The World's Best Book Summaries
How can you reach your full leadership potential? Do you love the work you do? In order to reach your full leadership potential, you must do work that you enjoy. The next parts of the journey include overcoming any fears of success and encouraging those around you to achieve their own goals. Continue reading to learn how to reach your full potential as a leader.
How did the Industrial Revolution change the way people work? In what ways are we still feeling the effects? In today’s fast-paced world, our lives increasingly revolve around productivity, efficiency, and work. In her book Do Nothing, Celeste Headlee writes that our culture of overworking can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. Continue reading to learn how the nature of work in the Industrial Revolution shaped the modern lifestyle.
What are Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)? How do they contribute to an organization’s mission? Employee experience expert Russ Laraway says that the first area of focus for an effective manager is setting clear goals for employees: Your workers should know exactly what’s expected of them and when. He lays out four tiers of goals that managers can set for their employees. The second tier is OKRs. Read more to learn what OKRs are and how they fit into the overall goals of an organization.
When are you most creative? What’s your chronotype? Do you leverage this information for maximum creativity and productivity? You have a particular rhythm of energy and alertness. When you’re aware of your ebbs and flows, you can schedule your day accordingly. This can help you maximize your creative work. Read on to get practical tips from creativity coach Mark McGuinness and bestselling authors Daniel H. Pink and Cal Newport.
How valuable is your time? Does the “time is money” mentality make you anxious? In her book Do Nothing, Celeste Headlee writes that, for many people, time feels scarce and too valuable to squander. She argues that the modern pressure to constantly be productive stems, in part, from changing perceptions of how valuable one’s time is. Keep reading to learn about the fear of wasting time and where it comes from.
Do you work on your creative pursuits only when inspiration strikes you? Do you tend to start more than you finish? Often, creatives are thought of as free and unstructured. But, successful creative professionals know the importance of a consistent schedule. Not only can a routine help you follow through and get things done, but it also can spark creativity and confidence. Read more to learn about the importance of a consistent schedule with insights from Gretchen Rubin and James Clear.
Do you struggle to stay on task? How much more could you get done if you stayed focused? Focus doesn’t just happen; it’s a result of a decision you make. Manage Your Day-to-Day provides advice on practicing intentional focus, including setting up the right environment, handling internal discomforts to minimize distractions, focusing for longer periods of time, and embracing boredom. Read more to learn about these practical tips from Dan Ariely, Chris Bailey, Nir Eyal, Cal Newport, and Leo Babauta.
Do you set goals for your team members? Do you help them set and reach their own objectives? Regardless of your managerial level, you have a duty to help your team set and reach their own goals as well as contribute to the overall objectives of your organization. In When They Win, You Win, Russ Laraway outlines four tiers of managerial goals and shares two ways to measure your effectiveness. Keep reading to learn how you can help your team set and reach goals that benefit the organization as a whole.
Who’s in control of your electronic devices and notifications? Do they serve you, or do you let them waste your time? Email and social media can be a blessing or a curse. Manage Your Day-to-Day offers insights and advice to help you use these tools to enhance your work rather than distract you from it. Keep reading to get practical tips for managing distractions at work from Chris Bailey, Cal Newport, and others.
Do your employees regard you as approachable? What’s the best way to coach an underperforming team member? In his book When They Win, You Win, Russ Laraway contends that bad management is everywhere and that it’s causing enormous harm to employees and companies alike. He believes that managers should cultivate the skill of coaching to boost employee engagement and performance. Keep reading to learn how to coach employees with Laraway’s insights as an employee experience expert.