Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Third Edition by Joseph Grenny; Kerry Patterson; Ron McMillan; Al Switzler; Emily GregoryISBN: 9781260474183
Publication Date: 2021-10-21
Keep your cool and get the results you want when faced with crucial conversations. This New York Times bestseller and business classic has been fully updated for a world where skilled communication is more important than ever. The book that revolutionized business communications has been updated for today's workplace. Crucial Conversations provides powerful skills to ensure every conversation--especially difficult ones--leads to the results you want. Written in an engaging and witty style, the book teaches readers how to be persuasive rather than abrasive, how to get back to productive dialogue when others blow up or clam up, and it offers powerful skills for mastering high-stakes conversations, regardless of the topic or person. This new edition addresses issues that have arisen in recent years. You'll learn how to: Respond when someone initiates a crucial conversation with you Identify and address the lag time between identifying a problem and discussing it Communicate more effectively across digital mediums When stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation poorly and suffer the consequences; or apply the lessons and strategies of Crucial Conversations and improve relationships and results. Whether they take place at work or at home, with your coworkers or your spouse, crucial conversations have a profound impact on your career, your happiness, and your future. With the skills you learn in this book, you'll never have to worry about the outcome of a crucial conversation again.
Crucial conversations happen every day to everyone! These are conversations where opinions vary, stakes are high, and emotions run strong. This book was revised in 2022, 20 years after its initial publication, and the added insights are well worth a read whether you read the initial book or not. The tools you will learn as you study this book will help you in both your personal and professional life, so buckle and get ready for a life-changing book! --Wendy Peterson, 812TSS/CL, January 2023
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt HaigCall Number: Available in print, ebook and downloadable audio
ISBN: 9780143128724
Publication Date: 2016-02-23
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library. "Destined to become a modern classic." --Entertainment Weekly WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FEEL TRULY ALIVE? At the age of 24, Matt Haig's world caved in. He could see no way to go on living. This is the true story of how he came through crisis, triumphed over an illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again. A moving, funny and joyous exploration of how to live better, love better and feel more alive, Reasons to Stay Alive is more than a memoir. It is a book about making the most of your time on earth. "I wrote this book because the oldest clichés remain the truest. Time heals. The bottom of the valley never provides the clearest view. The tunnel does have light at the end of it, even if we haven't been able to see it . . . Words, just sometimes, really can set you free."
As someone who has suffered from depression and anxiety this book helped me see just how many people have been in a similar place and how one person got through his fight with depression and anxiety. The author provides a lot of statistics for how many people suffer from mental health disorders and makes many arguments as to why our mental health should be treated the same as physical health. I feel that this book also helps those who haven't suffered from mental health disorders understand what it is like to suffer from depression and anxiety. He verbalizes what many can't find the words to explain what they feel (or don't). I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author, and I recommend it to everyone. It's a relatively quick read for a book. -- Carolyn, 775 TS/DD, February 2023
The Women with Silver Wings by Katherine Sharp LanddeckISBN: 9781524762810
Publication Date: 2020-04-21
"With the fate of the free world hanging in the balance, women pilots went aloft to serve their nation. . . . A soaring tale in which, at long last, these daring World War II pilots gain the credit they deserve."--Liza Mundy, New York Times bestselling author of Code Girls "A powerful story of reinvention, community and ingenuity born out of global upheaval."--Newsday When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At twenty-two, Fort had escaped Nashville's debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of their lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground that morning. Still, when the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Fort was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army's rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings. The brainchild of trailblazing pilots Nancy Love and Jacqueline Cochran, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) gave women like Fort a chance to serve their country--and to prove that women aviators were just as skilled as men. While not authorized to serve in combat, the WASP helped train male pilots for service abroad, and ferried bombers and pursuits across the country. Thirty-eight WASP would not survive the war. But even taking into account these tragic losses, Love and Cochran's social experiment seemed to be a resounding success--until, with the tides of war turning, Congress clipped the women's wings. The program was disbanded, the women sent home. But the bonds they'd forged never failed, and over the next few decades they came together to fight for recognition as the military veterans they were--and for their place in history.
In honor of Women's History Month, The Women with Silver Wings is the true story of the women Air Force Service Pilots of World War II -- Library Staff, March 2023
Project Management by Harold KerznerCall Number: Available in print
ISBN: 9781119805373
Publication Date: 2022-03-02
PROJECT MANAGEMENT THE NEWEST EDITION OF THE #1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS In the newly revised 13th Edition of Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, project management pioneer, leader, and educator Dr. Harold Kerzner delivers a comprehensive and intuitive approach to project management. Widely known as the bestselling "bible" of project management, this book aligns with the concepts and standards outlined in PMI's latest A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide) and contains the detailed coverage of tools and methods used at all stages of a project. New content added to this 13th Edition includes project health checks, the continued growth of strategic project management, new business models, lean project management, artificial intelligence, and the use of new metrics and KPIs. Supplementary material for academic and corporate instructors, students, and practicing project managers can be found on the book's companion website. A thorough introduction to project management concepts, like project success definition, the role of the project manager, working with executives, and project classification Comprehensive explorations of the evolution and growth of project management, organizational structures, staffing a project team, and management functions Practical discussions of communications management, conflicts, project planning, network scheduling techniques, and pricing and estimation In-depth examinations of cost control, metrics and KPIs, and risk, contract, and quality management Perfect for students and scholars of project management in business and engineering programs, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling will also earn a place in the libraries of anyone studying for the PMP® exam, as well as practicing project managers, project consultants, and trainers.
Published in 2022 and written by Harold Kerzner, Project Management delivers a comprehensive and intuitive approach to project management. -- Library Staff, March 2023
Flying in the Face of Fear by Kim CampbellCall Number: Available in print and downloadable audio
ISBN: 9781394152353
Publication Date: 2023-03-08
Proven principles of leadership from a veteran fighter pilot and military leader In Flying in the Face of Fear: Lessons on Leading with Courage, former fighter pilot and retired Air Force Colonel Kim Campbell delivers an inspiring and practical discussion of leadership and decision-making. In the book, you'll follow the author's journey through the principles that got her through her 24-year career in the high-stakes and high-risk world of aerial combat. You'll discover lessons and stories that will serve as a resource for you as you lead your students, employees, and others through the challenges of life and work, learning to create a positive impact and make a big difference in the lives of the people who follow you. You'll also find: Specific strategies and techniques for leading in situations of extreme stress and risk Methods for female leaders to overcome the challenges of working in male-dominated environments Ways to act in critical moments by recognizing that being brave and afraid at the same time is both normal and necessary An essential leadership blueprint for business and military professionals seeking to improve their ability to inspire others to greater achievements, Flying in the Face of Fear will also earn a place in the libraries of young and mid-career professionals looking for mentorship and sound, proven advice.
Described as a must have leadership blueprint for business and military professionals, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Kim “KC” Campbell uses engaging stories to share lessons that will help you lead your employees through the obstacles posed by life and work. -- Library Staff, May 2023
The Fly Girls Revolt by Eileen A. BjorkmanISBN: 9781637585948
Publication Date: 2023-05-23
This is the untold story of the women military aviators of the 1970s and 1980s who kicked open the door to fly in combat in 1993--along with the story of the women who paved the way before them. In 1993, U.S. women earned the right to fly in combat, but the full story of how it happened is largely unknown. From the first women in the military in World War II to the final push in the 1990s, The Fly Girls Revolt chronicles the actions of a band of women who overcame decades of discrimination and prevailed against bureaucrats, chauvinists, anti-feminists, and even other military women. Drawing on extensive research, interviews with women who served in the 1970s and 1980s, and her personal experiences in the Air Force, Eileen Bjorkman weaves together a riveting tale of the women who fought for the right to enter combat and be treated as equal partners in the U.S. military. Although the military had begun training women as aviators in 1973, by a law of Congress they could not fly in harm's way. Time and again when a woman graduated at the top of her pilot training class, a less-qualified male pilot was sent to fly a combat aircraft in her place. Most of the women who fought for change between World War II and today would never fly in combat themselves, but they earned their places in history by strengthening the U.S. military and ensuring future women would not be denied opportunities solely because of their sex. The Fly Girls Revolt is their story.
-- Library Staff, June 2023
Hello Stay Interviews, Goodbye Talent Loss by Beverly Kaye; Sharon Jordan-EvansCall Number: Available in print
ISBN: 9781626563476
Publication Date: 2015-05-18
Stay interviews prevent exit interviews! You can't afford to lose them. They're your stars and your solid citizens. You wonder if they're happy in your organization-and what might keep them there. To find out, you could- A. Conduct a survey-then try to guess who said what. B. Take note of their latest tattoos. Is your company logo among them? C. Ask, "What will keep you here?" The correct answer is C. It's the opening line of a great stay interview, and it could make the difference between keeping and losing your best people. Worried that your talented people will want things you can't deliver, like more money or a big promotion? Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans have a simple four-step process for dealing with that. Not sure how to get started? They provide dozens of suggested questions and icebreakers. Think you don't have time? They offer all kinds of creative time-saving options for where, when, and how you can do stay interviews.
-- Library Staff, July 2023
30 Days of Empathetic Leadership! by Todd SimmonsCall Number: Available in print
ISBN: 9798834758389
Publication Date: 2022-06-06
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It is an important skill for people who work in customer service and management. It is also a key component of good leadership. The importance of empathy has been highlighted in recent years by psychologists, neuroscientists, and sociologists. They say that empathy can be developed by practicing it over time, but it can't be developed with just one experience or interaction Simply put, can you see me?
-- Library Staff, August 2023
Recoding America by Jennifer PahlkaCall Number: Available in print and electronically
ISBN: 9781250266774
Publication Date: 2023-06-13
Learn more about Jennifer Pahlka's work at recodingamerica.us. "The book I wish every policymaker would read." --Ezra Klein, The New York Times A bold call to reexamine how our government operates--and sometimes fails to--from President Obama's former deputy chief technology officer and the founder of Code for America Just when we most need our government to work--to decarbonize our infrastructure and economy, to help the vulnerable through a pandemic, to defend ourselves against global threats--it is faltering. Government at all levels has limped into the digital age, offering online services that can feel even more cumbersome than the paperwork that preceded them and widening the gap between the policy outcomes we intend and what we get. But it's not more money or more tech we need. Government is hamstrung by a rigid, industrial-era culture, in which elites dictate policy from on high, disconnected from and too often disdainful of the details of implementation. Lofty goals morph unrecognizably as they cascade through a complex hierarchy. But there is an approach taking hold that keeps pace with today's world and reclaims government for the people it is supposed to serve. Jennifer Pahlka shows why we must stop trying to move the government we have today onto new technology and instead consider what it would mean to truly recode American government.
-- Secretary of the Air Force, Mr. Frank Kendall
Mentoring Scientists and Engineers by John ArthursCall Number: Available in print
ISBN: 9781003154648
Publication Date: 2021-07-29
Mentoring is very much more than simple one-to-one informal instruction, or what used to be called 'coaching'. Modern mentoring techniques are modelled on those of executive coaching as well as expert academic tutoring. Mentoring is simple but not necessarily easy. An estimated 40% of all mentoring schemes fail through lack of mentor training and understanding. No great effort is required to study the literature but, for mentoring to be effective, adherence to basic principles and exercising specific skills is absolutely necessary. The book provides an introduction to what we mean by mentoring and its basic skills - skilful questioning, active listening, building trust, self-management and giving advice and feedback. It further covers mentoring principles, how to conduct mentoring sessions and a wide range of practical applications. The final chapter gives the outlines and principles for creating a basic mentoring scheme within an organisational context. This book is written for those practitioners in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM fields, who have been pitched into the role of mentor without any prior training. Its objective is to alleviate anxiety, frustration and stress caused by not knowing exactly what is expected. In offering an introduction to mentoring it gives practical guidance as a quick and easy read.
--Library Staff, October 2023
ChatGPT for Dummies by Pam BakerCall Number: Available in print
ISBN: 9781394204632
Publication Date: 2023-06-27
Learn how the disruptive AI chatbot is going to change school, work, and beyond ChatGPT For Dummies demystifies the artificial intelligence tool that can answer questions, write essays, and generate just about any kind of text it's asked for. This powerful example of generative AI is widely predicted to upend education and business. In this book, you'll learn how ChatGPT works and how you can operate it in a way that yields satisfactory results. You'll also explore the ethics of using AI-generated content for various purposes. Written by a journalist who's been on the front lines of artificial intelligence for over a decade, this book dives deep into ChatGPT's potential, so you can make informed decisions--without asking ChatGPT for help. Learn how ChatGPT works and how it fits into the world of generative AI Harness the power of ChatGPT to help you, and avoid letting it hinder you Write queries that deliver the kind of response you want Take a look into how the ChatGPT API interacts with other tools and platforms This just-in-time Dummies title is perfect for any life or career may be impacted by ChatGPT and other AI. ChatGPT is just the tip of the iceberg, and this book can help you prepare for the future.
--Library Staff, November 2023
Time Magic by Melissa Ambrosini (Contribution by); Nick Broadhurs (Contribution by)Call Number: Available in print and downloadable audio
ISBN: 9781400244072
Publication Date: 2023-04-04
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 Feel like you don't have enough time? Killing yourself trying to 'do it all' without much to show for it? Forget about time management, you need Time Magic. In this revolutionary book, you'll learn how to create the spacious, fulfilling life you've always imagined, but that until now has felt out of reach. Join bestselling author Melissa Ambrosini and Nick Broadhurst as they unpack the simple, actionable strategies that can completely transform your relationship with time. You'll learn: The tiny changes in behavior that can free up hours, weeks, even years of your life Simple but genius techniques to increase your productivity and skyrocket your creativity The health, wealth, and mindset hacks to help you squeeze more juice out of life What to do with your newfound time off (even if you have no idea what lights you up) And the surprising daily habits that can add years to your life and life to your years If you're tired of feeling time-poor and stressed out, and you want to create a life that feels spacious, meaningful, and rewarding, this book will point the way.
--Library Staff, December 2023
The 5 Second Rule by Mel RobbinsCall Number: Available in print and ebook
ISBN: 9781682612385
Publication Date: 2017-02-28
How to enrich your life and destroy doubt in 5 seconds. Throughout your life, you've had parents, coaches, teachers, friends and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing how to push yourself? Using the science of habits, riveting stories and surprising facts from some of the most famous moments in history, art and business, Mel Robbins will explain the power of a "push moment." Then, she'll give you one simple tool you can use to become your greatest self. It takes just five seconds to use this tool, and every time you do you'll be in great company.
Mel Robbins is the celebrated daytime talk show host and Co-Executive Producer of The Mel Robbins Show. Translated into 32 languages, this book has helped millions of people improve their lives. A simple, straight-forward read to change your life. -- Library Staff, January 2022.
Man's Search for Meaning by Harold S. Kushner (Foreword by); William J. Winslade (Afterword by); Viktor E. FranklCall Number: Available through Inter-library loan
ISBN: 9780807014271
Publication Date: 2006-06-01
"An enduring work of survival literature," according to the New York Times, Viktor Frankl's riveting account of his time in the Nazi concentration camps, and his insightful exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of the worst adversity, has offered solace and guidance to generations of readers since it was first published in 1946. At the heart of Frankl's theory of logotherapy (from the Greek word for "meaning") is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but rather the discovery and pursuit of what the individual finds meaningful. Today, as new generations face new challenges and an ever more complex and uncertain world, Frankl's classic work continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living, in spite of all obstacles.
The insights and perspective of Viktor Frankl, a psychologist and Holocaust survivor, blew my mind and changed my entire perspective on life. He teaches from his experiences to show the reader how to love life by reminding us that those who have a “why” to live, can bear almost any “how”—a lot said from someone who experienced the atrocities of the Holocaust. We have been and continue to endure unimaginable changes in our society and culture over the last few years, and this book reminds me that, “To live is to suffer; to survive is to find meaning in the suffering. Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds meaning, such as the meaning of sacrifice.” I could go on and on with my personal takeaways from this book, but instead I hope you’ll take the time to read or listen to it and discover which parts speak to you.--Wendy Peterson, 812TSS/CL, February, 2022.
Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger InstituteCall Number: Available in print and eBook
ISBN: 9781523097807
Publication Date: 2018-09-04
This third edition of an international bestseller--over 2 million copies sold worldwide and translated into 33 languages--details how its powerful insights on motivation, conflict, and collaboration can benefit organizations as well as individuals. Since its original publication in 2000, Leadership and Self-Deception has become an international word-of-mouth phenomenon. Rather than tapering off, it sells more copies every year. The book's central insight--that the key to leadership lies not in what we do but in who we are--has proven to have powerful implications not only for organizational leadership but in readers' personal lives as well. Leadership and Self-Deception uses an entertaining story everyone can relate to about a man facing challenges at work and at home to expose the fascinating ways that we blind ourselves to our true motivations and unwittingly sabotage the effectiveness of our own efforts to achieve happiness and increase happiness. We trap ourselves in a "box" of endless self-justification. Most importantly, the book shows us the way out. Readers will discover what millions already have learned--how to consistently tap into and act on their innate sense of what's right, dramatically improving all of their relationships.
I would highly recommend this very easy and quick read if you want to take your ability to relate to others and lead people in your personal and professional life to the next level. Ultimately, if you want to learn how you may be self-sabotaging your effectiveness to achieve happiness and increase happiness in others through great leadership--look no further, this book will help you find your way out of the self-sabotaging trap! I would recommend the audio version as this book is told in an entertaining story format, so you'll be done listening before you know it! --Wendy, 812TSS/CL, May 2022
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado PerezCall Number: Available Interlibrary Loan, electronic format and audiobook
ISBN: 9781419735219
Publication Date: 2021-03-02
A landmark, prize-winning, international bestselling examination of how a gender gap in data perpetuates bias and disadvantages women, now in paperback Winner of the 2019 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award Winner of the 2019 Royal Society Science Book Prize Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development to health care to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this insidious bias, in time, in money, and often with their lives. Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates this shocking root cause of gender inequality in the award-winning, #1 international bestseller Invisible Women. Examining the home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor's office, and more, Criado Perez unearths a dangerous pattern in data and its consequences on women's lives. Product designers use a "one-size-fits-all" approach to everything from pianos to cell phones to voice recognition software, when in fact this approach is designed to fit men. Cities prioritize men's needs when designing public transportation, roads, and even snow removal, neglecting to consider women's safety or unique responsibilities and travel patterns. And in medical research, women have largely been excluded from studies and textbooks, leaving them chronically misunderstood, mistreated, and misdiagnosed. Built on hundreds of studies in the United States, in the United Kingdom, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, highly readable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.
If you can believe it, this title was recommended to me by a *male* coworker who was astonished to read of the cost that women pay as a result of the gender data gap and data bias in areas from education, healthcare, economic development, etc. I was shocked to learn that so much data is collected using males as the default human rather than collecting and using sex-disaggregated data. The costs can be deadly--consider looking into the "5-star" crash rating of your vehicle to see who the crash dummy simulates and what the rating would be for a woman or even a male who is not of "average" male size. This is a must-read book for *everyone*.--Wendy, 812TSS/CL, June 2022
Love 'Em or Lose 'Em, Sixth Edition by Beverly Kaye; Sharon Jordan-EvansCall Number: Available in print, eBook and eAudio
ISBN: 9781523089352
Publication Date: 2021-03-02
Retaining top talent and making sure employees feel engaged and appreciated is a perennial concern for every business. This sixth edition puts a new emphasis on diversity and inclusion but keeps the same appealing format- twenty-six simple strategies from A to Z. Despite booms and busts, technology advances, talent wars, layoffs, and even a global pandemic, people want what they've always wanted. Employees want-and now expect-meaningful work, supportive bosses, regular recognition, and a chance to learn and grow. And managers want their amazing people to stay-for at least a little while longer. For two decades, this Wall Street Journal bestseller-over 800,000 sold-has offered twenty-six simple strategies, from A to Z, that managers can use to address their employees' real concerns and keep them engaged. This edition includes a timely focus on diversity and inclusion in every chapter. This new edition will ensure that Love 'Em or Lose 'Em will continue to help managers all over the world create a supportive workplace culture so they can fight burnout and keep the people they can least afford to lose.
--Library Staff, August 2022
Decision Intelligence for Dummies by Pamela BakerCall Number: Available in print
ISBN: 9781119824848
Publication Date: 2022-02-08
Learn to use, and not be used by, data to make more insightful decisions The availability of data and various forms of AI unlock countless possibilities for business decision makers. But what do you do when you feel pressured to cede your position in the decision-making process altogether? Decision Intelligence For Dummies pumps the brakes on the growing trend to take human beings out of the decision loop and walks you through the best way to make data-informed but human-driven decisions. The book shows you how to achieve maximum flexibility by using every available resource, and not just raw data, to make the most insightful decisions possible. In this timely book, you'll learn to: Make data a means to an end, rather than an end in itself, by expanding your decision-making inquiries Find a new path to solid decisions that includes, but isn't dominated, by quantitative data Measure the results of your new framework to prove its effectiveness and efficiency and expand it to a whole team or company Perfect for business leaders in technology and finance, Decision Intelligence For Dummies is ideal for anyone who recognizes that data is not the only powerful tool in your decision-making toolbox. This book shows you how to be guided, and not ruled, by the data.
--Library Staff, September 2022
High-Impact Tools for Teams by Stefano Mastrogiacomo; Alexander Osterwalder; Alan Smith (Designed by); Trish Papadakos (Designed by)Call Number: Available in print
ISBN: 9781119602385
Publication Date: 2021-03-09
Take advantage of a powerful visual management tool for teams as you work together and deliver great results. It's been used by thousands of teams for project success! 59% of U.S. workers say that communication is their team's biggest obstacle to success, followed by accountability at 29% (Atlassian). High-Impact Tools for Teams explains a simple, powerful tool that helps team leaders and members align and get clarity on exactly who is responsible for each part of the team's most important activities and projects. The tool is complemented by 4 trust add-ons that help teams build trust and increase psychological safety, so every member can be confident in sharing ideas or concerns about obstacles the team may face. It's a proven tool for project teams, based on years of research, and thousands of teams are already using the Team Alignment Map to run effective "get-to-action meetings", give projects a good start and de-silo organizations. Co-author Alex Osterwalder is the international best-selling author who co-created the Business Model Canvas, a strategic management tool used by 1 million+ industry leaders globally. Plan as a team and know who does what Uncover and proactively remove the most likely obstacles to any project Boost team member contributions Run more effective team meetings Get more successful projects With the guidance of High-Impact Tools for Teams, you can be better prepared as a team leader or team member to plan effectively, reduce risks, and collaborate with others. Your team will be accountable and ready to deliver results!
--Library Staff, December 2022
Atomic Habits by James ClearCall Number: Available in paper, electronic format, and audiobook
ISBN: 9780735211292
Publication Date: 2018-10-16
Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: * make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy); * overcome a lack of motivation and willpower; * design your environment to make success easier; * get back on track when you fall off course; ...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.
The book Atomic Habits by James Clear transformed my ability to achieve goals through effective habit building. I now focus on identity-based habits vs outcome-based habits (e.g. I am a runner vs. I can run a 10K) and I start with small (atomic) goals that I can effortlessly build upon into my ultimate goal—even if it’s only a 1% improvement that compounds every day, I know it won’t be long before I reach 100% of my goal! I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did! -- Wendy, 812TSS/CL, January 2021.
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink; Leif BabinCall Number: Available in paper, electronic format, and audiobook
ISBN: 9781250183866
Publication Date: 2017-11-21
As leaders of SEAL Team Three's Task Unit Bruiser, their mission was one many thought impossible: help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, a violent, insurgent-held city deemed "all but lost." In gripping, firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories, they learned that leadership--at every level--is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails. Willink and Babin returned home from deployment and instituted SEAL leadership training to pass on their harsh lessons of self-discipline, mental toughness and self-defense learned in combat to help forge the next generation of SEAL leaders. After leaving the SEAL Teams, they launched a company, Echelon Front, to teach those same leadership principles to leaders in businesses, companies, and organizations across the civilian sector. Since that time, they have trained countless leaders and worked with hundreds of companies in virtually every industry across the U.S. and internationally, teaching them how to develop their own high-performance teams and most effectively lead those teams to dominate their battlefields. Since it's release in October 2015, Extreme Ownership has revolutionized leadership development and set a new standard for literature on the subject. Required reading for many of the most successful organizations, it has become an integral part of the official leadership training programs for scores of business teams, military units, and first responders. Detailing the resilient mindset and total focus principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult combat missions, Extreme Ownership demonstrates how to apply them to any team or organization, in any leadership environment. A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, Extreme Ownership challenges leaders everywhere to fulfill their ultimate purpose: lead and win.
I highly recommend that members of our workforce at every level read or listen to Extreme Ownership—the audiobook has cool sound effects and is read by the Navy Seal authors themselves! This is one of the most powerful leadership books I’ve read and served a stark reminder that it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate. We all lead up, down, and across every day, so I hope you’ll take the time to learn from this book and apply its principles in your life! -- Wendy, 812TSS/CL, February 2021.
Good to Great by Jim CollinsCall Number: Available in paper, electronic format, and audiobook
ISBN: 9780066620992
Publication Date: 2001-10-16
The Challenge - Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?
The Study - For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great?
The Standards - Using tough benchmarks, Collins and his research team identified a set of elite companies that made the leap to great results and sustained those results for at least fifteen years. How great? After the leap, the good-to-great companies generated cumulative stock returns that beat the general stock market by an average of seven times in fifteen years, better than twice the results delivered by a composite index of the world's greatest companies, including Coca-Cola, Intel, General Electric, and Merck.
The Comparisons - The research team contrasted the good-to-great companies with a carefully selected set of comparison companies that failed to make the leap from good to great. What was different? Why did one set of companies become truly great performers while the other set remained only good? Over five years, the team analyzed the histories of all twenty-eight companies in the study. After sifting through mountains of data and thousands of pages of interviews, Collins and his crew discovered the key determinants of greatness -- why some companies make the leap and others don't.
This month’s title was highly recommended to me by numerous leaders for whom I have immense respect. Its principles for becoming ‘great’ and not stagnating at ‘good’ stand the test of time and can be applied in every facet of your personal and professional life. Key lessons for me included (1) the importance of finding meaning in everything I do—spanning all aspects of my life, (2) the necessity to focus on the things that provide the greatest impact and as hard as it may seem, letting the rest go, and finally (3) the hedgehog concept —which you’ll have to read the book in order to learn about! -- Wendy, 812TSS/CL, March 2021.
Now, Discover Your Strengths by GallupCall Number: Available in paper and audiobook
ISBN: 9780743201148
Publication Date: 2001-01-29
The 20th anniversary edition of Now, Discover Your Strengths comes with an access code to the Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment. This updated assessment includes reports and resources that go far beyond the standardized reports of the older assessment by providing you with personalized insight statements unique to your specific combination of strengths. Many people have little sense of their talents and strengths, much less the ability to build their lives around them. Instead, they are raised and taught to become experts in their weaknesses -- and spend their lives trying to fix them -- while their strengths lie dormant. Led by Don Clifton, the Father of Strengths-Based Psychology, Gallup created a revolutionary program to help people identify their talents; develop them into strengths; and enjoy consistent, near-perfect performance. Twenty years ago, Gallup released Now, Discover Your Strengths to bring this program to the world. At the heart of this book is CliftonStrengths, the assessment that is the product of decades of research and hundreds of thousands of interviews to identify the most prevalent human strengths. CliftonStrengths reveals 34 dominant talent themes that you can translate into personal and career success. To develop this assessment, Gallup conducted psychological profiles with more than 2 million individuals to help people around the world focus and perfect these themes. Since Now, Discover Your Strengths was first released two decades ago, more than 20 million people worldwide have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment. The 20th anniversary edition includes a unique access code to take CliftonStrengths -- previously known as StrengthsFinder 2.0 -- which is a significantly more robust program than the assessment that appeared in the original edition of the book. This web-based assessment analyzes your instinctive reactions and immediately presents you with your top five themes. Once you know which of the 34 themes you lead with -- such as Achiever, Activator, Empathy, Futuristic and Strategic -- the book will show you how to use your top themes for your own development, for your success as a manager and for the success of your organization. With accessible and profound insights into how to turn talents into strengths, and with immediate online feedback from the CliftonStrengths assessment at its core, Now, Discover Your Strengths is one of the most groundbreaking and powerful business books ever written.
This book provides significant data-based insights into our key strengths that can help us better serve those around us and can also help us reach our highest potential. Each reader is provided an opportunity to complete an online profile that assists them in not only discovering their strengths, but also helps them understand and complement those around them. With this knowledge in mind, Leaders are provided one more tool to develop diverse teams who have many natural and potentially highly developed strengths that can result in extremely high levels of synergistic performance. I highly recommend you not only read NDYS, but embrace the material as a leader and pass onto the leaders you are mentoring and leading! -- Tony, 412 RANS/CL, April 2021.
When: the Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. PinkCall Number: Available in paper, electronic format, and audiobook
ISBN: 9780735210639
Publication Date: 2019-01-08
Daniel H. Pink, the #1 bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human, unlocks the scientific secrets to good timing to help you flourish at work, at school, and at home. Everyone knows that timing is everything. But we don't know much about timing itself. Our lives are a never-ending stream of "when" decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork. Timing, it's often assumed, is an art. In When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Pink shows that timing is really a science. Drawing on a rich trove of research from psychology, biology, and economics, Pink reveals how best to live, work, and succeed. How can we use the hidden patterns of the day to build the ideal schedule? Why do certain breaks dramatically improve student test scores? How can we turn a stumbling beginning into a fresh start? Why should we avoid going to the hospital in the afternoon? Why is singing in time with other people as good for you as exercise? And what is the ideal time to quit a job, switch careers, or get married? In When, Pink distills cutting-edge research and data on timing and synthesizes them into a fascinating, readable narrative packed with irresistible stories and practical takeaways that give readers compelling insights into how we can live richer, more engaged lives.
I read Daniel Pink’s book, “When – The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing,” on a recommendation from a friend. It didn’t really interest me, but my friend wasn’t going to stop asking me about the book until I read it. So, as a compromise, I listened to it on my commute to work. Then I bought the book and read it again. And then I read it again and took some notes. The insights were profound. This book led me to reorganize my workday, changed the way I drink coffee, altered the way I approach tough conversations, and even transformed my thinking about my weekend naps! I have often thought carefully about why I will do an activity. I have often thought carefully about how I will do an activity. However, this book helps you think carefully about when to do an activity. Spoiler alert – it matters! This is a great book for anyone looking to succeed on the job or succeed at home as it helps the reader understand the optimal times to do the tasks each of us needs to do every single day. Some books will change your thinking without affecting your behavior. This book will change your thinking AND your behavior. I highly recommend listening to AND reading this book.-- Chuck, 412 TENG/CL, April 2021.
Leadership Is Language by L. David MarquetCall Number: Available in paper and audiobook
ISBN: 9780735217539
Publication Date: 2020-02-04
You might imagine that an effective leader is someone who makes quick, intelligent decisions, gives inspiring speeches, and issues clear orders to their team so they can execute a plan to achieve your organization's goals. Unfortunately, David Marquet argues, that's an outdated model of leadership that just doesn't work anymore. As a leader in today's networked, information-dense business climate, you don't have full visibility into your organization or the ground reality of your operating environment. In order to harness the eyes, ears, and minds of your people, you need to foster a climate of collaborative experimentation that encourages people to speak up when they notice problems and work together to identify and test solutions. Too many leaders fall in love with the sound of their own voice, and wind up dictating plans and digging in their heels when problems begin to emerge. Even when you want to be a more collaborative leader, you can undermine your own efforts by defaulting to command-and-control language we've inherited from the industrial era. It's time to ditch the industrial age playbook of leadership. In Leadership is Language, you'll learn how choosing your words can dramatically improve decision-making and execution on your team. Marquet outlines six plays for all leaders, anchored in how you use language: * Control the clock, don't obey the clock: Pre-plan decision points and give your people the tools they need to hit pause on a plan of action if they notice something wrong. * Collaborate, don't coerce: As the leader, you should be the last one to offer your opinion. Rather than locking your team into binary responses ("Is this a good plan?"), allow them to answer on a scale ("How confident are you about this plan?") * Commit, don't comply: Rather than expect your team to comply with specific directions, explain your overall goals, and get their commitment to achieving it one piece at a time. * Complete, not continue: If every day feels like a repetition of the last, you're doing something wrong. Articulate concrete plans with a start and end date to align your team. * Improve, don't prove: Ask your people to improve on plans and processes, rather than prove that they can meet fixed goals or deadlines. You'll face fewer cut corners and better long-term results. * Connect, don't conform: Flatten hierarchies in your organization and connect with your people to encourage them to contribute to decision-making. In his last book, Turn the Ship Around!, Marquet told the incredible story of abandoning command-and-control leadership on his submarine and empowering his crew to turn the worst performing submarine to the best performer in the fleet. Now, with Leadership is Language he gives businesspeople the tools they need to achieve such transformational leadership in their organizations.
Former US Navy Captain L. David Marquet offers new ideas for empowering people through language to bring their best selves to work, improve their decision-making, and take greater ownership of their responsibilities. It's a framework that provides balance between deliberation and action, taking bold risks without endangering the mission, and being on a path to continuous improvement. An excellent progression in this best selling author's collection. -- Library Staff, June 2021.
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe DispenzaCall Number: Ebook – Overdrive, Audiobook – Hoopla, Paper- ILL
ISBN: 9781401938093
Publication Date: 2013-02-15
You are not doomed by your genes and hardwired to be a certain way for the rest of your life. A new science is emerging that empowers all human beings to create the reality they choose. In Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, renowned author, speaker, researcher, and chiropractor Dr. Joe Dispenza combines the fields of quantum physics, neuroscience, brain chemistry, biology, and genetics to show you what is truly possible. Not only will you be given the necessary knowledge to change any aspect of yourself, but you will be taught the step-by-step tools to apply what you learn in order to make measurable changes in any area of your life. Dr. Joe demystifies ancient understandings and bridges the gap between science and spirituality. Through his powerful workshops and lectures, thousands of people in 24 different countries have used these principles to change from the inside out. Once you break the habit of being yourself and truly change your mind, your life will never be the same!
This book was a critical component for my personal growth as an adult, using quantum physics to help explain how we operate and empowering the reader with practical tools for how to let go of the idea that who you are today is who you have to be tomorrow. There are so many nuggets of wisdom that I now live by and help me become a more elevated version of myself each time I think greater than the circumstances of my life and break a habit of my past conditioning.-- Wendy, 812TSS/CL, July 2021.
The Daughters of Kobani by Gayle Tzemach LemmonCall Number: Available in electronic format and audiobook
ISBN: 9780525560685
Publication Date: 2021-02-16
The extraordinary story of the women who took on the Islamic State and won. In 2014, northeastern Syria might have been the last place you would expect to find a revolution centered on women's rights. But that year, an all-female militia faced off against ISIS in a little town few had ever heard of: Kobani. By then, the Islamic State had swept across vast swaths of the country, taking town after town and spreading terror as the civil war burned all around it. From that unlikely showdown in Kobani emerged a fighting force that would wage war against ISIS across northern Syria alongside the United States. In the process, these women would spread their own political vision, determined to make women's equality a reality by fighting--house by house, street by street, city by city--the men who bought and sold women. Based on years of on-the-ground reporting, The Daughters of Kobani is the unforgettable story of the women of the Kurdish militia that improbably became part of the world's best hope for stopping ISIS in Syria. Drawing from hundreds of hours of interviews, bestselling author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon introduces us to the women fighting on the front lines, determined to not only extinguish the terror of ISIS but also prove that women could lead in war and must enjoy equal rights come the peace. In helping to cement the territorial defeat of ISIS, whose savagery toward women astounded the world, these women played a central role in neutralizing the threat the group posed worldwide. In the process they earned the respect--and significant military support--of U.S. Special Operations Forces. Rigorously reported and powerfully told, The Daughters of Kobani shines a light on a group of women intent on not only defeating the Islamic State on the battlefield but also changing women's lives in their corner of the Middle East and beyond.
Until I read this book I had no idea that a group of women fighting for women’s rights in Syria was a major force in the fight against ISIS. This book tells the story of an all-female militia who faced off against ISIS in the town of Kobani, which turned out to be a turning point in the fight against ISIS.--Carolyn, 775TS/DD, August 2021.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss; Tahl RazCall Number: Available in both paper and electronic format
ISBN: 9780062407801
Publication Date: 2016-05-17
A former international hostage negotiator for the FBI offers a new, field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations--whether in the boardroom or at home. ** A Wall Street Journal Bestseller ** After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a hostage negotiator brought him face-to-face with a range of criminals, including bank robbers and terrorists. Reaching the pinnacle of his profession, he became the FBI's lead international kidnapping negotiator. Never Split the Difference takes you inside the world of high-stakes negotiations and into Voss's head, revealing the skills that helped him and his colleagues succeed where it mattered most: saving lives. In this practical guide, he shares the nine effective principles--counterintuitive tactics and strategies--you too can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life. Life is a series of negotiations you should be prepared for: buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a home, renegotiating rent, deliberating with your partner. Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any discussion.
This is a highly profound and impactful book written by an FBI Hostage Negotiator that has helped me in every area of my life. Once I recognized that life itself is a series of negotiations—from getting my children to go to bed on time to advocating for more resources at work, I was able to apply the psychological skills and emotional intelligence I learned from this book to gather data and influence behavior more often and more effectively. The result? I am now able to more quickly and successfully build human connection as the first step in achieving my goals and bringing about effective negotiations. -- Wendy, 812TSS/CL, September 2021.
Breath by James NestorISBN: 9780735213616
Publication Date: 2020-05-26
No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you're not breathing properly. There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat twenty-five thousand times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren't found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again.
This book is another must read! There is a wealth of knowledge contained within it on the practice of breathing—something many of us take for granted and do without much awareness. When we bring awareness to our breathing patterns, we have the opportunity to operate at peak efficiency rather than just getting along. As the book states, “There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let air out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences.” -- Wendy, 812TSS/CL, October 2021.
Fearless by Eric BlehmCall Number: Available in paper, electronic format, and audiobook
ISBN: 9780307730701
Publication Date: 2013-05-21
Go deep into SEAL Team SIX, straight to the heart of one of its most legendary operators. When Navy SEAL Adam Brown woke up on March 17, 2010, he didn't know he would die that night in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan--but he was ready. In a letter to his children, not meant to be seen unless the worst happened, he wrote, "I'm not afraid of anything that might happen to me on this earth, because I know no matter what, nothing can take my spirit from me." Fearless is the story of a man of extremes, whose courage and determination were fueled by faith, family, and the love of a woman. It's about a man who waged a war against his own worst impulses, including drug addiction, and persevered to reach the top tier of the U.S. military. In a deeply personal and absorbing chronicle, Fearless reveals a glimpse inside the SEAL Team SIX brotherhood, and presents an indelible portrait of a highly trained warrior whose final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice. Adam Brown was a devoted man who was an unlikely hero but a true warrior, described by all who knew him as...fearless. "As a rule, we don't endorse books or movies or anything regarding the command where I work--and Adam Brown worked--but as the author writes in Fearless, 'you have to know the rules, so you know when to bend or break them.' This is one of those times. Read this book. Period. It succeeds where all the others have failed." --SEAL Team SIX Operator
This is the biography of a true hero who made the ultimate sacrifice--Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown. It is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time and serves as a stark reminder that none of us are perfect. It also affirms that an imperfect past doesn’t mean we can’t continue to overcome even the greatest of life’s challenges and become the best versions of ourselves—we just have to keep choosing to persevere. -- Wendy, 812TSS/CL, November 2021.
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Never Split the Difference by 
Breath by 
Fearless by