By Al Watts
Learn how to be a "triple-E" (effective, engaging and ethical) leader and organization by mastering four integrity challenges: Identity, Authenticity, Alignment and Accountability. My new book goes beyond integrity as a desirable character trait, and positions it at the heart of sustainable cultures and business strategy.
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Check Featured Books on the main Books/Store page often for new titles and recommendations. Some of the following are "classics," with as much to offer as when first published. Click on any for more info and a link to Amazon.
By Stephen R. Covey First published in 1992, this classic paved much of the way toward leading principle, or values-based lives and organizations. Dr. Covey and I share the perspective that fulfilling lives and sustainable orgnizations are dependent first, and more importantly, on foundational principles before any managerial methods or tools.
By Nikos Mourkogiannis Years of experience as a strategy consultant for global corporations led to Nikos’ realization that purpose is the fundamental driver of exceptional performance and human effort. He distinguishes purpose – a leader’s and organization’s “moral DNA – ” from a mission, brand, strategies, values, and their variations. Using historical and contemporary examples, Mourkogiannis illustrates how an organization’s ingrained sense of purpose – discovery, altruism, heroism, excellence and others – serves to create a sustainable competitive advantage. His book includes ten steps for identifying and leveraging organizational purpose, as well as an extensive bibliography.
By: Richard Leider This is a marvelous book by friend and mentor Richard Leider. It is a practical, motivational guide for “lightening your load” by choosing priorites at life, work and home. This third edition (2012) has been thoroughly revised with new stories and practices to help you repack your four critical “bags” (place, relationship, work, and purpose); identify your gifts, passions, and values; and plan your journey, no matter where you are in life.
Howard Gardner, William Damon and Mihaly Csikszenthmihalyi This book correctly positions responsibility as foundational for work that is effective, engaging and ethical. It examines the nature of what constitutes responsibility for “good work” based on research and interviews conducted between 1996-2005 as part of Harvard’s Good Work Project. ‘An excellent, provocative read for those interested in maintaining the standards of their profession and responsibility for communities that they serve.
By Robert K. Greenleaf, Larry C. Spears This is the 25th anniversary edition of a book that likely needs no introduction, where the concept and term “servant leadership” originated. It’s author Robert Greenleaf, after 40 years with AT&T, founded the Center for Applied Ethics (now the Robert E. Greenleaf Institute for Servant Leadership,) based on the concept that leaders are servants first.
By Ross Levin Ross Levin is one of the nation’s top Certified Financial Planners. He has written for the Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine and Barron’s among others, and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey and CBS This Morning shows. This is an excellent read, brimming with wisdom and sound advice for life, as well as financial planning. He writes in a very engaging manner, incorporating personal and client stories plus some humor to help us spend our lives wisely. The book and its author are beacons for aligning our pocketbooks with what counts most.
By Tom Rath This is an excellent supplement to Now Discover Your Strengths (above,) including the code for taking an updated version of Gallup’s Strengthsfinder assessment and many practical tools for discovering and leveraging our strengths.
By Michael Lewis A compelling character-driven narrative, this book by Michael Lewis (also author of Liar’s Poker) remains one of the most powerful “who done it” portrayals of our latest great recession. Brimming with indignation and dark humor, this is a real story about the crash ignited in “bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn’t shine and the SEC doesn’t care.”
By C. Michael Thompson This is a seminal book about meaningful work, as relevant now as when published in 1999. Beginning with a short history of work, Thompson plumbs religion, spirituality, developmental psychology and sociology to explain “the great divide” between work and meaningful lives for some, and how to reintegrate the two. There are many tools here for cultivating an inner life, infusing our work with more meaning and reaping the benefits – personally and organizationally. This is a very well written book that is at once inspirational and practical, and that I recommend for any leader’s book shelf.
