Summer in Maryland almost always includes some time at the beach. In fact, I am writing this from our MACPA Beach Retreat (sun, surf and CPE!) right before we join more than 150 members plus families for a luau on the beach.
Time at the beach is also a great time to grab a book (or Kindle, or iPad) and get into the story as you soak up the sun and listen to the surf.
I was reminded of this when I received a tweet yesterday from Baltimore Business Journal reporter Katie Secret as she tweeted to me:
“Working on a story about what CEOs are reading this summer – what books have you read recently that you think are important?”
That reminded me that I had not done our popular “summer reads” post.
There is a whole other story / post about the power of social media to connect to reporters, authors, and others, but I will save that for another day.
Here is my response to Katie. Make sure you check out Friday’s edition of the Baltimore Business Journal for her full article:
Got your tweet and thought I would write-up the response…
I love that you are covering “summer reads” as our favorite saying is, “In a period of rapid change and increasing complexity, the winners will be those (people and organizations) whose rate of learning is greater than the rate of change and greater than their competition, or L>C ².”
Tom Peters has said, “Leaders are readers.” This list is coming to you from our MACPA Beach Retreat in Ocean City, where more than 300 CPAs are gathering for some sun, surf, and CPE (continuing education).
Here are my six summer reads:
Look, Lead, Love, Learn, by Bill Sheridan (@billsheridan): As one of the accounting profession’s top bloggers, Bill covers leadership in a fresh and insightful way with tons of interviews of leading business authors, futurists, and thinkers.
Follow the Leader: The One Thing Great Leaders Have That Followers Want, by Emmanuel Gobillot (@egobillot): Emmanuel offers some great insight into leadership from the followers perspective. It will change how you think about leadership.
The End of Competitive Advantage:How to Keep Your Strategy Moving as Fast as Your Business, by Rita McGrath (@rgmcgrath): This is the playbook for thriving in this turbulent period of changing business models and rapid change.
To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others, by Dan Pink (@danielpink): We are all salespeople — selling ideas, influencing others, and doing what Dan calls non-sales selling. He offers a fresh perspective on how to master the art of “moving” people.
Ulysses S. Grant: Soldier and President, by Geoffrey Perret: With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, this is great read. More importantly, it is chock full of management and leadership advice as you follow the career of U.S. Grant from West Point to president. He was a master at strengths-based leadership and MBWA– managing by wandering around.
What’s The Future of Business, by Brian Solis (@briansolis): Brian shows the future of business in this hyper-connected world with a focus on the new paradigm of social business.