Work Motivation

According to Whyte, we humans are involved not just with one marriage with a significant other. We also have made secret vows to our work and unspoken vows to an inner, constantly developing self. Whyte's thesis is that to separate these marriages in order to balance them is to destroy the fabric of happiness itself; that in each of these marriages, will, effort, and hard work are overused, overrated, and in many ways self-defeating.

The traditional approach to career is failing us. Determine what you want to do with your life, it says, and methodically make your way toward that destination. We’re taught that once we get there, no matter how fraught and fatiguing the path is, we’ll find fulfillment. This is the 5-year plan, it’s setting the “right” goals, it’s one of the first questions we ask kids: what do you want to be when you grow up? The problem is this advice simply doesn’t work.

In The Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn illuminates the simple steps each of us can take to transform our own lives from the ordinary into the extraordinary. Through stories about Fred and others like him, Sanborn reveals four basic "how to" principles that will help us bring fresh energy and creativity to our life and work.

Bob Bowman, best known as the coach for the record-breaking run of Michael Phelps, is one of the most successful coaches in Olympic history. He is lauded for his intense personality, his incredible dedication to his athletes, and his ability to nurture talent in athletes who have the heart and drive to win. This is his motivational book about winning in all walks of life and what you have to do to get there. He presents 10 key concepts that all people should live by.

For over two decades, Spencer Johnson has been inspiring and entertaining millions with his simple yet insightful stories of work and life that speak directly to the heart and soul. The Present will help you focus on what will make you happy and successful in your work and in your personal life.

Networking has garnered a reputation as a sort of necessary evil in the modern business world. Some do relish the opportunity to boldly work the room, but for many others, the experience is often awkward, or even terrifying. The common networking advice for introverts are variations on the theme of overcoming or “fixing” their quiet tendencies. But Karen Wickre, a self-described introvert who has worked in Silicon Valley for 30 years, tells you to embrace your true nature to create sustainable connections that can be called upon for you to get career assistance, advice, introductions, and lasting connections.

If you listen to nothing else on performing at your highest level, listen to these ten articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you focus on what matters, manage your energy and attention, and achieve remarkable results. This book will inspire you to improve on your weaknesses, not just your strengths; rise above the pack; take care of your physical health for sustained mental performance; understand what motivates you; use short-term goals to achieve long-term aspirations; and inspire others.

Leadership coach, lawyer, photographer, and activist Karen Walrond knows that when you care deeply about the world, light can seem hard to find. But when your activism grows out of your joy - and vice versa - you begin to see light everywhere.

The New York Times best-selling author of The Power of Broke and "Shark" on ABC's hit show Shark Tank explores how grit, persistence, and good old-fashioned hard work are the backbone of every successful business and individual, and inspires listeners to Rise and Grind their way the top.

With 70 percent of our time spent at work, difficulties on the job can impact every facet of our lives. Contained in this book is not only technology to bring stability to the workplace, but the groundbreaking processes to return joy itself to all of life. Here is a book that does what you don't expect a book to do. It tells you how. It tells you the basis of things, and the most basic of things is life itself. This, then, is a book about life.

This book offers practical wisdom on discovering your true purpose, professionally and in life in general, in the form of a business fable by Jon Gordon, the best-selling author of The Energy Bus and Soup. Nobody captures the deeper meaning of business like Jon Gordon, and The Seed is his most searching and significant book yet. Whatever your profession, take this insightful look at the purpose behind work, and plant the seed of inspiration in your life!

Power is one of the most misunderstood - and therefore vilified - concepts in our society. Many assume power is predetermined by personality or wealth, or that it’s gained by strong-arming others. You might even write it off as “dirty” and want nothing to do with it. But by staying away from power, you give it up to someone else who may not have your best interest in mind. We must understand and use our power to have impact, and pioneering researchers Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro provide the playbook for doing so in Power, for All.

There are only two paths in life: average and awesome. The average path is easy because all you have to do is nothing. The awesome path is more challenging, because things like fear only bother you when you do work that matters. The good news is Start gives listeners practical, actionable insights to be more awesome, more often.

Employing his signature, immersive approach, Bruce Feiler is known for taking complex challenges and converting them into actionable steps that can help each of us live with more fulfillment and joy. From thousands of hours of interviews, Feiler has distilled a powerful new vision of work: The people who are happiest don’t chase someone else’s dreams; they chase their own. Freed from outdated scripts, they identify what brings them meaning and write their own story of success. The Search introduces an all-new toolkit for achieving that goal, 21 Questions to Find Work You Love.

Dear Work transforms traditional advice by using the power of brain science to show you how to boost your Work Vitality Quotient so you stand out, bringing your best, most energized self—without burning out.

We've long been told, "Put your head down, do good work, and eventually someone will notice you." But that limiting and diminishing advice doesn't hold up in the noise and pace of these transformative times. The reality is, no one cares about your future the way you do. If you want to achieve remarkable results, it's up to you to talk about your successes and accomplishments.

You don't have to be a #Girlboss or "lean in" to have a dream career and live a life you love. In Work It, CEO of Likeable Media and popular podcast host Carrie Kerpen shares her own career lessons as well as those from and an "advisory board" of 50 powerful women in a wide range of industries to help women everywhere make their aspirations a reality. Packed with actionable tips and stories from the likes of Sheryl Sandberg, Aliza Licht, and Reshma Saujani, this inspiring book reveals their counterintuitive secrets for success.

We've long been told our ability to succeed depends on our IQ, talent, education level, gender, job title, or when and where we were born. Great Work turns that conventional thinking on its head to reveal that innovation can come from anyone, anywhere.

In The Best Place to Work, award-winning psychologist Ron Friedman, Ph.D. uses the latest research from the fields of motivation, creativity, behavioral economics, neuroscience, and management to reveal what really makes us successful at work. Combining powerful stories with cutting edge findings, Friedman shows leaders at every level how they can use scientifically-proven techniques to promote smarter thinking, greater innovation, and stronger performance.

Today, even as so many of us spend hours in front of screens and in the virtual world, there is a growing movement that recognizes the power in the personal, the imperfect, the handmade. Eric Gorges, a metal shaper, taps into that hunger to get back to what's "real" through visits with the fellow artisans he has profiled for his popular public television program. In this book, he tells their stories and shares the collective wisdom of calligraphers, potters, stone carvers, glassblowers, engravers, wood workers, and more while celebrating the culture they've created.