Dan Pontefract
It was a perfect month for reading as I had four long flights and plenty of time in hotels to read in the evenings. These are my top five books for November that will help you become a more balanced, happier leader.
1. In Work-Life Bloom: How to nurture a thriving team, award-winning author Dan Pontefract takes a new look at the integration of our professional and personal lives. Just as a flower needs the right mix of sunlight, water and nutrients to grow and thrive, team members need the right mix of work-life factors to create a fulfilling and harmonious existence.
Pontefract outlines six key work factors – trust, belonging, sense of value, purpose, strategy and standards – and six life factors – relationships, skills, wellbeing, meaning, action and respect – essential to creating a work-life ecosystem integrated. which really blooms. The 12 factors contain practical solutions and strategies for leaders who want to foster a work-life environment for their team members and achieve that mindset for themselves.
Greg Williams
2. The success of a negotiation depends deeply on how you read body language. How can you learn to read the subtle cues – many of which last only a fraction of a second – that your opponent projects?
Body Language Secrets to Win More Negotiations by Greg Williams will help you discover what “the other side” reveals through body language and micro-expressions and how to control yours. This will help you better leverage your knowledge of emotional intelligence, negotiation ploys, and emotional hotspots. Through compelling stories and examples, William’s book shows you how to use a wide range of strategies to achieve your trading goals.
The success of a negotiation depends deeply on how you read body language. How can you learn to read the subtle cues – many of which last only a fraction of a second – that your opponent projects? Your next transaction could be much better with this important information.
Michael J. Gelb
3. It is the twenty-fifth anniversary of How to think like Leonardo da Vinci and I had to reread. The book was a Washington Post and NY Times bestseller and was important to me in my thinking as a new entrepreneur. Drawing on Da Vinci’s legendary notebooks, inventions, and works of art, acclaimed author Michael J. Gelb presents Seven Da Vinci Principles, the essential elements of genius, curiosita, the insatiably curious approach to life, connection, appreciation of the interconnectedness of all things. Drawing inspiration from Da Vinci, readers will discover an exhilarating new way of thinking.
Step by step, through provocative exercises and lessons, everyone can harness the power and wonder of their own genius, mastering life-changing skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, expressing self, goal setting and life balance, and harmonizing body and mind.
Todd Seeks
4. In VisuaLeadershipby Todd Cherches teaches tools and techniques intended to “equip, enable and empower” leaders to improve their efficiency and effectiveness, maximize “their performance, productivity and potential” and “open their eyes to a world of new possibilities and new approaches” to become the visionary leader you need and want to be.
Cherches relies on a single sentence as the foundation of all his thinking. Visual thinking and visual communication have the power to “communicate, innovate, manage and lead.”
When we communicate in this way, we increase the attention, understanding and retention we receive from others. As a leader, you can capitalize on this by inviting and inspiring those you lead to see your picture of the future and confidently follow you there.
Dr. Jennifer Nash
5. In a time of unprecedented challenges and a global pandemic, Dr. Jennifer Nash’s first book, Be human, lead people: how to connect people and performance, advocates for a radical change in the thinking and practice of leadership. With only 12% of employees expressing confidence in their leaders, Nash identifies the need for leadership that fosters trust, creates connections and drives performance.
Drawing on his extensive experience and empirical research, Nash introduces the People Leadership Operating Model, a revolutionary approach that places humanity and human connection at the heart of organizational effectiveness. This revolutionary model equips leaders with the people and interpersonal skills needed to navigate a new world of work, helping to mitigate the risks of burnout, disengagement and silent resignation.
Be Human, Lead Human offers readers a personalized roadmap to transforming their leadership practices and I highly recommend picking up a copy.
Morag Barrett
This month, because it’s Thanksgiving and I love Thanksgiving, I have a bonus recommendation You, me, us: why we all need a friend at work by Morag Barrett, Eric Spencer and Ruby Vesely.
6. We spend most of our day, our lives, at work – and we all want to feel like we add value, that our opinions matter, and that we belong. But it’s not always the case. We feel stuck on the endless hamster wheel of success. We feel isolated and the pandemic hasn’t helped things since the only time our boss or colleagues call us is to find out what we’re doing, not how we’re doing. Disengagement and loneliness increase.
And here’s why: We looked at engagement from the wrong angle. By asking “Do I have a (best) friend at work?” » we have disempowered ourselves, allowing ourselves to point fingers and blame culture and others for why we feel alone. What does that mean? The first step to creating alliance relationships, to having a friend at work, is to be a friend at work. The question we should ask ourselves is: “Am I a (best) friend at work?”
We must examine and evaluate the health of our professional relationships; be intentional about how we show up in every relationship; and step up your efforts by developing and demonstrating the five practices of an Ally Mindset