177 – Five of the Best Books on Managing People For Success

177  - Five of the Best Books on Managing People For Success

Welcome to episode 177 - No one ever said it was easy being an entrepreneur. Whether you're in the early stages of your start-up or running an established business, we all face many hurdles along the way and at times you may ask yourself - if this whole entrepreneur thing is worth it?

This is one of the reasons I ask my guests to recommend their favourite book, one that has helped them along their entrepreneurial journey.

In my 20 + years as an entrepreneur I have turned to books & mentors for inspiration and advice as I rode the entrepreneur roller coaster. Each book brought new lessons and helped me develop my ideas more precisely. The best books are the ones I revisit years after I have first read them they have multiple folded pages, bookmarks tabs and full of highlighted sections.

Best of all, they deliver a whole new a-ha moment depending on what is going on in my business each time I reopen it.

In this episode, I’ve put together a list of fantastic book recommendations specifically around people as business leaders need great people both inside the company and out such as investors, suppliers, customers, partners and advisors as well as great support network at home.  All of these people are critical to the business.

So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, lost or unsure of your entrepreneurial future – don’t throw in the proverbial white towel, keep your head up - or in a book rather, visit this list and draw some inspiration from those who have been there and share their experiences.

And before we get started, I realize that in today’s day and age we don’t always have the time to read. So, I’ll also add links to the audiobook versions on the show notes page or try an app called Blinkist where 1000's of books summarized for you in small blinks, they too have an audio version.  Head over to maxumcorp.com.au for the direct links.

Read a summary or get audio version on Blinkist

Our top 5 book recommendations are:

1. NOW Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham
2. Who by Geoff-Smart
3. Multipliers by Liz Wiseman
4. Five Dysfunctions Team Leadership by Patrick Lencioni
5. What Got Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

If you have already read any of these books we would love your feedback on what was your favourite take-away.

So let's begin with NOW - Discover your Strengths – This book contains a unique identification number that allows you access to the Strengths-Finder Profile on the Internet. This Web-based interview analyzes your instinctive reactions and immediately presents you with your five most powerful signature themes. Once you know which of the 34 themes you lead with, the book will show you how to leverage them for powerful results at three levels...

1. For your own development.
2. For your success as a manager
3. And for the success of your organization.

I have recommended this Strengths-Finder assessment on several past episodes.  If you are looking to find out more listen to the following episodes...

20 –10 qualities of successful Entrepreneurs

74 - Interview with Nicole Donnelly on Leverage your strengths

075 - Emotional Intelligence

168 - Lesson learnt from Australia's richest women under 40

In business, you are who you hire. In Who, Geoff Smart and Randy Street offer simple, easy-to-follow steps that will put the right people in place for optimal success.

Inside you’ll learn how to...
• avoid common “voodoo hiring” methods
• define the outcomes you seek
• generate a flow of A Players to your team–by implementing the #1 tactic used   by successful business people
• ask the right interview questions to dramatically improve your ability to quickly distinguish an A Player from a B or C candidate
• attract the person you want to hire, by emphasizing the points the candidate cares about most

We’ve all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders.

The first type drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room. These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment.

On the other side of the spectrum are leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them. When these leaders walk into a room, light bulbs go off over people’s heads; ideas flow and problems get solved. These are the leaders who inspire employees to stretch themselves to deliver results that surpass expectations. These are the Multipliers.

And the world needs more of them, especially now when leaders are expected to do more with less.

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive. Throughout the story, Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions which go to the very heart of why teams even the best ones-often struggle.

He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team.

America’s most sought-after executive coach shows how to climb the last few rungs of the ladder.

The corporate world is filled with executives, men and women who have worked hard for years to reach the upper levels of management.

They’re intelligent, skilled, and even charismatic.

But only a handful of them will ever reach the pinnacle -- and as executive coach Marshall Goldsmith shows in this book, subtle nuances make all the difference.

These are small "transactional flaws" performed by one person against another (as simple as not saying thank you enough), which lead to negative perceptions that can hold any executive back. Using Goldsmith’s straightforward, jargon-free advice, it’s amazingly easy behavior to change.

Get two free audio books from Amazon

Access the summary of these Five Great books by signing up for Blinkist

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“Successful people become great leaders when they learn to shift the focus from themselves to others.”

Have a great week!

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