Blog Archives
Coachability: The Leadership Superpower
In “Coachability: The Leadership Superpower,” esteemed author Kevin D. Wilde provides a captivating exploration of leadership, coachability, and the secrets to outpacing the competition. Utilizing realistic scenarios to illustrate the significance of exceptional leadership in any context, Wilde offers readers an intimate glimpse into his life and the essence of the book as he introduces each topic.
Wilde’s authenticity shines throughout his writing, as he candidly shares not only his accomplishments but also his own missteps and imperfections. The book is structured in two primary sections: the first establishes the concept of coachability and its vital importance, while the second delves into the art of becoming a highly coachable leader.
Readers will be enthralled by the invaluable strategies imparted by Wilde, the insights gleaned from thorough research, and the compelling stories of various leaders featured in the book. With seven distinct strategies presented across the chapters, Wilde demonstrates how highly coachable leaders can capitalize on these approaches, making them particularly useful for those aspiring to leadership roles.
“Coachability: The Leadership Superpower” comprises seven well-crafted chapters, each elucidating different facets of coachability with utmost clarity. Chapter two stands out as particularly impactful, as Wilde expounds upon the transformative powers of coachability. This essential chapter guides readers through the often unfamiliar territory of coachability, providing a unique perspective that every aspiring leader should experience.
Wilde’s open-mindedness and expertise are evident as he introduces new concepts to readers, taking care to explain any specialized vocabulary or technical jargon. Through “Coachability: The Leadership Superpower,” readers will gain an understanding of how to seamlessly ascend the career ladder and effectively engage with a diverse array of individuals and groups.
The exceptional clarity and distinctiveness of Wilde’s writing make “Coachability: The Leadership Superpower” an especially enjoyable read. By imparting insights on navigating one’s career trajectory and building fruitful relationships with diverse individuals and organizations, this book proves to be an invaluable resource. Highly recommended for those seeking guidance on coaching and leadership, “Coachability: The Leadership Superpower” offers a comprehensive, all-encompassing approach to these crucial topics, ensuring that readers can easily grasp and internalize the key messages presented.
Pages: 162 | ASIN: B0BLT722YQ
Lifeline to a Soul
Lifeline to a Soul is an inspiring autobiographical account of John K. McLaughlin’s journey as an entrepreneur turned teacher. From his humble beginnings to his successful ventures in the business world, the author shares his experiences and lessons learned, culminating in his decision to become a teacher in a prison.
Through engaging prose, McLaughlin provides a vivid depiction of life in prison, sharing anecdotes about the incarcerated individuals he encountered. His unique perspective sheds light on the prison system, offering key information that many may not be aware of. He also provides insight into the harsh realities that prisoners endure, making this book a valuable resource for those interested in understanding the criminal justice system. More importantly, Lifeline to a Soul serves as a source of encouragement for anyone who has experienced setbacks, regardless of the cause. The author’s dedication to those who have broken the law and learned from their experiences sets the tone for the book, emphasizing its deeper purpose beyond simply recounting McLaughlin’s life story. The heart of the book lies in McLaughlin’s experiences as a teacher in a prison, where he imparted valuable life lessons to his students. Through their stories, he showcases the resilience and determination of those who have been able to overcome their circumstances and achieve great things.
Overall, Lifeline to a Soul is a refreshing departure from typical entrepreneurial books, offering a unique perspective on life and success. It is a must-read for anyone looking for inspiration and encouragement, regardless of their personal or professional circumstances.
Pages: 237 | ASIN: B0BX4ZVSF7
A Climate Think Tank
Plan to Save the Planet explains to readers how we can resolve climate change at the lowest cost and in a way that is politically feasible to save the planet. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I am the director of a climate think tank, and this book summarizes our research.
How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?
This book summarizes 3 years of research. I managed and sponsored 25 university researchers to help produce this material.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about decarbonization?
People, cities, states and companies rarely have the physical ability to decarbonize at lowest cost. For that, one needs power companies to build more solar farms and more wind farms.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
Little progress will be made unless federal law requires decarbonization at lowest cost.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
The easiest solution is a federal law that requires decarbonization at the lowest cost over 30 years, with additional costs passed onto consumers. If applied to the U.S., this would cost each American $20 in year #1, $40 in year #2, $60 in year #3, etc.
The world’s current economic decarbonization strategy is to encourage individuals, companies, cities, and regions to reduce CO2 emissions. However, they rarely have the physical ability to do so at the lowest cost. Instead, we should task power companies with decarbonizing at massive scales and at the lowest cost.
Decarbonization policy in the U.S. is controlled by a political coalition of environmentalists, labor unions, and the automobile industry. Unfortunately, labor and auto must focus on their own financial interests, and not getting to zero at the lowest cost. To do the latter, one would need a political coalition that benefits. For example, regions that import carbon-based fuels benefit from lowest-cost decarbonization in two ways: (a) they gain local green jobs while carbon jobs are lost elsewhere, and (b) they save money when decarbonization causes fuel price to drop, due to less fuel consumption.
The cherry on top of our climate solutions sundae is a new R&D laboratory that further reduces decarbonization costs.
To read the first 4 chapters for free, or watch a 10 minute TED talk that summarizes the book, visit APlanToSaveThePlanet.org
Think Like A Kind Spider
What inspired you to write this informative web marketing book, Be a Spider, Build a Web: Sticky Content Marketing for Small Businesses?
I’ve worked with hundreds of small businesses and wanted to give as many people as possible a low cost, accessible map to help their business.
The book started as a full day training event I still run called “MAP IT” where I take small business owners through a marketing action plan.
Over the course of this I developed the analogy of “think like a kind spider” and it grew from there.
I appreciated the frank nature with which you told your story and shared some of the mistakes you made. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
I am more used to it now but writing about my own failure especially when it came to growing then shrinking our team was tough.
First – we had to let people go and that still smarts. I still feel sad about that.
Second – there’s always a fear that people will judge you on your failings and I had to push through that to tell the best story – what we found on the other side of that.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
- Trust is the most important marketing weapon
- Really knowing your values changes everything
- You need to build out the right ‘sticky content web’ for you and then trust the process and be patient. ( there is that trust word again!)
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were starting out in the business world?
Price right from the start as if you’ll one day hire someone to do the same work. Pricing structure and profitability can make or break your business as you grow.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
You’ll learn:
Why you need a trust bridge
How to identify your content anchors
How to narrow your message
How to create a content plan
Why you need different types of content
How to build your own content web
And you’ll experience growth, more sales, and success as you learn and apply the framework to your small business.
About the Author
For over ten years Rachel Klaver has worked with small business owners on their marketing, with a specific interest in content marketing strategy. As a small business owner, often low on time, and with a distinct aversion to admin, Rachel loves helping other small businesses catch the marketing bug. Her insights and personality shine through her weekly podcast MAP IT Marketing, her weekly column in Stuff and her content on any platform they let her have an account!
That Sucked. Now What?
That Sucked. Now What? by Dr. Neeta Bhushan is a journey of resilience, hope, and renewed faith in life. The author reassures her readers that it’s okay to hit rock bottom, as life is no walk in the park, and we all face challenges. She offers warmth in her words, and there is inspiration and passion in her tone. It’s the type of book that will engross readers within the first few pages.
The book centers around the author’s very eventful life, beginning with her childhood, where she grew up in a loving home, the experience of tragic loss, and embarking on a career, marriage, and a path to wellness. It’s a perfectly written book, where every story and experience becomes a valuable lesson shared by the author in a gentle manner. As an individual who endured loss, Dr. Neeta Bhushan is an exceptional storyteller who does an exceptional job of weaving memories and reflections on life with personal experiences.
While the author doesn’t dwell on hypothetical situations, she shares anecdotal experiences and realities. When she discusses tragedy, the author shares helpful tips on how to overcome difficult situations and achieve success and uplifting words to instill renewed confidence in the reader. I found the balance of topics discussed by the author done in a balanced way so as not to lean too heavily on tragic experiences but just enough to guide readers through helpful, practical advice. Dr. Neeta Bhushan’s writing style is excellent.
I found the book resourceful and gained a lot from the author’s lessons and how people can embrace life, despite difficult situations, including tragedy. The author brilliantly shares how you can get yourself out of misery and rise again to a satisfying life. While not all the stories are relatable to everyone, the author has a way of conveying a message that will give readers an understanding where she is coming from and concepts that a wider audience can digest, such as privilege versus entitlement.
That Sucked. Now What? by Dr. Neeta Bhushan is an exceptional read. It’s a fantastic book that gives readers a sense of empowerment over past traumatic experiences and how to overcome these situations with impressive results. I strongly recommend this book.
Pages 288 | ASIN B0B4ZF99PS
The Irrelevant Old Brand
In The Irrelevant Old Brand, J. W. Huebner shares tips on running a business, staying relevant, and maintaining the top position. The author has tips for everyone, whether small, medium-sized, or large businesses. J. W. Huebner has demonstrated his experience in branding and marketing, and through his work, one can conclude that he is an expert in the industry. The advice the author gives, the examples he writes about, the challenges he discusses, and the solutions he offers all apply to business owners and individuals in entrepreneurship.
The book follows the story of a fictional company and its CEO Bob. The narration and flow of the story are impressive; it almost feels real. J. W.’s creative writing skills are revealed through the story of Bob. In the tale, Bob owns a manufacturing company which at some point starts becoming irrelevant, as almost every department of the company is dying. The sales numbers were not looking good, margins shrunk, and the company was also having problems with the bank, among other issues. Bob was in a difficult place and a miserable phase in his life. So, what to do? Enter Peter, a consultant who is good at his job. From the story, every company needs a Peter as he is the man that can bring back to life a company that is considered dying.
The fictional story helps the reader better understand what J. W. Huebner is talking about. In addition, the story of Bob helps give perspective and even makes the discussion more relatable. Having a tale to help the reader comprehend what the author wrote about was intentional and a significant element in The Irrelevant Old Brand.
This book has a different appeal from other books that discuss branding and marketing. The author’s narration style, his breaking down of technical terms, and the inclusion of real-life happenings are commendable. In addition, J. W. Huebner knows how to relate with his readers and further engage them on various topics.
The Irrelevant Old Brand: A Business Fable about Taking Your Brand from Mediocre to Must Have is a short book full of gems. This educational book has multiple lessons on entrepreneurship and running a company. The most crucial lessons I learned were customer relations, brand positioning, financial planning, value addition, marketing, employer-employee relations, cutting costs, and other important subjects. By the end of the reading, you will have learned how to switch from being a dull brand to standing out among your peers in the market.
Pages: 188 | ASIN : B0BGJPNTK8
I Learned The Hard Way
Pay The Price provides practical advice and wisdom readers will need to find entrepreneurial success through any setbacks. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I thought my business was a no-brainer. I had done all the research, the training. Identified the market need. Launched it straight after business school. But after 10 years of slugging it out without a single pay check and enduring all sorts of challenges from near bankruptcy, humiliating chronic illness, 2 car crashes where the cars were so damaged they had to be written off, moral failure and losing 2 members of my close family, I was on the brink of giving up and sticking to my 9-5 job. But I didn’t, and after a decade, I signed my very first million dollar deal. It turns out that 90% of entrepreneurs face the same challenges but end up giving up too soon. And I felt an indescribable pain every time I walked past a closed small business, or read another story of a business going bankrupt, or met another failed entrepreneur. It sounds like a cliché but I felt deep down I had to do something about it, and this book is a result of that pain, that feeling, that ‘’calling”.
What is one trait that you think any successful entrepreneur must possess?
Resilience. If you believe in your honeymoon period, i.e your dream, your purpose and your passion, success does not come automatically. You need to have the grit, the diehard attitude to stick it out. As I say in the book, its crucial to stick with it if you believe in it.
What is one thing about entrepreneurship that you learned the hard way and how can others do it differently?
The one thing I learned the hard way? Pain. Its inevitable. I dedicated almost a quarter of the book talking about it – even to the extent of devising a brand new Pain Response Model. In that model, I show that there is a part of pain you can minimize or completely eradicate to make the journey a bit easier, to make the price to pay a bit cheaper – the pain of self-sabotage, what I call Red Flag Pain in the book. This is so simple, so ”common-sensicall” that it hardly needs saying. But it’s the one thing that trips up so many entrepreneurs even after they have succeeded. You need to know what yours is, be self-aware and take drastic steps to kill its growth before it kills you and your business in the end. My path to success would have been much smoother, but then I may not have had the ammunition to write this book!!
What research did you undertake to complete your book?
I researched using literally hundreds of books and academic papers, first hand interviews with entrepreneurs across the world, top rated podcasts, my own journals, social media feeds, and articles from dozens reputable websites such as the BBC.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | LinkedIn
Starting a business is tough. It’s even tougher building one with strong ethical foundations. Up to 90 percent of UK and US startups fail by the 10th year. This trend is even worse in developing countries such as in Africa, which incidentally is the most entrepreneurial continent in the world.
Strong foundations are impossible without going through the mill. The process. Highs and lows, shame and pain. This dark side of entrepreneurship is not highlighted enough in the literature, possibly contributing to these high failure rates.
There are plenty of business books about success out there. There aren’t nearly enough business books about failure—and how sustained perseverance through pain and repeated setbacks is often the prerequisite for true, lasting success.
This book is different.
You’ll learn how Passion, Pain, Time and Purpose are vital keys to succeed—with plenty of pioneering insights from unusual sources: music, poetry, chemistry, sport, and stories. It even has its own dedicated Spotify playlist.
In here, you’ll discover:
The Five Principles of Ethical Entrepreneurship
The Three Universal Phases of Entrepreneurship: the Honeymoon, the Formative and the Legacy.
How starting with who, NOT why is crucial for building a successful, enduring, ethical business
Overcoming the FOUR kinds of pain that lead to entrepreneurial failure with a brand new Flag Response Model.
Validating Your Business Model and Partner using real theories in Chemistry.
Earning the best Legacy type, the Pathfinder, out of the FOUR available options and much, much more.
WINX
WINX: The Problem-Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees & Your Bottom Line is the book every entrepreneur needs. Irma Parone has a wealth of knowledge regarding entrepreneurship and how to run small and medium-sized businesses. The author uses her professional experience to discuss crucial issues in entrepreneurship as she shares tips and problem-solving steps. The arrangement of topics in this book is one of the most appealing features of the book. Irma Parone has solutions to problems of all sizes that business owners face.
The author starts the book by guiding the reader on how to use the book, which is a plus as the reader mentally prepares for the content. The introduction part of the book was also excellent as in this part, the author takes the reader through particular mindsets and discusses emotions and influence decision-making before delving into the primary subject matter.
When Irma Parone talks about entrepreneurship, she means business. Her points are precise, and she gets the reader to fully comprehend one topic before moving to the next. In the first chapter, Irma Parone discusses the decisions we make. She writes about the good, bad, ugly, and awesome decisions and how people arrive at each. This chapter is key as it affects everyone. She not only talks to entrepreneurs but also has notes for employees and people that run companies. From using examples like J.K. Rowling and Bill Gates to sharing her personal stories, Irma Parone knows how to engross the reader. Every story shared in the book is engrossing, and every chapter has entrepreneurship lessons that will benefit both novices and veterans.
Apart from problem-solving and building an empire, Irma Parone also discusses imperative subjects like interacting with colleagues, connecting with prospective clients, viewing different angles of a business problem, handling small and large amounts of data, and dealing with failure. WINX is more than just excellent reference material for business owners, as it also has nuggets of wisdom for individuals who are not in business. Each of the 8-step WINX Processes shared in the book is distinct and gives value to both the customer and employee. The conversations in the book were another excellent feature. I enjoyed reading Irma Parone’s thoughts and her exchanges with other people. These conversations made the book engaging and more fun.
I recommend WINX: The Problem-solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees & Your Bottom Line to readers who are unsure if entrepreneurship is for them. By the end of the reading, you will get the confidence you need to run a business and use the practical lessons Irma Parone shared.
Pages: 182 | ASIN : B0B5JS4CZ8
LITERARY TITAN 