So here they are and why…
1. Good to Great by Jim Collins
Why? This is a book that you just can’t argue with. The quality of research is so impeccable that the principles speak for themselves.
Favorite Take-away I think my favorite principle is First Who…Then What: get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus and you can do anything. The old adage “People are your most important asset” turns out to be wrong. People are not your most important asset. The right people are.
2. The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus
Why? I think it’s difficult for an author to effectively express passion without sounding pious, overly critical, or judgmental but McManus does it in this highly motivating book.
Favorite Take-away This section: We created a religion using the name of Jesus Christ and convinced ourselves that God’s optimal desire for our lives was to insulate us in a spiritual bubble where we risk nothing, sacrifice nothing, lose nothing, worry about nothing.
3. Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell
Why? This was my first leadership book and it changed my life. I think I read it 3 times. I realized not only was I a leader but I wanted to be a leader.
Favorite Take-away So many but here are a couple: We all have problems. The person who makes a difference is the one who gets up and does something about it. Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
4. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Why? I love that the story is the lesson. Lencioni does a great job creating real people who everyone can relate to, then teaching through their characters.
Favorite Take-away Walking back to the white board, Kathryn explained, “Remember, teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.”
5. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Why? We are constantly challenged with resistance in getting where we want to go or creating what we want to create. This book names those common challenges so powerfully and succinctly that you feel compelled, kicked in the butt, ordered to keep moving forward.
Favorite Take-away If you find yourself criticizing other people, you’re probably doing it out of resistance. When we see others beginning to live their authentic selves, it drives us crazy if we have not lived out our own. Individuals who are realized in their own lives almost never criticize others. If they speak at all, it is to offer encouragement. Watch yourself.
So these are my Top 5. What about you? What are your Top 5?
