Dare to Lead

I've been hearing the Brene Brown hype for years and this is the first time I've dove into one of her leadership books. It was really eye opening - I rarely take notes or mark pages but there were multiple times when I had to stop to re-read something because it struck me, The concepts are great for organizational leadership and also personal growth. Strategies range from developing empathy to accepting feedback to passing over perfectionism can help improve anyone's lives. Extremely eye opening. Brown has lots of free printables (workbooks, motivational posters, etc) on her website and I look forward to digging into those as well. I definitely wouldn't mind reading her other work - she referenced them quite a lot in this one. 

The Soul of a Team

Not what I had initially anticipated at all - yet still highly satisfying and thought provoking. Former Indianapolis Coach, Tony Dungy, lays out four leadership principals that can transform a group, workplace, or team, and illustrates how effective they can be through engaging storytelling. He tells the story of the Vipers football team and the year it took to get them from inhouse fighting, selfishness, and separation to unity, respect, and goodwill. It wasn't easy and there were a lot of roadblocks on the way - but when they made an effort to apply the SOUL principals that their mentor Tony Dungy provided them, things slowly started to change. I though football was a great way to tell the story because it's easy to see how the organization fares through wins and losses - but obviously this book is meant for any place of business or organization. At the conclusion of the fable there is a detailed breakdown of each of the SOUL principals, followed by thought provoking questions to get you thinking and on the right track. There are some religious elements thrown in the end (bible references, etc) but those don't necessarily have to be a hinderance. The message of the book is good with or without Tony Dungy's faith at the end. An illustrative guide to creating and cultivating a winning organization. 

How to Win Friends and Influence People

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this. Was a self-help book written over 80 years ago really going to have an impact on my career and life? The answer is yes. Absolutely. While a lot of the advice and tips make are no brainers; the accompanying stories and logic behind each action really cement the importance of it and you begin to visualize how it could have an impact on your life. Broken up in short, easy to read sections; it's easy to see why this leadership book has remained timeless. This is one I'll actually purchase and go back to consult again and again. I couldn't be more surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

Drive

A fascinating look on what really motivates us. We don't always get motivated by rewards or the the old "stick and carrot" motivators, we generally as a whole, are motivated by autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Drive takes a deeper look at businesses and owners that that use "motivation 3.0" to appeal towards employees real drives and offers ideas on how people can inject real motivation in all aspects of their lives: work, child-rearing, personal life, and more. The toolkit at the end is really good and something that readers can return to again and again. A great guide that can help you change how you think, it was really eye opening!