Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success (now Why Helping Others Drives Our Success), Adam Grant
This is one of the best books I’ve read recently, and certainly goes in my top 5 or 10 nonfiction books of all time. (I used post-it notes to mark up this library book for days!) Part of that lies in the originality of the topic (at least to me). While we all know that successful people are motivated, talented, and maximize opportunities, Grant believes there is a fourth component to success: ‘reciprocity style.’ There are three reciprocity styles — taking, matching, and giving. As you might expect, takers try to get as much as possible from others; matchers attempt to trade evenly; and givers contribute without expecting anything in return.
While givers can sometimes be stereotyped as naive and weak, it turns out that the most successful people are givers! Grant provides a thorough look at how all the reciprocity styles interact, providing valuable insight into our personal and professional networks. Grant makes a strong case for giving, while helping givers avoid tendencies toward burnout.
Perhaps what I appreciate most is Grant’s outlook that success doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game (i.e., if I win, you must necessarily lose). There are certainly those who believe that it is (and act accordingly), but I have always found that off-putting. Grant, however, makes a strong case that you can be successful while at the same time creating opportunities for others to be successful: “There’s something distinctive that happens when givers succeed: it spreads and cascades. When takers win, there’s usually someone else who loses. … Givers succeed in a way that creates a ripple effect, enhancing the success of people around them. … [T]he difference lies in how giver success creates value, instead of just claiming it.” This giver finds that awfully encouraging.
Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow’s Success, John C. Maxwell
It seems that we spend so much of our time reflecting on yesterday and dreaming about tomorrow, and have trouble focusing on the present. This challenge is exactly what drew me to Today Matters. Maxwell’s main premise is that “[t]he secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.” This is a theme I’ve heard many times over the last year, from many different places. Having spent more time myself focused on really taking control of my daily tasks, so that they align with my monthly and weekly goals, I am becoming a firm believer in this very simple, but very effective truth.
As the title suggests, Maxwell focuses on 12 principles: attitude, priorities, health, family, thinking, commitment, finances, faith, relationships, generosity, values, and growth. He devotes a thorough chapter to each of these concepts, drawing on his own experience and the stories of others. Each chapter ends with optional exercises to help you reflect on how the concept has been — and could be — applied in your own life.
This was an incredibly worthwhile read. I found myself highlighting portions of succinct but deep meaning in almost every chapter. It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite passage or quote, there are so many to choose from! But, I especially appreciated Maxwell’s view on continued growth: “[W]hen you seek and experience improvements daily[, every day you have more to give]. Your potential grows, and so does your ability to make an impact on your world.” A reason to keep reading indeed!
As A Man Thinketh, James Allen
This tiny volume (a 50-page essay, really) was first published in 1902, but is still immensely applicable today. (And you know what happens when a book has been around so long, right? It enters the public domain — Kindle edition, $0!) This is one of those books you have to read a few times to fully unpack and appreciate everything it has to offer. (I just read it once!) This is due partly to the older style language that takes a little concentration, but mostly to the richness of every sentence and paragraph Allen writes.
The opening sentence of the book is a perfect summary of the entire volume: “The aphorism, ‘As a man thinketh in his heart so is he,’ not only embraces the whole of a man’s being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life.” Allen goes on to discuss how our thoughts affect nearly every dimension of our lives — character, circumstances, health, purpose, achievement, vision, and serenity. This is definitely a worthwhile read, and not just because it’s free!
The Fortune Cookie Principle: The 20 Keys to a Great Brand Story and Why Your Business Needs One, Bernadette Jiwa
After loving Difference last month, I picked up Jiwa’s first book, The Fortune Cookie Principle (also $2.99 for the Kindle edition!). This is another enjoyable, concise read on building a compelling brand. Jiwa maintains that each product or service has two elements: the cookie and the fortune. The cookie is the commodity, or the tangible product — the car, the cup of coffee, the hair cut. The fortune is “the magical, intangible part of the product or service, which is where the real value lies in the hearts and minds of the customer. The fortune is the story, the thing that make people feel something. … It’s your purpose, your vision and values manifested.”
Jiwa lays out twenty keys to creating your brand story, or “fortune”:
A short, almost standalone chapter is devoted to each key, such that you can certainly read this book over any length of time. However, I found it so engaging that I had a hard time putting it down! Each chapter ends with a few short questions that can help you identify ways to make the key principle work for your business.
Jiwa also has a lovely blog, The Story of Telling, where she shares real, valuable content on brand storytelling and strategy. I can already tell I’m going to be a regular visitor!
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t, Simon Sinek
After loving Start With Why last month, I was eager to read Sinek’s newest book, Leaders Eat Last. The title comes from a case study of the Marines, in which the most junior officers eat first, while the more senior officers wait and eat last. This simple act is symbolic of a greater theme — that great leaders aren’t afraid to sacrifice their own comfort for the good of those in their care.
I loved Sinek’s thesis for this book — that waking up inspired to go to work, feeling trusted and valued during the work day, and returning home fulfilled are not a fantasy, but actually reachable goals. That great leaders can actually make this a reality in their organizations. Sinek demonstrates that when leaders simply respect human biology, in particular the chemicals that motivate us — endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin — inspiration, motivation, and fulfillment aren’t hard to find. While Sinek distills this biology in a way that is quite accessible, having only a basic understanding of the science, I would have to study this in much more depth in order to implement the strategies Sinek suggests.
While certainly an interesting read, I didn’t find it as immediately practical as Start With Why. However, if one were to take the time to master its teachings, I believe it has the potential to make a pretty remarkable impact on an organization and its workers.
All Marketers are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low Trust World (now The Underground Classic that Explains How Marketing Really Works — and Why Authenticity is the Best Marketing of All), Seth Godin
This was my first introduction to Seth Godin, and it certainly won’t be my last. (Linchpin is already up next.) Godin has written numerous books on marketing, with a sometimes irreverent, always practical style. While many of the concepts in All Marketers are Liars are ones I’d heard before, Godin brings new applications and examples, making this well worth a read.
Godin’s central premise is that successful marketing is much more about the story you tell, rather than the product or service you sell. And, don’t worry, he doesn’t actually encourage you to lie. That’s just his own storytelling to get you to pick up his book! Your story needs to be authentic; frauds can be only temporarily successful (until the truth is discovered).
Of all the chapters, I enjoyed the one on competition the most. In a world in which there is increasing competition, Godin believes that “you cannot succeed if you try to tell your competition’s story better than they can.” Instead, you must tell a different story. Welcome news indeed that I don’t have to spend too much time focusing on the stories others are telling; that I need only tell my own, authentic story.
Rework, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Rework is a compilation of essays by 37signals, the creators of the Basecamp, a well loved project management tool. Rated highly on Amazon and written by the ‘little guys,’ I was anxious to read this book. However, I didn’t find much new or notable here. While the artwork illustrating the lessons (all original by Mike Rohde) is fun, the lessons themselves are pretty basic.
If you’re looking for an introduction to work and business principles, Rework may be just what you need. It’s fun and easy to read the bite-sized essays. But, if you’ve done moderate reading in this area, you can probably pass this one by without missing anything.
The one glimmer that I loved, though, is the authors’ view on ‘workaholism': “Not only is … workaholism unnecessary, it’s stupid. Working more doesn’t mean you care more or get more done. It just means you work more. … Workaholics aren’t heroes. They don’t save the day, they just use it up. The real hero is already home because she figured out a faster way to get things done.” Music to this efficiency-loving girl’s ears.
Today We Are Rich: Harnessing the Power of Total Confidence, Tim Sanders
I don’t remember exactly how I came across this little gem, but it was another encouraging read. The thing I appreciated the most is Sanders’ definition of ‘confidence’ — it’s not just your belief in yourself, but also your belief in the people you rely on and a belief in something greater than yourself.
This book is written in a personal style, as Sanders recounts the lessons in confidence he learned from his grandmother. While he was introduced to these principles as a young boy, Sanders found himself coming back to them to correct his path as an adult, after living what he calls a few ‘sideways years.’
Sanders makes a strong case for achieving confidence: “multiple studies have confirmed that when you believe you’ll be successful, you achieve a calmness that improves your ability to slow life’s game down and see things more clearly.” The balance of the book is devoted to seven principles of confidence, including the messages we feed ourselves, gratitude, and preparation. A worthwhile read, indeed.