Book Reviews & Recommendations

Catapult your leadership to new heights by taking a look at these Mentor-recommended books on our suggested reading lists.


Five Dysfunctions Book Cover

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

By Patrick Lencioni

In his book, Lencioni examines why effective teams are so rare, and then provides specific recommendations for eliminating barriers that lead to dysfunctional teams.

Read our 5 Dysfunctions of a Team - 5 part blog series
 

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The Next Level Book Cover

The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success

By Scott Eblin

Recommended by Kerry Arent

Why Kerry recommends this book: It’s a must-read for anyone new to an executive role. This book provides a realistic description of behaviors that you need to adope and things you must stop doing to be successful at this new level of leadership.

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The first 90 days book cover

The First 90 Days

By Michael Watkins

Recommended by John Filsinger

Why John recommends this book: This book is a must-read for anyone newly appointed into a position, taking on a new role, or starting a new job at a different company.

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Abilene Paradox Book Cover

The Abilene Paradox

By Jerry B. Harvey

The fundamental problem of contemporary organizations, broadly defined to include families, churches, governments, businesses and academic institutions, is the inability to cope with the fact that we agree with one another. The problem is not the inability to cope with conflict. In fact, most conflict in organizations of all kinds is phony, and is unconsciously generated in an effort to keep us from having to do anything significant.

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The World is Flat Book Cover

The World is Flat 3.0

By Thomas L. Friedman

In this new edition, Thomas L. Friedman includes fresh stories and insights to help us understand the flattening of the world. Weaving new information into his overall thesis, and answering the questions he has been most frequently asked by parents across the country, this third edition also includes two new chapters--on how to be a political activist and social entrepreneur in a flat world; and on the more troubling question of how to manage our reputations and privacy in a world where we are all becoming publishers and public figures.

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Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel's Guide to Finding Your Best Life

Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel’s Guide to Finding Your Best Life

By Shelley Paxton

Recommended by Eric McGraw

Why Eric recommends this book: I’ve been sharing resources from the Soulbbatical website for a while. In this new book, Paxton shares how she embarked on a journey to connect with her true purpose and deepest desires. It changed her life and became her calling.

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Fierce Conversations Book Cover

Fierce Conversations

By Susan Scott

Recommended by Deb Franckowiak

This book changed my existing mental model in ways that I cannot even begin to describe. I'd like to think the author’s concept of "fierce" can take hold like a tiny ember among a bunch of dried kindling - where pretty soon there's a roaring fire and sometimes hard to squelch. Wouldn't it be magnificent to not only have conversations that were strong, uncensored, and powerful but also that we as people could have the same untamed desire to have that in our relationships as well? Read this book to find out.

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