Evergreen Leadership Blog

Leadership

Top Ten Books for Leaders

In Leadership is an Art, Max DePree tells us that “buying books is easy; owning them is not.” He goes on to explain that, “Good readers take possession of what they are learning by underlining and commenting and questioning. In this manner they ‘finish’ what they read.” He ends his introduction by saying: “You can read this book quickly; but I hope you cannot finish it quickly. It will be worth a lot more to you if you finish it, if you have truly made it your own book.”

DePree also shares that leadership is NOT learned by reading, alone – and I fully concur. But I also know that leaders who are thoughtful and open themselves to new ideas WHILE they get their hands dirty leading, grow into better and better leaders. My mantra is that LEADERS READ.

My list of top ten comes with a disclaimer – these are NOT for learning to manage or supervise. They are in my area of specialty: transformational leadership.

Read More »
Change

Top Ten Books for Organizational Change

We are all in throes of massive change – and the reality is that the pace and magnitude of change we are facing is only going to amplify. So having a basic grasp of how change works in organizations is important for us all. Warning: This list will not be for the faint of heart, so I’ll rate it on digestibility. Some will be suitable for all levels, and others for those who like to take a deep dive. And I am always looking for more here – so I’ll look forward to the books you recommend on this topic.

Read More »
Learning

Top Ten Books for Self Development

I often get asked what books I recommend for certain topics; so in this series, I’ll share my top 10 recommendations for books on: Organizational Change, Self Development, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship. I’ve culled through hundreds of books and selected those that I refer to over and over and over again. These are the ones that are dog-eared, stuffed with notes and Post-its.

My hope is that you’ll share the titles of the books that inspire and inform you… as it is not too late to put then on my wish list for Santa.

Read More »
Leadership

Leadership as an Amateur Sport

In almost all instances, success precedes promotion. And for most of us, we say yes because we feel, at some level, confident in our ability to tackle the new role in a proficient manner. And then we land the new job, take on the additional responsibility, strike out into new territory. And all that we knew in our last job is suddenly not enough.

As leaders are faced with this reality, they have two basic choices…

Read More »
Challenges

Why I Hate the Concept of Work-Life Balance

Perhaps not hate – but dislike strongly. I think the ideas that are perpetuated around the concept of “work-life balance” are hurtful rather than helpful. I think this illusion of balance creates angst rather than acuity. It perpetrates unrealistic, unhealthy, and unattainable thinking about how we live our lives.

Read More »
Challenges

Getting Comfortable with Conflict

I’ll admit it – I am an expert at knowing all the ways one can AVOID conflict. I grew up in a house where Mom and Dad never disagreed publicly, where parents spoke and children listened, where adults were always respected and one never talked back. That translated into discomfort around disagreement; space I inhabited for many years.

I have a very different view now…

Read More »

912 Days Later

I started in January of 2011 to crystallize what people who were successful in today’s unprecedented environment were doing. I tapped into my experience consulting with lots of leaders across many industries. I reflected on my own life and what worked and what didn’t.

And I started writing – and writing – and writing. And then editing and honing and testing.

And the result is the Evergreen Leadership Library, a set of 10 eBooks that are available here.

And if you are seeking to effect positive change – at work or home, personally or professionally, they might be for you.

Read More »

What Do Leaders DO All Day Long?

They may not have specific tasks or deliverables. They may have a nicer office, an assistant and a group of people at their bidding. There is no production board, no productivity targets, no product stacked neatly on a skid at the end of a day. We all scratch our heads sometime. What does a leader do?

Read More »

Stay up-to-date on the latest Evergreen news.

Fill out the form to receive the Evergreen Leadership newsletter and be notified about new blogs.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Categories
Evergreen Leadership