Recommended Resources – Freakonomics

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StrategyDriven Recommended ResourcesFreakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Steven D. Levitt and
Stephen J. Dubner

About the Book

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner challenges conventional thinking by using economic analysis to uncover the underlying causes of everyday life events. Steven and Stephen reveal that economics is simply the study of incentives and that by understanding incentives one can reveal the hidden truth about why people behave as they do and the results consequently achieved. Freakonomics examines the commonly held myths surrounding:

  • Campaign finance
  • Cheating schoolteachers and sports players
  • Crime rates
  • Child-rearing

Why You Should Read This Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like Freakonomics for its logical approach to cause and effect analysis. Steven and Stephen examine problems from an unconventional viewpoint, unwilling to accept conventional wisdom as to why the world works as it does. Through their relentless pursuit of the truth, they expose many of society’s falsely held beliefs and reveal the incentivized behaviors driving the results we observe.

While sometimes controversial, Freakonomics represents the questioning attitude StrategyDriven promotes. Steven and Stephen push to find the highly quantified correlations between cause and effect necessary for sound decision-making. And although based on strong analytical principles, Freakonomics is written as a collection of easy-to-understand stories.

Freakonomics does not present a step-by-step method of performance improvement common to those books we typically recommend. However, it clearly conveys the importance of relentlessly asking those questions and performing those analyses necessary to gain an understanding of the true drivers of performance and is therefore a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – Little Red Book of Sales Answers

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StrategyDriven Recommended ResourcesLittle Red Book of Sales Answers: 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money
by Jeffrey Gitomer

About the Book

Little Red Book of Sales Answers by Jeffrey Gitomer addresses the questions all sales people ask, particularly those questions holding them back from making the sales and the money they should. Jeffrey’s 99.5 answers address:

  • Personal Improvement that Leads to Personal Growth
  • Prospecting for Golden Leads and Making Solid Appointments
  • How to Win the Sales Battle AND the Sales War
  • Sales Skill Building… One Brick at a Time
  • Building the Friendship. Building the Relationship. Earning the Referral. Earning the Testimonial. Earning the Reorder.
  • Building Your Personal Brand
  • The Final AHA!

Why You Should Read This Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like Little Red Book of Sales Answers for its practical, easy-to-implement actions that help expand one’s relationships and earn more sales. Jeffrey goes directly to the core of doubt many sales people harbor and provides them with the tools needed to create confidence and immediately improve sales performance.

Each of Jeffrey’s answers provides a step-by-step common sense approach to selling that anyone can implement. Truth be told, we at StrategyDriven have successfully implemented many of Jeffrey’s recommendations.

Little Red Book of Sales Answers actionably addresses sales persons’ questions and doubts; enabling them to achieve more for their clients, their organizations, and themselves. For its immediately actionable sales methods, Little Red Book of Sales Answers is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – The Strategist

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StrategyDriven Recommended ResourcesThe Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs
by Cynthia Montgomery

About the Book

The Strategist by Cynthia Montgomery challenges readers to ask “Am I a strategist?” and goes on to provide illustrated examples and insights into the skills and sensibilities all senior leaders must possess in order to guide their organization to ongoing growth and success. Cynthia presents the lessons learned from leading executives while teaching at the Harvard Business School. Within her book, Cynthia covers topics including:

  • Strategy & Leadership
  • Are you a strategist?
  • The Myth of the Super-Manager
  • Begin with Purpose
  • Turn Purpose into Reality
  • Own Your Strategy
  • Keep It Vibrant
  • The Essential Strategist

Why You Should Read This Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like The Strategist for its insights to a key skill every successful executive possesses. Cynthia brings readers a vast collection of experiences from hundreds of senior corporate leaders and well researched case history. Her concepts come to life through a myriad of detailed case studies like those the Harvard Business School is known for.

If we had one criticism of The Strategist it would be that the book is too academic, lacking the real-world insights only an author who has ‘been there’ can provide.

The Strategist conveys to readers the key skills and thought processes they need to succeed as organization leaders. It challenges the conventional, tactical thinking so many managers get locked into. For its executive-level insights and illustrative examples to the critical challenges faced by all organization leaders, The Strategist is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – The 4 Disciplines of Execution

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StrategyDriven Recommended ResourcesThe 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals
by Jerry Weissman

About the Book

The 4 Disciplines of Execution provides the steps needed to repeatably translate one’s business strategy into the day-to-day activities instrumental to realizing organizational goals. These disciplines include:

  • Focus on the Wildly Important – Give your best effort to those few goals that really matter instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals.
  • Act on the Lead Measures – Carefully track the lead measures and let the lag measures take care of themselves.
  • Keep a Compelling Scoreboard – Make sure everybody knows the score at all times so they can tell if they are winning or not.
  • Create a Cadence of Accountability – Hold frequent accountability sessions whose only purpose is to advance the Wildly Important Goals.

Benefits of Reading this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like The 4 Disciplines of Execution for its methodical, repeatable method of translating corporate strategy into the day-to-day actions of organization members. We appreciate the adaptation of the book’s principles to both an organization and team-level implementation.

Chris, Sean, and Jim richly present their concepts with detailed illustrations and examples; making the disciplines both easy to understand and readily implementable. The 4 Disciplines of Execution is remarkably well aligned with the foundational principles upon which StrategyDriven, its products and services, is based. For its actionable principles of strategy execution while promoting organizational alignment and accountability, The 4 Disciplines of Execution is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Leaving On Top

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David HeenanLeaving On Top: Graceful Exits for Leaders
by David Heenan

About the Reference

Leaving On Top by David Heenan examines the exits of large corporate C-level executives; identifying the several actions common to graceful departures. David shares ten lessons from successful transitions including:

  1. Know thyself
  2. Know thy situation
  3. Take risks
  4. Keep good company
  5. Check your ego at the door
  6. Keep learning
  7. Stage your exit
  8. Know when to walk away
  9. Know when to stay put
  10. Start now!

Why You Should Not Buy This Book

Leaving On Top is a niche book focused on large corporation CEOs and celebrities. David makes no effort to translate his departure lessons to fit small company or below CEO-level executives. Furthermore, Leaving On Top is largely a series of stories and does not get to its departure recommendations until Chapter 12. While these are worth considering, David should have presented his ten points up front and dedicated a chapter to each lesson; providing the reader with specific, actionable insights.

Leaving On Top is too niche in its focus and too shallow in its content for most readers. If you are a large corporate CEO, we suggest you read only Chapter 12, an executive summary, or, better yet, call some of your successful peers.