More than 11,000 business books are published every year—an overwhelming choice for busy professionals. Therefore, in partnership with getAbstract, Training brings you April’s top three business books recommended to our readers.
“Courage to Execute. What Elite US Military Units Can Teach Business About Leadership and Team Performance” by James D. Murphy (Wiley, 2014, 208 pages, ISBN: 9781118790090; $19.95)
The U.S. armed forces set out to execute their work flawlessly. Former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot James D. Murphy explains how businesses can adapt the military’s time-tested organization, motivation, training, and execution tactics. He cites some well-known examples of U.S. military successes: the killing of Osama bin Laden by the Navy Seals; the Air Force’s Thunderbird aerial acrobats; the Rangers, Green Berets, and Delta Force special forces; and the Silent Drill Platoon from the Marines. Although Murphy paints with a broad brush, and focuses only on military success, not failures, his work is clear, precise, and unambiguous. getAbstract recommends his compelling military examples as lessons in strategic execution.
Rating (out of 10): 7
Applicability: 8
Innovation: 7
Style: 7
“The Hidden Leader. Discover and Develop Greatness Within Your Company” by Scott K. Edinger and Laurie Sain (AMACOM, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN: 9780814433997; $19.92)
Many strong leaders work amid the ranks of your regular employees. Though such “hidden leaders” have little “positional power,” they prove that they are valuable assets to your company by producing exceptional work and harnessing their personal power to amplify the productivity of everyone around them. Consultants Scott K. Edinger and Laurie Sain explain how to identify your hidden leaders and extend their positive influence throughout your organization. The authors offer an added bonus: Their appendix provides many resources managers can use to identify, assess, and promote the leaders hidden in their organizations. getAbstract recommends their advice to companies seeking to leverage the potential of every employee.
Rating (out of 10): 8
Applicability: 8
Innovation: 7
Style: 8
“Qual-Online: The Essential Guide. What Every Researcher Needs to Know About Conducting and Moderating Interviews via the Web” by Jennifer Dale and Susan Abbott (Paramount, 2014, 216 pages, ISBN: 9781941688267; $24.54)
Like the best travel guides, this user-friendly manual offers key information as it entertains. Qualitative research consultants Jennifer Dale and Susan Abbott provide practical tips, case histories, and an illuminating examination of methodologies for managing online qualitative research. They assume you can already handle the related analytical challenges, so they focus on the nuts and bolts of conducting the research. The authors could have paid more attention to potential technological glitches and to how written responses differ from spoken answers. That aside, getAbstract recommends this manual’s guidance to anyone doing online research. If that’s your purpose, this is your book.
Rating (out of 10): 7
Applicability: 8
Innovation: 7
Style: 7
For five-page summaries of these and more than 10,000 other titles, visit http://www.getabstract.com/affiliate/trainingmagazine
