7 Must-Read Books That Will Change Your Life
Sometimes, finding new ways to look at the
same problems is all you need to take your business to the next level. But that
means finding ideas and perspectives that don't result in incremental changes
but in major changes.
I
can name plenty of great books, but books that truly changed how I think and
act? That's a pretty short list.
Each
of the following books meets that standard. In certain situations, I
immediately flash back to a particular book and think, "I know exactly
what to do." And isn't that a great definition of "changed my
life"?
Here
we go:
1. So
Good They Can't Ignore You, by Cal Newport
We all want to find our passions. Newport
argues we often get it backwards: Passionfollows from skill and
expertise, because the better we get at something, the more we like it.
That's
because of a cool feedback loop. When you improve at something, you feel
satisfied and fulfilled. That feeling motivates you to keep trying to improve,
and when you improve more, you feel satisfied and fulfilled. So you keep
working and improving.
And
in the process, you can learn to enjoy and sometimes even love doing just about
anything. You just have to try.
Some
years ago, I needed to get back in shape. Bad knees made running impossible, so
I (very grudgingly) started riding a bike. At first I hated it. Then I got
in a little better shape and could ride a little faster and farther, which made
me feel (relatively) good about myself. That feeling motivated me to keep
riding. Over time, I kept getting faster and kept getting fitter, and now I
love cycling.
The
same is true with speaking. I hated it at first. As I got better, I liked it
more. Now I really enjoy it. All I had to do was get that feedback loop going.
You
don't have to find your passion. When you work at something and
really try to get better, passion is very likely to find you.
2. The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle
We're
all trying to learn new skills and improve old ones, and Coyle uses the science
of performance to provide a great blueprint for getting really good at, well,
anything.
Every time I try to learn something new, I follow his REPS approach: reaching and repeating;
engagement; purposefulness; strong and speedy feedback. It works. Every time.
And more quickly than any other approach I've tried.
Successfully
try new things and you'll try even more new things--and your life will be
infinitely richer, whether professionally or personally.
3. Devil in the Grove, by Gilbert King
Two
things to know: This isn't a business book, and I'm a white boy who was born in
the South in 1960.
Now, I've
been to diversity seminars. I've been through diversity training. I've even
conducted diversity training. But nothing changed the way I think about people
who are different from me, whether in race, religion, background, or simply how
they look or act, like King's book.
I
thought I was reasonably enlightened. I wasn't.
A
fascinating, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching story that should be required reading
for everyone.
4. Confidence, by Tomas
Chamorro-Premuzic
I'm
shy and insecure. For a long time, I attempted to overcome that by trying to
change my personality and somehow will myself to be more confident.
You
can guess how that worked out.
Chamorro-Premuzic
takes a different approach. He shows how confidence is built through success
through another cool feedback loop. Improvement builds confidence. Competence
builds confidence. Success builds confidence.
So
forget the "self talk." Admit your failings and work hard to improve
them. In time, knowing you've been there, done that, did it well creates
genuine confidence.
That's
the kind of confidence you really want. Genuine confidence can never be taken
away, because you've earned it.
5. The
Effortless Experience, by Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and
Rick DeLisi
No
matter what our role, market, or industry, we're all in the customer service
business.
Instead of tossing out theories and
platitudes, Toman and Delisi provide dozens of practical tips. There's
definitely an art to customer service, but there's also a
science, and The Effortless Experience provides
testable and repeatable ways to improve the most important function of any
business.
We
are what we do, and what we do is based on our habits. Duhigg shows how to take
bad habits and turn them into good ones--and how organizations can change their
habits too.
Want
to be happy? Change your habits. It's that simple. (And, of course, that
complicated.)
Changing
a habit really can change your life.
6. The
Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
We
are what we do, and what we do is based on our habits. Duhigg shows how to take
bad habits and turn them into good ones--and how organizations can change their
habits too.
Want
to be happy? Change your habits. It's that simple. (And, of course, that
complicated.)
Changing
a habit really can change your life.
7. In
Search of Excellence, by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H.
Waterman Jr.
I
worked in manufacturing for a Fortune 500 company in the 1980s and '90s, and
this book was my competitive advantage within the company.
How?
I didn't have to rely solely on internal training or mentors. Peters gave me a
different way of thinking. Even today, while some of the companies described in
the book have since failed, that's OK--the lessons are still relevant.
If you're feeling adrift and overwhelmed and
feel the urge to get back to basics--and who doesn't from time to time--In
Search of Excellence is your book.
Quick
note: This book changed your life, too. If you've ever benefited from advice by
Collins or Drucker or Blanchard or Deming or any other
management thought leader, tip your hat to Peters. He arguably ushered in the
era of the modern management guru.
JEFF HADEN http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/7-great-books-that-will-change-your-life-first-90-days.html?cid=em01014week10a
No comments:
Post a Comment