Recommended Books on Leadership and Team Building

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Recommended Books on Leadership and Team Building

Recommended Books on Leadership and Team Building

The single most important thing a leader can do is lead by example, and if you want your team to be dynamic and learn more, you've got to continually innovate and find new ways to encourage, reward, and motivate YOURSELF! That's right, I said you've got to motivate YOU! If you lead by example, and you're motivated, soon your team will be too!

That being said, here are my recommendations for a few good leadership and team building books. Enjoy!

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow them and People Will Follow You Failing Forward John C. Maxwell (http://www.injoy.com)

I recommend Maxwell's books for a variety of reasons. One is because he is a pastor, so he recommends a very ethical type of leadership, grounded by a belief in God. Secondly, he breaks things down in an easy to understand, easy to apply method that anyone can follow and relate to. I'm reading a few of his other books, and he has fast become my favorite author.

Love is the Killer App Tim Sanders (http://www.timsanders.com)

Tim, an executive at Yahoo!, talks about getting the people you work with and for to love you, by sharing your knowledge and your network, in ways that add value for all people. I like to think of myself as a "lovecat" and if you read this book, maybe you'll see why, and/or become a lovecat yourself.

It's Your Ship Mike Abrashoff (http://www.grassrootsleadership.com)

A great leadership book that encourages you to empower your team! Simple, obvious messages that are the best!

NOTE: Mike just released a new book called Get Your Ship Together that I have not yet read. If anyone has and has any thoughts about it, please send it my way. Thank you!

Leadership is an Art Max Depree

Max is a master of pointing out how artful it is to be a good leader. Max also talks about how ethics are an important component of business, and that it's about more than the bottom line. Great, easy to read, book that you can quickly apply to your leadership situation.

Good to Great Jim Collins (http://www.jimcollins.com)

This book is the prequel to Built to Last (another great book), and tells about how the best companies got to where they were, in some very quantifiable ways. I'm amazed any manager doesn't read this to learn how to be the best. And Jim's website has some great clips about the different things that you need in order to be GREAT! I would encourage everyone to read this book, think about it, and then get the book on CD and listen to Jim read the book, and think more about it. Wow!

First, Break all the Rules Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman This is how the world's best managers SHOULD manage...by treating each player as an individual, by being unafraid to do something different, by BREAKING THE RULES! I took a class where we discussed this book, and believe me, this book will open your eyes to how you really can manage a team of unique people individually, if you're willing to make the effort.

Ken Blanchard - especially Gung Ho!, Raving Fans, and the One Minute Manager series

More easy reading, with important lessons for all of us that are easy to take away, all jam packed into an easy to read format. I especially enjoy Gung Ho!, and am going to be implementing "The Way of the Beaver," "The Spirit of the Squirrel," and "The Gift of the Goose" on my team soon.

Until next time...Make it a GREAT day!

Phil Gerbyshak

http://www.miginstitute.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Democrats criticize Obama's proposed tax cuts (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs. Senators from both parties agreed that Congress should do something to stimulate the economy. But Democratic senators emerging from a private meeting of the Senate Finance Committee criticized business and individual tax cuts in Obama's stimulus plan.

UN Security Council calls for immediate Gaza truce (AP)

AP - The U.N. Security Council called for an "immediate" and "durable" cease-fire in Gaza in a resolution Thursday night even as fighting between Israel and Hamas raged with early morning airstrikes killing seven Palestinians and pushing the death toll to about 760 in the near two-week conflict.

Key panel recommends impeaching Ill. governor (AP)

AP - A key panel unanimously recommended impeachment for Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday, setting up a vote that could make him the first governor to face such fate in Illinois' sordid political history. Blagojevich should lose his job for abusing power, mismanaging government and committing possible criminal acts, including federal allegations he tried to sell off a U.S. Senate seat, the special committee concluded.

Mini Dynasty: Tebow leads Gators past Oklahoma (AP)

AP - Tim Tebow gave Florida the jolt it needed, and the Gators toughed out a second BCS title in three years.

Job losses stack up as recession deepens (AP)

AP - Trying to survive a deepening recession, employers are cutting their work forces to the bone, leaving more Americans unemployed and with dim prospects of finding a new job any time soon.

Oversight panel wants better answers from Treasury (AP)

AP - Less than a month after its first report, a congressional panel overseeing the Treasury Department's $700 billion financial bailout is demanding more answers.

Critics' final answer: `Slumdog' wins 5 awards (AP)

AP - The critics have spoken, and "Slumdog Millionaire" is their final answer.

Petraeus: Afghan, Pakistan problems are really one (AP)

AP - U.S. policy to win in Afghanistan must recognize the poor nation's limitations and its neighborhood, especially its intertwined relationship with U.S. terrorism-fighting ally Pakistan, the top U.S. military commander in the region said Thursday.

Cheney: CIA did nothing illegal in interrogations (AP)

AP - Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday that he sees no reason for President George W. Bush to pre-emptively pardon anyone at the CIA involved in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists. "I don't have any reason to believe that anybody in the agency did anything illegal," he said.

Prosecutors: Madoff was ready to send out $173M (AP)

AP - Prosecutors said Thursday that investigators found 100 signed checks worth $173 million in Bernard Madoff's office desk that he was ready to send out to his closest family and friends at the time of his arrest last month in what is alleged to be largest financial fraud in history.

U.N. Security Council calls for immediate Gaza truce (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.N. Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip but Israeli warplanes launched intermittent attacks on Friday.

Obama pushes stimulus, warns on recession (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama warned on Thursday the U.S. economy could stay mired in recession for years without bold action and he urged lawmakers to work day and night to pass a massive stimulus plan.

Citi backs measure to help avoid foreclosures (Reuters)

Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.

Illinois panel recommends governor's impeachment (Reuters)

Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Qaeda Pakistan leader believed dead: U.S. official (Reuters)

Reuters - Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and a top aide are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest results of a campaign targeting the militant group's leadership.

Accused swindler Madoff "warm and charming": report (Reuters)

Reuters - Some friends of accused swindler Bernard Madoff considered him a "warm and charming" man, and one of his alleged victims praised him just before his death in 2005, Fox Business Network reported on Thursday.

Obama names Virginia gov as Democratic Party head (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama named Tim Kaine as head of the Democratic Party on Thursday, rewarding an early supporter with a high-profile political post even as he continues to serve as Virginia governor.

EU seeks gas supply return after deal on monitors (Reuters)

Reuters - Europe on Friday looked for a swift restoration of gas supplies, after striking a deal with Moscow on monitoring gas shipments via Ukraine that have been halted by a rancorous pricing dispute with Kiev.

UN Security Council urges immediate Gaza ceasefire (AFP)

AFP - Israel was under intense pressure Friday to end its two-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip after the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire as the death toll from the war rose past 760.

Progress in resolving gas row as Russia agrees to monitors (AFP)

AFP - Hopes for a quick resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe were rising Friday after Russia agreed on the terms for the deployment of monitors in Ukraine.

Recommended Books on Leadership and Team Building

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