Books

How do you become a linchpin? The first steps are selflessly giving people your time and energy, developing new talents, creating opportunities, and consistently delivering on your promises. Learn how to prevent your “lizard brain” from ruining your chances at success by always putting your best foot forward in your workplace.

What is the key to ongoing business success? Simple things like service, ethics, being invaluable, and focusing on processes will lead your organization to triumph. Because modern workplaces put so much emphasis on results, we sometimes forget to look at the process. This leads to lower expectations.

Honest communication, hard work, and constant searching for opportunities led the co-founder of Home Depot to success. Capitalism rewards individuals who innovate and work hard. Impress those you do business with by under-promising and over-delivering while remembering that your customer’s needs are the top priority.

Master the four phases of business in “How to Blog for Profit.” Getting started is about focusing on the right things. Growing your blog is about being found online, growing your audience, and monetizing. Building is about shifting from blogger to entrepreneur and creating products for your audience.

It is no secret that great leadership can make a company great. However, there are a few differences between good companies and great companies that go beyond leadership. Ask lots of questions about what your company can do best, introduce new technologies, and create sustainable growth systems to name a few.

Flex teaches managers how to communicate in order to better lead and leverage diversity for greater innovation. Effective communication can only happen when leaders set personal judgements and assumptions aside. Catalyze your leadership style by learning to acknowledge that your employees, peers, and supervisors build trust in different ways.

If you frequently find yourself losing focus, you may be trying to please too many people at once. Instead of investing resources and energy into tasks that do not matter, narrow your focus only to what is essential. Essentialism is more than a principle -- it is a way of life that means living by design.

Combining creative thinking with scientific observation, recording, and feedback loops can solve some of the most complex problems in the workplace. George Lucas’ role in the digital revolution of arts, entertainment, and academia is discussed, and you will learn about the best way to manage in a creative organization.

Word-of-mouth publicity is still king. Contagious illustrates how you can create an impact using immense word-of-mouth publicity that grabs consumer interest. Discover six elements to make your brand so contagious that all your customers will share it with their networks. Your brand will be shamelessly imitated by your competitors.

Understanding why customers choose your company’s products is the first step in creating products that customers will want to buy regardless of cost. This book will teach you about the “job to be done” approach and how it can help you in everyday life. Clearly defining your questions, business, and competition are three ways to get started.

Built to Sell is filled with advice on the best way to package your company to sell. This book will not only teach you how to receive a more desirable valuation, but also how to position products to sell. If your organization is in the service industry, you will learn how to package services as products.

Use the Blue Ocean Strategy to innovate beyond competition. Begin by doing research: observe your target market’s reactions and behavior. Then, identify market gaps to create uncontested market space in your sector. Create true value for your customers by increasing differentiation and minimizing cost.

Explore the road to success with Jean Case, National Geographic’s Chairperson. Her rules are simple: gamble on big moves, take risks, be unafraid of failure, look for partners in unlikely circumstances, and welcome urgency. Embrace your fear as a driving force as you embark on your journey to success.

“Badass Your Brand” shows you a proven system to make a profitable business out of something you already love doing. Repurpose and repackage your offerings if there are any processes that do not make money or that you do not enjoy. Shifting your mindset from being a service provider to an expert is one way to start making that happen.

We live in a complex world filled with confusion. Fragile businesses fail in times of uncertainty because they are volatile. Antifragile companies gain more capacity when under stress. Success and failure serve as important feedback loops. Learn about systems that thrive in chaos and how you can help your company be more antifragile.

Strong branding is vital to stick out and stand above your competition. Higher sales, greater profits, and increased employee loyalty are all consequences of effective branding. Get your brand stuck in your customers’ brains through constant innovation and by always delivering end-results beyond expectations.

Can working less actually lead to increased productivity and higher income? Tim Ferriss shares his company’s experiences and shows how starting an automated online business can lead to this success. Some ways to be successful include defining your goals, testing ideas inexpensively, and automating systems.