Readers are Leaders

Are you ready for the future? Do you have a game plan for the next step in your journey?

I am constantly reminded of the Chinese proverb: "the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." The sentiment of this quote seems even more prescient in our current times when it seems like there is more uncertainty than ever before. I have come to see that planting seeds is key to preparing ourselves for the future to create new opportunities for ourselves and future generat…

Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create 

Extraordinary Happiness – Ingrid Fetell Lee 

"Bright color operates like a stimulant, a shot of caffeine for the eyes. It stirs us out of complacency." 

Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset, or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring? Is there a reason that people, regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity, are mesmerized by baby animals and can't help but smile when…

"So often we find ourselves reacting to problems, putting out fires, dealing with emergencies. We should  shift our attention to preventing them" 

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a cycle of response? If you are familiar with the Eisenhower Matrix, this is like being stuck in Quadrant 1 or 3 and never getting to Quadrant 2 (Important, Not Urgent). In Upstream, Dan Heath explains that we stay downstream too much. We handle one problem after another, but we never make our way upstream to fix…

Leading With Emotional Courage: How to Have Hard Conversations, Create Accountability, And Inspire Action On Your Most Important Work – Peter Bregman

"If we're willing to feel everything, we can do anything."

Great leadership aligns teams, inspires action, and achieves results, it sounds simple, but it is a challenge that is not for the faint of heart. What makes it hard is not knowing what to say or do; it is whether you are willing to experience the discomfort, risk, and uncertainty of sayin…

Revisiting the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People for New Times

I read, skim and listen to a lot of books! When I look back at the past year, I think I have tallied almost 200. Some of them are truly life-changing, some are forgettable, and some of them only have one or two nuggets, and you end up asking, "Why did I read that whole book just to get those two concepts?" I love it when a book stays with you, and it becomes a part of your way of life. These are the books that, once you finish…

Everything happens through conversation! Conversations go far beyond mere exchanges of information. They affect your relationships and your view of the world. Good conversations foster stronger, positive relationships, whereas bad ones can destroy relationships. Judith Glaser discusses how to move beyond fear and distrust to have a more meaningful, deeper connection with people. She categorizes conversations on three levels, from transactional to transformational. 

Asking discovery questions is…

Most people live their lives based on limiting beliefs about pretty much everything, and we inherit and pass on these beliefs from generation to generation. But what if you could remove these outdated ideas? What would your life look like if you could forget the rules of the past and redefine what happiness, purpose, and success mean for you? 

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind is a book that will have you look at the world through a different lens, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it! 

Th…

Ok, I have a confession, I read this book about five years ago, and I have re-read it twice since then. 

It’s truly a fantastic book, and it has reserved a spot on my "Leaders are Readers" book list. There are so many great insights that will change how you look at life, but the most powerful one is that “Everything in life is an invention.” 

Think about that for a minute! If you choose to look at your life in a new way, then suddenly, your challenges change. One of the best ways to do this is…

When you disrupt yourself, you are walking into the unknown, exposing yourself to the risk of failure. Disrupt Yourself was published in 2015, but it is a book that is just as meaningful for our current times. Whitney Johnson applies Clayton Christensen’s concept of “disruptive innovation” to careers and personal development. She makes the compelling case that managing the S-curve of learning can help you make sense of and redefine your career path. The “S-curve” has slow growth at first, then e…