Motivation Information

Recommendations for the Best Personal Growth Books


I can't stress this enough: You've got to motivate yourself in order to motivate your team. You don't motivate people, they motivate themselves (or they don't). If you model motivated behavior, so will your team! Read on for a few suggestions on books to help you make it great!

You Can Experience...A Purposeful Life James Emery White

I recently finished this book, and I strongly recommend it. Pastor White does a fantastic job of reminding us that our call to serve the Lord can come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. I think the biggest thing I learned from this book is that you don't have to be a pastor to serve the Lord and make a difference in the world. By focusing on serving the Lord, you can, as the title says, experience a purposeful life. I know it's definitely helped me re-focus my energies on the right things, instead of just things.

21 Indispensable Qualities of Leadership: Becoming the Leader Others Will Follow John C. Maxwell

From Amazon.com's review: Why do some people consistently inspire others to follow their lead? In The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Maxwell identifies these top traits as character, charisma, commitment, communication, competence, courage, discernment, focus, generosity, initiative, listening, passion, positive attitude, problem-solving, relationships, responsibility, security, self-discipline, servanthood, teachability, and vision--and then defines them in ways that readers can absorb and utilize.

I can't say it much better than that. The way Maxwell breaks down leadership qualities into easy to understand character qualities is absolutely fantastic. Character is what defines a leader, and these traits are what people of character have. A must-read for leaders in any position.

Now, Discover Your Strengths Marcus Buckingham

It's great to read a book that helps you find what you're strong in and encourages you to work to make those stronger, instead of working against what you know you're good at. You have to buy this book to take the personal survey. A great follow-up to First Break All the Rules, and one I encourage anyone who isn't sure where her/his strengths are. I would encourage you to even buy a copy for each of your team, so they can take the StrengthsFinder test.

Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers Spencer Stuart

A remarkable book about how to stand out from your peers and have a better career. My favorite lesson: It's better to ask for forgiveness after the fact than it is to ask for permission ahead of time.

Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson

Of course, what book list would be complete without this book all about CHANGE (or is it just about cheese?) Another book that is well worth the listen, but also worth reading.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People Steven Covey

Another must have in your leadership library. If you read a lot of books, you're practicing one of Covey's habits, "sharpening the saw." I'm also looking forward to reading about the 8th Habit but I haven't picked it up yet.

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci Discover Your Genius: How to Think Like History's Ten Most Revolutionary Minds Michael Gelb

I've met Michael, and he is so on the mark with his writings. Learn how to think more creatively and be more artistic (yes, that is important no matter what your position, or what you family or bosses tell you)

The Brand You 50 Re-imagine Pursuit of Wow! Tom Peters

Tom Peters is a new favorite author of mine, and one who is has motivated me to work on many new projects in 2005.

What Should I Do With My Life? Po Bronson

A book that tells us that it's okay NOT to know what you want to do, and that even the people we think are completely happy may not be, but also that we make our own happiness, it all depends on how you deal with it. Buy the paperback because it has 7 new stories!

Rhinoceros Success Scott Alexander

This was recommended to me by my last manager, and is an incredibly quick read. It's all about leading, and how sometimes you have to do the unpopular (change usually) to make a difference and stand out as a leader. Be a rhino!

Advanced Rhinocerology Scott Alexander

This books is a nice sequel to Rhinocerous Success and I enjoyed it a great deal. A few things it reminded me of is that leaders are often under attack from all sides, and it's important to watch your own back because often nobody else will.

Phil Gerbyshak leads a team of IT help desk professionals in Milwaukee, WI, and finds that sharing his knowledge is a crucial component in his success as a leader and as a person. Phil's personal philosophy is paraphrased from Tim Sanders' fantastic book Love is the Killer App: "Share your knowledge, your network, and your love. The rest will follow." Read more of Phil's musings at http://makeitgreat.blogspot.com

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Sydney Morning Herald

Celtics, 76ers need no extra motivation for Game 7
San Francisco Chronicle
"If this is not the most important thing to you right now, there is no way to motivate you as a basketball player." The Celtics and Sixers will play Saturday night for a spot in the Eastern Conference finals, where one of them will face the Miami Heat ...
Ian Thomsen: Boston Celtics look for motivation to lock in Game 6 win over 76ersSI.com
Collins' words more motivation than barbThe News Journal
Collins goes to the archives for Game 6 motivationThe Mercury
Boston.com -SportingNews.com
all 2,958 news articles »


Winter exercise motivation
Herald Sun
It's getting colder and we are losing the light, which doesn't help the motivation levels for training over winter, right? But if you're tempted to hit the snooze button in the morning, remember this - staying motivated this winter requires a change to ...

and more »


MSU News

Need workout motivation? Try a virtual partner
msnbc.com
Don't sweat it — new research shows that even a virtual exercise partner might boost your motivation to exercise. Researchers found that women who biked alone experienced a decline in motivation over time, whereas those partnered with a virtual friend ...
Cyber Exercise Partners Help You Go the DistanceCounsel & Heal
Cyber exercise partners help you go the distance: Motivation gains can doubleMedical Xpress
With virtual pal, women double workoutsFuturity: Research News

all 8 news articles »


CBS Local

Forensic Psychologist: Accused Killer's Motivation Is Key To Understanding ...
CBS Local
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly didn't reveal Hernandez's motivations for the admitted killing of Etan Patz. However, Dr. NG Berrill, a forensic psychologist at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said whatever the motivation was — that is the key to ...
Etan Patz Mystery: 99 Percent of Abductors Never KillABC News
Looking for Pedro HernandezNew Yorker (blog)
Reasons to Believe Cops Found Etan Patz's Killer (and a Few Doubts)The Atlantic Wire

all 3,672 news articles »


How to Motivate Someone
Huffington Post
To motivate another person, you have to appeal to their values. This may seem straightforward, but it isn't. Too often we try to motivate others by indoctrinating them in our values rather than by appealing to theirs. A classic example of this is the ...



Willes: Canadian rowing coach a master of motivation
Vancouver Sun
He knows how to motivate.” And ultimately win, which, perhaps, is all you need to know about Spracklen. It's just that the rest of the story is equally intriguing. This weekend the Canadian rowing team is in Lucerne, Switzerland, for the Samsung World ...

and more »


Multisports: Mike's motivation comes from being a good dad
New Zealand Herald
They say that when you have your first child, life will never be the same again. That's the case for Mike Buckley, one of the runners in the 3D Rotorua Multisport Festival next weekend. The 41-year-old teacher, whose wife had their daughter Kara in ...

and more »


My View: Can tests motivate students? It depends on the test - and the student
CNN (blog)
They co-authored the report, “Student Motivation—An Overlooked Piece of School Reform." (CNN) – We're taking many steps as a nation to boost student achievement. We're raising academic standards, revising curricula, revamping low-performing schools ...



Gary Allen's marathon motivation marked by decades of endurance
Bangor Daily News
Gary Allen trains along Sargent Drive in Northeast Harbor as part of his preparation for the Boston Marathon in 2010. Allen's recent finish of 2 hours, 59 minutes and 48 seconds in the Tacoma City Marathon marked the 65th time he has completed a ...



PR Web (press release)

CallScripter and Motiv8 Solutions Join Forces to Increase Employee Motivation ...
PR Web (press release)
CallScripter, the industry leading contact centre scripting solution has entered into a partnership with Motiv8 Solutions, experts in the field of employee motivation, to increase employee retention whilst enhancing customer experience and maximising ...

and more »

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