Resources
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Leadership From the Inside Out: Becoming a Leader for Life ― Kevin Cashman
The back cover says it all: … “Framed in seven simple yet profound ‘mastery areas,’ this book serves as an integrated coaching experience that helps leaders understand how to harness their authentic, value-creating influence and elevate their impact as individuals, in teams, and in organizations,” all based on the premise that we lead by virtue of who we are as whole persons.
The Answer to How is Yes: Acting on What Matters – Peter Block
By the author of the consultant’s bible, Flawless Consulting ― why “How” is the wrong question and some better ways to discover purpose and empower action.
The Leadership Challenge: How to Get Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations – James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
An invaluable classic that introduced the essential 5 practices relevant to 21st century leadership (model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable other to act, and encourage the heart) and their associated 10 commitments.
Books by Marcus Buckingham and co-authors:
All based on the idea that leaders and organizations flourish and produce measurably better results when they know and work to their strengths rather than trying to compensate for weaknesses. All books include access to a corresponding personal on-line instrument and feedback report.
First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently ― Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
Now, Discover Your Strengths ― Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton
Go Put Your Strengths to Work: Six Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance – Marcus Buckingham
Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and
Most Successful Women Do Differently– Marcus Buckingham
CHANGE
Leading Change – John P. Kotter
Eight mistakes and eight stages to create major change, by a Harvard professor who knows the difference between leading and managing and lays out a roadmap in clear, dynamic and practical ways.
Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future – Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, Betty Sue Flowers
Another ground-breaking book from Peter Senge and colleagues. An exploration of individual and collective awareness and how to create a desired future together.
The Change Leader’s Roadmap – How to Navigate Your Organization’s Transformation – Linda Ackerman Anderson and Dean Anderson
A step-by-step workbook for internal and external change managers supporting all stages of change.
Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard - Chip and Dan Heath.
The brothers Heath get change right here. They tell memorable and “sticky” stories of large scale change that works, along with practical applications any reader can use. The Heaths generously offer many free resources on their website, including applications from their previous book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.
CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION
Crucial Conversations: Tools For Talking When Stakes Are High – Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzer
This book recognizes the importance of focusing on the outcome you really want, making it safe to talk about almost anything, how to manage emotions, and dealing with others’ anger or withdrawal – and producing positive results.
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success At Work & In Life, One Conversation At A Time – Susan Scott
Promotes and demonstrates the power of courage, authenticity, presence, trusting your instincts, questioning “reality”, taking responsibility for the emotional impact of your words, and allowing silence to breathe space into our important interactions
PERSONAL MASTERY
The Path of Least Resistance – Robert Fritz
The originator of the powerful notion that vision can actually create a new reality. Reading this book changed my life when I read it 22 years ago, and its principles and process still work for me and countless others.
Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage Of Identity ― David Whyte
Profound, funny, beautiful book for everyone who cares about their work, their life and their life’s work. Read this also if you’re contemplating making a change where you can bring more of your authentic self to your “job.”
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity – David Allen
Great and simple approach and tools for dealing with everything from that messy desk or messy office to big projects and big dreams.
Transitions: Making Sense Of Life’s Changes – William Bridges
An oldie but goodie. Understanding how we experience and choose to be in endings, the “neutral zone,” and then making a new beginning.
The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron
Freeing the creative person who lives in each one of us to be true to him/herself and fully experience and express the art in one’s work and life.
The Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu
Three interesting translations of this truly essential bible, some with commentary.
Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao – Wayne Dyer
Applying the Tao to your life, by a wise student-master.
Find Your Courage: 12 Acts For Becoming Fearless In Work And Life – Margie Warrell
My beautiful friend, Margie Warrell, is a mother of 4, coach, author, speaker, and adventurer who lives life boldly 24/7 and is dedicated to helping others do the same.
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us - Daniel H. Pink.
A locally based international thought leader and all around mensch, Dan Pink continues to uncover and clearly relate the new realities of work/workplaces today and how leaders at all levels can think, act and collaborate for greatest results. Earlier books include Free Agent Nation and A Whole New Mind.
TEAMS
The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High Performance Organization – Jon Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith
A primer on leading high-performance teams and organizations.
Mastering Virtual Teams: Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed - Deborah L. Duarte and Nancy Tennant Snyder
Chapter and verse on understanding, creating, and leading effective virtual teams.
OTHER RESOURCES
TED.com – Inspiring thought leaders, artists and all kinds of geniuses on video. Always something fresh and provocative.
Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, Blink, and The Tipping Point, also writes a blog and publishes regularly in The New Yorker. All of his resources are available through Gladwell’s website. Gladwell has a remarkable way of seeing and describing what’s so ― clarifying what only then becomes obvious to the rest of us. His book, The Tipping Point is a must-read.
Article - Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis - by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, and Marty Linsky
Performance Evaluation - Not Just An Annual Event, by Leni Gurin,
The CLE Journal, April 2006 (PDF)
Coaching Worksheet (with instructions), LGA Consultants
