Each quarter I provide you my current reading list and recommended books for the upcoming season. This is a special list because I had the privilege of interviewing one of the books’ authors. Above you have an opportunity to watch my conversation with Jeff Shortridge, author of God Honors Movement: How Movement Leads To Miracles.
Jeff gives a wonderful overview of the book, why he wrote it, and the impact its current impact on people’s lives. It is an enlightening conversation I think you will enjoy.
This month’s list (pictured below) covers a variety of topics including Christianity, sports, business, and military leadership. In addition to Jeff’s book, I also give special recommendation to Jesus Unleashed: A New Vision of the Bold Confrontations of Christ and Why They Matter, The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War , and Row the Boat: A Never-Give-Up Approach to Lead with Enthusiasm and Optimism and Improve Your Team and Culture.
The following are 10 Books Every Leader Should Read In Summer 2021:
- God Honors Movement: How Movement Leads To Miracles by Jeff Shortridge – Have you ever wondered why God seems to help only certain people get things accomplished while not helping others? After studying countless pastors, church leaders, and everyday Christians, I have discovered a distinct pattern: God steps up when a leader steps out!\n\nIf you are hesitant to make your next move, learn this biblical template and then don\x27t just step out… Jump! Watch God honor your movement.
- Jesus Unleashed: A New Vision of the Bold Confrontations of Christ and Why They Matter by John MacArthur – Do you have any idea who Jesus really is? “What you think of Jesus Christ will thoroughly color how you think about everything else,” writes John MacArthur. This is a critical truth in the life of every believer. Your view of Jesus affects the way you view God, the world, and every one of your decisions. These days, Jesus is often portrayed as a pacifist, a philanthropist, or a docile teacher. He strikes a plastic—and sometimes pathetic—pose in the minds of many. Some prefer the meek and mild Jesus who heals the sick, calms fears, and speaks of peace and goodwill. These things do represent a portion of the Messiah. But tragically, too many have never been exposed to the rest of him. They have never seen a full 360-degree view of the Savior. His boldness in the face of confrontation and why that matters. Until now. This book releases on July 13th.
- Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street by John Brooks – When I heard this was Bill Gates and Warren Buffet’s favorite business book, that is all I needed to know. What do the $350 million Ford Motor Company disaster known as the Edsel, the fast and incredible rise of Xerox, and the unbelievable scandals at General Electric and Texas Gulf Sulphur have in common? Each is an example of how an iconic company was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety; these notable and fascinating accounts are as relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as they were when the events happened. Stories about Wall Street are infused with drama and adventure and reveal the machinations and volatile nature of the world of finance. Longtime New Yorker contributor John Brooks’s insightful reportage is so full of personality and critical detail that whether he is looking at the astounding market crash of 1962, the collapse of a well-known brokerage firm, or the bold attempt by American bankers to save the British pound, one gets the sense that history repeats itself.
- 12 Lessons in Business Leadership: Insights From the Championship Career of Tom Brady by Kevin Daum and Anne Mary Ciminelli – This book surprised me. It is actually very solid and is a nice read for any business leader, particularly one interested in sports. No matter what you think of the New England Patriots or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you can’t argue with the success of Tom Brady, the winningest quarterback of all time. Both revered and hated by football fans, Brady is loved and respected by those who work with him, and his leadership abilities cannot be denied by even his harshest critics. The skills he uses to make his team successful year after year on the field can be executed in the workplace, whether you’re a team member, team leader, or CEO.
- The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell – In The Bomber Mafia, Malcolm Gladwell weaves together the stories of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard to examine one of the greatest moral challenges in modern American history. In contrast, the bombing of Tokyo on the deadliest night of the war was the brainchild of General Curtis LeMay, whose brutal pragmatism and scorched-earth tactics in Japan cost thousands of civilian lives, but may have spared even more by averting a planned US invasion. In The Bomber Mafia, Gladwell asks, “Was it worth it?” Things might have gone differently had LeMay’s predecessor, General Haywood Hansell, remained in charge. Hansell believed in precision bombing, but when he and Curtis LeMay squared off for a leadership handover in the jungles of Guam, LeMay emerged victorious, leading to the darkest night of World War II. The Bomber Mafia is a riveting tale of persistence, innovation, and the incalculable wages of war.
- Row the Boat: A Never-Give-Up Approach to Lead with Enthusiasm and Optimism and Improve Your Team and Culture by Jon Gordon and P.J. Fleck – In Row the Boat, Minnesota Golden Gophers Head Coach P.J. Fleck and bestselling author Jon Gordon deliver an inspiring message about what you can achieve when you approach life with a never-give-up philosophy. The book shows you how to choose enthusiasm and optimism as your guiding lights instead of being defined by circumstances and events outside of your control. Perfect for athletes, coaches, business leaders, and anyone else who hopes to squeeze a little more enjoyment and productivity out of life, Row the Boat will propel leaders, teams, and organizations to greater heights than they have ever reached before.
- CenterStage: My Most Fascinating Interviews―from A-Rod to Jay-Z by Michael Kay – From the longtime host of the New York Yankees’ television broadcasts, ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show, and YES Network’s Emmy Award–winning CenterStage comes a selection of his most memorable interviews with the most intriguing personalities in sports and entertainment. Among the interviews featured in the book are those with Red Auerbach, Charles Barkley, Mike Tyson, Bobby Orr, Sly Stallone, Jay-Z, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, John McEnroe, Rob Reiner, Seth Meyers, Serena Williams, Alan Alda, David Halberstam, Larry David, Bob Costas, Billy Crystal, Lindsey Vonn, Chris Evert, and Quentin Tarantino. For any pop culture fan or sports enthusiast, this prized collection is one to cherish for generations.
- How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman –
Drawing on Milkman’s original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, How to Change shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. Through case studies and engaging stories, you’ll learn:• Why timing can be everything when it comes to making a change
• How to turn temptation and inertia into assets
• That giving advice, even if it’s about something you’re struggling with, can help you achieve more - The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty: The Game, the Team, and the Cost of Greatness by Buster Olney – For six extraordinary years around the turn of the millennium, the Yankees were baseball’s unstoppable force, with players such as Paul O’Neill, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera. But for the players and the coaches, baseball Yankees-style was also an almost unbearable pressure cooker of anxiety, expectation, and infighting. With owner George Steinbrenner at the controls, the Yankees money machine spun out of control. In The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty, Buster Olney tracks the Yankees through these exciting and tumultuous seasons, updating his insightful portrait with a new introduction that walks readers through Steinbrenner’s departure from power, Joe Torre’s departure from the team, the continued failure of the Yankees to succeed in the postseason, and the rise of Hank Steinbrenner. With an insider’s familiarity with the game, Olney reveals what may have been an inevitable fall that last night of the Yankee dynasty, and its powerful aftermath.
- Make the Call: Game-Day Wisdom for Life’s Defining Moments by Mark Richt – There are moments in life when it comes down to your decision. Whatever you’re facing, you know that no one else can bail you out. You have to make the call. Mark Richt, former head football coach at the University of Georgia and the University of Miami and long-time assistant coach at Florida State University, knows a thing or two about making the call. In this book, he shares some of those crucial moments—from his time as a player, through his years as an assistant coach and head coach—thirty-five years in all on some of the biggest stages of college football. You’ll love being along for the ride with Mark as he shares his experiences both on and off the field, gives wisdom for life and leadership, and encourages you to make the most important call of all.
Also, my best-selling book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.