What the C-Suite Is Reading

WHAT THE C-SUITE

IS READING

Twenty-four years ago, the story goes, Bill Gates asked Warren Buffet what his favorite book was. The answer: Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street by John Brooks, a Wall Street 1969 collection of New Yorker1969 collection of articles. It became Gates’s articles. It became Gates’s favorite book, too. favorite book, too. The two business titans weren’t the fi rst or last to derive inspiration from between the covers of a good business book. What, we wondered, do leaders of successful mid-size corporations recommend today? Here, some answers from our wholly unscientifi c survey.

Give and Take:

Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

by Adam Grant “The ideas about understanding the dynamics of people and how to deal with them can be applied to every company in every situation.” —Chris Dyer, CEO, PeopleG2, a human capital risk management firm, Brea, California

The Goal: A

Process of Ongoing Improvement

by Eli Goldratt

“This 1984 novel (who writes a business novel?) about fi ctional a business novel?) about fi ctional plant manager Alex Rogo’s fi ght to save his job and his factory through sheer critical thinking about business and process changed my life and my company.” —Soren Ryherd, president, Working Planet Marketing Group, Providence, Rhode Island

Great By Choice: Uncertainty,

Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All

by Jim Collins

“When we started this company, we knew we had invited chaos into our lives. Jim Collins proves you can navigate through the world of chaos exceptionally well—to not just survive, but prevail.” —Austin Casselman, CEO, Pro Merch, NFL player merchandise, Franklin, Tennessee

Never Eat Alone and Other

Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

by Keith Ferrazzi

“This book is an easy and fun reminder to open up as a business leader and go beyond networking to a new level of communication.” —Chad Buckmaster, CEO, Processing Point, a business services provider, Carlsbad, California

Who Moved My Cheese?:

An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

by Spencer Johnson, MD

“I read this in December of every year, using it as a touchstone to evaluate the success ratio of our company goals.” —Kim Cubine, principal and president of Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey, direct marketing specialists, Arlington, Virginia, and San Francisco, California

Turn the Ship Around! A True

Story of Turning Followers into Leaders

by David Marquet

“The book has reminded me that telling someone I want to empower them is easy. Setting them up to succeed, in what David Marquet calls the ‘leader-leader’ model, is much harder.” —David Silverstein, CEO, BMGI consulting fi rm, Denver, Colorado

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

by Gino Wickman

“This was a game-changing book for me. It opened my eyes to the fundamentals needed to execute on a plan and grow a business.” —Jeff Ellman, cofounder and president, UrbanBound, a web-based relocation management software company, Chicago, Illinois

The Monk and the Riddle:

The Art of Creating a Life While Making a Living

by Randy Komisar

“I was in a boring job getting paid so I could eventually retire and afford to do the things I wanted to do. This book gave me the sense of urgency and confi dence I needed to start working on my own business.” —Sam Rosen, CEO, MakeSpace, an on-demand storage solution, New York, New York

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful

Lessons in Personal Change

by Stephen Covey

“I’ve always been greatly moved by the seventh habit, which Covey describes as ‘sharpening the saw.’ It speaks to the importance of taking care of yourself physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally so that you can constantly improve and grow.” —Charles Archer, CEO, Evelyn Douglin Center for Serving People In Need (EDCSPIN), Brooklyn, New York

Delivering Happiness: A Path to

Profi ts, Passion, and Purpose

by Tony Hsieh

“Fifty percent of an employee’s review here is based on attitude, a practice taken directly from Delivering Happiness. This helped us build a culture that has propelled our success.” —Bobby Harris, CEO, BlueGrace Logistics, Riverview, Florida