The following is our “Canon” of books when it comes to building flourishing organizations. There are many more that we love, but these are at the core of our approach and philosophy.
“We live in a world created by our questions.” Ai is a process for change that moves away from “deficit” based thinking to strengths, abundance, and building a better future. This philosophy undergirds the way we approach all of our work.
Helping our clients understand their strategic flywheel and focus on building momentum is a force multiplier and a powerful secret behind great strategy.
This book provides a blueprint for scaling an organization.
This book changed our view of what marketing really is: sharing your values in public and writing the narrative.
A classic in strategic planning literature for a reason, Blue Ocean Strategy provides a framework for innovating and standing out in meaningful ways in a world that’s crowded with competition.
This book outlines the 8 stages that every buyer goes through, and how to effectively guide your customers through the journey at each stage.
Do the Work is an all-time favorite playbook for how to overcome Resistance and getting things done.
Bob Moesta helps us understand your buyers so deeply that they “pull” you along instead of the other way around. Bob was a colleague of Clayton Christenson and together they developed the Jobs To Be Done theory, which we firmly believe in.
“Winning the mental game of life.” It’s a profound book that will make you a better leader, spouse, parent, athlete, and student.
“Great leaders move us to positive action, and emotions are contagious.” Those are the two most powerful ideas from this book. EQ is more powerful than IQ when it comes to leadership and positive influence.
Understanding the driving forces behind positive change helps us lead with compassion and undestanding for those we are helping. This leads to real and lasting change.
Bob Stiller offers an inspiring blueprint for personal and professional growth, drawn from the principles that helped him build Green Mountain Coffee into a billion-dollar company. Through engaging stories and actionable insights, Stiller explores how embracing a mindset of continuous improvement and mindfulness can transform not only businesses but also individual lives. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to achieve their highest potential while fostering a meaningful, purpose-driven life.
This classic remains at the bedrock of our philosophy around building healthy and thriving teams.
Alfie Kohn turns our assumptions about reward and punishment on their heads and in the process makes us re-think every aspect of incentive-based programs. It’s a must-read.
The Healing Organization gives a vision for building organizations of profoundly positive influence. Each story is not only inspiring, it’s a playbook for how to re-imagine our approach to business and building organizations.
Rumelt demonstrates how most of what we call “strategy” is actually poor strategy and leads to ineffective results. More importantly, he shows us how to practice effective strategy.
Daniel Coyle’s study of team culture should be a must read for every manager or aspiring manager.
There are many johnny-come-lately frameworks for running your business and scaling, but Growing Pains is the O.G.
Though written for any audience, this is truly a book about subtle self-deception and how it interferes with our relationships and our positive influence on those around us.
There’s no better modern day text that helps us understand that work is a holy calling, and our vocation has a very real part to play in God’s grand design of restoring all things to Himself. A must read for any believer who aspires to more fully integrate their work with their faith.
The Emotionally Healthy Leader is a fantastic complement to “Leadership and Self Deception” and is equally as convicting and inspiring towards a more humane and Godly approach to leadership.
Unreasonable Hospitality shares the inspiring story of how Will Guidara and his team built the number one restaurant in the world. More than that, it demonstrates beautifully the power of people on fire for a purpose, bringing together culture, creativity, and radical service.
After reading The Power of Moments, you’ll start to see missed opportunities in every aspect of your business from the first day a new hire starts, to the launch of a new customer relationship or the completion of a crucial client project. These opportunities to create moments will help you stand out and make a profound impact on those you serve.
Kevin Ashton demonstrates, through inspiring story, that creativity is not something you’re born with but rather a process that each of us can participate in. This is the best book that no one has ever heard of.
Wonderful foundational text on what actually makes humans flourish, Seligman’s classic is so in line with our philosophy and approach we just had to include it in our Canon.
We love this book because Friedman challenges our notions of leadership and provides a new vision of what real leadership looks like – and it’s not what you think!
