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People often ask for book recommendations, especially when it comes to shaping leadership development. To assist, I've compiled a list of six books that have shaped my leadership development, in the hope that you will also find them helpful!
1) Pivot by Jenny Blake
This book came for me at a time that I was experiencing a leadership crisis. I was feeling burned out as a leader, and I needed to figure out how to "pivot" my role in the organization or in my career. The guidance in this book helped me to structure my daily activities, and create goals with actionable plans.
2) Deep Work by Cal Newport
As a self-proclaimed "multi-tasker," I wore that label as a badge of honor--a behavior that had been reinforced as I moved along in my career. This book effectively changed that behavior. Newport discusses the benefit of scheduling blocks of time to limit distraction. Instead of focusing on many "tasks," the blocks of time are guided by your focus on one task at a time that will have a greater impact on your development as a leader.
3) Good Authority by Jonathan Raymond
This book is probably the only book that I have purchased for people in my organization who I was shaping into leadership positions. Though Raymond is not a behavior analyst, he illustrates many principles proven through organization behavior management, and illustrates through his stories, the necessities of effective delivery of feedback. This was incredibly helpful for me as I was developing my staff in their roles.
4) Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement by Aubrey C. Daniels
This book was my first primer in leadership development, as I read it during my Master's program, studying Organizational Behavior Management. Of particular note, this book was the guiding force behind the "Kudos" system I implemented with my direct reports, to shape their behavior interacting with each other in the workplace.
5) The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni
This book was the book I wish I read when I first entered a leadership position. Lencioni tells a tale, in a "Christmas Carol"-style to illustrate behaviors to avoid as a leader, and the simple behaviors we should perform while in those roles. You should also check out the other titles by Lencioni: Four Dysfunctions of a Team and Death by Meeting.
6) Start With Why by Simon Sinek
This book forced me to look at my narrative as I was addressing my staff. Instead of focusing on statements such as "We need you to..." and "We have to do x or z," it helped me to think about crafting a narrative for my staff when discussing protocols and instructions, to show the larger picture of why we were doing what we were doing. This was also the book that helped me narrow down a mission statement for my organization, and to use that mission to guide our "daily huddles."
Have any additional books to add? Leave a comment below!
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