Give Yourself A Gift Of Knowledge & Insight For 2010

Dec 24, 2009 by Mark Maier

MediaPost was recently asked about what books make a great read going into the new year.  The list didn't include my favorite, "Good To Great", but here are some books that could be great presents to yourself and your career for 2010....

"Leadership Is an Art - by Max DePree

Rather than offering a how-to manual on running a business, DePree, CEO of Herman Miller Inc., a manufacturer of office furniture, details in deceptively simple but imaginative language, a humanitarian approach to leadership.

 

"This is a classic. It's pragmatic as opposed to most business books, which are too theoretical. It gives you things you can do immediately." --Gary Schuman, Owner CDL Consulting and Management/Leadership Consultant and Coach

 

The Feiner Points of Leadership - by Michael Feiner

"The how-to manual of leadership!  With anecdotes about softball and family interwoven with simple guidelines on how to lead up, down, left and right, this book is never far out of my grasp, especially in today's increasingly flat organizations." 

All the King's Men - by Robert Penn Warren

"Newspaperman Jack Burden struggles with the right balance of respect and criticism for his larger-than-life, sometimes misguided boss, Governor Willie Stark. In a media populace filled with big egos, All the King's Men has lessons relevant for today's media manager, 63 years after the political novel's first publication." --Both Feiner and King's Men recommended by John Saroff, head of strategic partner development, Google TV Ads

 

The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels - by Michael Watkins

"When I was transitioning from MTV Networks to Time Inc., I was given a copy of The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels. I still find it extremely valuable to help reset or "course correct" after new responsibilities, a new organization, or a new manager." --Betsy Frank, Chief Research and Insights Officer, Time Inc.

 

Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition by Dennis Perkins

Although their experiences may sometimes seem torturous, most managers aren't facing dangerous or life-threatening conditions. Even so, argues consultant Perkins, they would do well to learn from both triumphant and failed expeditions. Perkins introduces 10 key concepts he believes are essential to productive leadership with lively anecdotes from the adverse but ultimately successful expedition to the South Pole led by Ernest Shackleton in 1914.  Recommended by Christopher Simon, EVP sales, CBS Television

 

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

In Joseph Heller's classic satire on the murderous insanity of war, the novel's undiminished strength is its looking-glass logic. Again and again, Heller's characters demonstrate that what is commonly held to be good, is bad; what is sensible, is nonsense. Recommended by Paul Rittenberg, SVP at Fox News

 

It's OK to Be the Boss: The Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming the Manager Your Employees Need - by Bruce Tulgan

"It offered really helpful advice as I was growing out my team, and we had to become more professional." --Jeremy Steinberg, VP, digital sales and business development, Fox News Network

 

The One Minute Manager - by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

This book is a concise, easily read story that reveals three very practical secrets: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands. "It's a book that tells you how to get time back in your life. It's simple, but if you do it, it works."-Rich Sutton, SVP consumer markets, WebMD

 

Words that Work - by Dr. Frank Luntz

"This book is not about what you say, but what people hear. This is a great, great book." - Brian Fisher, VP digital sales, ABC.com

 

True North - by Bill George

In this important book, acclaimed former Medtronic CEO Bill George shares the wisdom of over 125 outstanding leaders and provides a comprehensive and personal program for finding you own True North and leadership success.

 

Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis - by Bill George

George's just-in-time guide for anyone in a leadership position facing today's unprecedented economic challenges. Both True North, Seven Lessons recommended by Gary Schuman, Owner CDL Consulting and Management/Leadership Consultant and Coach

 

Hardball for Women - by Pat Heim and Susan K. Golant

In this constructive, no-nonsense guide, business consultant Heim addresses women executives who, despite technical proficiency, hard work and managerial skills equal or superior to those of their male co-workers, have been passed over for promotions.

 

"I can't say enough good things about "Hardball For Women." The title unfortunately, is a misnomer, since the content is extremely eye-opening for both men and women regarding how to communicate better with one another at multiple levels in the workplace." --Marie Svet, director. pricing and inventory at RHI Entertainment

 

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable - by Patrick Lencioni

Once again, using an astutely written fictional tale to unambiguously but painlessly deliver some hard truths about critical business procedures, Patrick Lencioni targets group behavior in the final entry of his trilogy of corporate fables. Recommended by Leslie Picard, SVP corporate sales and marketing at Time, Inc.

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