12Sided, The Blog

I have had a lot of conversations with very talented people that seem lost in this new economic reality. Understandably many are upset about their respective employment situations; however, as a whole they seem to be forgetting what has made them great. Here are some recommended reads for some positive “mojo”:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
I first borrowed a copy of the Alchemist in 1996 while backpacking in Australia and devoured it in a single day. I hated to return it. Since then I have recommended the book countless times and given away many copies as gifts. It is work checking out Coelho’s blog where he posts daily and even links to pirated copies of his work.

The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber
This is a great short read about leadership. First read in 2004, I have taken the time to re-read it about once per year and see how I measure up.

The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals by Keith Ellis
I recently came across this book. Would recommend. It is authentic and can help you get you from A to B.

Hang in there and read on.

Three recent business books that I have read, enjoyed and recommend.

The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google by Nicholas Carr
Summary: Carr argues that computing, no longer personal, is going the way of a power utility.

Why I liked it: The historical perspective matches the current cloud computing trend. Nice parallels, but later chapters are lacking in determine what is next.

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie
Summary: Useful antedotes about creativity and the creative process in a corporate setting.

Why I liked it: Great stories and vignettes. Enjoyed the pyramids and plum tree organizational structure idea.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
Summary: Offers a well-reasoned road map to excellence through examples of 11 companies that made the transition.

Why I liked it: Preaches simplicity and discipline for a corporate vision (or hedgehog concept).

Read on.