Leadership the Barack Obama Way: Making Change Happen

Shel Leanne
McGraw Hill, 2010
$24.95
book-leadership-obama Most leaders have studied books and taken courses on the fundamentals of teambuilding. As well, many of these leaders have stood in awe as they listened and watched Barack Obama mobilize toward the US presidency. Yet, how did Obama accomplish this? "Leadership the Barack Obama Way" provides the answer by offering an indepth analysis of Obama’s strategies and tactics as he planned and forged his path to power. Peppered with real live examples, the book is excellent reading and can act as a template for business leaders, aspiring politicians and/or public speakers who want to develop and master the art of influence.
 

Say It Like OBAMA: The Power of Speaking With Purpose and Vision

Shel Leanne
McGraw Hill
$21.95
book-leadership-obama Anyone who has heard Obama speak during the recent presidential election campaign will agree with me that he is indeed a very distinguished speaker, mesmerizing in fact.  As such, it is interesting to read this thorough dissection of all the strategies and techniques Obama uses to make his point and to inspire his listeners. Ranging from the effective use of body language and the use of repetition to drive his point home, to energizing his audience through voice and intonation, Obama appears to have mastered the craft of speaking.  As a result, this book is a must read for any executive leader, politician and/or platform speaker who relies on communication to convey their vision.
 

Seducing the boys Club: Uncensored Tactics from a Woman at the Top

Nina Disesa
Ballentyne Books
$15.00
book-boys-club Disesa is a “been there, done that” lady who has successfully clawed her way to the top of a renowned advertising agency in New York. Her story is one of a hard hitting, crafty leader who refuses to be toppled by the battle ready male tactics she encounters. Instead, her strategy of seduction and manipulation which she calls “S&M”,  is a combination of psychology, mothering and stubbornness. All 220 pages are full of real examples of personal success, failure and advice. While the book is directed to women, men should read it to at least learn how silly their power antics really are. 
   

Relentless: The True Story of the Man Behind Rogers communications

Ted Rogers with Robert Brehl
Harper Collins Publishers Ltd., 2008
$20.76
A folksy, easy to read book that brings the reader right into the life and times of Ted Rogers. It is a positive and upbeat personal reflection inclusive of an attempt to explain his reputation for temper tantrums. There is much to learn from Roger’s experience, particularly the need to focus on what can be done and not why something can’t be done, the importance of good time management and the need to make decisions quickly. The many trials and tribulations Rogers faced on the path to business success were very interesting and provides for a great Canadian story. 
 

The Millionaire Mindset: How Ordinary People Can Create Extraordinary Income

Gerry Robert
Bob Proctor Life Success Publishers
$32.95
book-millionaire-mindset If you went by the title alone, you’d think this book is only about making money. It’s not. Gerry Robert provides a comprehensive process that demonstrates to readers how their earlier family beliefs might be impeding their success. He helps readers to understand themselves, build a new and positive personal attitude and take control of their life. In his view, a positive attitude serves to attract people, job opportunities, friends and financial success. It helps people to find solutions to problems rather than wallowing in defeat. The book is full of interesting and supportive quotations, personal anecdotes, simple common sense strategies and helpful diagnostic worksheets. Combined with  Robert’s down to earth writing style, the reader is engaged right to the very end.
   

The Myth of Multitasking: How “doing it all” gets nothing done

Dave Crenshaw
Jossey Bass, 2008 
$21.99
book-myth-multitasking Complete with worksheets, this brief 138 page book gets right to the point - multitasking is a lie! Using a conversational style, the author brings the reader right into a CEO coaching session through which he demonstrates that multitasking requires a person to mentally switch their focus thus losing precious time. And if the CEO is only working at 50% efficiency, imagine the cost of inefficiency amongst the remainder of the staff! While the content is interesting and proves a point, I suggest that the cost of the book seems to be much over priced.
 

The Truth Shows Up: a reporter’s fifteen year odyssey tracking down the truth about Mulroney, Schreiber and the Airbus Scandal

Harvey Cashore
Key Porter books
$35.95
book-truth-airbus If you think the recent uproar about the potential of foreign influence on Canadian politicians is a shocker then you just have to read this book. It is a blockbuster. I couldn’t put it down! Detailed, cross referenced and double checked, the author, a former researcher with Canada’s Fifth Estate meticulously traces envelopes of cash right to former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s pocket. But he was not alone. A great read but darn scary to accept that corruption has and could still ride high in our towers of power.
   

What you don't know and your boss won't tell you

Pamela F. Lenehan
Syren Book Company, 2006
$15.95 USD 
book-dont-know As a woman executive and someone who has been challenged by the male dominated business systems every step of my career, I looked forward to the advice I hoped to find in this book. The book is based on a series of interviews with women in a variety of industries however, in my opinion, the structure of the book is a bit disjointed and awkward to read. The best part was the chapter summaries. However, the book still offers good advice and deals with topics such as how to interact with bosses and spouses, the danger of getting known through volunteering on task forces and committees and what to wear. A key and important message is the fact that individuals alone are responsible for their own career management, a lesson often ignored by many individuals.
 

The Power of Social Networking: Using the Whuffie Factor to Build Your Business

Tara Hunt
Crown Publishing/Random House, 2009
$25.00 
This is the best book I have read on social networking to build your business. It is chock full of ideas and real examples. The author’s whole premise is that social networking has turned the idea of marketing upside down. She suggests that instead of sending out marketing messages via the numerous channels now available on the internet, businesses now have to actually make contact and engage customers in an online  dialogue through blogs and twitter. You will need to keep this book handy and reread it several times as it is packed full of examples and ideas.
   

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