Books of the Week
Archive of Books of the Week
Week 12
Leaders Eat Last
Key: There are many ways to lead and it is up to you to decide what type of long-term impact and leader you would like to be. What do you want to prioritize? Maximize shareholder value or maximize the value of your people? The author advocates to put people first and treat employees as sons and daughters that are put in our care. The needs of the new workforce are vastly different then the previous generation and we need to ensure we understand their values so we can connect with them.
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Insight: EDSO. Endorphins, Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin. Endorphins and Dopamine are "selfish" chemicals. They mask pain and provide pleasure. Serotonin and Oxytocin are "selfless" chemicals. They provide recognition, connection, and love. Understand your own chemical makeup and what activities you are currently doing that provide the release of these chemicals. Be wary of too much Endorphins and Dopamine as they can be highly addictive.
Week 11
Think Again
Key: Wisdom is knowing what you don't know. Use the scientific method for evidence of the right answer - no matter where it came from. Ask more questions to validate your own understanding and help others validate their own.
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Insight: The Dunning-Kruger Effect. Always assume you are on Mount Stupid. Having quiet confidence in your abilities and experience is good, but you must be open to new ideas and insights that will push you towards a better understanding. Have humility. Listen more and speak less.
Week 10
Hidden Potential
Key: It is not where you started, but rather how far you have come. Success is measured not so much by the position that one has achieved in life as by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed. Help others identify their own hidden potential.
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Insight: System for Better Meetings and Idea Meritocracy. 1) Have team members ideate on their own 2) Submit ideas anonymously 3) Team members evaluate ideas on their own 4) Identify the most promising ideas 5) Come together, refine the most promising idea, move forward with the plan.
Week 9
Mastering Leadership
Key: Leadership is making explicit and implicit promises to your team and superiors. It is your job as a leader to identify these promises an deliver on them authentically, consistently, and effectively. Have strong core values and principles guide you.
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Insight: Spend your time on 5:1 ROI activities or more. Don't tolerate less. Your job as a leader is to create more leaders. Increase understanding and buy-in, achieve desired outcomes, and improve relationships.
Week 4
The Effective Executive
Key: Effectiveness can be learned. Effectiveness is about focusing on doing the right things instead of doing things right. Putting first things first, managing time, responsible for decisions, communication, and focusing on opportunities. Use effectiveness as a measuring stick.
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Insight: We tend to think of The Effective Executive in business context, but you can be effective everywhere in your life by applying these concepts. One key takeaway I implemented in my own life is by running more effective meetings and sending out a summary of the meeting after with clear topics discussed, next steps, and who is responsible.
Week 3
Alchemy
Key: People do ordinary things for illogical reasons. We tend to look at actions through a logical and rational lens but oftentimes the real reasons are hidden beneath the surface. Use powerful models like The Doorman, The Food, and Goldilocks to understand the real "why".
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Insight: People are complex, illogical beings. Understanding how your brain works will help you understand others. Review the last chapter on a regular basis to solidify your understanding of the concepts and dig deeper in areas you are interested in.
Week 2
Flow
Key: Happiness is a side-effect of the optimal experience. Optimal experiences create Flow. The result of Flow is happiness. Understand the Rules of Flow (Moderately Challenging, Clear Goals, Feedback, Rules, Control of Self, and Concentration) to apply to all aspects of your life.
Insight: Set up your life for Flow experiences to create Harmony. Harmony is where your Purpose and Meaning connect and all Flow activities are pulling in the same direction.
Week 1
10 Days to Faster Reading
Key: Read faster while keeping comprehension by focusing on key words. Author provides other techniques and let's the reader choose. A bit outdated but concepts still apply.
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Insight: Use book summaries as a way to "preview" books and decide if you want to dig deeper.
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Result: From 200WPM @ 80% comprehension to 345WPM @ 80%.
Week 8
The E-Myth Revisited
Key: Understand the three levels of a business owner, 1) Architect, 2) Manager, 3) Technician. Most new business owners start out as former Technicians, therefore it is paramount that the mindset shifts to learning how to be a manager and ultimately how to become the Architect so you can stop working in your business and start working on your business.
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Insight: Don't mistake being self-employed with being a business owner. When you are a business owner you are learning to teach and put systems in place so that your business runs like a well-oiled machine. Constantly work on the systems - not in it. Oftentimes, you won't be the best person for the job. Great! Celebrate find and surround yourself with smarter people.
Week 7
The Lean Startup
Key: Never stop iterating. Everything is a hypothesis that you need to validate via tests to confirm your assumptions. More likely than not, your assumptions will be wrong and the tests will provide you with the proof (and learning) you seek to make informed decisions. The Build > Measure > Learn cycle is an invaluable framework when testing out any idea.
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Insight: The Lean Startup not only has great business advice, the concepts can be applied to any part of your life. Oftentimes, we walk around with assumptions in our head and make decisions - sometime important decisions - based off of these unvalidated views. Don't be afraid to test your assumptions to learn what the real results are and adjust accordingly.
Week 6
Principles
Key: Principles are universal rules. Aligning your long-term goals with your Why and filter them through your Principles will provide you with a template to achieve your goals.
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Insight: Systemize the processes of your life and work by beginning with the design of your Why and Principles. Then, use the 5-Step Process of 1. Setting Your Goal 2. Identifying Problems 3. Diagnosing 4. Designing Solutions. 5. Executing, to reach your goals. Use Feedback to evaluate the Outcome of the system to measure if it is running properly.
Week 5
Start with Why
Key: Everything starts with Why. Your why needs to flow from the inside then manifests itself in your How than What. Always start from the inside then out. Your Why will drive you and every decision you make should align with your Why. How and What are just your vehicles that express your Why.
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Insight: The author uses examples in a business context, but this can be applied at the personal relationship level as well. He says, "People don't buy What you do, they buy Why you do it." Isn't this the same with all your relationships? People don't trust, love, follow, or marry you because of What you do, they do because of who you are - your Why.
