Your company faces a lot of challenges within a highly competitive industry. Keeping on top of the latest best practices in managing business and leading people is a challenge in itself. There are literally thousands of business books published every year. Who has the time to decipher which will be the most insightful read? We’re providing comments on books that will educate you on business concepts and new skills. This year, we will whittle thousands down to about 50 titles worthy of inclusion in your management library. Visit our Web site for the entire list of reviews.
Cats The Nine Lives of Innovation By Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D. (McGraw Hill, $19.95)
Available through major bookstores and online at www.amazon.com
Your employees are your primary source of innovation. Author Stephen Lundin, Ph.D., explains how you can get every employee, no matter what level, to think and act in creative ways. He describes what innovation means on a personal level rather than from an abstract organizational, strategical or cultural sense. And, he advises you on how to train yourself and your employees in the tools, concepts and practices of personal innovation so that you can get the most out of your people and your business.
Good Life Rules By Bryan Dodge (McGraw Hill, $24.95)
Available through major bookstores and online at www.amazon.com
Every entrepreneur struggles with time and balance. There’s not enough time in the day to accomplish everything; therefore, we make sacrifices, often at the expense of the most important people in our lives. Author Bryan Dodge has made it his mission to help you bring these two elements back into sync so that you can function your best both at work and at home, and his plan can be put into action in as little as 48 hours! What better way to take time back than with a plan that doesn’t take too much time to digest and implement?
10 Minute Toughness By Jason Selk (McGraw Hill, $19.95)
Available through major bookstores and online at www.amazon.com
In order to excel in corporate America, or any major life endeavor, you must be mentally tough, says author Jason Selk, a sports psychology consultant for the St. Louis Cardinals. Selk describes a mental training plan that has helped a number of prominent athletes prepare for success. His three-step plan can be practiced in just 10 minutes a day. Through chapters that touch on such things as developing a performance statement and effective goal setting, Selk will help you identify what it takes to be successful and then improve focus and concentration. This book is written for anyone looking to break through to the next level of performance.
Negotiate Like The Pros By Kenneth L. Shropshire (McGraw Hill, $19.95)
Available through major bookstores and online at www.amazon.com
Negotiation in specialty contracting is more common but the skill is still misunderstood and under used. Author Kenneth Shropshire, a top sports negotiator, tells the stories behind some of the most sensational sports deals of all time while extracting powerful lessons on the skills people need to master to develop a highly-effective and systemic approach to making deals. If you want to be a successful, confident negotiator, this book is a valuable read.
