Jeff Kleinpeter
President, Kleinpeter Farms Dairy
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t
By Jim Collins
With the assistance of a large research team that contributed over 15,000 hours of work, Good to Great author Jim Collins took five years to analyze 1,435 companies and learn why 11 of them became the best at what they do across various industries.
This book was given to me by Heather Poole, one of my stepdaughters, when I was personnel manager for our company. It taught me that there is no better thing in business than having the right person in the right position. Having an employee who is passionate about what they do for your team is what drives companies to greatness.
By contrast, having employees who are satisfied with the status quo is going to keep your company stuck in the same place as it has always stood.
The author goes on to say employees should be either “on the bus or off the bus” in helping to bring a company to greatness. If they aren’t contributing, it is best to get them off the bus as soon as possible.
I read this book several years ago, and it has left a lasting impression on me. I have given it to various team members in our organization, and it has had the most impact on those in management positions. It has served the purpose of reinforcing the gut feelings that managers have about their performance expectations for subordinates. It brings home the point that is the author’s opening line: “Good is the enemy of great.”
Troy Prevot
Executive director, Louisiana Commerce and Trade Association; Administrator, LCTA Workers’ Comp
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
By Patrick Lencioni
This 2002 New York Times best-seller is an oldie but a goodie. It functions as a guide on how to build and manage successful teams. Its author, Patrick Lencioni, states, “Teamwork is the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.” To illustrate that point, he focuses on the trials of teams in the business world and why they fail and also examines the contribution that organizational politics make in a dysfunctional environment.
The five dysfunctions Lencioni identifies and elaborates on include absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results.
He uses the fable concept by describing a fictional company, DecisionTech. It is a well-financed software company that even with top-level executives lags behind its competitors: There is so much strife among the team members that it threatens to bring down the entire company. The newly minted CEO rights the ship by recognizing the five dysfunctions at work and leads her employees through team-building exercises. She is able to make them see beyond their own self-interest and rally around common team goals, which ultimately allows them to make better decisions.
This book serves as a reminder that leadership requires as much courage as it does insight. It is a quick read and a great return on investment for any manager.
Sylvia Weatherspoon,
Co-anchor, WBRZ News 2
Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow’s Success
By John C. Maxwell
A few years ago I had a fun opportunity to grab what I wanted out of an office closet being cleared out. It was jam-packed with books, including this one by John C. Maxwell, a motivational speaker and best-selling author who has written several books on business and leadership.
Maxwell had me with these insights found on the cover’s front flap: “Everyone has the power to impact the outcome of his life. The way to do it is to focus on today. … Today is the only time you have. It’s too late for yesterday. And you can’t depend on tomorrow.”
Maxwell says we should make the most of today because it’s the only day that matters. People create success in their lives by focusing on the here and now. He says the secret to success—whether in your personal or professional life—is determined by your daily agenda.
Maxwell gives the reader 12 practices—what he calls “The Dirty Dozen.” They are things to focus on today to help ensure a rewarding future: attitude, priorities, health, family, thinking, commitment, finances, faith, relationships, generosity, values and growth—areas many of us are constantly working to improve. He provides illustrations and recommendations on how to get these practices done, and he shares great personal stories and motivational quotes, such as this one by John Kotter: “Most people don’t lead their own lives—they accept their lives.” Each chapter also provides applications and exercises designed to get you thinking about what you need to do today to prepare for tomorrow’s success.
Maxwell stresses that the key to accomplishing the 12 practices is taking things one day at a time and staying committed.
This book has changed how I address life daily at home and at work. It has stretched me in so many areas: from my attitude, to my values, and ultimately to my goals. It has made me a more focused and productive person.
I choose to change daily knowing that “today matters.”
