Firstly I need to thank J.K. Rowling for Harry Potter. I had not read a book for 6 years after leaving school and for my birthday my cousin bought me Harry Potter! After the initial shock I decided that I would read it on my daily commute to London. Harry Potter ignited a flame of passion for reading and I am truly grateful. I am also committed to ensuring my daughters aged 1 and 4 experience joy, excitement and all the great benefits from reading too.
Reading books like Harry Potter certainly help develop and strengthen your creativity skills, which made me curious about what benefits could be gained from studying self -help and business development books.
I have explored hundreds of books and listed below are my personal 5 most impactful reads. (It would have been easier to list my top 10!)
1. The One Minute Manager, Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
This book is awesome and a must read for all managers and potential managers. (I gave a copy of it to all the managers I have worked with directly.)
Effortless to read and teaches 3 key principles:
1. One minute goal
2. One minute praising
3. One minute reprimand
The learning can easily be put into action around the workplace and the transformation it creates is very powerful.
2. 7 habits of highly successful people, Stephen Covey
This book is my life bible. The copy I have is well loved, lines drawn underneath key statements, book notes in various different colors popping out all over the place.
Every section is full of juicy life strategies.
1. Be Proactive
2. Begin with the End In Mind
3. Put First Things First
4. Think Win Win
5. Seek First To Understand and Then To Be Understood
6. Sinergise
7. Sharpen the Saw
I live by these 7 habits. Everyday, every habit gets used and embedded deeper into my neurology. It’s great sharing these habits with others and looking at how they can integrate them into their daily routine.
3. Leadership Lessons from the world’s toughest yacht race, Humphrey Walters.
Oh man this book is crazy good!
Humphrey Walters is an achievement and leadership superhero. He worked with the England Rugby team in 2003 when they won the world cup and he completed the BT Global Challenge dubbed “The world’s toughest round the world yacht race” What makes this event unique is that 70% of the crew had never sailed before and the volunteers were placed in teams with no personal choice. Sounds terrible!
He uses this personal experience of teamwork in a hostile environment to explain what created successful leadership and team cohesion.
There are great strategies listed in this book that can be used in team meetings to form break out groups.
4. Awaken the giant within, Anthony Robbins
Do you want more? If you want to wake the sleeping giant that resides inside of you then read this book. If you can’t afford to attend his date with destiny seminar then this book gives you an opportunity to get closer to his theory and strategies for improving the quality of every aspect of your life. Be prepared to write stuff down and make commitments. This is not a quick read as it requires your input and practical application.
5. Who moved my cheese? Dr Spencer Johnson
The best way to learn how to embrace change is to constantly refer to it as cheese!
Very easy to read and digest. A fun way to bring a group together and learn the principles of change. I have often used this book with teams during organisational restructures or during challenging trading periods that required us to adapt and change the way we worked.
Bonus Book: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters, Jon Acuff
The journey to success has been paved out in 5 key stages
· Your 20’s is a period of learning,
· Your 30’s is a period of editing,
· Your 40’s is a period of mastering,
· Your 50’s is a period of harvesting,
· Your 60’s is a period of guiding,
Experience years are more valuable than age and whilst you need to complete the 5 key stages they can be chunked down or accelerated.
How many of the above books have you read?
I thoroughly recommend them and if you do read them I hope you benefit as greatly as I have.
If you have a book that has influenced you significantly or helped shape your career then please let me know as I am constantly on the look out for my next read.
I am currently powering through Tools of Titans, the tactics, routines and habits of billionaires, icons and world-class performers by Tim Ferriss and have the 50th law on order!
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