“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.”

– Jim Rohn

First, Break All the Rules Book Review

The original book by Gallup on employee engagement and management styles launched the StrengthFinders book series and product. What might be obvious to most people is not so obvious to others – no two employees are the same. Thus, treating employees the same will fail to get the highest level of engagement and performance from […]

Radical Candor Book Review

Is it best to be really nice to employees? When does pushing people go too far? Kim Scott takes a look at finding the balance between being pushy and being kind. Drawing her two axes for Caring Personally and Challenging Directly, she gives a review of techniques for striking the optimal balance as a manager. […]

The Situational Leader Book Review

How do you handle employees at each stage of their career development? How do you handle employees who are very experienced in some areas and then are taking on an assignment in an area much more unknown to them. Dr. Paul Hershey’s framework from 1984 is still taught in employee development programs for Fortune 500 […]

The Power of Habit Book Review

We live in a world of almost constant change, both personally and professionally. As a result, we need to be nimble and change our habits to meet the needs of today. In addition, as we look to improve our business, how do we get those stubborn folks to change their way of thinking and acting […]

HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business Book Review

If you’re thinking about making the move from corporate life to starting your own business, this is definitely worth a read. Just over 20% of new businesses don’t make it past the first twelve months. Buying a business can bring instant customers, cash flow and product/service infrastructure that starting from scratch doesn’t. What We Love […]

The Innovator's Dilemma Book Review

If you’re an emerging business and want a playbook about how to win against your better financed, more well equipped mature competitors, this is definitely worth a read. If you’re a big business, reading this book and understanding the concepts may save you from extinction one day. Harvard University professor Clay Christensen’s look at how […]

Purple Cow Book Review

Why are you different? What makes you better? If you can’t answer this, your business probably has issues. Seth Godin writes that at the end of the day, having a unique product or service that your customer understands and tells others about for you is the best advertising and marketing strategy out there. We’re overwhelmed […]

Mindset Book Review

How do we respond to challenges and adversity? Are our skills and abilities static, or can we really do anything we set our mind to? How do we handle our legacy and succession within our business? Carol Dweck’s study at our approach to growing ourselves and our team members is an engaging look at the […]

Multipliers Book Review

Why do some people seem to attract talent wherever they go, and grow talent from the oddest places? Why are other leaders constantly churning through staff who go on to do better things elsewhere? Liz Wiseman’s heavily researched look at Multipliers vs Diminishers takes a good hard look at why some people make the best […]

The Goal Book Review

Written in 1984, The Goal is a management classic. Written in a unique fictional narrative form, it mixes principles critical to any manufacturing or distribution business with the personal life story of the main character, Alex Rogo. Alex handles serious marital issues while he seeks to save his company’s plant from closing in his hometown. […]