3 Great Book Recommendations
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Three books that changed how I move through life & run my biz.
There's a ton of really great books, information, resources, and tools out there to help you keep developing and getting better at whatever your role is. Business books are a huge part of that. There are endless amounts of them written on any topic you can think of, which is such a gift.
I could name a ton of them that I have liked but I want to share three books that have had the biggest impact on me personally and as a leader. These aren't the only great books out there by any stretch, but these have definitely shaped how I lead and how I move through the world as a human being, and in business.
Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott.
““Nobody owns 100% of the truth.””
This book is packed with great nuggets on how to have difficult conversations. When I first read it, I gained many tools that I was able to put into practice immediately. In terms of navigating hard conversations it was a game changer.
What makes it so useful is the mix of mindset and practical tools. The first half of the book gives a lot of great theory and concepts and language for navigating tough conversations well. Then the later part gets really specific, walking you through exactly what to say and how to say it, step by step.
A line that has really stuck with me is "Nobody owns 100% of the truth." This book is useful for everyone, and especially if you're a leader, this is my #1 book recommendation. These skills and mindsets are a must have.
“Genuinely one of the best resources out there for building efficient systems around things like check-ins and team structure.”
Traction by Gino Wickman.
A lot of businesses run on EOS, or the Entrepreneurial Operating System. If you're not familiar, this book explains it all and lays out how to run a team and company effectively and make sure the right people are in the right seats.
On my own team, we've adopted several concepts straight from this book, like Rocks and Scorecards, which help us track bigger projects and stay accountable to the things that actually move the needle. It's genuinely one of the best resources out there for building efficient systems around things like check-ins and team structure.
There is one gap I'll point out, and this isn't shade on the book, but Traction doesn't go very deep on how to define and build culture inside an organization. Every other part of running a business, it nails. But strategically building culture is such a big part of my own work that to me it's the one area where I feel the book falls short of providing a playbook. Regardless, the book is exceptional.
If you're not using this system, or you're running a small business and things feel a little scattered and chaotic, this book will absolutely help clean up your processes and teams fast.
“The chapters around ‘don’t take things personally’ and ‘don’t make assumptions’ might be the two most powerful chapters you ever read.”
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
This one is less about business specifically and more about how to move through life as a human being. That said, I think it's incredibly relevant to how we show up at work too.
The four agreements are:
Be impeccable with your word
Don't take things personally
Don't make assumptions
Always do your best
The chapters around ‘don't take things personally’ and ‘don't make assumptions’ might be the two most powerful chapters you ever read. There are a ton of useful life skills and mindsets that were a gigantic shift in perspective for me around interacting with other humans.
I also find it massively relevant to workplaces with things like relationships, communication, handling conflict, feedback, and everyday friction at work.
“A lot of smart people have written a lot of extremely helpful things. Not everything will resonate or change your life, but some of it will.”
Development is always worth it.
Getting better and skilling yourself up doesn't have to require a big investment. Books, and free or low-cost content in general, are everywhere. You can grab used copies, borrow them, or find plenty of great material regardless of your budget.
A lot of smart people have written a lot of extremely helpful things. Not everything will resonate or change your life, but some of it will. All it really takes is your time, energy, and effort to go find them and level up your life in a big way.
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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