Career Opportunities

#10 Tribes by Seth Godin

Seth Godin’s newest book, Tribes, touches a concept near and dear to me…organizing groups, or Tribes, and helping them get things done. This is not to say I have been terribly successful at this activity, but I love helping people achieve things and doing it any way I can.

I was interested in Tribes for exactly this reason. I wanted to see what Godin had to say about organizing people and creating “movement” to see if there was anything I could be doing better. Of course, there is always something more you can be doing, so I took away a few good ideas from the book. He does admit, though, that there aren’t any hard and fast rubrics for he can give you for working with Tribes. You need passion and a vision and an ability to understand and care about people, but you can’t break it down into 5 easy steps that anyone can do.

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 9 The Craft and Business of Songwriting
• # 8 The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
• # 7 The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need
• # 6 The Little Big Things by Tom Peters
• # 5 The Creative Habit and The Collaborative Habit
• # 4 Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
• # 3 Drive by Daniel Pink
• # 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen
• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

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# 9 The Craft and Business of Songwriting

While it might be considered a niche career, many thousands of people pursue their musical dreams every year. In such a competitive industry, you need a reliable and knowledgeable guide. John Braheny provides just such a guide.

This highly successful music industry book, The Craft and Business of Songwriting, by my good friend, John Braheny, is now in its 3rd edition. This edition contains a substantial amount of new content, including a podcasting sidebar written by yours truly.

I was honored when he asked me to write the podcasting sidebar for his book. As he prepared this latest edition, podcasting was just starting to enter the public psyche and, even then, I sensed its effects on songwriters and the music industry as a whole were sure to be profound. Since I was an experienced computer consultant, there at the very beginning, (and not a bad amateur guitarist) I was in excellent position to help his readers understand this new technology.

For more information on John and the book, visit JohnBraheny.com

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 8 The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
• # 7 The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need
• # 6 The Little Big Things by Tom Peters
• # 5 The Creative Habit and The Collaborative Habit
• # 4 Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
• # 3 Drive by Daniel Pink
• # 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen
• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

# 8 The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Here is a review of the book I wrote back in 2003.

I just finished this book tonight (I have been on a reading binge lately) and was very impressed. Dysfunctions is structured more like a short story or novelette than a traditional business book. This allowed me to get very involved in the story. Indeed, I believe a good story is always the best way to approach life and business. Whether you are writing a resume or trying to solve difficult business problems, a good story can illuminate the issue better than any combination of charts and reports.

The end of the book contains a more “business-like” restatement of the lessons, for those who want a more traditional review.

More importantly, I saw many aspects of my past business dealings echoed in the book. I think that anyone who is involved in business, in any form, has faced many of these same problems and issues. I requested this book from the library after seeing a short mention, possibly just the title in some magazine I was reading. I had no preconceptions about what I might find within, and I have been pleasantly surprised with the quality and importance of Dysfunctions.

While telling a good story helped to clearly explain the concepts, there were a few times when the characters came around too quickly to the lesson.The main character, a newly minuted CEO brought in to build a better executive team, seems a bit too assured with her process, but yet exhibits some moments of fear and regret.

Overall, this is a great book and I would highly suggest that it be recommended to your employees and your peers as a way of explaining how teamwork can and will develop if everyone is committed to making it happen.

More Books from Patrick Lencioni

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

# 7 The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need
• # 6 The Little Big Things by Tom Peters
• # 5 The Creative Habit and The Collaborative Habit
• # 4 Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
• # 3 Drive by Daniel Pink
• # 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen
• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

# 7 The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need

Yes, a graphic novel that also happens to be a career guide. What a great idea! This is an easy read, but offers some good career advice in an engaging form. Well worth picking up at your local library or bookstore.

Johnny Bunko trailer from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 6 The Little Big Things by Tom Peters
• # 5 The Creative Habit and The Collaborative Habit
• # 4 Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
• # 3 Drive by Daniel Pink
• # 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen
• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

# 6 The Little Big Things by Tom Peters

Another great book by Tom Peters with thought-provoking content on nearly every page. A business and career seminar in book form.

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 5 The Creative Habit and The Collaborative Habit
• # 4 Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
• # 3 Drive by Daniel Pink
• # 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen
• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

# 5 The Creative HabitThe Collaborative Habit

Two excellent books by choreographer Twyla Tharp delve into the creative process and collaborating with others. The books give an in-depth view of both her work and how she creates it. There is lots of great ideas to be found her for anyone seeking to improve their career.

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 4 Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
• # 3 Drive by Daniel Pink
• # 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen
• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

# 4 Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell

This is on the short list of books which I will buy for my firends and aquaintances whenever they come to me with issues with organization or managing their time. Maxwell has a series of books and each one has its own strengths, but I have found that this one provides me the biggest triggers for further thought

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 3 Drive by Daniel Pink
• # 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen
• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

# 3 Drive by Daniel Pink

Author Daniel Pink delves deep into the science of motivation and comes out with some conclusions that might surprise you. Is money really the greatest human motivator? In some specific cases, yes, but in my more situations it can actually be a disincentive to producing great work.

Learn about Motivation 3.0 and what it might mean for our future.

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen
• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

# 2 Getting Things Done by David Allen

This is one of my perennial gift guide favorites. You don’t need to make GTD into a near-religion like some have done, but it provides an excellent framework for looking at your life, organizing your todos and actually getting something done. I vary in my faithfulness to the system, but I revisit its tenets on a regular basis.

If someone you know is having issues with procrastination and inaction, Getting Things Done could be the push that gets them moving again.

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

# 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin

If you have friends or family looking to start or build their career, any of Seth Godin’s books would be a great gift idea. Seth always has a new take on the work world, whether talking about traditional careers or entrepreneurship, HIs latest book, Linchpin, reinforces many concepts that I have found true in my career travels over the last 25 years.

Each of us needs to find a job and career that is not just work, but a form of art. When we find a way to make our work our art we can achieve so much more. It can be difficult, yes, but oh so much more rewarding than being just another cog in the big corporate machine.

Linchpin ties in directly with the concept I promote here on Career Opportunities – Helping to Build the Career You Deserve! Linchpin can help you realize you deserve a great career and give you some ideas on how to recognize it once you have found it!

All Gift Guide Recommendations:

• # 1 Linchpin by Seth Godin