Great Books

Here are a few books that made an impression on me as an agilist, a coach, and a leader, and why. Perhaps they will make an impression on you too.


Being Agile

• Highlights the various facets and stakeholders of a transformation
• Arranges them in a useful roadmap

Getting past 'no'

• Practice how to negotiate
• Learn techniques for creating more value by expanding options

Good to great

• Superior company performance is a cultural habit
• Why you should help underperforming people find a new role or new employer without delay

How to measure anything

• Refine your estimation skills
• Assess the value of additional information
• There is no such thing as a completely unquantifiable untangible in business

Outliers

• Don't underestimate the value of a long sequence of tiny competitive edges
• Very few are just born with it. It's mostly hard work.

Predictably irrational

• Scientific evidence that humans aren't always rational
• Understand the importance of price on perception of value

Reinventing organizations

• Provides a useful framework for understanding predominant cultural traits of an organization
• Helps you craft a message that will resonate with different stakeholders
• Full of specific practices that reflect the 'teal' mindset

Seeing systems

• One's role in a traditional organization dictates a significant part of one's pressures
• Someone's behavior is greatly influenced by the environment, so don't take it personally

The goal

• Basic Lean principles explained as a story
• Explores some of the difficulties in change management
• An easy, entertaining read

The lean startup

• Which metrics are informative and which are merely comforting
• Why the Agile mindset applies to everyone in an organization

The principles of product development flow

• A detailed explanation of what is slowing your product development down
• Concrete advice for what to measure in your enterprise
• A serious read

The secrets of consulting

• How to be mindful of the other person's perspective and feelings when providing advice
• How to determine when you should and when you should not provide advice

Training from the back of the room

• Which techniques are effective in education, per neuroscience
• Loads of specific practices to enhance your training
• Seriously, don't give another training or seminar without reading this book