Recently a friend asked for my top recommendations of leadership books. It honestly didn’t take long to come up with the list because I was already working on one to blog about. Here is what I gave her, with a little explanation of why I recommend them.
StrengthsBased Leadership by Tom Rath – I’m a firm believer that we should focus on strengths and not weaknesses. Understanding your strengths and the strengths of those on your team are vital to the success of any organization. When people are able to discover and fully utilize their gifts and skills they are more engaged and personally successful.
Change Your Questions. Change Your Life. by Marilee Adams -More of us should ask more question, as long as they are asked with the right intent! ‘The power of questions help people become more creative & collaborative, more productive & profitable.’ Questions are at the core of how we listen, behave, think, and relate–as individuals and organizations. Virtually everything we think and do is generated by questions. Questions push us into new territories. The future begins with our thinking, represented by the questions we ask ourselves.
5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Paul White – A good reminder of why & how we need to appreciate others, especially in the workplace. Most importantly is the understanding that people want/need appreciation on different levels; no two people are the same in this area!
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson & Kenneth Blanchard – This book helped me realize that change is inevitable and that in order to succeed we must be open to it and adapt to it. Can easily be read again and again for different stages in your life and career.
alicrain 