A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow
Iâm Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors to help manage their online book promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I love to read anyway!).
This week I will be highlighting 3 books on the Amazon best seller category in business and investing;‘Strengths Finder 2.0’ by Tom Rath and ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen R. Covey. The books I discuss will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, networking, writing, self development and inspiration.
‘Strengths Finder 2.0’
“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?”
— Benjamin Franklin
This is a book on my reading list that I have not had the pleasure to read yet however, I agree wholeheartedly with the focus of Tom Rath’s book, StrengthFinder 2.0. If your strengths are hidden and not fully brought to the forefront, it is like you are being put in the shade and not brought to the light. When your strengths are displayed and actively seen, you are happier, and more productive in your work and relationships.
About the Book:
Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
Chances are, you don’t. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.
To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in 2001 which ignited a global conversation and helped millions to discover their top five talents.
In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more (see below for details). While you can read this book in one sitting, you’ll use it as a reference for decades.
Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself — and the world around you — forever.
About the Author:
Tom Rath is a leading business thinker and one of the bestselling authors of the last decade. His first book, How Full Is Your Bucket?, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Rath’s book, StrengthsFinder 2.0, is a long-running #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers are Strengths Based Leadership, published in 2009, and Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, published in 2010. Rath’s books have sold millions of copies and have made more than 100 appearances on The Wall Street Journal bestseller list.
Rath currently leads Gallup’s workplace consulting business. In this role, he guides the organization’s practices and research on employee engagement, selection, strengths-based development, leadership, and wellbeing.
Rath also serves on the board of VHL.org, an organization dedicated to cancer research and patient support. He earned degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania. Tom and his wife, Ashley, and their daughter, Harper, live in Washington, D.C.
You can purchase a copy of ‘Strengths Finder 2.0’ online at ThinkAha Books or Amazon or on the Gallup website.
‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen R. Covey
Another book to highlight on my reading list–‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’.
I have read this book but it has been quite a few years so it is time to revisit this book and its lessons.
When I worked in corporate, I was lucky enough to be sent to a Franklin Covey seminar where I was given a copy of this book and a Covey business planner. And the reason why this book still remains on the best sellers list on Amazon is (I believe) because it holds solid advice for entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders and managers.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are:
1 – Be Proactive
Teresa Tidbit – So true! It doesn’t help you when things are wrong or off to sit down and not do anything. Begin to put in motion those things you wish and want to happen. Think about how you can make things happen.
2. Begin with the end in mind
Teresa Tidbit – When I read this it reminded me of something my daughter did a few summers ago while swimming in the pool. She was trying to see if she could swim to the other side without having to take a breath in between. The first couple of times she had to stop and lift her head up before she reached the edge. She paused and took a couple of deep breathes and she went again. This time she did it and as she stopped to catch her breath, she said, “Mom, you know how I did it? I just keep thinking about the edge of the pool on the other side and kept going.”
3. Put First Things First
Teresa Tidbit – This is about becoming organized. When you don’t know where things are that you need, you spend more time trying to find it, then doing the work. Find what organizational tools work for you and use them.
4. Think Win/Win
Teresa Tidbit – This habit hits the mark around what social media, blogging, and relationship building is all about today. As you are building your community, network or “tribe”, you want to create win/win relationships.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Teresa Tidbit – Another great habit—especially regarding networking. When you go into a new relationship or connection, you want to start with being a listener not the talker. You want to be the giver, not the taker.
6. Synergize
Teresa Tidbit -This is about the levels of communication, another key to creating a solid business and personal life. You may not always agree or get along with your colleagues, friends or even your clients, but finding the synergy in the communication will help your relationships go much smoother.
7. Sharpen the Saw
Teresa Tidbit – Commit, Learn and Do. And this is in different aspects of your life—-mental, physical and spiritual. Take the time to do things that sharpen your mind, body and spirit. You may think these things aren’t important, however, when you don’t take the time, you will see how it affects your life.
About the book:
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity–principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates. *from back cover
About Stephen R. Covey:
Stephen R. Covey is a renowned authority on leadership, a family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and vice chairman of FranklinCovey Co. The author of several acclaimed books, he has also received numerous honors and awards, including being named one of Time magazine’s twenty-five most influential Americans. Covey lives with his wife, Sandra, and their family in the Rocky Mountains of Utah.
You can purchase a copy of ‘Amazon.
I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them. *I have not received either of these books from the authors. These reviews and opinions are mine and I have not been compensated for the reviews.