Recommended Resources – The Pause Principle

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The Pause Principle: Step Back to Lead Forward

by Kevin Cashman

About this Book

The Pause Principle: Step Back to Lead Forward by Kevin Cashman reveals to readers the secret to dealing with their insatiable compulsion to do more and more within any given day. Kevin shows that instead of simply doing more, professionals must learn to stop, reflect, and move forward in a deliberately different manner in order to achieve more. He goes on to provide the insights and tools for pausing to accomplish more in several key areas including:

  • Personal leadership
  • Employee development
  • Innovative culture

Each section is concluded with a summary of the ‘Pause Practices’ needed to excel in that area as well as a ‘Pause Point’ containing provocative questions for visioning the future you are seeking to achieve.

Benefits of Reading and Using this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors agree that today’s fast paced world compels professionals to act with a speed that limits deliberate consideration. Such restrictions heighten the risk of error, poor decisions, and deteriorating health. With the never ending push to do more with less, this condition is not likely to change soon.

The Pause Principle fills a gap within today’s leadership training. Seldom are leaders taught the value of and methods to slow down. Kevin provides actionable methods for professionals to constructively pause; using this time for valuable contemplation, innovation, and planning so to truly achieve more with less rather than at the expense of ones personal life and health.

To some extent, all professionals are decision-makers and quality decisions require deliberate contemplation. The Pause Principle reminds us of the importance of pausing so to apply the knowledge and experiences necessary for good decision-making – decision-making that leads to innovation and growth.

For its sound, immediately implementable actions promoting excellence by slowing down, The Pause Principle is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – Impatient Optimist

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Impatient Optimist: Bill Gates in His Own Words

edited by Lisa Rogak

About the Reference

Impatient Optimist edited by Lisa Rogak reveals Bill Gates’ core beliefs about business in a way no other author has been able to achieve… because these insights come directly from Bill Gates himself. Lisa’s book systematically covers a wide range of topics from ‘Addiction to Technology’ to ‘Relinquishing Control’, from ‘Streamlining Business Processes’ to ‘His Work Habits’, and ‘Hiring Employees’ to ‘Managing Employees’.

Throughout Impatient Optimist, three predominate themes are revealed:

  • the need to identify and understand any proposition’s return on investment
  • the value of maintaining the ‘big picture,’ and
  • the importance of family and of achieving an appropriate work-life balance.

Benefits of Using this Reference

StrategyDriven Contributors like Impatient Optimist because it reveals the intimate thoughts and beliefs of the man who is arguably the most successful business leader of all time but who is also one of the world’s greatest philanthropists. Many of Bill Gates’ approaches align well with the principles and philosophies we recommend business leaders adopt to further their organization’s success. While we recognize some may disagree with Bill Gates’ approach to certain circumstances – and on occasion we do too – all agree he is one of the great business leaders who continues to shape our modern world.

StrategyDriven Contributors appreciated the layout of Impatient Optimist, the organization of quotes around meaningful topic areas, the dating of each quote, and Bill Gates’ life story timeline provided at the end of the book. We found that knowing the setting and circumstances of the Bill Gates’ quotes provided insightful context from which to interpret them. As such, we recommend first-time readers review the ‘Milestones’ timeline presented at the end of the book first and refer to it often when reading individual quotes.

For it’s intimate portrayal of an American entrepreneurial icon, Impatient Optimist is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – The Complete Executive

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The Complete Executive: The 10-Step System for Great Leadership Performance

by Karen Wright

About the Book

The Complete Executive: The 10-Step System for Great Leadership Performance by Karen Wright provides actionable insights to developing the habits and practices necessary to succeed in high-level leadership positions. Karen organized her insights into ten topical collections covering:

  • Health and fitness
  • Life plan
  • Relationships
  • Being a leader
  • Business basics
  • Career plan
  • Network
  • Learning and growth
  • Fun and interests
  • Reflection

Taken together, these collections focus on helping senior leaders create for themselves a life that fully supports health, stamina, reputation, skills, and relationships.

The Complete Executive closes with a 100-point self-assessment that enables readers to discover the areas of development requiring the most attention.

Benefits of Reading and Using this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like The Complete Executive because of its immediately actionable recommendations to building ‘the whole executive.’ Whereas most books focus on just one aspect of leadership or restrict themselves to ‘the office,’ Karen goes beyond the confines of corporate life to address the wellbeing of the whole person. She recognizes that success does not begin or end within the office but is rather a result of the whole of a person’s life.

We found The Complete Executive to be an easy read; each insight accompanied by real world observations that highlighted the importance of the practice without being overly prescriptive or drawn out. As such, we believe Karen’s book would make a great compliment to any leadership development program, particularly one in which a key leadership principle is focused on each week.

The Complete Executive echoes many of the principles espoused by StrategyDriven and the StrategyDriven Professional websites; making it a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – The Oracle Speaks

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The Oracle Speaks: Warren Buffett In His Own Words

edited by David Andrews

About the Book

The Oracle Speaks: Warren Buffett In His Own Words edited by David Andrews reveals the life and business philosophies of one of the world’s most successful businessmen in a way no other book can… directly from the words of Warren Buffett himself. David’s book systematically covers a wide range of topics from ‘Investing’ to ‘Businesses’ and ‘Wealth and Taxes’ to ‘Life Lessons.’

Throughout The Oracle Speaks, several predominate themes are revealed:

  • Value people more than things
  • Stay with what you know and can understand
  • Focus on the big picture, the long-term rather than the immediate gratification of the here and now

Benefits of Reading the Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like The Oracle Speaks because it reveals the intimate thoughts and beliefs of a man who through his own intellect and hard work created one of the world’s most successful businesses. Readers will note that Warren Buffett’s assertions are commonly made from an investor’s frame of reference and do require some ‘translation’ to other situational applications. While we recognize that some may disagree with Warren Buffett’s approach to certain circumstances – and on occasion we do too – all can agree that he, more than many others, has had a profound impact on many of the largest, most revered companies.

StrategyDriven Contributors appreciated the layout of The Oracle Speaks, the organization of quotes around meaningful topic areas, the dating of each quote, and Warren Buffett’s life story timeline provided at the end of the book. We found that knowing the setting and circumstances of the Warren Buffet quotes provided insightful context from which to interpret them. As such, we recommend first-time readers review the ‘Milestones’ timeline presented at the end of the book first and refer to it often when reading individual quotes.

For it’s intimate portrayal of an American entrepreneurial icon, The Oracle Speaks is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resource – Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail

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Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail: Governance and Management Lessons from the Crisis

by Thomas Stanton

About the Book

Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail by Thomas Stanton examines the fundamental shortcomings of both public and private financial sector companies as revealed during America’s ‘Great Recession.’ Thomas focuses on the areas of management, organization, and governance; contrasting the shortcomings of companies that failed with the sound practices of comparable organizations fairing well during the economic downturn.

Thomas concludes his book by relating the financial sector’s lessons learned to businesses within other industries that have faced similarly significant challenges. The result is the revelation of sound risk management practices that can help ensure companies in any industry are prepared to recognize and effectively deal with crisis situations.

Benefits of Using this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail for its insightful examination of why some companies respond well to crisis while others simply fail. Thomas provides insight not only to the direct management, organization, and governance issues hindering crisis recognition and response but the far more elusive combinations of attributes from these three areas that stymie if not paralyze an organization. By applying the best practices presented, organization leaders can better position their organization to recognize the onset of significant challenges – key to effectively dealing with any crisis – and react in a timely manner so to prevent a catastrophic outcome. We particularly appreciated Thomas’s extension of his book’s principles to other industries including:

  • Petroleum industry
  • Mining industry
  • Natural gas distribution industry
  • Hospital / Medical industry
  • Government

This extension makes the book relevant to leaders of any organizational type.

StrategyDriven Contributors have written extensively on the topic of crisis management. We found Thomas’s principles to be highly consistent with and expounding to the crisis management best practices we endorse; making Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail a StrategyDriven recommended read.