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SYNOPSIS The sub-title of this book sums it up pretty well: How to stop the corporation from stifling people and strangling profits. The ideas here are irreverent, humorous, and most of all, relevant. Creativity. Initiative. Boldness. These are the qualities that most professionals wish their employees and peers possessed. But too often, these same professionals never realize that it is the company or organization itself that stifles these important qualities. This book challenges readers to humanize business by bringing out the best in the people they work with by getting out of their way. The views here aren't in any particular order because the book is designed to serve as a way to promote thought and to question the traditional workings of business. By opening any page, readers will find useful ideas and thought-provoking observations. A typical view from the author gives a great example of the tone throughout the book. Addressing the traditional perk of upper management a...

SYNOPSIS For executives, the job is not simply to ensure that “things get done;” it’s to ensure the right things get done, at the right time, and in the right way. The Effective Executive teaches that the role of leadership in every organization is to set clear objectives, focus their strengths on priorities, and make tough choices about what to do and what not to do in different circumstances. These aren’t innate abilities. They are skills that can be learned through study, practice, and experience. SUMMARY Effectiveness can be learned An executive must first be able to effectively manage themselves before they can manage others by making effectiveness a habit. Effectiveness is a skill that is learned by practice. By focusing on what behaviors are effective and using those behaviors consistently, effectiveness becomes a habit. It takes a conscious effort to learn how to be effective, and it requires five basic habits. Managing time Focusing on contributions and results ...

SYNOPSIS Our effectiveness is a compilation of habits. Our habits are a compilation of knowledge, skill, and desire. This book focuses on how to develop the most effective habits with a character-driven approach as opposed to approaches that are personality-driven and developed from the outside-in.  This “inside-out” approach is composed of three stages. Dependence: Relying on others for our survival and happiness. Independence: Relying on ourselves and making our own decisions. Interdependence: Learning to combine independence and dependence to achieve results that aren't possible independently. The first three habits focus on self-mastery and moving from dependence to independence. The next three habits focus on collaboration, communication, and moving from independence to interdependence. The seventh habit focuses on maintaining a balanced foundation for effectively using the other habits. SUMMARY Habit 1: Be Proactive This habit teaches that change begins ...

SYNOPSIS Many people spend a lot of time worrying about their weaknesses and shortcomings, and a lot of business books focus on that concern. This book takes the opposite approach by showing that many successful people focus on their strengths instead of their weaknesses. They continue to fine-tune their strengths while learning how to manage their weaknesses. This book provides the tools for identifying strengths with self-evaluation and offers ways to manage weaker skills. "One thing that holds us back is fearing our weaknesses more than having confidence in our strengths." SUMMARY Chapter 1: Strong Lives A great example of how this focus on strengths can create success is the compelling case of Tiger Woods. To most, it would appear that this professional golfer has mastered the game of golf. But closer inspection reveals that he is actually playing to his strengths. Woods is a mediocre player when it comes to getting out of bunkers, but he is a master of putti...

SYNOPSIS This is a book that will resonate with anyone who is on a fast paced career path. Eugene O'Kelly, the previous CEO and chairman of the large accounting firm, KPMG, was diagnosed with brain cancer at 53. He was given three months to live, and this is the story of his final days and how he chose to live them. He takes readers along for the experience through his downward spiral, from diagnosis to the process of dying. O'Kelly's story recounts the steps he took to simplify his life and how he learned “to be in the present moment, how to live there at least for snippets of time.” This is a story of how someone faces death purposefully with retrospection and resolution. “It’s a blessing. It’s a curse. It’s what you get for saying hello to people. At some point, a good-bye is coming, too. Not just to all the people you love and who love you back, but to the world as well.” SUMMARY O'Kelly attained his professional success after he landed his dream job as ...

SYNOPSIS Nick Kolenda is an entertainer who “reads minds” for a living. His apparent ability to read minds is a process of persuasion. Using proven methods of psychology to influence his subjects, he can give the appearance of being able to read thoughts. While his displays of “mind reading” are entertaining and a lot of fun, the principles he uses to pull it off are based on sound principles of human nature. Kolenda has taken these basic tenets of psychology and created a guide for anyone that wants to influence or persuade. These methods may seem manipulative and even a bit deceptive, but their application in the real world can be just as much for the good of others as it can be to manipulate them. Whether these methods are used for good or bad, their effectiveness is undeniable. SUMMARY The methods outlined in the book include changing people's perceptions and getting them to “buy-in.”  From presenting messages in a certain way to using peer pressure, the methods he...

SYNOPSIS Written over 80 years ago, this is a book that is as relative today as it was when it was first written. The principles are a broad mix of personal and professional advice based on the psychology of relationships. From making friends to succeeding in business, the principles outlined here serve as a proven guide for anyone who wants to build better relationships and get the most out of them. SUMMARY PART ONE: FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN HANDLING PEOPLE Principle 1: Don't criticize, condemn, or complain. Psychologists have proven that rewarding good behavior increases the chance that the behavior will continue. Criticizing bad habits only leads to resentment and makes effective communication almost impossible. It's important to understand that people are influenced by emotion, pride, and ego. “Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes them strive to justify themselves.” — Dale Carnegie Principle 2: Give honest and...