Reading, A Good Way to Make Time Fly

Not many will argue that 2011 was an exciting year, as we saw Kim Jong Un succeed his father, Kim Jong-il as the new supreme leader of North Korea. On Dec. 15, the United States formally declared an end to the Iraq war. And we lost our version of American royalty, when Elizabeth Taylor passed away on March 23. The year was electrifying and it went by too quickly. So what did I spend my time doing? Some of it was spent reading books recommended by members of the ASCPA Book Club. So far, we’ve discussed a total of four books: Mojo, Tribal Leadership, Drive and Linchpin.

Although there were plenty of similarities between these books, I liked and disliked them for different reasons. Let me begin with Tribal Leadership, which we hashed over on May 31. In Tribal Leadership, Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright give the reader real life lessons and case studies on how to create an incredible environment in a company. It is a modern twist on team building, but instead of teams, it’s tribes, of course. Tribal Leadership was captivating, and it gave an interesting look at the impact different people can have on the success of an organization. I would recommend it to business students and anyone going into a management role.

Mojo, written by Marshall Goldsmith was reviewed on Aug. 2. Goldsmith shares the ways we obtain, lose and recapture our “mojo.” Our mojo is impacted by four key factors: identity, achievement, reputation and acceptance. The author provides a vast number of case studies with business implications which allow the reader to connect to his motivational style. Overall, Mojo was a decent read with useful tools to discover your mojo, but I did not connect with Goldsmith. I didn’t get excited, nor did it capture my attention. If you already have good mojo, then Mojo may not be for you.

I tackled Drive by Daniel H. Pink while contributing to our local economy. I sat down at the eatery inside the bookstore and finished it in one sitting. According to Pink, everything we think we know about what motivates us is wrong. Pink cites an array of studies revealing that the carrot and stick approach can actually significantly reduce the ability of workers to produce creative solutions to problems. Pink makes reference to studies that show that what motivates us, once our basic survival needs are met, is the ability to grow and develop, which allows us to realize our fullest potential. Reading Drive was fun as it was well-written and organized. It was easy to follow and the case studies were relevant and increased my ability to understand the author’s powerful message.

One case study in particular that resonated with me was with Sears Automotive and how the company set the goals for their sales team, which in this scenario led to overcharging customers and completing unnecessary work. As Pink eloquently states, “…goals imposed by others can sometimes have dangerous side effects.” And it did in this particular case study. Pink continues, “Companies pay a steep price for not extending their gaze beyond the next quarter.” There were many of these brilliant passages and I wish I could use all of them in this post. I enjoyed perusing the book from start to finish. It captured my attention and every chapter had tools to awaken my motivation.

On the 15 of this month, our enthusiastic members compared notes on Linchpin by Seth Godin. For Godin, linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations. He compares them to a small piece of hardware that keeps a wheel from falling off its axle. And in today’s unsteady environment, they get the best jobs and the most freedom. Godin asks some thought-provoking questions: Are you indispensible? Is the company you work for indispensible? Do your clients or members consider you vital to their success? Tough questions to answer, but be honest with yourself if you do.

Godin shares why he believes we would rather fit in than stand out. Failing to stand out makes us expendable as individuals and companies. To survive and thrive in this new economy, Godin argues we must become indispensible. He goes on to state, “….an indispensible employee brings humanity and connection and art to her organization. She is the key player, the one who is difficult to live without, the person you can build your organization around.” Linchpins are models of success, and they are successful because they think about failure differently.

The first 100 pages of the book were insightful. It was on par with Drive, but the second half was redundant and ineffective. Linchpin was poorly organized. The author jumped around from idea to idea, sometimes in the same paragraph. It appears he had a lot to share and wanted to cram it all in 236 pages.

Overall, these were good books our members recommended. Drive was by far my favorite, and I would recommend it to students, to young professionals and to seasoned veterans. What was your favorite leadership book you read this year?

It is energizing to see what books get chosen for the ASCPA Book Club. Now that this year is almost gone, I need to get ready for a whole new set of leadership books we’ll discuss in 2012.  Although my crystal ball hasn’t been working as of late, I suspect 2012 will also be intriguing with as many highlights as 2011. I do have high hopes for this New Year, as I trust the U.S. and Arizona economy will be vastly improved.  

I wish all of you a great New Year. Happy reading in the Year of the Dragon!

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