We are often asked for references to books and other resources. Below is a list of recommended books. Click on the link to order.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni once again offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as his first two best-selling books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the fascinating, complex world of teams.

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni
In The Ideal Team Player, Lencioni tells the story of Jeff Shanley, a leader desperate to save his uncle’s company by restoring its cultural commitment to teamwork. Jeff must crack the code on the virtues that real team players possess, and then build a culture of hiring and development around those virtues.

The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
There is a competitive advantage out there, arguably more powerful than any other. Is it superior strategy? Faster innovation? Smarter employees? No, New York Times best-selling author, Patrick Lencioni, argues that the seminal difference between successful companies and mediocre ones has little to do with what they know and how smart they are and more to do with how healthy they are. In this book, Lencioni brings together his vast experience and many of the themes cultivated in his other best-selling books and delivers a first: a cohesive and comprehensive exploration of the unique advantage organizational health provides.

The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling
The 4 Disciplines of Execution offers…the ‘what’ but also ‘how’ effective execution is achieved. They share numerous examples of companies that have done just that, not once, but over and over again. This is a book that every leader should read!” (Clayton Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School, and author of The Innovator’s Dilemma).

Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff
In Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out, transformational expert Marci Shimoff offers a breakthrough approach to being happy, one that doesn’t depend on achievements, goals, money, relationships, or anything else “out there.” Most books on happiness tell you to find the things that make you happy and do more of them. Although there’s nothing wrong with that, it won’t bring you the kind of deep and lasting happiness most people long for — the kind you’ll never lose, no matter what happens in your life. Based on cutting-edge research and knowledge from the world’s leading experts in the fields of positive psychology and neurophysiology, plus interviews with 100 truly happy people, this life-changing book provides a powerful, proven 7-step program that will enable you to be happier right now — no matter where you start.

Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee

Primal leadership takes center stage in this book. This concept goes beyond the set of conventional competencies on the making of a leader. Beyond bottom line figures, this book takes a leap forward with the concept of primal leadership through a keen and in-depth understanding of emotional intelligence and its link to leading and building emotionally intelligent organizations.

The authors explore the idea of leadership as an emotional
function. They propose that the fundamental task of a leader is to create resonance at work, thereby unleashing positive traits and attributes in people. Emotionally intelligent leaders bring organizational success to the fore because they inspire, motivate and foster commitment in people.

Harness the power of primal leadership in this book and bring out the emotionally intelligent leader in you.

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

A New Earth encourages a collective sense of commitment to changing the way we live for people who want to make a difference. With the knowledge that we live in a time desperate for global change, the book by renowned spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle answers the question: What can one person do to enact that change? With clarity and in practical terms, he gently leads readers to a new level of consciousness, awakening them to their lives’ purposes and inviting them to envision a new earth where peace and fellowship are the norm.

Giving Thanks: The Gift of Gratitude by M.J. Ryan

This beautiful gift book is a wonderful way to explore gratitude. Filled with rich stories, inspirational quotes and stunning photography, it is the perfect gift for you or someone you care about.

A Grateful Heart by M.J. Ryan

In today’s chaotic world, the common experience of sharing the evening meal can restore a sense of community and humanity to society. More important, the blessing of the meal fosters in us a sense of gratitude for the gifts we have been given. This collection of 365 “blessings”-ranging from the words of Augustine and Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh to the Beatles’ now famous “In the end the love you take/ is equal to the love you make”-celebrates the connections between grace and gratitude. To aid readers in selecting a grace appropriate to the occasion, there is a topical index as well as divisions marked by seasons of the year. The book has wide appeal because it traverses all spiritual traditions.

Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham

Buckingham’s new book answers the ultimate question: How can you actually apply your strengths for maximum success at work? Research data show that most people do not come close to making full use of their assets at work — in fact, only 17 percent of the workforce believe they use all of their strengths on the job. Go Put Your Strengths to Work aims to change that through a six-step, six-week experience that will reveal the hidden dimensions of your strengths. Buckingham shows you how to seize control of your assets and rewrite your job description under the nose of your boss. You will learn:

• Why your strengths aren’t “what you are good at” and your weaknesses aren’t “what you are bad at.”
• How to use the four telltale signs to identify your strengths.
• The simple steps you can take each week to push your time at work toward those activities that strengthen you and away from those that don’t.
• How to talk to your boss and your colleagues about your strengths without sounding like you’re bragging and about your weaknesses without sounding like you’re whining.
• The fifteen-minute weekly ritual that will keep you on your strengths path your entire career.

With structured exercises that will become part of your regular workweek and proven tactics from people who have successfully applied the book’s lessons, Go Put Your Strengths to Work will arm you with a radically different approach to your work life.

Soar with Your Strengths by Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson

A revolutionary business philosophy–simple yet controversial–based on over forty years of research with some of America’s most successful companies. The authors reveal how to find out what you do well and that you should do more of it; and how to identify what you don’t do well and that you should stop doing it. A groundbreaking, inspiring book for businesses, managers, and individuals on how to achieve the absolute best by focusing on strengths and steering away from weaknesses.

The Passion Test by Janet Atwood and Chris Atwood

The Passion Test is a simple, powerful tool that allows you to discover your passions and clarify what matters most to you. It will help you determine your top five passions and identify markers that indicate whether you’re on track to living them. The book is filled with inspiring true stories of people who experienced tremendous joy and success by making the choice to live in alignment with their passions.

Now Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D.

Based on two million interviews conducted over 30 years by the Gallop Organization, the authors conclude that 80% of workers feel they do not have the opportunity to do what they do best. The authors’ research also indicates that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the world’s best managers assume each person’s greatest room for growth is in the area of his or her greatest strength, not greatest weakness. The most significant part of the book is the inclusion of the Strengths Finder assessment (a one-time-use, on-line instrument included in the price of the book), which identifies your five key strengths or “signature talents.” The first step to developing your strengths is to discover them, and the authors’ tool is a very insightful resource for that purpose.

The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz

In this simple yet powerful book, the author reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offers a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness and love, if we choose to live by it.

The Four Agreements are:

• Be impeccable with your word
• Don’t take anything personally
• Don’t make assumptions
• Always do your best

You’ll See It When You Believe It by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

This book will show you how, by tapping into the truly amazing power that lies within you, you can direct the course of your own destiny. Using examples from his own highly successful experiences, Dr. Wayne Dyer will convince you that, with his proven techniques, you can make your most impossible dreams come true. Believe that you have the power to: make your life anything you wish it to be; set real goals and achieve them; turn obstacles into opportunities; rid yourself of guilt and inner turmoil; develop a strong inner–confidence; dramatically improve relationships; choose a life of abundance; spend every day doing the things you love to do.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Fail and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber

In this bestseller, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. Next, he walks you through the steps in the life of a business – from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed – and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your businesses. After you have read The E-Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way. (Review from book jacket)

Attitudes of Gratitude by M.J. Ryan

“Gratitude,” says M. J. Ryan, “is the mother of joy. As we focus on what we’re thankful for, fear, anger, and bitterness simply melt away, seemingly without effort.” In this inspiring book, Ryan shows readers how to nurture this attitude every day of their lives. Short, easy-to-digest essays explain why gratitude chases away negative emotions – and how gratitude is possible even in times of pain and hardship. Attitudes of Gratitude is required reading for people everywhere who want to make their lives sing with a sense of hope, joy, and possibility.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind reveals the missing link between wanting success and achieving it! You can know everything about marketing, sales, negotiations, stocks, real estate, and the world of finance, but if your money blueprint is not set for a high level of success, you will never have a lot of money – and if somehow you do, you will most likely lose it! The good news is that now you can actually reset your money blueprint to create natural and automatic success. Unfortunately, your current money blueprint will tend to stay with you for the rest of your life unless you identify and revise it, and that’s exactly what you will do with the help of this extraordinary book. According to T. Harv Eker, it’s simple: If you think like rich people think and do what rich people do, chances are you’ll get rich too!

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin Seligman

You can significantly improve your life with the power of Learned Optimism. In this groundbreaking national bestseller, Martin Seligman shows you how to chart a new approach to living with “flexible optimism.” Drawing from more than twenty years of clinical research, Dr. Seligman outlines easy-to-follow techniques that have helped thousands of people rise above pessimism and the depression that accompanies negative thoughts and build a life of rewards and lasting happiness. Learned Optimism shows you how to recognize your “explanatory style” – what you say to yourself when you experience set-backs – and how it influences your life.

The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

Dreams, symbols, signs, and adventure follow the reader like echoes of ancient wise voices in The Alchemist, a novel that combines an atmosphere of Medieval mysticism with the song of the desert. With this symbolic masterpiece Coelho states that we should not avoid our destinies, and urges people to follow their dreams, because to find our “Personal Myth” and our mission on Earth is the way to find “God”, meaning happiness, fulfillment, and the ultimate purpose of creation.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity – principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M.R. Covey

From Stephen R. Covey’s eldest son comes a revolutionary new path towards productivity and satisfaction. Trust, says Stephen M.R. Covey, is the very basis of the new global economy, and he shows how trust – and the speed at which it is established with clients, employees and constituents – is the essential ingredient for any high-performance, successful organization. For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship, and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time-killing, bureaucratic check-and-balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.