Several years ago, my new employer suggested that I join a networking group to learn how to “do the job” for which I was hired. Regardless of the meeting topic, one of the impromptu conversations was, “what are you reading?”
Those meetings motivated me to read. It was clear that to be as successful in my new role, I needed to READ! To this day, I keep a running list of the books I read and review my record at the end of each year.
And, interestingly enough, according to Huffington Post, reading, not just casual reading but reading A LOT, is one habit that “ultra-successful people have in common.” The article shares the reading habits of some of the most successful people of our time. For instance, Bill Gates is reported to read about 50 books per year.
So, the purpose of this blog is to motivate you to read and for me to selfishly find out the “must reads” to add to my list.
I recently asked some of my clients, colleagues, and friends what they are reading and which books are making a positive impact in their personal and professional lives.
Here is what you are reading:
Deborah Everson – Director of Marketing Communications, Everson’s Hardware
The Secrets of Six Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life by Barbara Stanny
Without Rival by Lisa Bevere – This book challenges women to get out of the comparison and competition trap and embrace their purpose; finding their identity in Christ. It’s a WOW book.
Jean Becker – Group Operating Officer – Products Operating Group, Accenture
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Jennifer Gilhoi – Owner, SparkTrack Consulting
What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell – I’m applying marketing insights and behaviors in my work based on the fascinating real-world and behind-the-scenes stories at the intersection of science and society.
Karen Colligan – President, PeopleThink
The Advantage: Why organizational health trumps everything else in the business by Patrick Lencioni – A simple model to follow for a very complex discipline.
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson – How to simplify your message. Less is more.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl – Puts life in perspective
Lisa Edgerly – Enterprise Data Warehouse Manager, C.H. Robinson
Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen – It is so easy to provide feedback but it is even harder to receive it and to be POSITIVE about receiving it.
How to Say Anything to Anyone: A Guide to Building Business Relationships That Really Work by Shari Harley. A great book for leaders on how to pull the ‘real’ information out of their teams. Great great book!
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves -It isn’t about being a ‘millennial’ but it is about emotional IQ. Learning to be more self-aware of how you’re impacting a room can help the whole team in the long run.
Marcel Brunel – Lumina Partner U.S.
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott…it is a must read.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Sandra Cordie – Director K-12 Educational Programs, Resource Training & Solutions
Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
Nice Bike by Mark Scharenbroich
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Lorna Landvik
Thank you to all who shared their latest reads. May this list be your motivation to get your books out of the Amazon cart and read them.