Recommended Reading List

Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne Dyer, Ph.D.   Originally written in 1976, this book is still as relevant today.  Dr. Dyer covers things like taking charge of yourself, freeing yourself from the need for approval, breaking free from the past, dealing with guilt and worry, putting an end to procrastination, etc. etc.   This book had a profound affect on me in late 1976 when I found myself mired in depression.  It changed my life.  (He has written many books since ’76 and all of them are very good.)

Why Should Anyone Be Led by YOU?:  What it takes to be an authentic leader by Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones.  An excellent book that lets you evaluate your leadership potential (Appendix B) and a wonderful model (Appendix B) to maximize authenticity and skills.  I especially like Chapter 6 on Managing Social Distance which shows when to get close to your people and when to manage at “arms’ length”.

First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham (and a co-author).  A really excellent book to develop supervisory skills based on solid research with thousands of excellent managers.   The book is constructed around 12 questions that every supervisor should know the answer to for his or her people.  My favorite are the first 6 questions which relate to individuals, the last 6 are more about teams and the organization.  Everyone who manages someone should read this book.

What Happy People Know:  How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life for the Better by Dan Baker, Ph.D.    Dan Baker directs the Life Enhancement Program for Canyon Ranch in Tucson.  In this book, he addresses the biggest reason for unhappiness (fear) and the 12 qualities of happiness….filled with many interesting case studies, happiness ‘tools’ and the happiness ‘traps’ to avoid.  A great read.

Winning by Jack Welch.   Through this book you see all Jack Welch’s years of experience and the lessons he’s learned.  The chapters on building your career and how to function during mergers and acquisitions are really good, but the best chapter of all is Chapter 2 on Candor.  

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni.  A quick and easy read written as a ‘novel’ that will help you recognize the key elements required to build a strong team and what your role is in integrating them. 

QBQ:  The Question Behind the Question by John Miller.  An excellent book on building personal accountability and helping others to become accountable.   It will quickly show you the signs of ‘victim thinking’ that are so prevalent in our society today and ways to address it.  Chapters are 1-2 pages long and you can read this book in about an hour. (Available through The Spear Group)

The 12 Bad Habits that Hold Good People Back by James Waldroop. Ph. D and Timothy Butler, Ph.D.   If you have a colleague who is driving you crazy, but you can’t quite pinpoint the issue, this book shows you the underlying cause of the dysfunctional behavior and what to do about it.   You don’t need to read this book cover to cover…browse through it by ‘dysfunction’.  It is extremely interesting.