Fall is the perfect time to cocoon yourself in a warm sweater, sightsee some foliage, and make yourself a hot cup of soup, but there’s one additional activity our leaders swear by: diving into a good book. Needless to say, the Keller Williams team recommends this activity regardless of season, rain or shine. But, if you’ve suddenly found yourself with an extra boost of motivation as the days become shorter, we’ve got you covered. Here are 13 books to sink your teeth into, straight from the libraries of kwx and KWRI leadership.
Thirteen Books to Add to Your Reading List
1. Impact Players
New York Times bestselling author and researcher Liz Wiseman’s work revolves around how to contribute in big and meaningful ways. In Impact Players, she explores the question of how some people are able to create a lasting impact within an organization as others go through the motions. The book explores what type of mindset shift can give everyone the ability to contribute at the highest level. In an interview with King, Wiseman says, “It’s not about some people being smarter, more talented or more hardworking than others. It’s – they’re working and they’re thinking about their work in ways that are different from other people.” Watch the full interview below.
2. Multipliers
In Multipliers, Wiseman identifies five disciplines that distinguish leaders that amplify their teams from those that drain their colleagues. In addition, she provides nine accidentally diminishing behaviors to watch out for on your leadership journey. This book is a great tool for learning to become a leader who uses their intelligence to amplify those around them – also known as a multiplier.
3. Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs
Fitting in naturally with Keller Williams’ cultural pillar of “God, family, then business,” Bill Hybels’ Axiom explores how his God-given convictions have shaped his leadership strategies in his role as senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. In particular, he zeroes in on four key leadership categories: vision and strategy, teamwork and communication, activity and assessment, and personal integrity.
4. It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
In It’s Your Ship, Abrashoff, who took command of the USS Benfold, came to the realization that he needed to improve his own leadership skills in order to improve his ship. The book follows Captain Abrashoff’s quest to successfully manage his ship, including the ways in which he involved the crew, his communication style, and focusing on a purpose to create discipline.
5. Making the Matrix Work: How Matrix Managers Engage People and Cut Through Complexity
In this book, Hall goes beyond traditional management training, focusing instead on the challenges of a matrix structure, such as competing goals, and a more complex environment. To do so, the book focuses on providing practical tools in three areas: flexibility, connectivity and effectiveness, and a new way to create control. This book is perfect for leaders who are ready to develop their mindset and take control of their goals.
6. Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done
If you are a quick starter but have trouble getting to the finish line, this book is for you. Acuff offers research-based strategies to give yourself the gift of done. And the best part? They are counterintuitive, and focused on taking the pressure off instead of adding more to the plate.
7. Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Why DO things catch on? In Berger’s Contagious, he explores the question of popularity, particularly when it comes to word-of-mouth and social transmission. This book focuses on six basic principles that help everything from consumer products to YouTube videos to become ‘contagious.’
8. 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently
Celebrate your existence. Appreciate life’s perfect moments. Fill your own bucket. Paving the path to a more successful life does not only rest in grandiose actions, but in the small everyday ways in which you show up for yourself. The Chernoffs make this point within their book by bringing together a collection of the best advice on timeless lessons, nurturing relationships, tough truths, and more.
9. Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ
What’s life without a scrumptious meal? Whether you’re a connoisseur or a BBQ novice, Rodney Scott’s recipes will pave the path to your own award-winning (or, at least ‘family seal of approval’-winning) smoked prime rib, pork T-bones, or fried chicken.
10. The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals
If your implementation style is formulaic, this may be the right book for you to pick up. The four disciplines are simple and repeatable ways to execute your top strategic priorities and produce quality results. This proven set of practices includes focusing on the wildly important, acting on lead measures, keeping a compelling scoreboard, and creating a cadence of accountability.
11. The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies
With The Ultimate Sales Machine, the task of the day is focus. Holmes covers plenty of ground on how to transform your business into a well-oiled sales machine. In an environment where a corporation fails every three minutes, it’s never a bad time to brush up on time management, strategy, marketing, and finding talent – among many other important skills.
12. How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
In How to Change, first-time author Katy Milkman explores the path of getting from your current situation to where you want to be. This begs the question: What’s standing between you and your success? Through her research, Milkman is able to explore the topic and share strategic methods for overcoming common hurdles. Whether you are impulsive, a procrastinator, both, or something in between, this book will provide you with invaluable knowledge to push through your specific barricades. In an interview with Jay Papasan, Milkman takes an in-depth look at goal-setting strategy.
13. Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs
In this New York Times bestseller, venture capitalist Doerr looks at the connection between a goal-setting system of objectives and key results (OKRs) and the tech giants that have benefited from explosive growth by employing this method. The book is filled with case studies that leave behind rich lessons all leaders can benefit from.
What’s on YOUR Reading List?
What are the topics that you are most interested in exploring this fall? Which books and authors have made it on your reading list? And which leadership-recommended books are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments section!
So grateful for this list of books to read recommended by some folks that I would really like to surround myself with. I actually have a couple of these in my Kindle Contender List, so now with your recommendations I will go ahead and make the purchase.
A book that didn’t make the list that I am reading now and highly recommend is James M Kouzes | Barry Z. Posner’s “The Leadership Challenge.” Always striving to be a better leader tomorrow than I am today, and this book is really insightful and challenging.
Awesome, thank you for sharing, Chad! For even more book recommendations, check out this piece:
Jay Papasan: 14 Books to Place On Your Summer Reading List