I’m often astounded by the answers I get when I ask executives (or wannabe executives) the question, “what are you reading, or what have you read lately?” I often get the answer, “Well, nothing really.” If you’re getting most of your career or business or life information from TicTok or Instagram, or you’re not reading regularly, you’re probably going in the wrong direction.
So, here’s a thought – connect your mind to successful, thoughtful people who have figured some things out and from whom you can learn, grow as a person and advance your career. Here’s some things I’ve been reading lately and I’ve learned a great deal from each author (these are about your work life; I’ll list some great books that will help your health and personal life in my next posting):
- “Good to Great” and “Great by Choice” by Jim Collins. My go-to choice for how to turn around a struggling company, department or organization.
- “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. Excellent book about staying focused in a world that is anything but.
- “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni. A quick and easy read that has enormous wisdom about how to make your team more cohesive and effective.
- Anything by Peter Drucker, the godfather of modern leadership thought. His trilogy, “Managing for Results.” “Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” and “The Effective Executive” are a gold mine of leadership wisdom. The books were written in the 1960’s and 80’s but don’t let that scare you off. The book of Proverbs was largely written by King Solomon in about 950 BC and has some of the best business advice every written. Some of Peter Drucker’s language is a little dated, but the principles are solid.
Go read something!
Be well.
