What I've Been Reading, Fall 2010 Edition

Well, it’s autumn here in the United States. And as usual, it arrives after a busy summer — spent speaking, traveling, and writing my book for 2011.
But no matter how busy I am, I’m always reading. I thought it might be nice to share what I’ve read in the past few months. As usual, I found and filed quotes and stories according to my system (described in this post). I hope one or more of these books offers you insights that fuel your personal and professional growth.

A Game Plan for Life:  The Power of Mentoring, by Don Yeager & John Wooden. My copy of this book was covered with notes on nearly every page! And I filed away loads of leadership insights. I’ve already made clear how much I’ve learned from John Wooden. Well, this book with Don Yeager took it to a new level.

Aspire, by Kevin Hall. Some interesting insights into ordinary words, and the power they can have to inspire, heal, hurt, and change someone’s life. I found a few great nuggets of wisdom within this short, easy read.

Do More Great Work by Michael Bungay Stainer. How much of your time is spent on busy work and bureaucracy? Or doing good work: occupying your mind, but hardly moving you forward? Stainer challenges you to do GREAT work that’s innovative, creative and satisfying, and will help you leap forward in achieving your goals.

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. First published in 1995, this book started the conversation about the importance of emotional intelligence in people’s success. It’s packed with information and research, and — in its 10th anniversary edition — still relevant to today’s communicators and leaders.

Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft. Kraft, the leadership development pastor at Mars Hill Church, has been a leader in ministry for over 40 years, and he’s truly a leader who lasts. This is a book that I marked up and mined for quotes from beginning to end.

Mandela’s Way by Richard Stengel. Richard Stengel, managing editor of Time and collaborator on Mandela’s autobiography (Long Walk to Freedom), spent two years with Mandela, discussing his life and the lessons learned from it. The result is 15 chapters of fascinating leadership wisdom.