By Bill Welter, Jean Egmon, Jossey-Bass, 304 Pages, $27.95 Hardcover, October 2005 ISBN 0787976806

When I read books on leadership, they generally fall into one of two types: 1) Followers' Model--getting people to support you; 2) Future Seers' Model--looking beyond today and creating a vision for tomorrow. Both are important in leadership.

The Prepared Mind of a Leader falls into the latter category. Like all good business books, the second page details what the authors, Jean Egmon and Bill Welter, believe:

...we see leadership as the practice of continuously envisioning opportunities for growth within complex, dynamic environments, built on core principles the organization is committed to sustaining and using as the basis for value delivered to all stakeholders. Implied in our definition is that leaders, no matter where they are in the organization, are strategists in terms of making opportunities explicit and knowing why and when and how to move into and navigate the problems and opportunities they face.

I know it's a lot but the message is important. They're saying that you have to see what is going on, then plot a course into the future and (this part is important) everyone can do this. The book will even help you do this by highlighting the necessary skills: observing, reasoning, imagining, challenging, deciding, learning, enabling, and reflecting.

One warning: this is not an airplane read. The authors demand a lot of their readers but it means there is much to gain. I suggest reading it slowly and contemplating the authors' questions. Perhaps, try reading a chapter each month and apply the appropriate lessons as you go. No matter how you read it, the time spent is well worth it.

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By Twyla Tharp with Mark Reiter, Simon & Schuster, $15.00 paperback, 256 pages, January 2006, ISBN 0743235274

If you've heard of Twyla Tharp, you may be wondering why I am reviewing this book which recently came out in paperback. Tharp is a celebrated choreographer. You may know her for the stage productions of "Movin' Out" and "Singin' in the Rain". What Tharp shares in her book is universal to businesspeople, artists and everyone in between; she explains how to make creativity a habit.

Like your kindergarten teacher encouraged you, we all have creative talent locked somewhere inside. For those of us who weren't born with da Vinci's eye for art or Beethoven's musical talent, Tharp provides a method for the madness that is creativity. She believes that, "Creativity is not just for artists. It's for businesspeople looking for a new way to close a sale; it's for engineers trying to solve a problem; it's for parents who want their children to see the world in more than one way."

She's right. Creativity is at the core of every business. While it's used at every step of the way, when faced with a new "blank page", project or whatever you dub a new venture, it can still be intimidating. Here's where the habit part comes into play. By making creativity a habit, you have something to turn to whenever you start something new.

For Tharp, this means labeling a box and putting all related resources into that box. For an executive it is to tap into his "institutional memory". He told Tharp that,

Most, if not all, of your good ideas are probably sitting somewhere in your files or are locked up in the brains of the people who have worked at your company for years. In other words, the good ideas are institutionalized. They exist and they're yours for the taking. All you've got to do is find a way to tap into them. To me, that means (a) digging through files and (b) really listening to the people who've worked there a long time. They know a lot more than anyone thinks.

Through these and other examples, Tharp demonstrates that the habit of creativity is different for each person.

As another example, there is Leonardo da Vinci, the man credited for that famous Mona Lisa smile. Here's his story,

Pope Leo X heard that Leonardo da Vinci was experimenting with the formulas for varnishes instead of executing a painting. He declared, 'This man will never do anything, for he begins thinking about the end before the beginning of his work.'

However, Leonardo understood that the better you know the nuts and bolts of your craft, the more fully you can express your talents.

She continues on entrepreneurs, "A successful entrepreneur can do everything and anything--stock the warehouse, negotiate with vendors, develop a product, design an ad campaign, close a deal, placate an unhappy customer--as well as, if not better than anyone working for him."

Whether you're an entrepreneur or an aspiring da Vinci, I highly suggest you check out this book. Use it to help you find your creative habit. Use it to make that "blank page" a little less intimidating.

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By Tim Harford, Oxford University Press, $26.00 hardcover, 276 pages, November 2005, ISBN 0195189779

If you read my reviews on a regular basis, you know that are pretty straight forward. Typically, I explain the book, how it relates to me, and suggest that you read it. That is what Tim Harford has done with "The Undercover Economist"; the book calls to be read.

Now, economics books are usually not my cup of tea. Yet, the subtitle "Exposing Why The Rich Are Rich, The Poor Are Poor--and Why You Can Never Buy A Decent Used Car!" along with the 1940's Dick Tracy-style cover art persuaded me to take a peek.

Harford starts with a simple cup of coffee. According to Harford, your morning cappuccino has a nice markup (around 150%) and Starbucks isn't making quite as much as you'd imagine. The author follows his economic nose and finds that for coffee shops, a good location is vital. Ask any real estate owner and they'll tell you the same; hence, why the real estate folks are making the most money from your daily cup of joe.

Now, before you get out of the first chapter you will find yourself reading about:

• Economic theory originally published in 1817
• The Green Belt around London
• The Mafia's overpriced laundry services a la "The Sopranos"
• The immigration of skilled workers into the United States.

Harford uses story after story to illustrate how economics are a part of our everyday lives. When you see how much the typically viewed as dismal science affects your life, you'll be glad I picked up The Undercover Economist.

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By Eugene O'Kelly, McGraw-Hill, $19.95 hardcover, 160 pages, December 2005, ISBN 0071471723

This review needs to start with a qualifier. I am a perfect candidate to love this book. I am of "a certain age" and a good friend of mine passed away from cancer not too long ago. That said, I can't remember being this moved and touched by a book, any book. The book is the story of the passing of the CEO of KPMG. The dust jacket is the best synopsis of the book.

On May 24, 2005, Eugene O'Kelly stepped into his doctor's office with a full calendar and a lifetime of plans on his mind. Six days later he would resign as CEO of KPMG. His lifetime of plans dwindled to 100 days, leaving him just enough time to say goodbye.

Chasing Daylight is O'Kelly's honest, touching, and ultimately inspirational memoir completed in the three-and-a-half months between his diagnosis with brain cancer and his death in September 2005. It's haunting, yet extraordinarily hopeful, voice reminds us to embrace the fragile, fleeting moments of our lives--the time we have with our family, our friends, and even ourselves.

It is an eloquent confirmation that our lives and the people in them are temporary joys, but the time we spend enjoying them is never lost. And if we conquer our fears--even the fear of facing the end of our lives and leaving behind those we love--we can conquer anything.

Alright, I admit, when I first glanced over the summary, I was worried it would have more of a religious tone. This is not true; the book is a reflective story about a total Type A personality taking a second look at his life and slowing down. That, in an overview, is the whole story.

Yet, that's like saying the Titanic was just a ship; it's the details that count. O'Kelly is totally honest about his fears. Before he passed, he sat down like the organized accountant he is and made a list of what he wanted to do before he died. The list included the people with whom he wanted to "unwind" his relationship. But what really moved me was his simple, almost profound, writing style. For example, read this brief piece from the book:

The business of dying is hard. The wrapping up. The paperwork, the legal stuff. The stuff that's boring and maddening about life when life is going well. Of course, the other stuff that's happening when dying--the physical stuff and the huge emotional stuff--can be unspeakably awful. But if paperwork is enough to break your spirit--and it is--then how can you have anything left? Day by day, observing the medical practitioners and especially the patients, I started to understand.

As he slows down his life and prepares--realize that he was never in pain because he chose not to do chemo--he continued to write. The final chapter is the story of his actual death told by his wife.

All in all folks, this is what books are about. Teaching us stuff we think we know but we don't. This book is going to be my third "I guarantee you will like this book or your money back." Just email me and I'll take the book back, credit you the book and shipping.

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by Kathryn Cramer and Hank Wasiak, Running Press, 152 pages, $22.95 hardcover, February 2006, ISBN 076242723X

This book appeals to both sides of my brain. I am a sucker for books that have a design element with a compelling message. True, this book could be categorized as self-help -- a category of which I am usually not too fond. Yet, this book jumped out at me because of the cover. It's simultaneously intriguing and creative.

The front is printed in reverse type and the back has plastic peel-offs that display author information and a brief book description. With the addition of this book, my bookshelf has an added flair.

The subject is a tad pedestrian -- is the glass half full or half empty? However, the presentation of the subject is very effective at putting the old topic in a new light. The authors use the metaphor of Asset-Based Thinking for half full and Debt-Based Thinking for half empty. To quote the book:

Asset-Based Thinking (ABT) calls for small shifts in the way we absorb, perceive, filter, and interpret. It changes the way we see everything, leading to dramatic improvements in the way we live. ABT zeroes in on what's working rather that what's not and favors inspiration and aspiration over desperation...and it is infectious.

Every day, the opportunity to engage in ABT stands before us in all kinds of situations, good and bad, large and small. It leads directly to the thrill of victory, while sidestepping the agony of defeat.

As the cliche states, practice makes perfect. Practice ABT with the numerous exercises throughout the book. I posted a page from the book on our blog which has a couple of "try this" exercises. Here is another example of the practical nature of this book.

Just Breathe

Whenever a problem arises, your first gut reaction may be alarm. Your body's natural defense mechanism switches on, and all systems are armed and aimed at fighting or fleeing the threat. Every communication breakdown, missed deadline, and costly mistake heightens your focus as you feel the shot of adrenaline restricting your thoughts and speeding your actions. What you may not be aware of is that your breathing changes too. Your breathing becomes shallow (from your chest not your abdomen) and the intervals between breaths are much shorter (not so short you are hyperventilating, but shorter.)

A simple yet powerful tool you have at your disposal is breath control--the ability to shift your body out of a threat reaction into a challenge reaction by focusing on your breath. Slow it down. Taking five or six deeper breaths should do the trick. Breathing deeply and slowly facilitates ABT. You become more creative and less reactive. It puts you in charge of dealing more effectively with the threat at hand. It triggers the excitement of being challenged and dissolves the fear of being threatened.

Page after page contains helpful advice on how to deal with everyday situations using ABT and seeing the glass half full. If you need a few testimonials, check out the interviews with Moby and Linda Grey about how ABT has helped them. I could end this review with something quite cliche and catchy but will spare you and end now. One last thing, the book is worth a look.

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