Association Leadership - November/December 2007 - (Page 29)

between the covers “What counts, in the long run, is not what you read; it is what you sift through your own mind; it is the ideas and impressions that are aroused in you by your reading.” – Eleanor Roosevelt By Keitha Hatfield Director of Member Services, Texas Association for Home Care HOW: WHY HOW WE DO ANYTHING MEANS EVERYTHING IN BUSINESS (AND IN LIFE) Dov Seidman Wiley (2007), 352 Pages Ever wonder how the “wave” became common in sports stadiums? How did it begin? How did fans get inspired, section by section, to stand up, throw their hands in the air and cheer? How did it catch on in sporting arenas around the world? Starting with the story of the wave’s invention, “How” explores the nature of leadership in the Information Age. In the book, author Seidman looks at how leaders connect with others, how they establish trust and how they shape values. In the past, land ownership or control of resources were the ways to wealth. Today, instead of hoarding land or assets, wealth is generated by those who best learn to share information. In illustrating his point, Seidman cites Google’s mission, “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Seidman concludes that the challenge for today’s leader is not to amass resources, but to present information easily and attractively to customers. In his words, “Command and control has given way to connect and collaborate.” * The contrast between quitting and failing (page 63) * Questions to ask before quitting (pages 66-71). As a marketing guru, Godin has a penchant for developing trendsetting ideas. He writes as a storyteller rather than an academic, and “The Dip” draws more from appealing illustrations than concrete research. In writing “The Dip,” Godin helps his readers clarify when to quit and when to press forward tenaciously. He encourages leaders to discern what their destination will be on the other side of The Dip. WHAT GOT YOU HERE WON’T GET YOU THERE: HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE BECOME EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL Marshall Goldsmith Hyperion (2007), 256 Pages In recent leadership literature, much has been written on the importance of focusing on strengths. And justiﬁably so. It’s futile to ﬁght against our inborn personalities and unwise to overemphasize improvement of our technical weaknesses. We earn the greatest return by investing in our areas of strength. However, one class of weaknesses cannot be ignored – interpersonal weaknesses. Relational ﬂaws are the chink in the armor of the strongest leader. Debilitating behavioral deﬁciencies can strip a leader of his or her respect and effectiveness. In “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There,” Goldsmith describes 20 toxic interpersonal habits which wreak havoc on a leader’s workplace relationships. Goldsmith brilliantly wraps a depth of wisdom in uncomplicated language, and he appeals to his readers to take action by setting out plain, logical steps toward stopping bad interpersonal behavior. Throughout the book, Goldsmith’s writing style captures profound concepts with ease and simplicity. Ironically, the natural qualities that propelled a successful leader to the top may be responsible for holding him or her back from greatness. In chapter three: “The Success Delusion or Why We Resist Change,” Goldsmith sheds light on the inhibiting side-effects of successful personalities. This chapter lays the framework for the book with its penetrating look into the psyche of successful leaders. After reading “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There,” it’s no wonder why Goldsmith holds a reputation as one of the most inﬂuential minds in modern-day leadership. He has a rare skill for distilling wisdom into simple, applicable advice. The book delivers accessible content and sounds a call for simple but pivotal behavioral changes. ◆ November/December 2007 | Association LEADERSHIP 29 THE DIP: A LITTLE BOOK THAT TEACHES YOU WHEN TO QUIT (AND WHEN TO STICK) Seth Godin Penguin Books (2007), 80 Pages Godin’s conception of “The Dip” is a place of resistance. It’s the point in the journey where people are most likely to quit. It’s an obstacle causing the majority of contestants to give up. “The Dip,” Godin writes, “is the long slog between starting and mastery.” The Dip is the inglorious and often difﬁcult process of attainment. Along life’s path, “The Dip” weeds out competitors, separating the winners from the losers. As Godin writes, “The people who set out to make it through the Dip – the people who invest the time and the energy and the effort to power through the Dip – those are the ones who become the best in the world.” Yet, the ones who make it through The Dip are rare. Most give up. By forcing so many people to quit, The Dip creates scarcity. The Dip thins the ranks until only the best remain. The Dip is a short book, only 80 pages and a speedy read, but for those looking to hit the highlights, the following areas are of note: * What it means to be the best in the world (pages 10-12) * The Dip deﬁned (pages 16-19)

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - November/December 2007

Association Leadership - November/December 2007 Contents Chairman’s Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions TSAE Annual Meeting and Educational Conference Award Winners Event Sponsors Conference Highlights Adaptability During Difficult Times/Reinvented Associations 7 Measures of Success: Organizational Adaptability Crisis Calling Association Case Study: Who is Minding the Store – External Factors Between the Covers New Members Community Spotlight El Paso Index to Advertisers/Advertisers.com Board of Directors

Association Leadership - November/December 2007

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