The World's Best Book Summaries
What are some common distractions from God? How do distractions from God stop you from reaching your full potential? Distractions from God include things like procrastination, going on your phone too much, and not making time with God a priority. This can lead to a feeling of stagnation, impacting your relationship with God negatively. Find out common distractions from God and how to deal with them below.
Do you take more than you give? Or do you try to do it in equal measure? Why is being a giver pay off better? In his book Give and Take, Adam Grant explains why people who give more than they take often receive benefits that exceed their personal costs. Whether it be at work, in a marriage, or even a friendship, it always pays off to be selfless. Here is why being a giver will pay off in the long term.
Are you feeling unmotivated in your job and life? Are you finding your current goals unsatisfying to keep working toward? Drive by Daniel H. Pink believes your work structure is to blame. Historically, employers have motivated employees through financial rewards and kept workers on a tight leash. These principles worked well when people were primarily working in assembly lines, but today’s creative work demands more: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Below is a brief overview of the key points and takeaways.
What is the purpose of the 10 scrolls in The Greatest Salesman in the World? What were the writings inscribed inside? The 10 scrolls from The Greatest Salesman in the World are the fictional medium for delivering the ten principles of selling, or more accurately, of character-building. The story “sells” the premise that becoming a great salesperson means developing a better, stronger version of yourself through good habits, discipline, perseverance, and self-control. Below is a brief summary of Og Mandino’s ten character-building lessons contained in the scrolls.
What is the curse of knowledge? How does it get in the way of effective communication? Sometimes we’re blinded by the curse-of-knowledge bias, assuming that others know what we know. As a result, we fail to communicate effectively and compellingly. When we learn to get around this cognitive bias, we can craft messages that are clear and convincing. Read more to learn how the curse of knowledge hampers communication.
What’s the best way to teach discipline to children? What must parents do? To support a child’s development, the most important skill a parent can pass on is discipline. That’s the view of M. Scott Peck, in his classic book The Road Less Traveled. To teach discipline, two components are critical: love and attention. Read more to learn how to teach discipline to your kids.
What does an authentic life look like? How is it achieved? In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck argues that habitual lying in avoidance of reality ultimately leads to mental illness. On the other hand, an authentic life leads to growth, healthy relationships, and real freedom. He offers five rules for balanced truth-telling that help you navigate this tricky area of life. Keep reading to learn about living an authentic life.
What is the best approach for better team decision-making? Why is the financial plausibility test system flawed? The best way to approach team decision-making is to ask what needs to be true for the company’s strategy to be successful. This encourages creative ideas and holistic decisions, as opposed to the model-centric systems that discourage out-of-the-box solutions. The financial plausibility test is a flawed model for team decisions because it is expensive, model-centric, and stifles creativity. Read on to discover the step-by-step guide to better team decision-making.
Do you feel like your employees have lost the drive to perform at their best? What can you, as a leader, do to motivate and inspire your team? Inspiring employees to go above and beyond requires a leader who is willing to show their emotional side. Everyone inherently has the ability to inspire, though everyone will do it differently depending on their purposes, communication style, and the challenges at hand. To inspire, use the following two techniques.
In an ever-changing and fast moving world, how can you keep your organization alive? Is it bad for your company to always be changing? In their fable about leading change, John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber talk about the importance of being non-complacent. The authors stress that leading one successful change doesn’t mean that your organization is safe—you need to be sure that your changes stick and that you’re ready to change again if need be. Continue reading to learn what John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber had to say about being non-complacent in their fable Our Iceberg Is Melting.