With the holidays over and winter upon us, what better time to settle in with a good book—especially a book that challenges your thinking as a CEO and entrepreneur, possibly inspiring some new directions for your company in 2016.
We asked our partners for some recommendations of books about business that have made a difference in their leadership and management thinking. Here are the some of their responses.
Keith is a Newport partner in New England who has been president of operating divisions in four different Fortune 500 companies, in sales/marketing roles as well as other strategic leadership responsibilities.
The E-Myth by Michael Gerber. Since its publication 25 years ago, this book has served as the foundation document for almost all the advice that coaches and consultants provide to small and medium businesses.
Terry’s areas of expertise in the high tech industry include business development, turnarounds, culture change, identifying and executing on new avenues for business growth and developing C-level and Division level talent.
The Seven Arts of Change by David Shaner. A unique look at leadership and the art of corporate change.
Peter is a Newport partner in Texas who is a versatile operating executive with a long record of accomplishments running businesses including manufacturing, industrial and technology based companies.
I find Dancing in the End Zone by Patrick Ungashick valuable because it details the preparation needed for getting funded a key requirement for an entrepreneur.
Ferey is a Newport partner in Northern California whose experience, along with management consulting and investment banking, has served as president of a company that develops advanced optical sensing solutions for the aerospace, energy and medical devices markets.
I am leery of most business books. In earlier times classic books by authors like Dale Carnegie and Peter Drucker brought insights about business to the masses. We occasionally see gems like Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen (which applies the “creative destruction” theme made famous by economist Joseph Schumpeter) or Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters. I would also mention a couple of other books, including No Man's Land by Doug Tatum, the Chairman of our company, or The Smart Entrepreneur, by my friend Rocky Arnold.
Woody, a Newport partner in Denver, is an experienced executive who has served as CEO of several information technology companies and also as a CIO who has innovated new models.
The One Minute Manager series by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. If you follow this book you will free up a lot of your time, most likely by reducing the number of meetings you schedule and must then sit through.
Richard, a Newport partner in Phoenix, has had a 30 year career as a leader of for-profit and non-profit organizations. Most recently he was the Founder, Chairman and Executive Director of the Arizona Business Coalition on Health.
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. Its key message is: don't try to compete where everyone else is. Find open seas that you can come to dominate. Hit'em where they ain't.
Steven is a Newport partner in New England who has driven growth and turnarounds as a CEO, business leader, board member, and advisor in the HR Technology, Business Services, Financial Services, and Health Care Payer industries.
The Delta Project - Discovering New Sources of Profitability in a Networked Economy by Arnoldo C. Hax and Dean L. Wilde. This book really drives home the value of knowing your customers intimately and building a connected network of relationships as the best way to erect barriers to competitor entry and create drivers of profitability.
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Billie is a Newport partner in the Pacific Northwest who has been Executive VP and CIO of TrueBlue Inc. (NYSE: TBI) the largest industrial staffing firm in the U.S.
Good to Great by Jim Collins. This book hits at the core of what many currently successful organizations must constantly fight: apathy. Apathy can lead to stagnation which is ultimately a death sentence. Leaders and employees of successful companies can get too comfortable and internally focused. The book challenges people to recognize that--for even the most successful firms--market threats and opportunities are always arising--and invites you to move from your comfort zone and generate a new definition of success.
For a decade Julie, a Newport partner in Denver, held high level executive roles in the Russian and European business units of Mary Kay.
I generally try to stay too busy making money and building successful companies to read a lot of books telling me how to do it, but I did read a book once early in my career called Built to Last by Jim Collins. I like it because it helped get me to where I am now. It focuses on building long term value and companies that can survive and thrive through the loss of the original founder or visionary who created them. With every company I've owned or run, one of the things I'm always focused on is replacing myself with a team that can run without me so that I can move on to helping or building the next company. However, my advice to business managers is to beware of reading and relying on too many business books. They can be full of advice that is erroneous or conflicting or that you won’t be able to apply to your situation.
Mark is Newport’s Chief Knowledge Officer. He has held similar roles in both global consulting companies and entrepreneurial professional services firms.
Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan. This true classic is merciless on corporate leaders who think that their role should be to announce an impressive sounding strategy and then let others get their hands dirty trying to implement it. Admitting that a strategy isn’t working and needs to be fixed or abandoned is the most important thing a CEO can do, notwithstanding the temporary embarrassment and loss of face it can involve.
Joan is a Newport partner in Phoenix who has held a number of senior management positions with CNA National Warranty Corp, culminating as President and CEO.
Exponential Organizations by Salim Ismail. This book will help you understand how organizations must adapt to survive and grow in this rapidly accelerating world of change.
John, a Newport partner in New England, has delivered top- and bottom-line results running a wide range of companies, including several units of United Technologies Co. (UTC) in the fire suppression business.
Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter is still the best and most comprehensive business book in circulation. Its emphasis on understanding markets, market positioning and competitors is still relevant today. Its famous “Five Forces” framework for evaluating barriers to entry, competitors, substitutes and a company’s buying and pricing power has become part of basic business thinking all over the world.
Since 2000, Caleb has been a Board Director with Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc., a portfolio of manufacturing companies whose products include pet foods, solutions for aerospace and defense, life science diagnostic testing, specialty chemical processing and commercial real estate.
I too recommend No Man's Land especially for its insights into how entrepreneurs should evaluate the risk that comes with growing a company to scale. I also recommend Own the Gap by Mike Martyn because it shows how to make “lean” concepts very visible to all levels of an organization, thereby helping to ensure organizational alignment and daily “kaizen” i.e. rapid improvement.
Patrick is a Newport partner in West Florida who has top executive team experience ranging from the Coca-Cola Company to a privately-owned, mid-sized wholesale distributor and a start- up advertising enterprise.
Steven Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This book addresses the basics. It should be re-read every few years.
As Peter Drucker states...
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