Business management books - have you ever ready any?

Some of my favorites:

• Extreme Ownership
• Hug Your Customers
• Delivering Happiness
• The Originals
• The Goal

So many great ones. I think each book I read I pick up one or two concepts to implement. Everyone wants to make a life changing decision that changes it all for the better in one moment. The world doesn't work that way. Small incremental improvements are everything.

 

I currently have plenty, and I have thrown away plenty. I am very selective, and I vet my authors carefully...not only for business acumen, but "life" acumen as well.

The average age of the authors I follow is 60+, and that rules out a lot "fluff" so prevalent today.

So, who's on my shelf?

Marion Wade, C. William Pollard, S. Truett Cathy, Dan Cathy, R. G. LeTourneau, Stanley Tam, Harland Sanders, and several others that don't come to mind.

When you think about it, there's only so much that can be said about business that's really "new", and many titles today are nothing more than re-branded gimmicks. I don't do gimmicks.

Many of the aforementioned authors lived through an era where personal integrity, grit and perseverance were far more valued than they are today...and that's what I gravitate toward.

(On a more personal note, my 5-year old grandson was our house guest this weekend. He had the time of his life..and so did I. There's a line in a poem from C. William Pollard's book, "The Tides of Life" that states "...I own nothing Wall Street admires." And that, my friends is what makes me tick.)


JB

 

The Goal. Find your Herbie.

 

Yes..."The Tides of Life", by C. William Pollard...former CEO of ServiceMaster.


JB

 

Almost forgot...I have several variations on Servant Leadership by Robert K. Greenleaf...really good stuff.


JB

 

Not a business book but How to win friends and influence people is a good one
Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson
I was recommended a book called Rework but never read it

 

I was able to get a personalized autographed copy from him! His staff did a follow up to my request and noticed that the mission statement on our web site closely mirrored that of ServiceMaster, and they were more than happy to oblige.

His other book "The Soul of the Firm" is also good.


JB

 

Find bottlenecks in production and streamlining workflow.