800-CEO-READ Blog

Books To Make Your Go Faster

ChangeThis has a number of great pieces this month. Dan Coughlin was one of the authors featured there and he has a new book called Accelerate: 20 Practical Lessons to Boost Business Momentum.

Coughlin starts his manifesto with this:

Great businesses are defined by their ability to accelerate.

My definition of “accelerate� is “to increase the rate of achieving desired outcomes in a sustainable manner.� The objective of every business should ultimately be to create a great business. This manifesto is a call to action to accelerate your business and your career.

I asked him to recommend some other books around this topic of business acceleration. The first three are listed below and the remainder can be found if you click through to the extended entry.

Dan Coughlin Recommends 10 Great Books on Business Acceleration

Less Is More by Jason Jennings

Jason Jennings is the preeminent business researcher working today. He combed through the world’s corporations to find the most productive companies. In Less Is More he explains in minute detail how focus and concentrated effort over an extended period can dramatically improve productivity in any business.

The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman

This is the most comprehensive book on the market today that explains the modern business situation. It shows very clearly that the forces of digitization, globalization, open sourcing, the Internet, and Google represent a two-sided coin. On the one side, products and services are becoming commodities and profit margins are shrinking for American manufacturers. On the other side, it shows how companies can leverage technology, create massive networks of value, and provide high margin, customized solutions for a host of new customers.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Business politics is the act of trying to gain support to advance a cause, an initiative, or a career. Team of Rivals is a masterful example of how to gain support from your competitors and rally the group around the advancement of a cause. Business managers of today would be wise to apply Lincoln’s methods and approaches to other people in their organizations.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

This book provides rich insights into the power of ideas that become epidemics. Seth Godin provides even greater depth on this concept in his book, Unleashing the Ideavirus. We’re no longer selling products or services. We’re selling ideas which incorporate a wide variety of products and services. That’s the real new economy.

Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson

Thomas Paine was the first, and possibly the greatest, American manifesto writer. His book, Common Sense, written in 1776 became an instant best seller, clarified the cause of the colonies, and had a direct impact on accelerating the birth of the United States of America. Nelson does a magnificent job of explaining the impact a person can have through powerful and clear writing in any situation. Read it, and then write a manifesto for your organization.

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. edited by Clayborne Carson

This is the greatest book I’ve ever read on leadership. It shows how King influenced others through eloquent speeches, handwritten letters, and the building of coalitions. This book is an extraordinary example of how to influence other people even when you have no power or authority over them.

Pop! Stand Out in Any Crowd by Sam Horn

This book literally stands out on this list. It shows a wide variety of techniques to craft powerful, pithy messages. The tools in this book can be applied to enhance advertising messages, meeting agendas, speech titles, branding campaigns, conference themes, and much more. It’s not just what you’re talking about that matters, but also the way in which you talk about it.

Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy

This book is more than 40 years old and is still powerfully relevant today. Ogilvy provides insights on how to attract clients, build a brand, establish an organization, attract talent, and end bad client relationships. It’s a fast read that is packed with practical insights.

The Capitalist Philosophers by Andrea Gabor

In one book, Gabor guides the reader through the development of management ideas throughout the 20th Century. You can literally trace every “new� management fad to a specific business philosopher in this book. By reading it, you will have a much greater understanding of the breadth and depth of management ideas that are present today. It is the foundation that you can build your management philosophy upon.

Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss

A relatively recent phenomenon has been the explosion of independent business consultants who advise executives in every conceivable industry. Million Dollar Consulting for independent consultants was what The Practice of Management by Peter Drucker was for managers. Weiss explains in great detail how to market, manage your business, deliver value, and charge for the value you deliver.