Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008 - (Page 14)

OFF THE SHELF Leadership: Achieving Life-Changing Success from Within by Sergeant Major Alford L. McMichael, USMC, Ret. Threshold Editions, $24, 184 pages Many military leaders have translated and re-packaged the knowledge and experience gained in the service for the civilian marketplace. The connections are obvious: Values such as teamwork, discipline, and focus characterize both a successful company and a successful military campaign. McMichael’s message isn’t much different from other soldiers turned authors, but there’s a twist; he was the 14th Sergeant Major of the U.S. Marine Corps (1999-2003), the senior enlisted member of the Marines, and the first Black to hold the position. In Leadership, he distills life lessons gleaned from his upbringing by his mother and grandmother in Hot Springs, AR, as well as from his military career. McMichael stresses the need for setting high standards, planning and prioritizing, and empowering subordinates, among other general guidelines for success. Leadership Gold: Lessons I’ve Learned from a Lifetime of Leading by John C. Maxwell Thomas Nelson, $25.99, 256 pages Maxwell has made the study of leadership – what it is, how it works, and what separates outstanding leaders from the rest -- his life’s calling. His books own their own real estate in major bookstores, and he’s done countless seminars and consultancies over the past 30-plus years. This volume is packaged like a greatest-hits summation of some of his key points. His 26 lessons often bear provocative titles like “Never Work a Day in Your Life,” which really means, “Do what you enjoy.” Other titles are more direct, like “Defining Moments Define Your Leadership.” The book is full of examples and anecdotes, and each chapter contains some exercises to help apply his lessons. Maxwell imparts practical insight that speaks clearly to any level of management. Total Leadership by Stewart D. Friedman Harvard Business Press, $25.95, 272 pages While a business professor at the Wharton School in the ‘80s, Friedman became a father, and then had an epiphany: The personal aspects of one’s life directly affect success and happiness on the job. He proceeded to run with this ball through additional teaching and business consulting, ending up with a package he named “Total Leadership,” with the goal of improving business results by enriching lives. Friedman’s central idea is the “four-way win:” action that strives for achievement and balance in work, family, community, and personal life. He makes it sound strikingly simple: be real (act with authenticity), be whole (act with integrity), and be innovative (act with creativity). But this is hardly a simple-minded text, although it is accessibly written and laden with examples from the lives and careers of many of his previous Total Leadership students. More than two dozen guided exercises lead readers through various inner examinations and inventories. Not all his ideas are brand new, but his approach reveals fresh thinking on work-life balance, and speaks intimately to contemporary professionals juggling multiple challenges on and off the clock. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith Hyperion, $23.95, 236 pages For Goldsmith, ‘get over yourself” isn’t just snarky teen-speak. It’s serious advice. His audience here is the mid-career aspirant who may not realize that some bad interpersonal, “transactional” habits in business relationships are blocking future opportunities and success. His remedy in the book is two-fold: He breaks down the bad habits (things such as responding in anger, poor listening skills, and needing to prove superiority) and encourages readers to look inside themselves for them. He then provides some simple concepts to build more productive behaviors. Central to his approach is the constructive use of feedback, both as a learning tool and a way to reinforce positive change. Some of his suggestions resemble 12-step program planks, such as publicly owning up to negative actions. Readers who follow Goldsmith’s approach will find themselves on a continually evolving cycle of action, evaluation, and response, all heading towards ensuring healthy, productive, relationships in professional environments. 14 w w w. d ive r s it y mb a ma g a z in e. c o m http://www.diversitymbamagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008

Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008 Contents Letters to the Editor In Your Own Hands Editor's View Find Your Power Voice Business Briefs Off the Shelf The Fourth Annual Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Corporate Executives Negotiation: The Art of Persuasion or Zero Sum Game? Career Planning for Tomorrow's Hispanic Workforce Who's Who In Diversity Entrepreneur Profile: Anita Santiago: Doing It Her Way Businesses that Keep On Giving Rising Sun Going Global: Will An International Assignment Benefit Your Career Work-Life Balance and the C-Suite: An Oxymoron? A Call to Save Travel: Off the Beaten Path - Chile Drawing the Line – Latin Art Exhibit The New Taste of Latin Cuisine American Sabor: Exhibit Highlights Latino Influence in Pop Music Crafting Specialized Business Degrees Latest MBA Salary Suggests MBA Is A Safe Haven Gadgets & Gizmos Gone Phishing – How Scammers Mine Private Data From Web Surfers Advertiser's Index The Meaning of Sanctuary

Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.