Personal Development Leadership

There are enormous differences between managing and coaching. Yet many companies and organizations encourage their leaders to coach teams without ever teaching them how. Nathan Jamail, a leading consultant, professional speaker, and the president of his own group of businesses, trains coaches at several Fortune 500 companies and learned that it takes not only different skills to achieve success, but a truly effective coach needs an organizational culture that creates and multiplies the success of every motivated team member.

Tom Kelley, author of The Art of Innovation and the general manager of IDEO, the world-famous design firm, illuminates the strategies IDEO used to beat the devil's advocate and drive creativity throughout the organization.

Stephen R. Covey believed there were only two ways to live: a life of primary greatness or a life of secondary greatness. Through his classic books and seminars, he taught that the intrinsic rewards of primary greatness - integrity, responsibility, and meaningful contribution - far outweighed the superficial rewards of secondary greatness - money, popularity, and the self-absorbed, pleasure-ridden life that some people consider "success".

Millions of people hate their jobs, or have recently lost one, and would love to start a small business. Yet very few actually try, because the process feels as scary as jumping off a cliff. No matter how boring or stressful a job might be, it's hard to give up a salary and benefits. But for some, it can be the smartest, happiest decision of a lifetime.

The world has changed, the fire department has changed, and the firefighters you serve with have changed. Fire organizations offer more services to the public via a more diverse group of firefighters than ever before. Those that rely on you to serve and lead them deserve a fire officer who can effectively evolve to meet their specific and unique needs while keeping what has historically made the fire service great.

Listening is harder than it looks - but it's the difference between business success and failure. Nothing causes bad decisions in organizations as often as poor listening. But Bernard Ferrari, adviser to some of the nation's most influential executives, believes that such missteps can be avoided and that the skills and habits of good listening can be developed and mastered. He offers a step-by-step process that will help you become an active listener, able to shape and focus any conversation.

Known as the Mojo Maker, Nikki Fogden-Moore specializes in working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and high achievers in creating the life they want. She divides her time between private coaching, corporate vitality, boardroom, and bespoke retreats, workshops, and presenting. With her vitality coach podcast downloaded in over 80 countries and the Monday Mojo blog going out globally, Nikki's mission is to inspire and empower high achievers to truly bring business and personal vitality to life.

Is success simply a matter of money and talent? Or is there another reason why some people and organizations always land on their feet, while others, equally talented, stumble again and again? There’s a fundamental principle at work—the vital but previously unexamined factor called confidence—that permits unexpected people to achieve high levels of performance through routines that activate talent. Confidence is the new theory and practice of success, explaining why success and failure are not mere episodes but self-perpetuating trajectories

No matter who you are, where you come from, what you do for a living, or how much money you have, everyone has a shot at greatness. Zack Friedman has inspired millions with his powerful insights, including more than fourteen million who have read his advice in Forbes. In his ground breaking new audiobook, The Lemonade Life, Friedman starts with a fundamental question: What drives success? It's not only hard work, talent, and skill. The most successful people have one thing in common, the power to flip five internal "switches".

The Art of Influence will make you think twice about everything you've ever learned about influence. As Chris Widener's inspiring story reveals, it's not something you "do" to other people but rather something that starts with how you shape and transform your own life.

Think about your five closest friends. Are they happy? Do they live their lives with purpose? Do you? We put on a fake front for what we want people to see and think about us, but the reality is most people aren’t happy. We’re lost. We settle. We aren’t happy with where we are. You can’t be happy if you don’t know your purpose. It’s not possible. You want more but you don’t even know where to start. You know there is more out there. You see others having success and you want it, too; there is nothing wrong with that. You just need help finding your purpose.

Why do some families thrive in adversity while others fragment? How can families weather difficult transitions together? Why do our families so often exasperate us? And how can even small changes greatly improve our relationships? In Every Family Has a Story, bestselling psychotherapist Julia Samuel turns from her acclaimed work with individuals to draw on her sessions with a wide variety of families, across multiple generations. Through eight beautifully told and insightful case studies, she analyzes a range of common issues—and how much can be healed when it is faced together.

In this inspiring guide to discovering a vocation that feeds your heart and soul, Askinosie describes his quest to discover more meaningful work - a search that led him to volunteering in the palliative care wing of a hospital, to a Trappist monastery where he became inspired by the monks' focus on "being" rather than "doing", and eventually traipsing through jungles across the globe in search of excellent cocoa bean farmers to make award-winning chocolate. Askinosie shares his hard-won insights into doing work that reflects one's values and purpose in life.

Addressing diverse issues depends on improving your soft skills - such as time management, team-building, communication and listening, creative-thinking, and problem-solving. But this isn’t as easy as it may seem. Sue Ashford has the solution. In this timely book, she introduces Flexing - a technique individuals, teams, and entire organizations can use to learn, grow, and develop their skills and knowledge with every new project, work assignment, and problem. Flexing empowers you to embrace any challenge and adapt to any change, yielding valuable takeaways that ensure growth.

Great leadership creates extraordinary things. Poor leadership causes irreparable damage. The result depends on the person in charge. While some are born with innate leadership ability, others have to develop those strengths. But every leader is responsible to consistently hone their leadership skills, for the sake of their people and their work. Author and MBA Billy Epperhart specializes in building great leaders from the inside out.

Improve your leadership skills - even if you aren't a "natural" communicator - with a specific communication strategy that anyone can use. Authors Matha and Boehm present research showing that all managers can improve performance by using the principles outlined in Beyond the Babble. They explore why communication is crucial, how and when to do it, how to embed it in an organization's culture, and how to measure results.

In 2003, Diane Tavenner cofounded the first school in what would soon become one of America’s most innovative public-school networks. Summit Public Schools has since won national recognition for its exceptional outcomes: Ninety-nine percent of students are accepted to a four-year college, and they graduate from college at twice the national average.

Everyone imagines top CEOs as larger-than-life figures who do things no one else could. But deep down every good business leader is an everyman who combines vision and high energy with the ability to connect with all types of people and learn from them

In a world with an endless hunger for innovation, why is it so hard to create audacious change? According to thought leader Seth Goldenberg, the answer to this question stems from how we, as a society, view questions themselves. In Radical Curiosity, Goldenberg argues that because we value knowing above learning and prioritize doing over thinking, curiosity has become an endangered species.

Before you can lead change, you must first learn to communicate effectively.Sync or Swim will help you: break through apathy and cynicism to inspire teamwork; empower and energize frustrated colleagues; and create an engaging work environment.