The World's Best Book Summaries
What makes a good leader? What kind of leaders do modern organizations need? A good leader isn’t defined by the title. Ultimately, leadership in the workplace is all about dealing with people. And dealing with people, first and foremost, requires soft skills—attributes like empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence. With this in mind, here are three leadership qualities modern workplaces need.
Why is asking questions important in communication? How can you ask better questions? According to leadership expert Michael Bungay Stanier, asking questions is important in all forms of communication because it helps you to avoid the advice-giving trap. In his book The Advice Trap, he explains the benefits of asking questions versus the drawbacks of offering suggestions. Read on to learn why asking questions is important, including Stanier’s tips for asking better questions.
How much authority should a stream-aligned team have? What makes these teams so efficient? When you think of “stream,” think of “flow.” That’s a key aspect of stream-aligned teams. It’s the primary of four team topologies discussed by software engineers and authors Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. Continue reading for an overview of what stream-aligned teams are designed to do.
Does your organization have enabling teams? What difference do they—or could they—make? In Team Topologies, enabling teams function as helpers that come alongside other teams to keep them running with efficiency and relevance. They stay up to date on the latest technologies and skills, and then they share this knowledge with the teams that need it. Read on to understand the purpose and function of enabling teams.
Does your organization have a team that’s dedicated to infrastructure services? Could your organizational resources be handled more efficiently? In Team Topologies, platform teams are one of the four team types recommended by software engineers Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. These teams handle underlying organizational functions such as cloud storage and internal security. Keep reading to learn about the purpose and design of platform teams and how they intersect with all aspects of the organization.
Do you feel like your employees are lacking a sense of work ethic? Are you looking for tips on how to improve work ethic in your organization? Work ethic is, to a large extent, down to individual employees: Some people have a greater work ethic than others due to their personality or life experiences. That being said, there are things you can, as a leader, do to improve work ethic among your subordinates. With this in mind, here’s how to improve work ethic in your organization.
Does your team get stuck when it encounters a problem that’s beyond its expertise? What if your organization had a team designed to come in and save the day? In Team Topologies, Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais recommend dividing your workforce into four types of teams. One type is what they call “complicated-subsystem teams,” which are basically problem-solving teams. Read more to understand how and when such specialized teams should be deployed.
Want an overview of Making Things Happen by Scott Berkun? What does a project manager do? In Making Things Happen by Scott Berkun, he explains what makes a good project leader and how you can better communicate with the people you work with if you find yourself in that role. In the book, Berkun answers the many questions you may have on leadership and project management. Read on for an overview of Making Things Happen by Scott Berkun.
What’s an enabling team? What type of team handles an organization’s infrastructure? What’s the most important team type? Team Topologies is a manual for restructuring your organization’s approach to software design. Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais argue that, by dividing your workforce into four types of teams, you’ll set your organization up for success. Keep reading for an overview of the four Team Topologies team types, plus a discussion on when it’s time to reassign teams.
What makes a good manager and leader? What do nearly all great leaders do? In Making Things Happen, management expert Scott Berkun explains what makes a good manager and leader, based on his former management experience for major companies like Microsoft and WordPress. He claims that there are two must-have qualities that define good managers and leaders. Read on to learn what makes a good manager and leader, according to Berkun.