I just wrapped up four books over the last couple weeks:

1. The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink - It's an extension of Extreme Ownership and takes a deeper dive into some of the flaws and larger challenges since the first book. My biggest takeaway from this book was the difference between a leader and a follower, or, in fact, the role of being both in being a good leader. The authors emphasize the need for leaders to step aside for others on their team to lead and accept that you don't have to have all the answers to make your team successful and really you shouldn't have all the answer.

2. Developing the leaders around you by John Maxwell - Following his book on Developing the leader within you, this book focuses on discovering and empowering others to be great leaders. My biggest takeaway was a quote from chapter 3: The only thing worse than learning from mistakes is not learning from mistakes.

3. Bluefishing by Steve Sims - Super fun book about making S*** happen and the power of trying, failing, and trying again as well as thinking big. My biggest takeaway was chapter 12 on the art of delegation and how important it is for YOUR personal growth to be able to delegate effectively.

4. Unleashed by Frances Frei - A book about being a strong leader and building a team or a company that can lead and be empowered. My biggest takeaway was during chapter 4 on the power of building Belonging at your organization and how the smallest tweaks in helping others feel included will drive significant value for others. The example they shared was changing the structure of a single meeting to include all members vs those who speak up and it made a HUGE difference in collaboration and ideation.

Kaitlyn Petro Bernie Mitchell Lex Russell Kaitlyn Pintarich Antonio Escudero Betsy Francoeur Erica Rulevish Craig Daniels Pamela Pierce Vanessa Sammut what have y'all been reading lately??

I just finished reading Emotional Agility by Susan David. It's a unique book that talks about the importance of letting yourself fully experience your emotions, but not allowing them to take over your life. Instead, it talks through different strategies you can try to better gain control over your emotions which, in turn, leads to increased personal and professional fulfillment.

I just started diving into Make the Noise Go Away by Larry G. Linne. It's a book written for second-in-commands (COOs, operational leaders, etc.) to help them better understand how they can help relieve first-in-commands (CEOs, managing directors, etc.) of all the worries and concerns that may crop up so that their job can be more enjoyable and successful. It includes implementing tactics like maintaining upward communication, setting priorities, and practicing effective problem solving.

Next up on my list is Ruthless Consistency by Michael Canic!

I'm currently reading, "The Paradox of Choice" by Barry Schwartz AND "Buyology" by Martin Lindstrom