Book-Review_To-Sell-is-Human

Book Review: To Sell is Human

“We’re all in sales” says author Daniel Pink. In fact, in a Gallup study people reported spending 40% of their time working in what Pink calls “non-sales selling,” convincing/influencing/moving people to decide or do that does not involve anyone making a purchase. Dan Pink is always intriguing. Let’s look at a few things his book…

The-Practice-of-Adaptive-Leadership_Tools-and-Tactics-for-Changing-Your-Organization-and-the-World

The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World

by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, & Marty Linsky Harvard Business Press, 2009 ISBN #978-1-4421-0576-4 Reviewed by Ian Cook Dealing with change and problem solving–these tasks are at the core of what leader/managers do. But there are two distinctly different types of challenges that precipitate change and bring on problems for managers. The authors of this…

Influencer_The-Power-To-Change-Anything

Influencer: The Power To Change Anything

by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan & Gareth Jones McGraw-Hill, 2008 ISBN #978-0-07-148499-2 Reviewed by Ian Cook If you are like me, and like most of the managers we all know, you have a default strategy for influencing people around you. You TELL them what they should do! You SHARE your wisdom…

The-Dynamic-Path_Access-the-Secrets-of-Champions-to-Achieve-Greatness-Through-Mental-Toughness-Inspired-Leadership-and-Personal-Transformation

The Dynamic Path: Access the Secrets of Champions to Achieve Greatness Through Mental Toughness, Inspired Leadership, and Personal Transformation

By James M. Citrin Rodale, 2007 ISBN #978-1-59486-358-5 Reviewed by Ian Cook Ground-breaking tennis great Billie Jean King won 20 Wimbledon titles, 13 US Opens, the French and Australian Opens, and was ranked the world’s No. 1 woman tennis player seven times. She went on to do pioneering work on Title IX legislation for women’s…

A-Leaders-Legacy

A Leader’s Legacy

By James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner Jossey-Bass, 2006 ISBN #978-0-7879-8296-6 Reviewed by Ian Cook As a leader, would you say one of your goals is to leave a legacy? Based on their observations of leaders over the last twenty years, Kouzes and Posner expect your answer is probably “yes.”

Finding-Our-Way_Leadership-For-an-Uncertain-Time

Finding Our Way: Leadership For an Uncertain Time

By Margaret J. Wheatley Berrett-Koehler, 2005, ISBN #978-1-57675-317-0 Reviewed by Ian Cook Margaret Wheatley, back in 1992 with her book, Leadership and the New Science, was one of the first writers to bring into mainstream discussion the idea that organizations share a lot of the characteristics of living, self-organizing systems in nature. Large weather systems,…