Corsini’s Top “Read, Watch or Listen” List: Summer Reading Edition

by | May 28, 2019 | Uncategorized

 

Part 2 of 2

 

Here’s the rest of my curated summer reading list. As I mentioned in the previous blog (with the first five reading recommendations), these are some of my favorite books. Others are highly recommended by people whose opinions I value and trust.

All of these books—self-help or narrative—are leadership-focused so you can work smarter and make the kinds of good decisions that positively impact the people on your team. 

As a leader, you are responsible for keeping your valuable employees happy and engaged and in place. They have lots of options these days. So do you, when it comes to preparing yourself to better connect with them! These books can help. Read them, and you’ll be happy you did. 

Enjoy!

Corsini’s Top “Read, Watch or Listen” List (especially for leadership and listed by topic):

  1. What not to do. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou. This is the story of Elizabeth Holmes and the meteoric rise of her multibillion-dollar startup, Theranos. Carreyrou uncovered the fact that it was all a Ponzi-like scheme, and her miracle blood-testing machine didn’t work as promised. Of course, it all collapsed in the end. I listened to this one in only three days! 
  2. Identifying talent. The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues by Patrick Lencioni. Lencioni is probably my favorite business writer ever. This is his follow-up to The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. In this new book, told in a fable-like fashion, he focuses on team players. Lencioni says that in order to have a great team, you gotta have great players, and he’s right. He helps readers identify and cultivate three essential virtues of an ideal team player. Read it, and you’ll know what to look for in your next hire.
  3. Overcoming adversity and prejudice / rags-to-riches. Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black Millionaire by Carol Jenkins. I’m also recommending Gaston’s memoir, Green Power: The Successful Way of A.G. Gaston. When Gaston moved to Birmingham in 1905, he had almost nothing, but by the 1960s, he was probably the richest black man in America. His businesses ranged from an insurance company to a funeral home to a savings and loan association. His A.G. Gaston Motel provided shelter (and meeting space) for Civil Rights icons like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Throughout his life, Gaston quietly promoted voting rights and equal rights. And in 1987, Gaston sold his companies—valued at $23 million—to 350 long-time employees for just 10% of the value. Read these books for a close-to-home story of a heroic and incredibly successful entrepreneur. 
  4. Dealing with depression and addiction. Natural Disaster: I Cover Them. I am One. by Ginger Zee. ABC News chief meteorologist, Ginger Zee, talks about her journey to the top of her profession and her lifelong battle with crippling depression. Another great book is Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction by Elizabeth Vargas. This well-known TV journalist discusses her struggles with alcoholism. This is a stunningly open and emotional memoir about issues that face far too many people.
  5. Overcoming adversity. Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins. Goggins overcame a tough childhood that included physical abuse from his father, poverty and prejudice to be the only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger and Air Force Tactical Air Controller. He went from an overweight, depressed young person to one of the world’s top endurance athletes, and he did it through discipline, hard work and mental toughness. In this book, he encourages readers to cultivate these same winning traits. 

Here’s a bonus book (because more than one client recommended it):  

Wisdom @ Work:  The Making of a Modern Elder by Chip Conley. After selling his company at the age of 52, boutique hotelier Chip Conley got an unanticipated call from the young founders of Airbnb. They wanted his help in growing their unruly startup into a global presence. Conley obliged and became a teacher and mentor (as he expected) as well as a student and intern (which he did not expect). This book, ultimately, is a look at ageism in the workplace and how it should be treated as just another type of diversity.  

And if you want even more reading suggestions, take a look at my 2018 Top 10 “Must-Read (or Listen)” List:  https://bit.ly/2Ys9Eya. 

Have a safe and awesome summer! And thank you for allowing us to help you do what you do better.