Book sales soared as the pandemic unfolded. They entertain, teach, help you improve, and sometimes just provide an escape.
I recommend 5 books with a focus on making the workplace better, becoming better leaders, and improving management for organizations who have grown dramatically. These books are generally considered to be source material for topics many have written about and expanded upon.
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
Interest in emotional intelligence increased dramatically during the pandemic as we all try to improve how we relate to each other. It’s helpful to go back to the source — the book credited with bringing emotional intelligence into the mainstream. Reading this will add a new perspective to the topic.
The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christenson
Considered the decisive book on disruption, this book offers perspective on what disruption is and developed the phrase disruptive innovation. Anyone thinking about or charged with innovation is well served reading about the differences between disruptive innovation and sustaining innovation. Widely admired in the tech world — it can help you develop new thinking and approaches to doing things differently.
First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham
The MAD Clientist has to love a book based on a survey of 80,000 managers. This book offers insights into better management strategies. It is filled with insights and statistics on how people behave and how the best managers do what they do.
Inversion Thinking by James Clear (a Blog Post)
Used for centuries, inversion thinking offers a new way to look at decision making and problem solving — thinking through problems in reverse. This article offers a good summary and historical perspective on how to make it work for you.
My recommended reading would not be complete without including:
Clientelligence: How Superior Client Relationships Fuel Growth and Profits by Michael Rynowecer
Learn how to drive growth and develop the best relationships with clients — based on in-depth research with 14,000 top decision makers who hire professional services firms. The decision makers point to 17 activities as driving superior client relationships, service, and new business.
The Mad Clientist’s ABCs of Client Service by Michael Rynowecer
This fully illustrated book is a light-hearted look at a deeply serious skill: learning how to improve client service. The Mad Clientist distilled 14,000 in-depth interviews with top executives into 26 pithy, pointed actions for you to start using today. Spend just 26 minutes with The Mad Clientist and his ABCs of Client Service and improve your client service immediately.
Learn and enjoy.
MBR
The Mad Clientist
