Literature
It's better to read less, but better. Often we recommend to read the books hereunder immediately for a second time. It's like listening to the same music. If you pick up 3-5% from the book the first time. If you re-read immediately, the impact increases to 30-35%. Here's our selection of books that all make a real difference in their field of expertise.
change management | biographies | executive coaching | executive coaching for career transition | teambuilding 2.0
change management | biographies | executive coaching | executive coaching for career transition | teambuilding 2.0
Creativity, inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull
isbn 9780593070109
From the co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios—the Academy Award–winning studio behind Nemo, Up and Toy Story—comes an incisive book about creativity in business. It’s not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take them. We enjoy Ed's approach. Very insightful, first hand story about leading a creative company. Must read for all leaders!
The procrastination equation
Piers Steel, PhD
isbn 978-0-06-170362-1
Good insights on why we procrastinate. Why we do ourselves short. And useful actions to stop procrastinating. We find especially the sections with the 12 main life domains in chapter 5 helpful to get organized.
Darren Hardy, Compound effect (engels)
isbn 978-1-59315-724-1
Darren is able to present one's life as millions of micro choices and illustrates how making many correct small decisions isn't just a smart way to live, it is literally the foundation of the working universe itself. He provides tools to apply to improve your own life.
Kevin Kelly, The Inevitable
isbn 978-0143110378
Much of what will happen in the next thirty years is inevitable, driven by technological trends that are already in motion.
McChesney, The 4 disciplines of execution
isbn 978-1451627053
Do you remember the last major initiative you watched die in your organization? Did it go down with a loud crash? Or was it slowly and quietly suffocated by other competing priorities? This book offers a practical methodology that can solve every leader's #1 challenge: EXECUTION.
Noam Wasserman, The founder's dilemmas
isbn 978-0691158303
One founder told us: 'we considered our first month with no fixed salary as a badge of honor'. Another one said: 'I had to get off the heroin drip of my monthly salary.' This book is particularly systematic in going through all of the issues.
Yvon Chouinard, Let my people go surfing
ISBN-10: 9780143037835
Yvon Chouinard is the owner and founder of Californian outdoor brand Patagonia. This book tells his story. How he built the company and preserves it's unique culture. In the book, Yvon rightly points out that we should all take the long term view. Then we would have a better society for shareholders, workers, customers, and the environment. He lays out the various Patagonia philosophies in the second half of the book. The overlying theme, whether its' the financial or human resource philosophy seems to be: do the right thing, and profits will follow. Treat employees right. Give back to the environment. Use the best materials. We agree!
Clayton M. Christensen, The innovators dillema
isbn 978-0062060242
"Absolutely brilliant. Clayton Christensen provides an insightful analysis of changing technology and its importance to a company's future success." Michael R. Bloomberg, CEO & Founder, Bloomberg Financial Markets
Daniel Kahneman Thinking fast and slow
isbn 978-0374533557
We tell ourselves stories to explain the world and help decide what to do. These stories occur to us almost immediately. The content is effected by our emotions, moods, biases, what we've been seeing, hearing, eating, and even whether we're well rested. They're often also simplifications and answer related questions rather than the issues we actually have to address.
Can we become more rational in our decision making? And how do we preserve our intuition to help us move forward in life?
Chip Bell, Wired & Dangerous
isbn 1605099759
This book describes very powerful how customers have changed. Why they are distracted and how they make their choices today. We are moving from the old 'word of mouth' towards 'word of mouse'. Social media is already having an enormous impact on the purchasing process. And it has only just begun! In the book, they describe how to connect to the new customers and find a new balance of 'service calm'.
Eduardo Porter, The price of everything
isbn 978-1591843626
A fascinating book about supply and demand and how prices are set. The author explains how the decision making process works and why we pay what we pay. This book offers pragmatic insights that will definitely help you.
Bryce G. Hoffman, American Icon
isbn 978-0307886064
At the end of 2008, Ford Motor Company was just months away from running out of cash. With the auto industry going toward ruin, The American Congress offered all three Detroit automakers a bailout. General Motors and Chrysler grabbed the taxpayer lifeline, but Ford decided to save itself. Great page turner how their new CEO Alan Mullaly used strategy into action techniques to turn this heritage company around.
Rolf Dobelli, The art of the good life
52 surprising shortcuts to happiness, wealth and success
isbn 978-0-316-44506-1
It's not very often that we pick up a book, and get so many new insights, ideas, inspiration and tangible tools to improve your life. Dobelli generously takes from the Stoics, Seneca all the way to Warren Buffet. Absolutely inspirational for anyone looking for personal growth.
Gandhi, Prisoner of Hope
isbn 978-0300051254
Well researched and balanced portrait of one of the most important men from the 20th century. His non-violent approach to make change happen is still an inspiration for many of us today.
Mandela, The Authorized Biography
isbn 978-0679781783
Leading South Africa out of apartheid and into democracy. One of our modern day legends.
Howard Schultz (Starbucks), Onward
isbn 1605292885
Brutally honest story about the turnaround that Howard Schultz executed as the ceo of Starbucks between 2008 - 2010. After having spent almost eight years in a strategic role, he returns for the second time as ceo and takes back operational control of the day-to-day business of the company; completely unexpected. He tells the Starbucks story about the turnaround first hand, not hiding mistakes he and the company made over the years. A must read on modern leadership!
Patterson, Crucial Conversations tools for talking when stakes are high
ISBN-13: 978-0071771320
This book offers deep insights into the human psyche around relationships and interactions, communications and relating to one another and the world of things that can go wrong on a daily basis. It applies to your relationship with your boss, business colleagues, partner, spouse, co-worker, friends, and your entire ecosystem. If you want something, you need to be able to communicate it. If you don't want something, you must be able to say it and every interaction has consequences.
Ricardo Semler, De Semler methode (Dutch)
isbn 978-9049200831
Ricardo Semler turns around the classic principle of an enterprise built as a pyramid. This Brazilian citizen built a very successful conglomerate in Brazil. Long before the financial and economic crisis hit the markets, Semler was running his companies with Corporate Social Responsibility and what we refer to today as the 3 p's: People, Planet, Profit.
Paul Donkers en Herman van Herterijck Regisseer je eigen loopbaansucces
isbn isbn 978-9491121029
Our first book in Dutch on how to be the master of your own (career) destiny. Full of pragmatic tools to support your journey. Order here.Robert Hagstrom The Warren Buffet way
isbn 978-1-118-50325-6
Anyone who wants to know more about behavioral economics, the stock markets and it's ups and downs. This is the book to refer too first. Warren's principles can help all of us to become a little better at investing our money in better ways.
Richard Thaler en Cass Sunstein Nudge
isbn 978-0143115267
This book is all about improving the quality of your decisions. Providing insights in the imperfect way we make decisions. By applying choice architecture you can improve decisions about health, wealth and happiness.
David Dotlich & Peter Cairo Why CEOs fail
isbn 978-0787967635
The 11 behaviors that can derail your climb to the top. Today, for a leader, it's easier than ever before to go from 'admired' to be seen as an 'idiot'. 55 - 75% of all leaders is likely to derail at some point in their career. This books looks at the dark side of personality. Because if you are more aware of the weak spots in your personality, we all have them, you can start working to increase your odds for having a meaningful career. We have the Hogan Develpment Survey (a.k.a. Hogan Dark Side Assessment) available to get more scientific insight into which of the 11 behaviors you're vulnerable for.
Deepak Chopra, The Soul of leadership
isbn 978-1846042706
You cannot separate a leader from what he or she is like on the inside and what their foundation is because out of that flows their decisions and actions. In this book, Deepak Chopra brings it all together in his very pragmatic style. Concise, yet deep.
Deepak Chopra with our partner Paul Donkers in Dublin, Ireland
Olivia Fox Cabane, The Charisma Myth
isbn 978-1591844563
Charisma is not a characteristic, it's a skill and it can be mastered for anyone seeking improved executive presence. Potentially a life changing read. Written in a very straightforward style. It comes with exercises. The book probably could be more compact. But still, highly recommmended!
Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point
ISBN 978-0-316-34662-7
The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold and spreads like wildfire. Gladwell disects with surgical precision what is actually happening here. And how you can use this dynamic to the advantage of the company that you are leading.
Marshall Goldsmith, Mojo
isbn 978-1846681462
What matters in life is: wealth, health, relationships, meaning and happiness. In his 28th book, Marshall provides us with insight in getting more meaning and happiness into our lives. He provides practical tools to start measuring meaning and happiness. Marshall is a master at making the intangible, tangible. Another great book after his 2007 bestseller: What Got You Here, Won't Get You There. We're fans of Marshall's work.
Marshall Goldsmith, What got you here, won't get you there (engels)
isbn 978-1846681370
This is one of the most pragmatic books written on executive coaching, ever. Only from 2007, it's already a classic. We use Marshall's methodology weekly in our executive coaching practice. And with very good results. Especially very successful people with large responsibilities find added value from it.Marshall Goldsmith & Paul Donkers discuss their executive coaching experience in New York
James E. Lukaszewski, Why should the boss listen to you? (English)
isbn 978-0787996185
A must-read for everyone who works in a staff role with line managers. This great book provides the insights and tools to improve the impact in dealing with senior management
Chris Zook & James Allen, The founders mentality
isbn-13 978-1-63369-116-2
"As a founder I resonate strongly with the themes of the founders mentality, especially with regard to the overwhelming importance of speed, singular focus and the ability to invest for the long term" Michael Dell, founder and CEO of DELL. We couldn't have said it better than Mr. Dell.
The 7 habits of highly effective people
Stephen R. Covey
This is an exceptionally good and timeless book. Dr. Covey was a fine teacher and story teller and those skills are on display here. In spite of his success, he remained humble, admitting his struggles to live the "7 Habits". This book is a classic business read and will help you identify how to be more of what you want to be. Helping you to address the habits that are holding you back from your next step.
'The new leader's 100-day action plan' Bradt, Check, Pedraza
isbn 978-0470407035
We recommend this book because it provides the reader with real life examples for making a good start in a new company or when promoted to a new role. If applied well, you'll increase the odds of making an excellent start. Oftentimes the first 100 days are underestimated, while 40% of all executives fail in their new job, measured after 18 months! This book builds on a step by step approach for making the first impression, building your team, communicating your announcement to avoiding most of the common pitfalls and finally, making some quick wins. The book is suited for both seasoned and for new executives.
Geoff Smart, Randy Street and Alan Foster, Power score
isbn 978-0345547354
The authors of the book Power Score serve up a credible way, for all the leftbrainers among us, to calculate how a successful management team can be translated into numbers. With this approach, they make the missing potential of a team visible. They suggest what you can do differently to achieve a higher score. Their formula measures three parameters:- The priorities of the organization (the WHAT)
- Who will do it? The people in the management team that work on the priorities (HOW).
- Relationships. How do we work together here? (HOW)
Patrick Lencioni, The five dysfunctions of a team
isbn 978-0787960759
Patrick Lencioni wrote a well-read book a few years ago called The five Dysfunctions of a Team. In it, he works with a pyramid of five levels. Management teams can not be effective, if they do not work well together on each of the different levels. You need to address each level before you can reach the next stage of the pyramid. For example, you should be able to trust one another before you can deal with conflicts in an effective way.
