About the Author Kim Scott is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing your Humanity and the co-founder of Radical Candor LLC. Kim has been a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and several other tech companies. Previously, Kim led AdSense, YouTube, and Doubleclick Online Sales and Operations at Google. Known for her ability to generate billions of dollars in revenue from millions of small customers while keeping her team happy and margins high, her unofficial title was High Priestess of the Long Tail. After Google, Kim joined Apple to develop and teach a leadership seminar. Additionally, she was the co-founder and CEO of Juice Software, a collaboration start-up, and led business development at Delta Three and Capital Thinking. Earlier in her career, she worked as a senior policy advisor at the FCC, managed a pediatric clinic in Kosovo, started adiamond cutting factory in Moscow, and was an analyst on the Soviet Companies Fund. Kim received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BA from Princeton University. She is the author of three novels; she and her husband Andy Scott are parents of twins and live in the San Francisco Bay Area. https://www.radicalcandor.com/our-team/ Click here to buy on The Book Depository https://www.bookdepository.com/Radical-Candor/9781529038347 /?a_aid=stephsbookshelf  About the Book The idea is simple: You don’t have to choose between being a pushover and a jerk. Using Radical Candor―avoiding the perils of Obnoxious Aggression, Manipulative Insincerity, and Ruinous Empathy―you can be kind and clear at the same time. Kim Scott was a highly successful leader at Google before decamping to Apple, where she developed and taught a management class. Since the original publication of Radical Candor in 2017, Scott has earned international fame with her vital approach to effective leadershipand co-founded the Radical Candor executive education company, which helps companies put the book’s philosophy into practice. Radical Candor is about caring personally and challenging directly, about soliciting criticism to improve your leadership and also providing guidance that helps others grow. It focuses on praise but doesn’t shy away from criticism―to help you love your work and the people you work with. Radically Candid relationships with team members enable bosses to fulfill their three core responsibilities: Create a culture of Compassionate Candor Build a cohesive team Achieve results collaboratively Required reading for the most successful organizations, Radical Candor has raised the bar for management practices worldwide. www.amazon.com Links Watch Kim’s video ‘be a kickass boss without losing your humanity’ herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj9GLeNCgm4 BIG IDEA 1 (6:14) – Care personally and challenge directly. Caring personally is fundamentally about giving a damn. It is about sharing yourself and allowing others to do the same by creating an environment where everyone can build true relationships. It’s about truly caring about your team as people – not just about how good they are in their job. Create space for conversations about what your team members want to do with their careers, even if people may not want to stay in your team or your organisation. The first important step to caring personally is to decide that it is your job to make your team successful. Caring personally and challenging directly are what make up the radical candor. Challenging directly is telling people what’s working and what’s not. Whether you are giving feedback or guidance, you can’t effectively care personally without challenging directly. And you can’t effectively challenge directly without caring personally. BIG IDEA 2 (8:54) – Choose radical candor. The radical candor model in the book has two axis; at the top of the vertical axis you’ve got caring personally and bottom is ‘you don’t give a damn’ while on the horizontal axis right hand side is challenge directly and on the left is silence. If you care personally but don’t challenge directly, you display ruinous empathy. If you stay silent and don’t care personally, you act with manipulative insincerity (which usually involves a lot of back stabbing). If you have no care but you do challenge directly, you act with obnoxious aggression.  Interestingly many people rather work with an obnoxious asshole than someone who just says nice things all the time as at least you know where you stand with an obnoxious asshole! When you care personally and challenge directly, this is radical candor. BIG IDEA 3 (12:39) – You’ve got to get to give. You can’t just give out radical candor without being open to receiving it. Team leaders should be open to receiving radically candid feedback from their teams to be a role model in how to receive such feedback and have these conversations. Therefore you may need to encourage your team to practice it with you in a less public setting (eg in your one on one meetings) until people can feel safe to do so in a group environment. Music By: Gotta Love – Instrumental Version Song by Yulee Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? 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Steph's Business Bookshelf Podcast

Radical Candor by Kim Scott: How to avoid ruinous empathy and obnoxious aggression

About the Author Elizabeth Gilbert was born in Waterbury, Connecticut in 1969, and grew up on a small family Christmas tree farm. She attended New York University, where she studied political science by day and worked on her short stories by night. After college, she spent several years traveling around the country, working in bars, diners and ranches, collecting experiences to transform into fiction. Elizabeth is best known for her 2006 memoir EAT PRAY LOVE, which chronicled her journey alone around the world, looking for solace after a difficult divorce. The book was an international bestseller, translated into over thirty languages, with over 12 million copies sold worldwide. In 2010, EAT PRAY LOVE was made into a film starring Julia Roberts. The book became so popular that Time Magazine named Elizabeth as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2015, she published BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR—a book that encapsulates the joyful spirit of adventure and permission that Elizabeth has always brought to her work and to her life. Elizabeth divides her time between New York City, rural New Jersey, and everywhere else.Source: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/bio/ About the Book Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy. Source: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/ Links Check out Liz speaking at an event here: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/tour/ Click here to buy the book from The Depository BIG IDEA 1 (7:34) – Just create. Don’t wait for permission, inspiration or the right time, just create. And stay in the habit of making. We often put pressure on our creative pursuits to be a ‘thing’ that we lose the sense of doing things for enjoyment. We should be approaching our creativity with a lightness because it will make it a lot less stressful. BIG IDEA 2 (8:53) – Everyone is creative.  We’ve been making things for generations – to cook, eat, live, connect, move or work. But over time these normal things we’ve been doing for ages have become ‘things’. And we take them too seriously.  We also have fallen into the trap of giving the term ‘creativity’ over to just certain fields or skills. Creativity is much broader than being able to draw or paint as everyone can create. There were a few quotes in the book which are really brilliant, such as “If you’re alive, you are a creative person.” and “If you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them.”  By thinking about creativity in a broader way, as a mindset which all have ownership of, we can have bigger lives, happier lives and more interesting lives. Think of creativity as a way to live our lives – not just a skill. BIG IDEA 3 (11:35) – Ideas are entities. Elizabeth thinks of ideas as living, conscious beings that float around looking for someone to bring them to life. You need to treat your ideas well and put them to work to keep them alive. Ideas won’t just wait around for you to be ‘ready’. Elizabeth also said you can say ‘no’ to ideas if it’s the wrong time, place or idea for you. You can even share the idea with a person better suited to it which means you can let ideas go. Whilst this idea feels a little ‘woo woo’ and magical, it’s Elizabeth’s way of understanding and thinking about creativity – and the way she shares this as a concept, rather than an absolute statement, is given lightly and with humour. Music By: Side Road – Instrumental Version Song by Jenny Penkin Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: How to rethink creativity and find your magic

About the author Emma Isaacs is the founder and Global CEO of Business Chicks, Australia’s largest community for women, and is passionate about encouraging women to be bold, to be courageous and to take risks. Emma can take something good and turn it into something spectacular with no experience required. After seven years of running her own recruitment business which she acquired at just 18 years old, Emma was invited to a small event run by a group called Business Chicks. After hearing the business was for sale, Emma took a leap of faith and bought it. And over the next decade, Emma grew the the small Business Chicks group of 250 members into a community of thousands of engaged women. People often talk about a ‘Business Chicks feeling’ and much of this comes back to Emma. She is perpetually optimistic and always joking wherever she goes. Emma wants to make people feel special, always. Customer service is at the forefront of everything she does and that is evident in every touch point of a Business Chicks interaction. Emma currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and five kids (plus one more on the way). And she’s raising each of them to be proud feminists. Source: https://businesschicks.com/emma-story/ About the book CEO and entrepreneur Emma Isaacs forgot to draw up her life plan, and she doesn’t have a list of five-year goals. She doesn’t believe in work/life balance. Like Sheryl Sandberg, who told us to ‘lean in’ to find success, Emma wants to show us that you can’t plan every detail and wait for the confidence to kick in before you begin; instead, take action now, do what feels right and figure the rest out as you go along. In other words, you’ve got to learn how to ‘wing it’ rather than wait. Drawing on her own life and the stories of the many men and women she has met and interviewed – from Sir Richard Branson to Bill Gates to ‘Girlboss’ Sophia Amoruso – Emma tells us how to turn a dream into a job, turn a job into a business, network like a champion, protect your time for the things that matter and understand that sometimes failure is part ofthe brief. Emma shows us that often the only thing holding us back is ourselves; that you can follow your dreams; and that there’s no reason not to start doing so right now. Source: https://businesschicks.com/wingingit/ Links Find out more about Business Chicks here: https://businesschicks.com/ BIG IDEA 1 (6:29) – You’ll never be ready. If not now, then when? You need to find opportunities and seize them, even if (and sometimes especially if) they are unexpected. It’s also about not asking people for permission. Emma started her own recruitment agency at 18 and bought Business Chicks at 26, it didn’t cross her mind to be scared. She just kept on doing the next thing because it felt like a good opportunity. In the book Emma talks about things that might not go according to plan – things might fail or get hard, but you just need to keep swimming because you will never really be ready for everything that could happen.  You just need to start again, move, make traction and keep building momentum. You will never know what’s going to come up and you will never be ready for all those things.  So you just gotta do it and learn along the way (or wing it!). BIG IDEA  2 (8:13) – Go the extra mile. Emma definitely embraces the hustle mentality and talks about being obsessed with your business and doing what others are not prepared to. She has pushed herself mentally and physically to make something happen on many occasions but also acknowledges it’s not about being workaholic as you need to know when to switch off without feeling guilty.  An important trait is keeping learning and asking for feedback, especially when it’s uncomfortable. Ask people that you trust who will give you the real deal. For your customers, go the extra mile and give people something to talk about – make them feel something.  Business Chicks create the sense of belonging and togetherness in a very positive way through their events and the experience they create. BIG IDEA 3 (11:16) – Build great relationships. This idea starts by doing things to make someone’s day. Emma found a way to get a chocolate cake for her friend who was working in China over her birthday, and it made her friend’s day. Spend time building trust, Emma shares some good ways of networking by making it less awkward and cringey.  She also talks about the importance of building an amazing culture by doing little things such as giving credit to whom credit is due, saying ‘thank you’, and letting people do their best work without getting in their way. These are all the fundamentals of building great relationships.  P.S. Despite all of this, you can’t please everyone and that is okay.  Music By: Mindplay – Instrumental Version Song by Roza Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Winging it by Emma Isaacs: How to make an impact by accident

About the Author Jen Oleniczak Brown is the founder of The Engaging Educator (EE), a women-owned and operated company dedicated to helping people find their unapologetic, authentic and best voice, communication style and self through improv-based education. Since 2012, EE has served over 50,000 students, working with such companies as Viacom, Food Network, The New York Times, Saks Fifth Avenue and CBS. Aside from her entrepreneurial endeavors, Jen has done three TEDx talks on the power of improv, including one TEDxWomen on uplifting and elevating women. A firm believer in the idea that Yes, And can change the world – so firm it’s tattooed on her arm, Jen’s personal mission is to empower as many women as possible to stop playing small and know their incredible supernova powers. She currently lives in Winston Salem, NC with her husband Alex, dog Drumstick, and about two-dozen houseplants. Source: https://theengagingeducator.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Press-kit-THINK-ON-YOUR-FEET.pdf About the Book Our professional lives are full of situations outside of our control. A job interviewer asks a question out of left field. A coworker puts you on the spot in front of the boss. Your PowerPoint presentation crashes at a critical moment. Most people react to the unexpected with anxiety and unease. We get rattled, stumble over our words, and overthink the situation. Others, though, handle it with self-assurance and aplomb. They gain a sense of empowerment and energy when the pressure is on. Like great improv actors, they’re able to think on their feet. The great thing is, improv isn’t about winging it or flying by the seat of your pants; improv at its core is about listening and responding. It’s based on rules and techniques, and it taps directly into your soft communication skills. By incorporating it into your prep work for professional situations, you’ll learn how to retrain your brain for the unexpected and get out of your own way in those unexpected―and expected―professional situations. Practicing improv isn’t about being funny. Instead, it’s about developing the mental agility to spin any surprise in your favor and to communicate with confidence. Source: https://theengagingeducator.com/think-on-your-feet/ Links Find out more about the improv classes that Jen’s company runs herehttps://theengagingeducator.com/about-ee/ Watch Jen’s TEDx Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yNb5Dhfguw BIG IDEA 1 (5:44) – Improvisation equals preparation. It’s easy to think that improv is all about ‘the moment’, but thinking on your feet is only really possible with enough preparation. Preparation might be a mix of knowing what’s coming up, knowing your audience, and ideas on the potential things that can happen so that you can think on your feet in the moment. The techniques to start and maintain a conversation (important in any type of communication) are all based on listening and responding. One example of an improvisation technique is called SIT-PROB-SOL – situation, problem, solution. It is talking about the situation, the problem and how you or your team became a part of the solution. It’s great when used in interviews to concisely share your experience and stay on point, rather than disappear on a tangent. BIG IDEA 2 (8:13) – Need to reflect. In the book there is constant recurring advice to stop and reflect by asking yourself questions about your own performance. The ‘performance’ can be anything from a small conversation with one other person, a feedback discussion with your team or a presentation to a group. The need to reflect is critical to getting better. By reflecting it allows us to ask much more objective feedback on what we could do better. It also means we know what elements to practice.  You can practice some of the improv techniques in the book to help with more formal communication with your friends or colleagues and use it into the situation that you expect going to be into. BIG IDEA 3 (10:24) – Improvise to collaborate.  One part of the book is about collaboration and how you can use improv techniques to build creativity and teamwork. This is around the concept of feeding each other’s ‘gifts’. A core principle of improv is that everytime you ask a question or respond to someone, you are actually giving the other person a gift (and they are giving you one in return).  So we need to avoid dropping the gifts (or stopping the conversation). In the book, Jen also talks about using questions effectively by using open-ended questions. She goes as far to say that these are the only types of question we should be asking in a professional context. It is a great way to keep the conversations running to help teams think more creatively or collaborate in a better way. The improv technique of ‘yes, and’ is also a powerful one for helping teams think beyond the barriers they face.  It can effectively be used in a meeting or workshop to build on ideas to find solutions or new angles, rather than endless roadblocks. Music By: Take It to the Top – Instrumental Version Song by Ofrin Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Think on Your Feet by Jen Oleniczak Brown: How to use improvisation for better communication

About the Author Lynne Cazaly helps individuals, teams and organisations transition to new ways of thinking and working.  Lynne is an international keynote speaker, author and a master facilitator. She is the author of 6 books.  Lynne is an experienced radio broadcaster, presenter and producer havingpresented more than 10000 hours on-air. Her background is as a communication specialist, having lectured in under-graduate and post-graduate programs in several of Australia’s Universities and consulting to different industries, sectors and fields on engagement, communication and change.  Lynne can help you think better, make sense of information and handle the realities of information overload with her clever hacks and ingenious processes, tools and methods. She is a cognitive load coping expert. Lynne is an experienced board director and chair and an #avgeek, loving everything aviation and air traffic control.  Source: http://www.lynnecazaly.com.au/ About the Book It’s natural to want to do well – at work, in study, in life, to do our best. But what happens when striving for the best becomes something more … the pursuit of perfection?  Perfectionism is on the rise and it has dire consequences for how we think and feel about ourselves and others, how we think, live, and work. Perfectionism has been seen to cause over-thinking, over-working, burnout, sleeplessness, and mental health problems like depression and anxiety.  We can’t keep going like this! But what’s the alternative if it’s not perfect? Lynne Cazaly uncovers how to think, work and achieve in clever ways adapted from the productive and creative worlds of software development … and improvisation.  How do they get things done? How do they put their ideas out there? And what can we learn from them?  Excellence, quality and continuous improvement are important. But the pursuit of perfection … not so much.  Here’s a helpful alternative that guides you to making great progress and achieving what you want in life.  Source: http://www.lynnecazaly.com.au/ Links Find out more about the book here: http://www.lynnecazaly.com.au/the-ish-book/ BIG IDEA 1 (6:00) – Nothing is perfect This is the fundamental of the book and even Steven Hawkins says that perfectionism is not possible and in fact, without imperfection, not of us would exist. The pursuit of it causes frustration, procrastination, and fractured relationships. Perfectionism is therefore never-ending because it doesn’t exist. It’s like a vicious cycle of pursuing the idea of perfection, hitting the reality that you can’t be perfect, which we then perceive as a failing and berate ourselves… and start all over again.  BIG IDEA 2 (10:10) – Perfectionism comes in different looks Lynne talks about the research on the three flavours of perfectionism. The first is self-oriented where you hold yourself to very high standards, second is socially prescribed, this is about our expectations of other people towards us (ie, thinking that others hold us to higher standards than they do) and the third is other-oriented perfectionism where we hold other people to very high standards.  But what are we afraid of by letting something be ‘good enough’, whilst still being fit for purpose. By striving for perfection, are you trying to hide what’s really going on? Are you hoping people will envy you rather than you envying other people? Are you trying to prove someone wrong?  It is a human need trying to be met in our strive for perfectionism. What does yours look like? BIG IDEA 3 (12:56) – Ish is the answer This is the transition from ‘not good enough to good enough’. It’s about deciding when to stop. Of course, good enough has to be acceptable, feasible and doable – so if you are a surgeon or a pilot, you probably can’t apply ‘good enough’ to all of your work, but there will be tasks or activities where ‘good enough’ is perfectly fine.  You can plot your task or project you’re doing against the acceptability, feasibility and doability test in the book. The important thing is to define what done looks like and what does good enough mean? It’s important to have clear communications and expectations setting to avoid conflicts in ‘the gap’. Ish also has to be intentional by challenging yourself to know when enough is enough and find those perfectionist triggers. Also, try allowing others to be Ish, ask where you are holding other people to higher standards than are necessary. Music By: Loya https://artlist.io/song/17273/seine-river Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Ish by Lynne Cazaly: Why chasing perfect is not good enough

About the Author Simon is an unshakable optimist who believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. With a bold goal to help build a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single day feeling inspired, feel safe at work, and feel fulfilled at the end of the day, Simon is leading a movement to inspire people to do the things that inspire them. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and Find Your Why and The Infinite Game. Source: https://simonsinek.com/about/simon-sinek About the Book In finite games, like football or chess, the players are known, the rules are fixed, and the endpoint is clear. The winners and losers are easily identified. In infinite games, like business or politics or life itself, the players come and go, the rules are changeable, and there is no defined endpoint. There are no winners or losers in an infinite game; there is only ahead and behind. The more Simon started to understand the difference between finite and infinite games, the more he began to see infinite games all around us. He started to see that many of the struggles that organizations face exist simply because their leaders were playing with a finite mindset in an infinitegame. These organizations tend to lag behind in innovation, discretionary effort, morale and ultimately performance. The leaders who embrace an infinite mindset, in stark contrast, build stronger, more innovative, more inspiring organizations. Their people trust each other and their leaders. They have the resilience to thrive in an ever-changing world, while their competitors fall by the wayside. Ultimately, they are the ones who lead the rest of us into the future.Simon now believes that the ability to adopt an infinite mindset is a prerequisite for any leader who aspires to leave their organization in better shape than they found it. Source: https://simonsinek.com/product/the-infinite-game/ Links Listen to Simon talking more about the infinite game, and its impact on company culture, on the Culture Amp podcast here. Join the 48million other people who have watched Simon’s famous ‘golden circle’ TED talk here The biggest idea in the book is the notion of looking at business and life as an infinite game. Not a game to be played to win, but a game that is played for the sheer objective of staying in the game. BIG IDEA 1 (5:08) – The need to have a just cause.  Simon is famous for popularising the concept of companies and individuals having a purpose or a ‘why’. In this book he argues that to play an infinite game you also need a just cause.  The difference between your why and your just cause is that your ‘why’ is who you are and your ‘just cause’ is your vision for the future. The five rules to define your ‘just cause’ are it must be for something, it must be inclusive, it must be service-oriented, it must be resilient (or future proof) and it should be idealistic.  Growth or being the best do not equal a ‘just cause’ because they don’t meet many of the rules to define a ‘just cause’. The same thing with your social corporate responsibility activities; it’s a good thing to do but it doesn’t add up to a just cause.  The best example of ‘just cause’ is from Sam Walton the founder of Walmart; having the lowest prices anytime, anywhere and lowering the cost of living for everyday people. It’s has to be something that is infinite, will continue to be relevant and will make you continue to strive for it. BIG IDEA 2 (8:24) – Find a worthy rival.  Simon and Adam Grant saw each other as worthy rivals. A worthy rival will keep you honest and striving. It doesn’t make you want to cheat but the opposite effect, is makes you want to stay in the game and make you strive to be better. A worthy rival can also be someone you don’t want to be like. You want them to stay in the game to make you want to keep striving. Another good example is Apple and IBM, sometimes you need your worthy rival to make the market bigger. When IBM entered the personal computing industry, Apple took out a full page advert to welcome them to the revolution.  They needed IBM to be in that market to a) increase the size of the market and b) give them something to ‘push’ against and make Apple stand out with their ‘think different’ approach. BIG IDEA 3 (12:47) – Finite vs infinite leadership.  Simon argues that your CEO should be your CVO or chief vision officer. However a challenge is that CFOs or COOs are often next in line to the key leadership positions. Most of the time they are great managers and excellent at keeping the business moving, but are not great visionaries.  It’s important for the organisation to create an environment for trust and the culture of doing the right thing. Simon says culture = values + behaviours.  There was a concept in the book about ethical fading, when everyone starts doing things that are a bit questionable. What was ultimately rewarded was the wrong behaviour, which then drove further ethical fading. As an infinite leader you need to challenge what is happening, create an environment where people can be honest, think and act for the longer term and play to stay in the game. Music By: Vuelta al Sol Song by Tomas Novoa Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Infinite Game by Jim Collins: Why playing to win will make you lose

About the Author Jim Collins is a student and teacher of what makes great companies tick, and a Socratic advisor to leaders in the business and social sectors. Having invested more than a quarter century in rigorous research, he has authored or coauthored six books that have sold in total more than 10 million copies worldwide. Driven by a relentless curiosity, Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he conducts research and engages with CEOs and senior-leadership teams. In addition to his work in the business sector, Jim has a passion for learning and teaching in the social sectors, including education, healthcare, government, faith-based organizations, social ventures, and cause-driven nonprofits. In 2012 and 2013, he had the honor to serve a two-yearappointment as the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Jim has been an avid rock climber for more than forty years and has completed single-day ascents of El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite Valley. Source: https://www.jimcollins.com/about.html About the Book This book addresses a single question: can a good company become a great company, and if so, how? Based on a five-year research project comparing companies that made the leap to those that did not, Good to Great shows that greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance but largely amatter of conscious choice, and discipline. This book discusses concepts like Level 5 Leadership; First Who, Then What (first get the right people on the bus, then figure out where to drive it); theHedgehog Concept, and the Flywheel. Source: https://www.jimcollins.com/books.html Links Find out more about the research process that Jim and his team use here:https://www.jimcollins.com/books/research.html#articletopRead an article with some of the key concepts of Good to Great here:https://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html#articletop BIG IDEA 1 (5:21) – Good is the enemy of great. Good and great are not two ends of the same spectrum. What stops most companies or people from being great is because they are satisfied with being good. Great requires you to operate in a different mindset and discipline. Getting from good to great quickly as a result of one initiative or big push is a myth. The transition is a combination of many different things over time. In the book it talks about the average time a company takes to go from good to great is over five years.  Build up and break through are two phases of getting from good to great. BIG IDEA 2 (7:32) – Level five leadership Not just any leader can lead the company from good to great and maintain that greatness. Level five leaders take a longer term view driven by ambition for the company, not for themselves. They have a balance between humility and professional will. They always want to produce sustained results beyond their tenure.  Level four leaders are very effective but lack longer term view and the ability to balance humility with ambition.  Without the right mindset and behaviours it is impossible to build a successful company.  BIG IDEA 3 (10:37) – A culture of discipline. Like a flywheel, discipline will create the momentum within the organisation to get started. It may be a bit slow at the start because no one’s had the kind of culture before so it feels hard and clunky, but once going the flywheel creates its own momentum and power to push things forward with minimal effort.  The book said a company should limit its growth based on its ability to attract the right people. If you have the right people who are disciplined, have the right culture and are the right fit, they can have the freedom and responsibility within a framework to do what they need to do.  The hedgehog concept is finding the one thing that you are the best in and sticking to that. This is a way of creating the framework to operate in. Music By: Ambitious Proletariat – Instrumental Version Song by Ian Locke Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Good to Great by Jim Collins: Why good is the enemy of great (and how to avoid it)

About the Author Jim Collins is a student and teacher of what makes great companies tick, and a Socratic advisor to leaders in the business and social sectors. Having invested more than a quarter century in rigorous research, he has authored or coauthored six books that have sold in total more than 10 million copies worldwide. Driven by a relentless curiosity, Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he conducts research and engages with CEOs and senior-leadership teams. In addition to his work in the business sector, Jim has a passion for learning and teaching in the social sectors, including education, healthcare, government, faith-based organizations, social ventures, and cause-driven nonprofits. In 2012 and 2013, he had the honor to serve a two-year appointment as the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Jim has been an avid rock climber for more than forty years and has completed single-day ascents of El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite Valley. Source: https://www.jimcollins.com/about.html About the Book Coauthored with Jerry Porras and based on their research project at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, this book investigates the question, Why are some companies able to become and remain visionary through multiple generations of leaders, across decades, and even centuries? Among the findings are Preserve the Core/Stimulate Progress, BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), and the Genius of the AND. Like Good to Great, Built to Last compares great companies to good ones during specific eras in history, asking, what systematically distinguishes the great from the average? Source: https://www.jimcollins.com/books.html Links Find out more about the research process that Jim and his team use here:https://www.jimcollins.com/books/research.html#articletopRead an article with some of the key concepts of Built To Last here:https://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/building-companies.html#articletop BIG IDE 1 (5:47) – Clock building not time telling.  The key idea that lasts through the book is about creating something that outlasts the transaction. It’s about building the clocks so that someone will always be able to tell the time rather than just telling them what the time is in that moment.  There is also the idea of not having celebrity leaders and losing the genius with a thousand followers because generally it is not that kind of leader who builds an organisation that is built to last. A big idea is that the *company* is the ultimate creation, not a specific idea, product or leader. The leaders aren’t what makes the company, the company makes the company. This idea is a long term view because you are building the clocks.  BIG IDEA 2 (8:15) – The big hairy audacious goal. Your BHAG may seem crazy from the outside, and may not even be attainable. However the audaciousness actually makes completely sense from the inside of a great company. It’s this that keeps you moving forward and striving towards something like great visionary companies. There is no clear correlation as to what needs to be in a core ideology as long a it’s authentic and consistent and helps preserve the core of the organisation BIG IDEA 3 (11:30) – have a cult like culture. This idea is ultimately about discipline and sticking to the plan, being consistent and practicing what you preach at all levels. In visionary companies, people know what to do and how to do it- and the how usually stands out as unique compared to other companies. These unique cultures quickly reject those who will not survive this type of ecosystem. This also breeds the future leaders who are home grown. Visionary companies also have a low rate of bringing in external people to take on CEO roles.  There was a great quote in the book that ‘discipline is the greatest thing in the world. Where there is no discipline there is no character and therefore there is no progress’. Food for thought…   Music By: Ambitious Proletariat – Instrumental Version Song by Ian Locke Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Built to Last by Jim Collins: Why you need to be big, hairy and cult-like to succeed

About the Author Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. The M.I.T. Technology Review dubbed Nir, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.” Nir founded two tech companies since 2003 and has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Indistractable received critical acclaim, winning a number of awards. In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir’s writing has been featured in The Harvard Business Review, Time Magazine, and Psychology Today. Nir is also an active investor in habit-forming technologies. Source: https://www.nirandfar.com/nir-eyal-bio/ About the book Ever get the feeling the world is full of too many distractions? Research shows the ability to stay focused is a competitive advantage, in work and in life. However, in an age of ever-increasing demands on our attention, how do we get the best from technology without letting it get the best of us? Source: https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/ Links Check out the workbooks and supplemental guidance here:https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/ Find more tips on productivity and habit forming here: https://www.nirandfar.com/best-articles/Listen to Nir on the First Time Facilitator podcast here:https://www.firsttimefacilitator.com/becoming-indistractable-make-traction-on-the-things-that-matter-with-nir-eyal-episode-91/ BIG IDEA 1 (4:26) – Technology is not the problem. What actually creates the problem is our relationship to technology, to ourselves and our mindset. Nir talks about the fact that the opposite of distraction is traction. Rather than focus on distraction, we need to focus on moving (or traction) towards the things we want to achieve or do. Constantly reacting to our distraction does nothing. We have to deal with our discomfort, observe it and let it dissolve. Technology is not the problem but our response to whatever it is we are trying to avoid, is. Nir talks about re-imagining the task and adding an element of fun to tasks that feel too much.  Nir said in the book that willpower is just another emotion, no different to sadness or happiness, and like those other emotions it doesn’t just ‘run out’. But we can set ourselves up to maximise willpower in the same way we set ourselves to maximise sadness or happiness.  We need to master our internal triggers, stop trying to escape discomfort and be curious about what’s happening internally instead. BIG IDEA 2 (8:04) – Hack external triggers. Most technology is designed for us to keep using it so the question you should be asking yourself is – is this serving me or am I serving it? There are many ways in the book that describe how we can take control of external triggers designed to interrupt us. Settings such as Do not disturb mode, applications such as Forest or tools such as browser extensions to hide your social media feed or set downtime on your phones. Stop external triggers coming to you that prevent you from achieving what you want. BIG IDEA 3 (12:32) – Make work indistractible. You can make your work and your team indistractible by setting clearer ways of working – for example a concentration zone or crown, or tags on computers to show when people are in deep work mode. You need to make the culture value ‘work’ and be using the technology well in service of the outcomes. You can also set a culture in your team or organisation where no agenda equals no meeting to avoid pointless meetings. To make sure meetings that do happen are as effective as possible, there should be no devices allowed in the meeting – this avoids all the beeps, buzzes and pings that stop us connecting and getting things done. Setting ground rules as ways of working helps put us back in control.  Music By: Take It to the Top – Instrumental Version Song by OFRIN Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @stephsbizbookshelf Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Indistractable by Nir Eyal: How to stop blaming technology and start getting more done

About the Author Dr Amantha Imber is an innovation psychologist, founder of Australia’s leading innovation consultancy Inventium, and co-creator of the Australian Financial Review’s Most Innovative Companies list. With a PhD in organisational psychology, Amantha has helped companies such as Google, Apple, Disney, LEGO, Virgin Australia, Commonwealth Bank and many others innovate more successfully. Amantha’s thoughts have appeared in Harvard Business Review, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Entrepreneur and Fast Company and she is the author of two best-selling books: “The Creativity Formula” and “The Innovation Formula”. In 2016, Amantha was inducted into the Australian Business Women’s Hall of Fame.  Source: https://www.inventium.com.au/dr-amantha-imber-bio/ About the book The Creativity Formula will take you through the latest scientific findings about how you can use your brain to think more creatively and come up with better ideas more easily and quickly. The book will explain: How to instantly ‘switch on’ your creativity Why traditional brainstorming is bollocks How exposing yourself to certain types of images can significantly boost your creativity Why your physical environment may be killing your creativity And much much more Source: https://www.amanthaimber.com/books/ Links Check out the How I Work podcast (and it’s seriously impressive guest list) here: https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast/I particularly enjoyed this episode with Atlassian’s Work Futurist, Dom Price: https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcasts/atlassians-dom-price-on-how-he-uses-imposter-syndrome-to-his-advantage/ BIG IDEA 1 (5:08) – Identify This is the need to identify yourself as creative. Having a mindset and identity of creativity allows you to be more creative. In an organization it’s important for team leaders not to refer to some teams as the creative team because it makes it seem like it’s attainable only if you work in that team.  Also within a team it’s important not to identify some as the creative ones and other less creative because it will make them like it’s something they can’t achieve because they are born with it instead of it being nurtured and practiced over time.  It is a mindset more than a skill set.  BIG IDEA 2 (7:13) – Go broad.  This is about finding expansive ideas from multiple fields. Finding new connections and new applications for ideas. You can go to a place you wouldn’t usually go to or work from somewhere new and invite different thinking into your mind.  BIG IDEA 3 (9:05) – Create stimulus. Almost all of the tips involve manufacturing something to create creativity. You need to think intentionally to switch on or stimulate your creativity. What can you do to mix things up which will stimulate a different environment and conversation.  There is evidence that shows that the things around you can spur or hinder creative thinking. It’s  really up to you to create creativity with intent and aligned to what you are looking to achieve.  Music By: A Look Out Song by Assaf Ayalon Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @steph_clarke__ Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

The Creativity Formula by Amantha Imber: how to get better at better ideas

Want to get productive in 2020?  This book could be for you. About the authorProductivity king David Allen is considered one of the world&#39;s leading authorities on getting things done. He has spent over three decades researching, teaching and coaching, and has beenrecognised as one of the top executive coaches by Forbes and the top 100 thoughtleaders by Leadership Magazine. David has written three books, including the 2001bestseller, Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress-Free Productivity, and his GTDprogram has received tremendous praise and is in widespread use.Source: https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/onDemand/author.php?id=001D0000028npfcIAA  About the bookGETTING THINGS DONE® is a personal productivity methodology that redefineshow you approach your life and work.In today's world, yesterday's methods just don't work. In Getting Things Done,veteran coach and management consultant David Allen shares the breakthroughmethods for stress-free performance that he has introduced to tens of thousands ofpeople across the country. Allen's premise is simple: our productivity is directlyproportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughtsare organized can we achieve effective productivity and unleash our creativepotential.Source: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280  LinksRead more about the method here: https://gettingthingsdone.com/what-is-gtd/   BIG IDEA 1 (4:02) - Outsource your brain The fundamental principle of this method is that your brain is not designed to remember much. Every one of us is holding many things in our brain and according to David Allen, our brains can only hold four to seven items as memories. “Our brains are designed to generate ideas, not hold them”.  David wants us to free our brains from the shackles of remembering things and instead use them for what they are designed for; great ideas. Therefore we need to develop external systems to outsource and help our brains with the mental load of remembering things.  This helps avoid distraction and overwhelm.   BIG IDEA 2 (5:57) - Collect and clarify The first step of this method is downloading everything. Clear our brains and download all the things we’re holding on to a piece of paper (or likely multiple pieces of paper!). The in-tray is an important part of his method, this is where all the collation happens as you put all the items from your brain into a physical in-tray. Next we go to the processing stage. Once you get all the pieces of paper in the intray you need to process them one at a time. An important rule is that you only touch everything once so it gets processed straight away.  The next thing to ask for each item in the in-tray is “what’s the next action?”. David sets out five specific lists which items are collated into.  These lists are; 1) projects (things which require more than one action), 2) reference materials (things you need to look back on at some time), 3) someday maybe (for those pipe dreams and big ideas), 4) waiting on (for things that you’re waiting on someone else to action before you can) and 5) next actions (the collation of all the ‘next actions’ you need to take). This brings us to the point of processing, collecting and clarifying what needs to be done    BIG IDEA 3 (11:28) - Your next action is key A critical principle of GTD is that *everything* needs to be boiled down to the next action. In the book, David talks a lot about processing your next actions in between your fixed meetings or hard commitments in your calendar. He also argues that your calendar is ONLY for your hard commitments. So when you have time in between your meetings, you would start working on your next action plan on the list. I didn’t love this specific element of the model as I feel that ‘doing the work’ (which may well be your next action) needs scheduling in your calendar, as relying on the cracks of time between meetings just won’t cut it.  The book was written in 2001 so this could be a reflection on how work has changed in the last 19 years.

55 - Getting Things Done by David Allen: why you need to stop using your brain

PS.  This episode sounds a little different as I recorded it as a full video episode - you can catch the video on YouTube or IGTV. To celebrate 1 year of Steph’s Business Bookshelf and a new decade, in this special episode I am sharing the five top tips I use to read over 30 books a year that you can use to build your own reading habit. With new years’ resolutions in full swing, and more people wanting to hit the books to increase their knowledge, enhance their career prospects, make a personal improvement or just learn something new, the time is now to build the daily habit of reading. So here are my five top tips to help you read more books in 2020 (and beyond). Links My friend Tammy (who featured on episode 52) recently wrote this great article about the benefits of reading and shared her own tips: https://www.tammytansley.com.au/reading-why-it-matters/   TIP 1 (00:31) – Start small. Start your habit by making it impossible to fail. Set a goal that is just one page, 1% (if you read on an e-reader) or 5 minutes every day. Make it so easy that you would never be able to not do it.  There are so many ways to break it down and make it so easy to do.   TIP 2 (1:10) – Habit stack. Stick the new reading habit with something you’re already doing. Don’t try to do all the new things at once. If you commute to work by train, add your reading habit to that existing activity. Another example would be going to bed; you can add the reading habit into your bedtime routine and read your 1%, one page, or five minutes. You can also think of something you want replaced. For example instead of picking up your phone to check on Instagram, you can pick up a book.    TIP 3 (2:26) – Read for fun.  If you’re trying to start reading, do not start with War and Peace. If Harry Potter is what’s going to get you into the reading habit, then read that book. Over time you can start to read the books that you want to read or you feel you ‘should’ be reading ideally, but establish the habit with something fun.   TIP 4 (4:05) – Share. You can start a book group with some friends, family or colleagues. Some people start a book group at work where everyone is given a month to read a book before the group get together to discuss what they learnt.  You could even split the book up so everyone reads a different section of the book and put it all together in your ‘book club’. The idea is to share the learning, make it social and fun – it’s also a great way of combining habits if you want to increase your social activity this year.   TIP 5 (5:00) – Mix it up. If you know that lugging a book around on the train while you’re commuting is not going to be sustainable for you, then don’t bring a hard copy book but instead invest in a Kindle or e-reader. You might also find that audiobooks are a better option for you if you drive a lot – all of these types of reading are equally valid (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise) – it’s about finding the best one for you for different circumstances. PS.  I highly recommend that the first book you read is Atomic Habits by James Clear which will help set your path for your sustainable habits. Music: Halation by Evolv https://artlist.io/song/941/halation  Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @steph_clarke__ Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

How to Build a Reading Habit: Five tips to help you read more books in 2020

About the author George Orwell, pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair was born June 25, 1903 in Bengal, India and died January 21, 1950 in London, England. He was an English novelist, essayist, and critic famous for his novels Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-four (1949), the latter a profound anti-utopian novel that examines the dangers of totalitarian rule. Orwell never entirely abandoned his original name, but his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London, appeared in 1933 as the work of George Orwell (the surname he derived from the beautiful River Orwell in East Anglia). In time his nom de plume became so closely attached to him that few people but relatives knew his real name was Blair. The change in name corresponded to a profound shift in Orwell’s lifestyle, in which he changed from a pillar of the British imperial establishment into a literary and political rebel. Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Orwell About the book In 1944 Orwell finished Animal Farm, a political fable based on the story of the Russian Revolution and its betrayal by Joseph Stalin. In the book a group of barnyard animals overthrow and chase off their exploitative human masters and set up an egalitarian society of their own. Eventually the animals’ intelligent and power-loving leaders, the pigs, subvert the revolution and form a dictatorship whose bondage is even more oppressive and heartless than that of their former human masters. (“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”). At first Orwell had difficulty finding a publisher for the small masterpiece, but when it appeared in 1945, Animal Farm made him famous and, for the first time, prosperous. Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Orwell BIG IDEA 1 (5:43) – Hard work is not always the answer. Boxer the cart-horse is loyal and his answer to all problems was ‘I will work harder’. He got up earlier each day to work harder.  There’s an interesting overlap here with this mentality often rewarded in different companies where the strongest person/people keep doing the heavy lifting with promise of future reward.  Boxer the horse was promised that when he retired he would have access to all the paddocks, apples, hay and grass that he wanted. However over time the paddock was used for a different purpose rather than for the future retirees. But he kept working harder until it got too much. And when he collapsed, instead of being looked after, he was sent to a knacker’s yard to be made into glue. Hard work is not always the answer, it very much depends on what you’re working towards and who you’re working for. BIG IDEA 2 (7:38) – Elitism.  The pigs and the dogs had special privileges. At the beginning of the book, when they overthrew the farmer who owns the farm, the animals set commandments. They said that they should never walk on two legs, because ‘four legs are good, two legs bad’.  It also included not sleep in a bed and doing other typically human behaviours and activities. Over time the pigs realised that the human behaviours were actually quite favourable so they started secretly changing the rules. They also adjusted the education of the other animals so they wouldn’t be able to read (and notice the commandments being changed) and only the pigs got these special privileges.  This is relevant in some organisations and even in some countries or societies. Rules are set to maintain equality or democracy. But do these rules change when some groups rise and others become repressed? BIG IDEA 3 (9:07) – You might become everything you hate.  Initially the pigs were at the front of the queue to overthrow the farmer. They pointed out all the bad things that the farmers and humans do. So it started as the man vs the animals, it became the animals vs the man, then the pigs vs the animals, and then the pigs and man vs the animals.  The power dynamics shifted and the tables kept turning as the pigs started to control things. They got the taste of being ‘above’ the other animals and eventually started to live like humans, ultimately becoming everything they hated. We see this in organisations and societies when someone gets promoted and quickly forgets that they were once ‘junior’.  They evolve to become everything they said they didn’t want and start to do the things they used to complain about their leaders.    Music By:  Kalimbo Song by Ethan Rank Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @steph_clarke__ Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.

Animal Farm by George Orwell: Powerful lessons about life and leadership from pigs

It’s the end of 2019 – which means it’s time to look back on the five best books I read this year. Join me as I share the non-fiction reads that I applied, shared, learnt from and recommended the most over the last twelve months. Did these books make it onto your best reads list for the year?  Which of them are going into your future reading list?   Grit by Angela Duckworth Click here to buy on The Book Depository A book all about how effort, and sticking with something, counts much more than any innate talent.  This book made me realise how ‘un-gritty’ I am and (most importantly) what to do about it. I loved the case studies and the fact that the key lesson isn’t about just working longer hours / ‘knuckling down’, but being smart with how you practice your skills and how to decide what to maintain and what to quit (yes, you can, and should, quit things sometimes). Hear more on episode 46 – Grit by Angela Duckworth: How to dig in and get more done Good to Great by Jim Collins Click here to buy on The Book Depository The title is a bit of a misnomer because a fundamental principle of this book is that good and great are not two points on the same spectrum, but instead two totally different approaches and mindsets. It pairs nicely with Grit because to be ‘great’ you need to stay in your lane and focus on the core thing ‘you could be the best in the world at’ (your ‘hedgehog’). Whilst a few of the ‘great’ companies included in the research haven’t stood the test of time (some of them proved themselves to be rather ‘bad’ around 2008), the concepts remain relevant. Whether you run a business, or have a leadership role in one, if you find yourself distracted by ‘shiny objects’, this book will help you re-think your success factors and narrow down what you should be keeping your eyes on. I’ll be sharing more about this book in a future podcast episode. I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi Click here to buy on The Book Depository This is hands-down the book I have taken and applied the most lessons from.  Ever. Despite its click-bait sounding title, this is a book packed with solid strategies and mindsets for getting your personal finances in order. I personally put several methods in place immediately whilst reading the book; from splitting my savings accounts up from two accounts to nine, moving more money into my investing account, cancelling unnecessary subscriptions and looking at where I spend money to realign priorities. I love that this isn’t another ‘DON’T BUY LATTES/AVOCADO ON TOAST’ book, and it talks about the fact that there’s no upper-limit on your potential earnings, but there is a lower limit on how much you can cut from spending.  A great re-frame and forces a different focus on upping your income rather than cutting more and more expenses. Hear more about this on episode 27 – I Will Teach You to Be Rich: Terrible title, great book   Quiet by Susan Cain Click here to buy on The Book Depository Whether you are an introvert who wants to understand yourself better, and why the Western-world is so anti-introvert, or an extrovert who wants to better understand and value your introverted family members/friends/colleagues, this book is a must-read. My mind was blown at how introverts and extroverts are physically wired differently and their brains respond differently to different stimulants.  It gave me a huge level of appreciation and empathy for those around me who seem to wilt at the very idea of talking to a crowd / going for a group dinner / facilitating an all day workshop. The book does a great job at presenting the science and giving practical tips to introverts and extroverts alike about the values and benefits of having different styles, and how to better work together to get the most from everyone. Find out the three big ideas from the book here on episode 40 – Quiet by Susan Cain: Why introverts should actually rule the world   When by Daniel Pink Click here to buy on The Book Depository Whilst this might sound like ‘yet another’ productivity book, it’s a different take on the usual prioritise this / time block that / use this tool / meditate / don’t touch Instagram in the morning jazz. Daniel takes you through the fascinating science of WHEN you will operate best for different tasks depending on your chronotype (your biological preference of when you are at your best according to your circadian rhythms). Cue scary stories of afternoon earnings calls resulting in more arguments and stock misquotations, ‘killing season’ in hospitals when a new intake of student doctors start and the alcohol-like effect on our brain if we’re doing the wrong tasks at the wrong time. He also shares the recipe for a perfect nap, listen to episode 45 – When by Daniel H. Pink: How You’re Not Spending Your Day the Best Way to plan your own nappucino. BONUS! Two wild-cards that ALMOST made it into the top five (and I will include because it’s my podcast and I am in charge).   Tiger Woods Biography Click here to buy on The Book Depository What happens when you push a child into a sport and isolate them from the rest of the world.  (Spoiler alert: it’s impressive but it’s not pretty). Listen to more on this book here: 34 – Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict & Armen Keteyian: The Cost of Being a Master   Creativity, Inc.by Ed Catmull Click here to buy on The Book Depository How Pixar became the powerhouse of industry-changing creativity it is, and the very intentional decisions made early on to develop and foster this culture. I’ll talk about this one in a future episode.   Music By:  Anthem of a Quirky Hipster Song by Rex Banner   Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @steph_clarke__   Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us.  

The Best Books of 2019: The five books you need to read right now

It’s almost Christmas, so we have a bit of a different podcast this week. I’ve invited a few of my fellow bookworms and word nerds to share what is on their Christmas reading list. So whether you’re looking for a new book recommendation to immerse yourself in over the summer or winter break, or you’re starting a new reading habit in 2020, this episode is for you.   Leanne Hughes from First time Facilitator Recommended book: Infinite Game by Simon Sinek   Shamila Gopalan from HerWit  Recommended book: Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell    Tammy Tansley from Leadership & Workplace Culture Recommended book: Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed   Jess Leondiou from Archley's Book of Books Recommended book: Conscious by Annaka Harris   Holly Cardamone from Blue51 Communications The Testaments by Margaret Artwood  Steph's Book Recommendations: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker   Click here to buy on The Book Depository   Music By:  Over Easy - Instrumental Version Song by Low Light Let’s Connect LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke Instagram: @steph_clarke__ Join in the book club conversation all week by joining the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stephsbusinessbookclub Enjoying the show? Please hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review on iTunes to help others find us. 

Christmas Special: The top books you need to ask Santa to bring you

Most people don’t have time to read the books they want to. Each week join Steph (@steph_clarke__), a life-long bookworm, as she brings you the lessons from the best non-fiction books she’s read. Steph will share the ‘three big things’ the books taught her, favourite quotes and actions she’s implemented since reading the book. If you have an ever-growing pile of half-read books on your bedside table, this podcast is for you. Steph's Business Bookshelf; doing the reading so you don't have to.

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Steph's Business Bookshelf Podcast

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