Filed under: Accountability, Books in General, From the Editor, General Business, Personal Development, career skills | Tags: books, Business, business books, career skills, Leadership, management, Personal Development
There are times when I sit down to write this blog that I feel like I’m repeating myself. We touch on a number of topics in our little thrice-weekly conversation but often we return to the news of the day as it ties together the economy and the world of business books. The news, largely, hasn’t been good, but out of this cloud has been a shower of great reads.
Historically, the most trying times often produce works of brilliance. In other instances, a book that under normal circumstances would be considered a solid read takes on greater importance in a time of crisis. With articles such as this piece in The Wall Street Journal indicating that we’re far from regaining a firm economic foothold, even executives find themselves with the occasional bout of nerves.
This is one of the reasons we opted to include Scott Eblin’s The Next Level as a bonus summary in our December package. Differentiation and the ability to display confidence in a turbulent time will continue to be assets of ever-increasing value. Eblin’s book refers to the concept of having a Life GPS (Goals Planning System). When the road ahead looks uncertain, it can be a big asset to be able to forge your own path. I found Eblin’s advice to be a good fit for our current economic climate. Companies won’t exactly be dealing out promotions to any manager with a few years of experience. The new path up the ladder will require a bit of ingenuity and Eblin delivers the frank advice to keep executives at any level driving toward the top. If you’re in need of a boost, I’d recommend checking out our summary of his book.
Filed under: Books in General, Leadership, Personal Development, Strategic Management | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Strategic Management, Upcoming Summaries
Did the title of this post grab your attention? Don’t worry, I’m not here with any doom-and-gloom news to darken your day. Actually, this post started out after I visited the folks at USA Book News to check out some business book info. In the midst of the various books about creating personal wealth or managing one’s finances, I saw a short review of J. Barry Griswell and Bob Jennings’ book The Adversity Paradox.
We read story after story in the news about the problems that plague businesses right now. What’s great about Griswell and Jennings’ work is that it helps readers to shoulder the load of adversity and cast it aside, rather than being drowned by it. Both Griswell and Jennings have experienced a good degree of adversity in their own lives. However, both triumphed, and through a process that was full of trial and error, as well as determination, they’ve culminated their experiences in a book that is rich in lessons.
The Adversity Paradox offers great examples that, as the authors point out, are not meant to be magic bullets. One of the things I respected most about the book when I read it is the lack of sugarcoating. Overcoming adversity is difficult work, and there are times when a project may not work out. I loved the fact that the authors are adamant about avoiding the victim mentality and acknowledging one’s personal responsibility for success. This is a book that does not apologize for its forthrightness. It doesn’t need to do so.
The good news is that we’ll be summarizing this book in the August edition of Soundview Executive Book Summaries. What’s more, subscribers will have access to an exclusive audio interview with Griswell and Jennings. If you’re not a subscriber yet, this is a great time to come on board!
Filed under: Books in General, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Leadership, Personal Development, Strategic Management, Success, iPhone app | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, iPhone app, Leadership, management, Survival Skills, Technology
I confess that I occasionally drag my feet when it comes to adopting new technology. Between GPS systems, Web 2.0, and my cell phone, I’m wired and traceable to the point where even I wonder if Big Brother is bored with me. Still, it’s hard to deny the overwhelming appeal of certain devices.
There are a large number of people who would put their iPhones at the top of the list of devices they can’t live without. Hopefully, we’ve just added three more reasons to keep it at the top of your list.
I mentioned earlier this week about our Entrepreneurship application. If one application is good, how does a total of three new apps sound?
In addition to the Entrepreneurship app, Soundview is also debuting Survival Skills Vol. I, as well as Innovation Vol. I. Each app features three crucial titles that will help you with the app’s specific subject.
These three apps are the latest in a growing collection of Soundview iPhone apps. Click here to see the complete list!
The convenience of having these apps at my fingertips is something that I underestimated. It makes me glad that I got on board with this technology more quickly than my usual pace. Now if only I could force myself to upgrade my DVD player to a “ray” of a certain shade (For trademark reasons, I’ll let you figure out the obvious).
Filed under: Books in General, Conference/Event, From the Editor, General Business, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Personal Development | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Chris Warner, Conference/Event, Don Schmincke, Hands-On Management, High Altitude Leadership, Leadership, Personal Development, Soundview Live
I hope all of our subscribers enjoyed theSoundview Live event on Monday with Chris Warner and Don Schmincke, co-authors of High Altitude Leadership. After listening to Chris discuss his various expeditions, I decided to check out some of his footage from the K2 trip. In a word, WOW! Check it out for yourself here.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one taken with Chris and Don’s message. The response from the audience was overwhelming. You flooded us with questions for the authors and we didn’t have time to get to every person’s point. We’ve received many e-mails asking when the questions will be answered. As you know, being an executive comes with a heavy burden on one’s time. Chris and Don are no exception. In fact, I spoke with our moderator for the Soundview Live event, and he said that Don literally concluded the interview, shook hands with everyone, then dashed to the airport to narrowly make a flight to Toronto. Of course, he did it all with a smile on his face, and we’re grateful to him.
With that in mind, the authors agreed to attempt to answer your questions in a timely manner. They ask (as do we) that everyone be patient. If you asked a question during the course of the event on Monday, we will do our best to make sure that it is answered. Answers will be posted on Summary.com. Stay tuned to this blog, and I’ll let you know when the first set of answers becomes available. Soundview Live is a truly interactive event and its success is largely dependent on how well author and audience collaborate. I think this expedition certainly reached its summit.
While we’re on the subject of keeping customers happy, we’ve received a few requests for more information about customer retention. As a result, we’ve put together a new collection of summaries to help with this process. These 10 essential titles will help you separate fact from fiction when it comes to retaining your key customers. Check out the Keep the Customer Collection today!
Filed under: Books in General, Conference/Event, From the Editor, General Business, Hands-On Management, Leadership, Personal Development | Tags: books, Business, business book, Conference/Event, Earth Day, Hands-On Management, High Altitude Leadership, Leadership, management, Small Business, Soundview Live
In the world of business books, we frequently deal in metaphors. Next time you’re wandering through a bookstore (or, more likely, scrolling around an online bookseller), check out the variety of parallels drawn between leadership and another field. We’ve had comparisons between leadership and the military, as well as the baseball diamond, among others. In the case of the military metaphors, the authors are generally individuals who have bravely served in the armed forces. However, the hands-on knowledge of other authors is often speculative.
This is not the case with Chris Warner. As co-author (with management expert Don Schmincke) of High Altitude Leadership, Warner knows a thing or two about K2 … and Everest … and Kiliminjaro … and several mountains I can’t pronounce. He’s scaled some of the highest peaks in the world and gained an incredible wealth of knowledge along the way. Schmincke and Warner offer a great combination of management experience, business insight and original ideas.
And now they’re about to speak directly to Soundview subscribers!
On Monday, May 4 at 1:00 p.m. (EST), Warner and Schmincke will be our special guests on Soundview Live. This 60-minute live coversation puts our subscribers in an interactive Web event with today’s top business authors. Warner and Schmincke will present key insights on leadership and success, whether on the world’s highest peaks or the boardrooms of corporate giants. This is followed by a question and answer session with subscribers. I’ve sat in on some of the production meetings, and I can tell you, Chris and Don are highly entertaining and very informative.
If you’re not a subscriber, don’t worry. It’s never been easier to become one! Don’t miss the chance to speak to two of the most dynamic business authors currently publishing. The view from the top is one that you can’t afford to miss.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, General Business, Hands-On Management, Human Resources, Leadership, Other, Personal Development, Small Business | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Harper Collins, Harry Paul, Instant Turnaround, Leadership, management, patrick lencioni, Publishing, Ross Reck, Small Business
While engaged in one of my favorite activities (trolling various publishers’ Web sites to check out upcoming business book releases), I came across a title that’s set to debut next week. A title like Instant Turnaround grabs one’s attention pretty quickly. The premise is even more interesting. Authors Harry Paul and Ross Reck explore a subject that might prove sensitive for both executive and employee: Do people intentionally “gear-down” their efforts as a way to retaliate for perceived mistreatment?
According to the authors, this is a “business reality,” and it can hit any level of an organization. Fortunately, they provide solutions to help executives tap the wellspring of employee enthusiasm that may be held in reserve. I found it interesting that even in difficult economic times, people still hesitate to give their all. However, this can often be the result of an incorrect assumption that a company is nearing a round of layoffs or considering cutting perks and pay. Instant Turnaround should serve as a reminder to executives everywhere that communication is essential to keep employees motivated and on the same page as the company.
This book also appears to capitalize on a growing trend of writing a parable to illustrate the book’s main concepts. With any luck, Paul and Reck will be able to create a parable that can stack up to the master of a similar technique, Patrick Lencioni. His use of leadership fables has served him well through more than a half-dozen releases.
It’s obvious that none of the above authors lack any motivation when it comes to producing valuable work. Speaking of which, it’s about time I got back to my editorial duties.
Filed under: Innovation, Leadership, Personal Development | Tags: Business, business books, Innovation, Leadership
There are some days when I think we all want to avoid reading the newspaper or glancing at CNN on the TV during breakfast. We keep saying, “How bad is this recession going to get? It can’t get any worse, right?” And then it does. This is a scary time, but we have to remember that it is not the first recession this country has seen.
While trying to track down an article I had spied about different sectors and how “recession-proof” they are, I came across an interview of Ram Charan, conducted by by Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay—a HarvardBusiness.org editor.
I suggest taking a look at what Charan has to say about what leaders need to focus on right now during the recession (it’s the first question tackled in the interview). But I think his answer to Bielaska-DuVernay’s final question, “What will the best companies do during this recession?” is even more important for leaders to consider. Charan answers, “They’ll get ahead the curve and conserve their cash. They’ll take out frills and focus on the core. And then they’ll think of how the market will have changed in two or three years and what innovation they will need to have done to compete successfully, and they’ll do that innovation now.”
Also notable is that Charan, the ever-prolific writer, published Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty: The New Rules for Getting the Right Things Done in Difficult Times with McGraw-Hill in late December 2008.
One reviewer on Amazon.com, identified as M. McDonald, hits the nail right on the head with the comment that Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty is “a playbook for senior executives to get back to the basics in these tough economic times. Charan is the first author to take a serious look at what running a company will be like under the assumption that the economy will not recover in the short run, but rather what you will need to be effective over the next two to three years.”
But if that’s not enough, consider Soundview’s Personal Survival Skills Collection. Definitely something worth considering if you want to make yourself more valuable to your company.
Filed under: Personal Development, Uncategorized | Tags: business books, career skills, Personal Development
Do you remember the movie Six Degrees of Separation, with Donald Sutherland, Stockard Channing, and a young, pre-Independence Day Will Smith? The concept of six degrees of separation is that “if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is no more than six ‘steps’ away from each person on Earth.” Phew, that was a mouthful!
In January, Soundview offered The 29% Solution: 52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies by Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D. and Michelle R. Donovan as one of its 2009 Best Business Books of the Year.
Well, according to Misner and Donovan, the six degrees of separation isn’t actually applicable for everyone; however, according to the authors: “…with reading, training, and coaching, people can develop their networking skills, increase their connections, and become part of roughly 29 percent of people who are, in fact, separated from the rest of the world by just six degrees.”
We all know how important networking is to our personal success in the business world. We gain friendships, partnerships, and so much more. With The 29% Solution readers learn that in 52 weeks they can pace themselves to become solid, master networkers, ensuring success in their career and personal lives. If you’re looking for more resource tools to boost your success consider our Personal Success Collection.
