I’m an avid reader and an eternal learner and of all the books I’ve read from cultural change to personal development, team management, fear, innovation plus all other things life presents us, five books have had the greatest impact on mine.

So here are my five favourite books that have inspired profound and positive change for me. I hope they can do the same for you.

Who Moved My Cheese?

When researching reviews for each of my favourite books I came across this one from Tom Butler-Bowdon. Tom is the author of bestselling 50 Classics series. The concept is based on the idea that every subject or genre will contain at least 50 books that encapsulate its knowledge and wisdom.  I really like this idea and his mission too of “more people knowing more”.

Here’s a snippet of Tom’s review of Who Moved My Cheese:

A group of old school friends is gathered for dinner and the topic of conversation gets on to change – in career, relationships and family life. One of those present contends that change no longer bothers him after having heard ‘a funny little story’ called Who Moved My Cheese? In this artful way, Spencer Johnson introduces the reader to his fable on how to cope positively with change.

5 Things I Learned from Who Moved My Cheese

1. When you change what you believe; you change what you do
2. Maybe, instead of changing jobs, I should change the way I am doing my job. I’d probably have a better position by now if I did.
3. Collective character is vital to success. Focus on getting the culture right: the results will follow.
4. Performance = Capability + Behaviour
5. A culture of asking and re-asking fundamental questions cuts away unhelpful beliefs in order to achieve clarity of execution. Humility allows us to ask a simple question: how can we do this better?

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential

Author J.D. Meier best describes this book: “Carol Dweck shares how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area of work and life”  

He also included 10 Big Ideas from Mindset: The New Psychology of Success in his review which are also worth a read.

Lessons I learned from Mindset

1. Grow your mindset! Notice how you act toward others.
2. Are there ways you can create more learning experiences for yourself?
3. Create ways to foster alternative views and constructive criticism.
4. People can be independent thinkers and team players at the same time. Help them to fill both roles.

There’s also great stuff in this book on our lizard brains which we also wrote about on the topic of fear of failure. 

Legacy

In Legacy, best-selling author James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world’s most successful sporting team, the legendary All Blacks of New Zealand, to reveal 15 powerful and practical lessons for leadership and business.

Legacy is a unique, inspiring handbook for leaders in all fields, and asks: What are the secrets of success – sustained success? How do you achieve world-class standards, day after day, week after week, year after year? How do you handle pressure? How do you train to win at the highest level? What do you leave behind you after you’re gone? (Goodreads)

5 lessons I learned from the book, Legacy

1: The four stages of organisational change

• A case for change
• A compelling picture for the future
• A sustained capability to change
• A credible plan to execute

2: A winning organisation is an environment of personal and professional development, in which each individual takes responsibility and shares ownership.

3: The importance of reflection within a culture.

4: Ask myself: ‘what steps do I need to consider taking so I can prepare for the second curve, without prematurely leaving my current success (on the first curve) behind?

5: The biggest challenge is success

Start With Why

As the author of the book says “Everyone has a Why. Why do you get up in the morning? Why does your organisation exist? Your Why is the purpose, cause or belief that inspires you to do what you do. When you think, act and communicate starting with Why, you can inspire others”.

Simon Sinek’s START WITH WHY helped me find my why and allows to help others and organisations find theirs.

3 Lessons I learned from START WITH WHY

1. Always start with WHY – and I do with myself and every person and organisation I work with.
2. Stop comparing. There is no competition. Run your own race. Just be better than ourselves.
3. Look for people to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in pursuit of the same goal. ‘We’re not interested in sitting across a table from each other in pursuits of a sweeter deal’.

Ps…My ‘why’ is to build success culture in people and organisations!

The Slight Edge

It would be silly of me not to share my very personal story about this book and how it changed my whole approach to life personally and professionally, particularly how I work with organisations for success. You can read it all here.

What I love about: THE SLIGHT EDGE

I love pretty much everything about the philosophies of this book but I particularly love Chapter 6 which talks about quantum leap culture and that being bad.

Quantum leaps relate to the instant gratification culture we’ve become and how it’s not about the big things that happen in your life, it’s about little things you do, consistently. The simple concept of putting one foot in front of the other, and doing it even when you have all the good reasons not to get up off the couch and do.

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. Success (like failure) does not just happen. It develops progressively over time. When you work it to your favour, toward a goal or ambition, taking small steps consistently, every day, that is using The Slight Edge.

What lesson, from a book or an article, could you action today toward positive change?