Books

Brief Summary Do Nothing: Discover the Power of Hands-Off Leadership. Imagine you’ve just come back to work after a two-week vacation during which you actually relaxed, without calling in or checking e-mail. You discover that there are no pressing issues and that, on the contrary, your team scored a big new customer and fixed a nagging problem during your absence. No red flags or fires to put out. Sadly, for most leaders this scenario is only a dream. They constantly check on what’s happen¬ing because they expect the worst (and usually get it). But Keith Murnighan shows that not only is "do nothing” leadership possible, it is also far more effective than doing too much. Great leaders don’t work; they facilitate and orchestrate. They think of great strategies and help others implement them. They spend their time preparing for the future. They take a comprehensive view of their terrain while also noticing key details so they can confidently choose the right forks in the road. In other words, great leaders don’t do any¬thing—except think, make key decisions, help people do their jobs better, and add a touch of organizational control to make sure the final recipes come out okay. In sharp contrast, most leaders are too busy actually working to do these things—and their teams suffer as a result. Do Nothing!’s practical strategies and true stories will show you how to set high expec¬tations for your team and watch it rise to the challenge. It will help you establish a healthier culture by trusting people more than they expect to be trusted. And it will help you overcome your natural tendencies toward micromanagement so you can let people do their jobs—even when you know you could do their jobs better. As Murnighan writes, "My experience suggests that you will be surprised—wildly surprised. Peo¬ple on your team will reveal skills you never knew they had and will accomplish things that go far beyond your estimate of their capabilities. They might not do things the way you would do them, but they will get results you never expected. Every¬one has hidden talents, and most leaders never discover them. Before you reject this approach, ask yourself: what if you did nothing and it actu¬ally worked?” ISBN:9780143108566 Author:J. Keith Murnighan

Brief Summary The Science of Motivation: Strategies & Techniques for Turning Dreams into Destiny. Legendary college football coach, Lou Holtz once said: "When all is said and done, more is said than done." These few, yet profound words explain one of the biggest predicaments that individuals face today. We want to be successful, happy and influential. Yet, very few of us, follow up what we say with specific actions that move us directly toward those goals. The idea of being successful is an attractive dream that fills us with positive emotions. Whereas the actions required to be successful are often difficult. The desire to be genuinely happy is a goal toward which nearly every individual aspires. But, the actions required to achieve deep and sustained happiness require us to often delay temporary gratification and "quick fixes" to problems. Saying that we want to achieve influence, either as a leader of others in the workplace, an influential member of the community, or as an admired parent and spouse, is far easier than the gut wrenching decisions, enormous amounts of personal time, and direct truth-telling that are required. In this cutting-edge program from personal development expert and motivation master, Brian Tracy, you'll learn that there truly is a Science of Motivation. If you apply Brian's teachings and implement them in your life, your dreams will become your destiny as you produce the outcomes that you desire. ISBN:9781469035727 Author:Brian Tracy and Dan Strutzel