What are you reading?

Fri, 01/08/2008 - 12:08am — Joanne Grey

With the huge amount of personal growth and self-help books out there, this blog is the ideal place to recommend books that you have read and found useful.

Let us know what you think of certain books, good or bad. Hopefully, we can create some discussions about new ideas or perspectives found in popular (and not so popular) books.

Comments

Mon, 22/09/2008 - 1:02pm — Digby Scott

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Have you ever observed the phenomenon of something being “on the fringe” one day, and suddenly in the mainstream the next? Think the Internet, mobile phones, the fax machine, cappuccinos….one day you might have heard of it, the next it is everywhere. What drives products and ideas to “tip” into widespread acceptance so suddenly? And how can the process be engineered to our advantage?

The Tipping Point provides a fascinating insight into what makes something “tip” by highlighting three key factors that must be present:

The Law of the Few: in a population, there are a few key people who are highly networked (“Connectors”), have access to information other don’t (“Mavens”), or are just extremely persuasive (“Salesmen”).
The Stickiness Factor: there is a simple way to package information that makes it irresistible.
The Power of Context: the immediate context of an idea has a powerful effect on its success. For example, “group think” can often override an individual’s normal behaviour.

So what? Well, say you want to create cultural change in your organisation. Given these three factors, how would you do it? Find the Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen in your organisation and enrol them. Package your message / vision in such a way that makes it easy for people to buy in, and create an environment (context) that encourages the right behaviour. Isn’t this what great leaders do? If you are at all serious about creating “positive epidemics”, read this book. You can learn more about the concepts and read abstracts from the book at www.gladwell.com

Wed, 27/08/2008 - 5:19pm — Digby Scott

The Art of Possibility - Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander

Do you see the world as one containing infinite possibility, or one with limited and finite boundaries? This book is an invitation to embrace the former, and it entices you to do so in a highly engaging manner.

This authors openly state that they have "no intention of solving your problems". Instead, it is about providing tools for transformation. Each chapter illustrates a distinct concept, which is illustrated though a variety of compelling personal stories combined with powerful questions directed to you, the reader, to ponder and act upon.

Ben Zander is, amongst other things, the conductor of the world-renowned Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and a highly sought after speaker on leadership and creativity. His wife Roz is a family therapist and landscape painter. Together they illustrate powerful concepts such as "Leading From Any Chair" and "Lighting a Spark" to show us how it is possible to move beyond "the world of measurement to a universe of possibility".

A book which is above and beyond much of the "feel-good" literature out there, it provides you with a framework to think and act within that allows possibility and potential to emerge.

Published by Penguin Books, 2002

Wed, 06/08/2008 - 8:40pm — Craig Leith

Squirrel Inc

I just finished "Squirrel Inc" by Stephen Denning. It is a fable of leadership through storytelling.

Quite a light read. Denning gives examples of stories that can be used to evoke emotion and get action going in organisations. He outlines 7 different kinds of stories, but I found his reference to "Springboard stories" the most useful.

A springboard story is one that can be used to spark organisational change. It enables listeners to visualise a future in their own context based on the story that is told.

The steps in creating the story are quite simple, but a little work is needed to craft the right story.

Well worth the read if you are interested in using storytelling as one of your leadership tools. I have made use of the concept in Visioning workshops quite successfully.

If you are interested in Storytelling and want something more serious to read, I would recommend:
The leader's guide to Storytelling (Denning again)
The writer's journey (Christopher Vogler - Based on Hero's journey by Joseph Cambell)

teamworks pacific

User login

Navigation

Primary links