Summary:
Jeffrey Gitomer’s latest book, Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, provides readers with the basic building blocks for developing a lifelong positive attitude. Although one cannot always control the events that happen, one can still control one’s outlook and attitude. This book deals with learning how to deal with people and external events in a consistently positive manner. Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude covers:

• attitude awareness
• actions that result in positive attitude changes
• attitude achievement
• how to continuously maintain a positive attitude

Pros: Effective, easy-to-use tips for readers to begin developing a lifelong positive attitude. Good examples for turning negative events into positive outcomes.

Cons: The book uses a creative variety of font styles and font sizes, including page inserts, which made it difficult for me to discern where one section ends and the next section begins.

Recommendation: Overall, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude is a good motivational work for putting readers on the path to achieving a positive attitude.

Whenever anything reaches it’s final stage it typically involves a period of reflection. When projects end you’ll look back at the positives and negatives - looking for areas of improvements. Each year around December, companies hold annual meetings with employees to give results of the various goals that were set. Managers meet with employees to go over yearly performance goals. You might even find yourself reflecting on personal goals you set for yourself. The examples are endless.

The same will be done some day when your career is reaching its final leg. You will reflect back and think about the effect you had on the various companies you worked for. The question that should resonate with you is:

What type of impact did you have on your company?

It’s safe to say that most of us want to leave a lasting, positive impression on those you work with and the companies that employ you. No one wants to be a forgettable name or face whose only contribution to work was taking home a paycheck. The goal should be to attain a legacy.



In “Your Leadership Legacy”, Robert Galford and Regina Maruca have designed a comprehensive plan for working on your legacy; they open the book with the following:

“Is it ever too early to think about the kind of long-term impact you’ll have on your organization? Is it ever too early to think about what people will think, say, or do, after your tenure was as a leader has ended, as a result of having worked for you?” - Your Leadership Legacy

The obvious answer (and the whole premise of why the book was written) is a resounding “NO”. They want you to think about your legacy. Does it exist? What would people say about it? How will you achieve it? First things first, you won’t achieve a legacy without first establishing what it will be. What do you want your legacy to be? A key portion of the book is creating your legacy statement. Your legacy statement will embody your behaviors, values, and approaches to leading and managing. “Your Leadership Legacy” shows you how to craft it.

“A leadership legacy is the impact you have (that is, the scope and scale of your influence on others) over the duration of your time in a given position or at a given company, all colored by the judgment, or guiding principles, that you apply most consistenly to your decisions.” - Robert M. Galford and Regina Fazio Maruca

When reading over the legacy statement section, I was reminded of Steven Covey’s process of building a personal ‘mission statement’. One of Covey’s primary practices is imagining your eulogy and what you would like to be said about yourself. While not as morbid as Covey’s example, Galford and Murca run you through a similar exercise. The ‘future you’ looking back is a great way to know what you want your end product, or legacy, to be.

Galford and Murca’s process doesn’t stop at building the legacy statement. Once you create your statement it’s time to ‘pressure test’ it against reality. While it may sound great on paper does your desired legacy have a chance? Are you the right person for this legacy? And if so, are you in the right position to develop it? Again, soliciting feedback is crucial in this process. It will help fight against any personal bias that you hold. The last step involves reflecting on your daily actions. What strengths can you build on that will help you achieve your legacy? What actions and traits are holding you back? By using the “Stop, start, continue, do, and avoid..” process you are able to discover the answer to these questions.

The authors also convey the importance of frequently returning to your statement to verify that you are on the right path to achieve your legacy. The authors call this dynamic process the “Legacy Audit”. Again, seeking feedback must never be complete and will remain the truth serum for your legacy. As with anything important in life, you will need to work on keeping this practice going.

While this book may be far reaching for those who don’t usually enjoy high level, fuzzy views on leadership, it will be useful to anyone interested in leadership. It contains many case studies, examples of their processes in use, and useful tools to help you look forward to your leadership legacy.

Check out the Your Leadership Legacy website for more information on the authors and the book.

This is one book that has the power and the practical insights to change how you deal or interact with people. Of all the business books that I have read, this is at the top of my favorite list. This book is worth reading and re-reading. It is a very easy read that explains lucidly the science behind the art of influence and persuasion. The book is very conversational in style and you will have many moments of “Aha’s and Oh-oh’s”. This book teaches you how to be more influential and persuasive in dealing with people and at the same time teaches you how to protect yourself from the unscrupulous people that try to use the influence tools on you in an unethical way. Have you ever had the experience where you wanted to say or do something in a situation but ended up doing quite the opposite (thanks to the savvy influence of the person on the other side)? If you read this book, you will be able to recognize the tools and techniques that are being used on you to influence your decision.



The author outlines the following weapons of influence (his term) in his book:

Reciprocity: People are more prone to feel obliged to return favors offered to them. Influence professionals try to use this principle of reciprocation that is hard wired into the human psyche by trying to garner disproportionate results in return for a small initial favor. A good example of this cited in the book is the clever application of this principle by Hare Krishna society. Krishnas while soliciting for donations, as a first step give a small gift like a flower to the target person before requesting a donation. There by making the target obliged to give a donation in return for the unsolicited gift that was just accepted.

Commitment and Consistency: People are prone to follow through on a commitment that has already been made. Influence professionals exploit your desire to be consistent by getting an initial compliance on a trivial request and later expanding this compliance to a similar request that is much larger in scope and sometimes remotely connected to the original request. They know that once you have committed to an initial request, you are most likely to follow through on their other requests because of your desire to appear consistent.

Social Proof: People are more likely to follow the actions of people that are similar to themselves. This is especially true in conditions of uncertainty where people are likely to use others actions to decide how they themselves should act. Influence professionals use this principle by way of fake advertisements that have average-person-on-the-street testimonials.

Liking: People are likely to agree or say yes to a request from people that they like. People tend to like people that are attractive, that are like themselves, that are friendly, that are complimentary, that have common goals, that make them laugh etc. Influence professionals use a combination of these techniques to appear more likeable and as result increase the odds of you saying YES to a request.

Authority: People tend to put more faith in authority than anything else. People are easily persuaded by people that appear knowledgeable, credible and authoritative on a particular subject. Influence professionals try to benefit from this principle by invoking the pretext of authority or expertise on subjects that they have very little understanding of.

Scarcity: People are likely to want something more strongly when it appears to be dwindling or scarce.

Mind you, this book is not an expose on influence or compliance professionals but rather a very good explanation on how and why people are influenced. Once aware of these principles, you can use them in an ethical manner to influence others and at the same time be able to guard yourself against these same principles when applied by others to exploit you.

Finally, here is a link to an excellent review of the book and an interview with the author Dr Robert Cialdini by Guy Kawasaki.

Note: There are two versions of the book and I happened to buy the older version of the book called “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” instead of the newer version which goes by “Influence–Science and Practice”. My review is based on the older version. Amazon reviews indicate that both versions are pretty much identical.

This question has been pondered by those who aspire to be good leaders and it may take some soul searching to find the answer. Do you have the qualities to lead? Do you have the understanding of what it takes to be a leader? Do you know how to move from “good” to “great”?

The truth is that many leadership books act as though there is a static set of leadership characteristics in order to be able to lead. As Robert Goffee and Gareth Jones point out in their book “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?: What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader”, this is false. They dispute that “books on leadership persistently try to find a recipe for leadership…..in our view there are no universal leadership characteristics.” What? No universal leadership characteristics? I thought there are 5 ‘must have’ leadership characteristics? We need an easy answer. If there isn’t one, then how do I become a leader?

It’s simple. Be more like yourself, not others.

Goffee and Jones claim that “those aspiring to leadership need to discover what it is about themselves that they can mobilize in a leadership context. They need to identify and deploy their own personal leadership assets.”



Uh oh. Looks like there isn’t a quick fix to leadership. The process will require some deep soul searching so that you can discover your strengths and weaknesses and locate your ‘authentic’ self.

How do you do this? Goeffe and Jones list 3 axioms about leadership that must be understood:

• Leadership is situational. You are always influenced by the situation; therefore you have to have situational sensing to succeed.
• Leadership is non-hierarchal. There is too much focus on the top. Just because you are a CEO/Director/Manager doesn’t mean you are a leader. Hierarchy by itself is not sufficient enough to become a leader.
• Leadership is relational. You cannot lead without followers. Relationships need to be built by both parties – the leader and the follower.

Once these three axioms are internalized you can start down the path towards authentic leadership. Goeffe and Jones dive into the details of building your leadership skills throughout the book. If you implement the advice and wisdom of the authors you will no longer be asking the question ‘why should anyone be led by me?’. Instead you’ll be asking ‘who wants to be led by me?’

Check out more about “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?” at Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge website.

Change is hard to implement in organizations. People revolt against change. They want familiarity. They want the ‘old’ and don’t care what the ‘new’ is. This is the reality that organizations must face, but a reality which many ignore. All is not lost though; you can get change to stick. Richard Reale lays out the principles that make it happen in his book, “Making Change Stick: Twelve Principles for Transforming Organizations”.



Richard has over 20 years of research which shows why programs fail and why changes refuse to stick. This book is the culmination of his studies. Richard provides an easy to read manual on getting change to stick. He focuses on the ‘soft’ side of change – people, emotions, communication, and leading to name a few. Each chapter ends with a bulleted section titled Putting the Principles to Practice. This is where the nuggets of wisdom are found. A key section was titled ‘Involve and Be Involved,’ which says that you shouldn’t make changes and assume that everyone will follow. That is a sure way to failure. Instead, do as Richard says:

• Be approachable. Be authentic. Think ‘we’.
• Talk personally to individuals as well as groups
• Be open to input from everyone. Ask opinions and solicit ideas. Listen intently.
• Identify yourself with the change.

Check out the Postivie Impact Associates, Inc. website for more information regarding Richard’s work.

In today’s world, leaders are a dying breed. You don’t have to look far to see this as being true. Look at our government. Look at the colossal failures at major corporations (Enron, WorldCom, Tyco and Adelphia to name just a few).



Is it because everyone is out for #1 (aka themselves)? Or has management by deception and lies trumped the benefits of leading with integrity? Our organizations and schools have systematically failed to build leaders. It’s evident as many organizations have to look outside to hire senior management. Noel Tichy has a fix for this problem. Noel, a professor at the prestigious University of Michigan Business School and a former director at Crotonville GE Human Developing Center has developed the framework to build organizations that grow leaders. It’s highlighted in his book “The Cycle Of Leadership”. Although the books reach is aimed at the organizational leader there are many important points to take away:

• Always be open to learning. Create your own opportunities, step outside your comfort zone. It doesn’t matter if you are entry level or CEO a leader is open to new ideas and opinions. Richard Branson one of the most successful individuals in the world practices this. Read Tom Peters blog post for more details.
• Create your TPOV (Teachable Point Of View). Leaders need to have anywhere from 4-6 points to teach from. They need to be specific and easy to understand. Just because the format in which you present them is simple, it’s your duty to make these a part of the culture (which is the hard part).
• Leverage Teachable Moments – Whenever you have the opportunity leverage current situations as teachable moments for employees (new guy at the company, transitioning to manager position) do so
• Always remember the 80/20 rule -
  

  “80% of leadership development comes on the job and through life experience. Formal development experiences have the potential to deliver only about 20% of the knowledge and capabilities needed” The Cycle of Leadership

Check out Noel’s homepage to find out more information about the The Cycle of Leadership and other publications.

Patrick Lencioni’s book, “The Five Dysfunction of a Team” is excellent on many levels. Not only does he write an excellent story to showcase where teams fail, but he wraps important lessons within the characters interactions. It takes great skill to be able to be a storyteller, and Patrick has mastered it. In Five Dysfunctions, we get introduced to a self-destructing management team. The team and the company is on the brink of failure, when Kathryn Peterson, the new CEO enters the scene. Throughout the rest of the book we learn the pyramid model for why teams fail. The include (in order from top to bottom of the pyramid):



• Inattention to Results
• Avoidance of Accountability
• Lack of Commitment
• Fear of Conflict
• Absence of Trust

Each dysfunction, starting with Absence of Trust, will build up and lead to the others if not handled properly. The good news is Patrick included tips and advice on how to handle this. At the conclusion of the story, Patrick goes through some exercises to break down the problems dysfunctional teams face and advice on how to eradicate these problems. If you are on a dysfunctional team and want to build a successful one this book is a must read.

Patrick runs his own management consultant company The Table Group. Check out the company site for resources such as videos, audio, and articles of Patrick discussing topics covered in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

Sorry for the lack of posts….I’ve been in the aurduous process of moving from NY to IL! Some book reviews are on the way!

Tom Peters (read bio), the biz guru/knowledge broker/sensei of insights, is one of the most respected individuals in the business world. His insights are refreshing, original, and best of all - free. In this day and age of the ’scarcity mentality’, many charge for what he provides at no cost. Don’t cringe when you hear the word PowerPoint either. PowerPoint, the word that has become synonymous with ‘nap time’, doesn’t apply to Tom’s presentations. Read through one and you’ll see what I mean. Here are some of my favorites (all links open up to PowerPoint’s - right click to save):

• Them-Us
• Work Matters - “When was the last time you asked, ‘What do I want to be?’ ”
• Excellence - “It gets back to planning versus acting: We act from day one; others plan how to plan—for months.”
• Mini Presentations - “CEOs have little effect on performance”
• TP’s small business lessons - “Never attack the monsters head on! (Instead steal niche business and lukewarm customers.)”

More FREE stuff can be found at his site tompeters!.com

John C. Mowen, author of “Judgment Calls: High Stakes Decisions in a Risky World” has written an excellent book on the factors that go into making decisions. In each chapter we get to review high stake decisions that were made in the past and the consequences of these decisions. Some of the decisions achieved positive results while others ended as complete failures. In both positive and negative outcomes, we get to see what worked and what didn’t. Learning from others mistakes is the best learning opportunity next to experiencing it. One particular chapter offered some important principles on making choices. Some highlights include:



1. Think realistically when making the decision; act confidently when implementing the decision.
2. In the zone of ambiguity, select the alternative that would result in the least negative outcome, should you happen to be wrong.
3. Know your expectations and balance their biasing effects by developing arguments against their occurrence.
4. Avoid surprises by identifying all assumptions and checking their veracity.

There is always the double edge sword when making decisions and that is analysis paralysis. It’s important to accumulate as much information to support a difficult decision, but don’t let the uncertainty prevent you from making the decision. Sometimes you have to make a choice, stick with it, and adjust from the feedback of your decision. It’s nice to learn from others mistakes, but sometimes you just have to learn from your own mistakes!

Check out Wikipedia’s whole section on decision theory for more information about decision making!

Rajesh Setty, author of “Life Beyond Code“, which was reviewed here on BizBookTalk has authored a new e-book, “When You Can’t Earn An MBA: Thoughts On Getting Ahead Without An MBA“. Going for a MBA takes both time and money, and for some, it’s just not feasible. Don’t worry though, many get away without obtaining one and Rajesh offers some insights on how to do so.

Get Rajesh’s ebook here (opens to PDF)

Check out Rajesh’s site for his blog, book information, and other e-books.

“The Power of Charm: How to Win Anyone Over In Any Situation”, by Brian Tracy and Ron Arden can be read in one afternoon, but its lessons can last a lifetime. If you aren’t satisfied with your communication skills, this book is a good primer on areas where you may need tweaking.



Five Ways To Be Charming –

1. Acceptance – Always have a ‘warming’ sense of acceptance for the other person. Not only will this put them at ease, but it will draw them closer to you. There is the tendency to gravitate towards those who we feel accepted by.
2. Appreciation – This is a characteristic which everyone could improve on. Out of the five ways to be charming I think this holds the most weight. If you can get past your ego on this one and show appreciation you are halfway there to becoming a more charming individual
3. Approval – At the heart of everyone’s desire in life is a sense of approval. You’ve been seeking it since the day you were born. Show approval, give praise.
4. Admiration – Giving a genuine, sincere compliment once a day is good practice if you aren’t doing it already.
5. Attention – Listen to them with 100% undivided attention. Focus exclusively on the person speaking and what they are saying. People will notice.

Brain Tracy is huge in the self-development arena. Some other best sellers of his are “Eat that Frog!” and “The Psychology of Selling“.

Once you make the leap from worker to supervisor, your leadership responsibilities change. Instead of being the one who needs to be rallied, you will be doing the rallying. Now, you may be thinking ‘That’s obvious!”, and it is. Why then do many fail to embrace these new responsibilities? When placed in a supervisory position, it’s your duty to promote a culture which achieves results. That’s exactly what “Revved!: An Incredible Way To Rev Up Your Workplace And Achieve Amazing Results” by Harry Paul & Ross Reck, Ph.D have set out to explain. Through the characters and storyline we get introduced to 3 steps for achieving success:



• Winning Them Over - You have to care – and at first if you don’t, then act like you do!
• Blow Them Away – Single out people who’ve gone the extra mile for you – express your appreciation in a way you never have.
• Keeping Them Revved – Be consistent in your daily actions; Follow the first two steps and make them a part of your routine!

A key quote that stuck out to me was:

“Looking out for others is really looking out for yourself.”

This book also made me wonder why sometimes it’s hard to show sincere gratitude towards those who do help us? It’s something you don’t see enough in the workplace. Show someone that you appreciate what they’ve done for you recently. Not only will it make the other person feel appreciated, it will make you feel good as well. A win-win situation! Go rev your employees!

Have you written in your WUP lately?



Surely that question makes no sense, but after reading “The Radical Edge” by Steve Farber it will. His previous book, “The Radical Leap” taught us the LEAP principle. This time Steve provides the steps to reaching the Radical Edge:

• Writing in your WUP
• Stoking Your Business

“Do what you love in the service of people who love what you do”

• Amp Your Life

“Find your frequency”

• Change Your World

“Define what you mean by ‘world’ and get clear on how you want that world to be different from the current reality”

Through his entertaining, and humorous writing we are shown how to apply each of these principles to our lives. If you feel you are in a personal ‘rut’ this book will surely give you the tools to break out of it, and move to the Radical Edge.

“Make things remarkable”



This is the mantra for the book “The Big Moo*”. The book, which is edited by Mr. Agent of Change himself, Seth Godin, is a collaboration of 33 top business thinkers. Each contributor provides advice on how to elevate you and your organization from ‘normal’ to remarkable! Take Seth’s words:

“You must remarkabalize your organization. Create a culture where the big moo shows up on a regular basis, where ‘normal’ is nothing but the short pause between remarkable innovations. In fact, where normal is gone and where the new normal is a constant stream of industry-busting insights and remarkable innovations that keep your organization growing.”

The stories are simple and short. But they’re worth their weight in gold.

Read it.
Be inspired.
Make things remarkable.
Pass it on.
Repeat.

Check out Seth’s blog for his daily insights.

*The proceeds from this book go 100% to charities: The Acumen Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Room to Read!!!

“You can accomplish anything you can dream, if you can get someone else to do it!” – R. Philip Hanes




The quote above can be found the inside of his book jacket, but it’s not just words on paper, it’s how R. Philip Hanes has lived his life. A big contributor to the arts and conservation movement, R. Philip Hanes, in his book “How to Get Anyone to Do Anything,” details the secrets which have brought him success in life. He touches on topics such as Networking, Risk Taking, Fund raising, and Problem Solving. Instead of delivering his material in a dry, arduous manner, we are presented with edifying stories which all provide useful nuggets of wisdom. R. Philip Hanes has lived a full life, and his book will leave you with feelings of adulation for revealing his wisdom.