Our consulting team have curated a must-read list of Leadership books to expand your leadership Toolkit.
This is a book for managers who know that their organisations are stuck in a mindset that thrives on fashionable business theories that are no more than folk wisdom, and whose so-called strategies that are little more than banal wish lists.
It puts forward the notion that the application of uncommon sense – thinking or acting differently from other organisations in a way that makes unusual sense – is the secret to competitive success. For those who want to succeed and stand out from the herd this book is a beacon of uncommon sense and a timely antidote to managerial humbug.
Uncommon Sense, Common Nonsense by Jules Goddard
Today’s best companies get it. From Costco® to Commerce Bank, Wegmans to Whole Foods®: they’re becoming the ultimate value creators. They’re generatingevery form of value that matters: emotional, experiential, social, and financial. And they’re doing it forall their stakeholders. Not because it’s “politically correct”: because it’s the only path to long-term competitive advantage.
These are the Firms of Endearment. Companies people love doing business with. Love partnering with. Love working for.Love investing in. Companies for whom loyalty isn’t just real: it’s palpable, and driving unbeatable advantages in everything from marketing to recruitment.
Firms of Endearment by David B Wolfe, Jagdish Sheth, and Rajendra Sisodia
Discover a more agile, democratic, and effective model of leadership, from legendary business scholar Edgar Schein and Silicon Valley executive Peter Schein.
Legendary organizational scholar Edgar Schein and former Silicon Valley executive Peter Schein say leadership today requires that people transcend their hierarchical roles and relate to each other as human beings—what they call humble leadership. In such relationships new ideas can flow freely, mistakes can come to light immediately, and course corrections can be made in real time rather than “by committee” or by order of the lone heroic CEO.
Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust by Edgar H. Schein
Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?The primary obstacle is a conflict that’s built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems – the rational mind and the emotional mind – that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort – but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.
Firms of Endearment by David B Wolfe, Jagdish Sheth, and Rajendra Sisodia
After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, PhD, discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset – those who believe that abilities are fixed – are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset – those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.