I’ve checked off three of the five books I plan to read in February.
Check off Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord, Chief Talent Officer at Netflix for 14 years.
Patty’s book made me think about metaphors for organizational life. She said that we should look at organizational life as a sports team. As a result of her book, I wrote, Organizations aren’t Families and Leaders aren’t Parents.
One person said the word “Community” is better than family or sports team metaphors when referring to organizational life.
Check off When: The Scientific Secret to Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink. I read everything Pink writes.
One of my takeaways from Pink’s book concerns the three phases of a project.
- At the beginning of a project, track how far you’ve come. Look back.
- Toward the end of a project, look forward. Look how far you have to go.
- In the middle of a project, if you’re a little behind, say, “Oh oh,” and set new goals.
Check off Talent Magnet: How to Attract and Keep the Best People by Mark Miller, Vice President of High Performance Leadership, Chick-fil-A Inc. I shared Mark’s formula for being a talent magnet with Merlin franchisees this week in Chicago. (Mark’s book will be available Feb. 27.)
Next on the list: Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being by Shawn Achor. Achor offers five strategies – the SEEDS of Big Potential- for lifting the ceiling on what we can achieve while returning happiness and meaning to our lives. (Release Jan. 30)
After Big Potential I’m reading The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle. Daniel offers specific strategies that trigger learning, spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change. (Release on Jan. 30)
What have you recently read? Takeaways?
What’s on your reading list?
