachability -Character Drawing on two decades of experience mentoring a rising generation, seasoned visionary Andy Stanley shows how to: -Discover and play to your strengths -Harness your fears -Leverage uncertainty -Enlist a leadership coach -Maintain moral authority “Capable men and women will eventually catch, pass, and replace the current generation of leaders,” says Stanley. “Embracing these essentials, you will not only excel in your personal leadership, but also ensure a no-regrets experience for those who choose to follow you.” “ Andy Stanley ’s The Next Generation Leader will equip the messengers to stand a little taller with a vision of hope and promise as they engraft these timeless principles into their daily lives.” —Dan T. Cathy, president and CEO, Chick-Fil-A Corporation “It’s obvious that what Andy Stanley has to say in The Next Generation Leader comes straight from the gut of someone who is in the leadership game and is winning at it.” —Bill Hybels, senior pastor, Willow Creek Community Church “ Andy Stanley offers a fresh perspective on ageless truths that will be of enormous benefit to today’s leaders and to future generations.” —Patrick S. Flood, chairman and CEO, HomeBanc Mortgage Corporation Story Behind the BookAndy Stanley, the senior pastor of the North Point Ministries campuses with a cumulative congregation of more than twenty thousand, admits he has one single, core passion. He lives to train and mentor young leaders to be the best they can be! He sees the “next gen” need for quality Christian resources on leadership and wrote this book entrenched in leadership himself, desiring to guide the up-and-coming young men and women who will shape our future.

Winning with Accountability: The Secret Language of High-Performing Organizations


Henry J. Evans - 2008
    It is that simple. For over 10 years, Henry Evans has worked with hundreds of organizations around the world, teaching and building accountability. This book offers that same guidance to you, your colleagues and your team to reach new levels of excellence and success. In Winning with Accountability, Henry offers a step-by-step guide to help any organization improve performance by creating a culture of accountability. The strategies in this book are simple, easy to implement...and the results are immediate! It should be required reading for every member of every team. Read, enjoy, and win with accountability!

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win


Jocko Willink - 2015
    you teach guys and gals about leadership and you've helped not only military guys but families." - Megyn Kelly"You show in the book how to motivate... thanks for writing the book Extreme Ownership." Bill O'Reilly"[Jocko] is the co-author of an incredible new book - which I've been loving. Trust me. Buy it." - Tim Ferriss"This is a life-learning lesson for everyone... the book is awesome." - Sean HannitySent to the most violent battlefield in Iraq, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s SEAL task unit faced a seemingly impossible mission: help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, a city deemed “all but lost.” In gripping firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories in SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser, they learned that leadership—at every level—is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails.Willink and Babin returned home from deployment and instituted SEAL leadership training that helped forge the next generation of SEAL leaders. After departing the SEAL Teams, they launched Echelon Front, a company that teaches these same leadership principles to businesses and organizations. From promising startups to Fortune 500 companies, Babin and Willink have helped scores of clients across a broad range of industries build their own high-performance teams and dominate their battlefields.Now, detailing the mind-set and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult missions in combat, Extreme Ownership shows how to apply them to any team, family or organization. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic such as Cover and Move, Decentralized Command, and Leading Up the Chain, explaining what they are, why they are important, and how to implement them in any leadership environment.A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, Extreme Ownership revolutionizes business management and challenges leaders everywhere to fulfill their ultimate purpose: lead and win.

Sync or Swim: A Fable About Workplace Communication and Coming Together in a Crisis


Gary Chapman - 2014
    But his team members—and Mother Nature—had other plans. An ambitious yet naïve sheepdog is called upon to lead Monarch Enterprises, a troubled organization on a beautiful isle. Confronted with broken systems and challenging personality types, Sam must learn how to marshal his team before the imminent storm washes everything away. Along the way, he gleans valuable lessons from an unlikely mentor: a wise, old puffin.This delightful, quick read will:Teach you communication techniques that enhance teamwork and productivityBring to life the principles used by hundreds of successful organizationsProvide relevant, practical insights based on real-world experiencesStimulate lively and positive interaction (discussion guide included)Based on the principles successfully used by major corporations, health organizations, over 250 colleges and universities, government agencies, churches, and non-profits

Successful Manager's Handbook


Susan H. Gebelein - 1992
    As a long time manager who dealt with organizational issues, growth, personnel matters, finance, and political influences, and one who teaches undergraduate and graduate school courses in management and leadership, I have experienced most of these issues. The author has done a remarkable job in the detail and accuracy of the work. The work is clear and understandable and organized in such as way as to allow easy access to information. To find such a compendium of information in one book instead of many is an additional benefit. Content is also ratified by the collective skills sets the authors bring.I highly recommend this book as a desk reference for anyone in a leadership or management role, and highly recommend it for anyone aspiring to the job. The comprehensive nature of the material in the book provides the foundation for new managers. In addition, the reference material leads readers to many other sources, reducing the need for Internet surfing trying to find information, or visiting the local library. As a graduate school faculty member I would also state for the record that this would be a great textbook. The book is written by practitioners who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. This book is a must read. Well done to all the authors - you have provided a book any manager, supervisor, or teacher should have.

Care to Dare: Unleashing Astonishing Potential Through Secure Base Leadership


George Kohlrieser - 2012
    It shows you how you can unleash astonishing potential by building the trust, delivering the change, and inspiring the focus that underpins sustainable high performance.From extensive interviews with executives from all over the world, as well as from surveys with more than a thousand executives, the book reveals the nine characteristics that Secure Base Leaders display on a daily basis. The research shows that a primary difference between a successful leader and a failed leader is the presence or absence of secure bases in his or her life.Care to Dare will take you on a journey where you will discover your own secure bases, past and present, and determine how you can be a secure base for other people in your life at work and at home.

Leaders Eat Last


Simon Sinek - 2013
    His second book is the natural extension of Start with Why, expanding his ideas at the organizational level. Determining a company’s WHY is crucial, but only the beginning. The next step is how do you get people on board with your WHY? How do you inspire deep trust and commitment to the company and one another? He cites the Marine Corps for having found a way to build a culture in which men and women are willing to risk their lives, because they know others would do the same for them. It’s not brainwashing; it’s actually based on the biology of how and when people are naturally at their best. If businesses could adopt this supportive mentality, employees would be more motivated to take bigger risks, because they’d know their colleagues and company would back them up, no matter what. Drawing on powerful and inspiring stories, Sinek shows how to sustain an organization’s WHY while continually adding people to the mix.

How to Be Good at Performance Appraisals: Simple, Effective, Done Right


Dick Grote - 2011
    One of a manager's toughest--and most important--responsibilities is to evaluate an employee's performance, providing honest feedback and clarifying what they've done well and where they need to improve. In How to Be Good at Performance Appraisals, Dick Grote provides a concise, hands-on guide to succeeding at every step of the performance appraisal process--no matter what performance management system your organization uses. Through step-by-step instructions, examples, do-and-don't bullet lists, sample dialogues, and suggested scripts, he shows you how to handle every appraisal activity from setting goals and defining job responsibilities to evaluating performance quality and discussing the performance evaluation face-to-face. Based on decades of experience guiding managers through their biggest challenges, Grote helps answer the questions he hears most often: -How do I set goals effectively? How many goals should someone set?-How do I evaluate a person's behaviors? Which counts more, behaviors or results? -How do I determine the right performance appraisal rating? How do I explain my rating to a skeptical employee?-How do I tell someone she's not meeting my expectations? How do I deliver bad news? Grote also explains how to tackle other thorny performance management tasks, including determining compensation and terminating poor performers. In accessible and useful language, How to Be Good at Performance Appraisals will help you handle performance appraisals confidently and successfully, no matter the size or culture of your organization. It's the one book you need to excel at this daunting yet critical task.

Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions


John P. Kotter - 2005
    Fred must cleverly convince and enlist key players, such as Louis, the head penguin; Alice, the number two bird; the intractable NoNo the weather expert; and a passle of school-age penguins if he is to save the colony.Their delightfully told journey illuminates in an unforgettable way how to manage the necessary change that surrounds us all. Simple explanatory material following the fable enhances the lasting value of these lessons.Our Iceberg Is Melting is at once charming, accessible and profound; a treat for virtually any reader.

What I Did Not Learn At IIT: Transitioning from Campus to Workplace


Rajeev Agarwal - 2013
    But what are the habits and behaviors that actually lead to success? Drawing on his own experiences, Rajeev Agarwal, the founder and CEO of MAQ Software, concisely explains the steps he took for a successful career. As Agarwal realized that an IIT degree and a technical knowledge was not enough for his success. To distinguish himself, he shares his habits, behaviors, and thinking. Encouraging graduates to look at their careers over a forty-year span, Agarwal explains that successful people choose to be passionate about every job they have. Successful people recognize that performing average work does not advance them in the direction they want. The little bits of dedication here and there all add up-showing up to work on time, getting proper rest and nutrition, always striving to learn, and owning the results of your actions all build toward success. Transitioning from college to the workplace can be difficult. Graduates are required to determine their own lives, making several important decisions before the age of thirty. By providing an honest account, this book will make that transition easier.

The Radical Leap Re-Energized: Doing What You Love in the Service of People Who Love What You Do


Steve Farber - 2011
     It's a novel told in Steve Farber's humorous, poignant, and original voice that takes the reader on a deep exploration of the qualities and practices of real, or Extreme Leadership, and how to apply them in daily life. Part One, The Radical Leap, explores the leadership elements of Love, Energy, Audacity, and Proof; Part Two, The Radical Edge, takes the discussion deeper into innovation, personal clarity and guidelines for changing the world. It sets a new standard for what it means to really lead in today's business world and beyond. Rejuvenate and revitalize with Farber’s amazing The Radical Leap Re-Energized. It is timeless, universal, and extremely useful—and it will catapult you to success!” –Marshall Goldsmith – author of the New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You ThereToday’s world demands a different leader: one who has the heart and courage to change it for the better. If you’re ready to be one of them, read this phenomenal book and succeed.” –Darren Hardy, publisher SUCCESS magazine, bestselling author The Compound Effect Steve Farber’s work is even more important and more useful today than when it first appeared on the scene.” –Tom Peters, International bestselling author of In Search of Excellence With his strikingly original voice and unparalleled storytelling ability, Steve Farber brings us The Radical Leap Re-Energized. This edgy leadership parable not only entertains and inspires, it teaches us how to become great leaders and change the world in the bargain. We wholeheartedly encourage you to take the LEAP!” –Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of the bestselling The Leadership Challenge and Credibility If you want to lead as big as you dream, Farber can take you to the extreme. This book is your path to soaring success.” –Tim Sanders, former Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo! & author of Today We Are Rich Steve Farber’s books are as easy and enjoyable to read as they are insightful. This volume will be a great addition to any leader’s library.” –Patrick Lencioni, president, The Table Group; author, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team The Radical Leap Re-Energized is a clarion call for 21st century leaders and those who aspire to be. The LEAP will stay with me and will be required reading for leaders in my organization” –Tony Uphoff, CEO, UBM TechWeb Steve Farber has captured the heart of leadership in this wonderful book. If you’d really love to make a difference in this world, read it and apply its lessons to your life and business.” –Rita Davenport, former President, Arbonne International There are two types of well-written leadership books: GOOD ones that you read once and pass along to a few friends, or GREAT ones that you read over and over and give to as many people as you can. The Radical Leap Re-Energized is one of the GREAT ones, and it is a total game-changer.” –Tommy Spaulding, author of the New York Times bestseller, It’s Not Just Who You Know Steve Farber’s masterwork, The Radical Leap Re-Energized, is an inspired opus on what it means to be a leader of substance and significance. You’ll find yourself coming back to it again and again.” –Michael E. Ventling, Global CFO, Ernst & Young A brilliantly captivating book, vibrant and audacious, and an absolute joy to read. Every bit as engaging as Steve Farber himself.” –Sally Hogshead, speaker and author of Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation Steve Farber leaps again. I was into it the first time. This time, I’m leaping with him!” –Chris Brogan, President Human Business Works I have read most leadership books in print. None have resonated more than this one. It is timeless, relevant and energizing and should be required reading for all business leaders of the 21st century.” –Pamela Slim, author, Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur I’ve read the original Radical Leap over a dozen times, and year after year, experience after experience, I have found that the concepts hold fast and true. The Radical Leap Re-Energized kick-starts and expands the experience to the next level. This really is a masterpiece.” –Burton M. Goldfield, President and CEO, TriNet

The Rogue Warriors Strategy for Success


Richard Marcinko - 1997
    A former Navy commando provides a guide to personal success, offering aggressive strategies and skills to help readers meet the challenges of business and everyday life.

Why CEOs Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top--And How to Manage Them


David L. Dotlich - 2003
    Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo describe the most common characteristics of derailed top executives and how you can avoid them:Arrogance--you think that you're right, and everyone else is wrong.Melodrama--you need to be the center of attention.Volatility--you're subject to mood swings.Excessive Caution--you're afraid to make decisions.Habitual Distrust--you focus on the negatives.Aloofness --you're disengaged and disconnected. Mischievousness--you believe that rules are made to be broken.Eccentricity--you try to be different just for the sake of it.Passive Resistance--what you say is not what you really believe.Perfectionism--you get the little things right and the big things wrong.Eagerness to Please--you try to win the popularity contest.