Learning is a vital sustenance to a well lived life as water is to good health. It matters not your stage or age in life, we are forever students — life long learners. And I love it! I love being a student as much as I love sharing what I know. Learning is humbling and empowering. It keeps you fresh, interesting, youthful and even entertained as you regularly edit, challenge and transform your life; your thinking with new and exciting insights. Habit 7 from Stephen R. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — “Sharpening The Saw” has been a way of life for me since I was introduced to it over 20 years ago. It is the habit that’s kept me true to my desire to live a balanced life. Stephen Covey was one of the great leadership thinkers of our time. “Sharpening the saw is about constantly renewing ourselves in the four basic areas of life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.” (SR Covey).
I hope you find this reading list helpful as it represents some of my most treasured resources. For sure I am grateful as these tools enlightened and anchored me over the years. As long as you have breath, may you learn, practice, teach and live well! xoxo — June
For The Career Minded
- What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. How Successful People Become Even More Successful! Marshall Goldsmith with Mark Reiter
- Difficult Conversations. Harvard Business Review
- The Essential Manager’s Handbook. DK Publishing
- Triggers Creating Behavior That Lasts. Marshall Goldsmith & Mark Reiter
- Crucial Conversations. Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
- The First 90 Days. Michael D. Watkins
- The New IQ. Leading Up, Down, And Across Using Innovative Questions. Chris Coffey & David Lam.
- The Career RoadMap. Success Strategies To Accelerate Your Career & Get Ahead At Work. Qiana Williams
- The Leadership Challenge. How To Make Extraordinary Things Happen In Organizations. James Kouzes, Barry Posner
- A Leader’s Legacy. James Kouzes & Barry Posner
- The Leadership Contract. The Fine Print To Becoming An Accountable Leader. Vince Molinaro
- Strengths Finder. Tom Rath
- Improving Performance. How to Mange the White Space on the Organization Chart. Geary A. Rummler, Alan Brache
- The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book. Travis Bradberry and Dr. Jean Greaves
- The Career Architect Development Planner. Michael Lombardo, Robert Eichinger
- Flawless Consulting. By, Peter Block
- The Consultant’s Quick Start Guide. An action plan for your first year in business. Elaine Biech
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Beverly Daniel Tatum, PH.D.
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Patrick Lencioni
- A Carver Policy Governance Guide, The Policy Governance Model and the Role of the Board Member. John Carver & Miriam Carver
- The Wisdom of Teams. Creating High Performance Organizations. Jon R. Katzenbach, Douglas Smith
- Making Movies. Sydney Lumet
- Telling Ain’t Training. Harold D. Stolovitch, Erica J. Keeps
- The Stress of Organizational Change. A Survival Guide. Price Pritchett & Rob
- Kiss, Bow, OR, Shake Hands: A Guide To Doing Business in over 60 Countries. Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway
- Evaluating Training Programs. The Four Levels. Donald L. Kirkpatrick
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & Principle Centered Leadership. Stephen R. Covey
- Franchising For Dummies. By, Michael Seid, Dave Thomas & Accounting For Dummies. John A. Tracy
- The Millionaire Next Store: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy. Thomas J. Stanley
These books are >10 years old, but the lessons continue to be relevant:
- The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. Strategies & Tools for Building A Learning Organization. Peter Senge, Art Kleiner, Charlotte Roberts, Richard Ross, Bryan Smith
- Vital Friends. The People You Can’t Afford To Live Without. Tom Rath
- Diverse Teams At Work. Capitalizing on the Power of Diversity. Lee Gardenswartz, Anita Rowe
- The Phoenix Principles. Leveraging Inclusion to Transform Your Company. Randolph Brown, Janet Butler Reid, Ph.D.
- Human Behavior at Work. Keith Davis, John W. Newstrom
- POWER Mentoring. How Successful Mentors and Proteges Get the Most Out Of Their Relationships. Ellen Ensher, Susan Murphy
- Alliance Advantage. The Art of Creating Value Through Partnering. Yves L. Doz, Gary Hamel
- Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity As A Vital Resource. Marilyn Loden, Judy B. Rosener
- A Race Without A Finish Line. America’s Quest For Total Quality. Warren H. Schmidt, Jerome P. Finnigan
- Beyond Reengineering. Michael Hammer
- The Secret of a Winning Culture. Building High Performance Teams. Larry Senn, John Childress
- Monday Morning Leadership. David Cottrell
- The Guru Guide. The Best Ideas of The Top Management Thinkers. Joseph Boyett, Jimmie Boyett
- Making Feedback Work. Joe Folkman, PH.D.
- The Morality of Leadership. William J. Arthur
- Managing By Values. Ken Blanchard, Michael O’Connor
- Champions of Change. How CEOs and Their Companies Are Mastering the Skills of Radical Change. David A. Nadler
- Employee Surveys That Make A Difference. Joe Folkman, PH.D.
- Mission Possible. Ken Blanchard, Terry Waghorn
- The Loyalty Effect. Frederick F. Reichheld
- Empowered Teams. Richard Wellins, William C. Byham, Jeanne M. Wilson
- Organizational Diagnosis: A Workbook of Theory and Practice. Marvin R. Weisbord
- Organizational Surveys. Tools For Assessment and Change. Allen I Kraut
- Successful Manager’s Handbook. Personnel Decision, Inc.
- Quotes & Quips. Insights on Living The 7 Habits. Franklin Covey
- Action Learning. How the World’s Top Companies Are Re-Creating Their Leaders Themselves. David Dotlich, James L. Noel
- The Handbook of Business Strategy. Faulkner & Gray
“Soul” Food
- The Purpose Driven Life. Rick Warren
- Instinct. TD Jakes
- Maximize the Moment. TD Jakes
- Before You Do. TD Jakes
- Your Best Life Now. 7 Steps To Living At Your Full Potential. Joel Osteen
- Scriptures & Meditations for Your Best Life Now. Joel Osteen
- The Game of Life & How to Play It. Frances Scovel Shinn
- Aging: A Hairy Experience. Gerald Nilsson-Weiskott , Vincent Caputo , Fred Juhl
- The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho
- Jesus CEO. Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership. Laurie Beth Jones
- Jesus Life Coach. Learn From The Best. Laurie Beth Jones
- Commanding Your Morning. Unleash The Power of God In Your Life. Cindy Trimm
- The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge. Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
- Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now. Maya Angelou
- The Great Investment & Reposition Yourself. TD Jakes
- The Prayer of Jabez. Bruce Wilkinson
- The Untethered Soul. Michael A. Singer
- God On A Harley. Joan Brady
- Letter To My Daughter. Maya Angelou
- The Evidence of Things Not Seen. James Baldwin
- The Shack. Wm. Paul Young