Tools For CEOs

Businesses makeup the backbone of the American economy. While many people talk about how great it is to start a business, few are honest about the difficulty behind running one. Ben Horowitz, cofounder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley’s most respected and formidable entrepreneurs discusses practical wisdom for tough business problems in The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Building a Business When There are No Easy Answers. Taken from his own insights in developing, managing, selling, buying, investing, and supervising technology companies, Horowitz tells is straight and amplifies his business lessons with lyrics from his favorite rap songs and humor for the reader to remember and take with them.

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By Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek presents an ideal world in his TED talk which dares the viewer to imagine a world where we:

1) ware up inspired to go to work,

2) feel safe at work,

3) are fulfilled by what we are doing.

The third most watched TED talk with around 38 million views, by asking why, we can move on to identifying what matters and working towards achieving these goals.

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Marshall Goldsmith, America’s most sought after-executive coach, shows how to climb the up the executive ladder to the top in his book. Subtle nuances make all the difference. Small transactional flaws performed by one person against another and leading to negative perceptions holding any executive back, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There provides the advice essential to breaking through to the top.

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By John Wooden

“Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden and Jay Carty know that when it comes down to it, success is an equal opportunity player. Anyone can create it in his or her career, family, and beyond. Based on John Wooden’s own method to victory, Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success reveals that success is built block by block, where each block is a crucial principle contributing to lifelong achievement in every area of life. Each of these 32 daily readings takes an in-depth look at a single block of the pyramid, which when combined with the other blocks forms the structure of the pyramid of success. Join John Wooden and Jay Carty to discover the building blocks and key values–from confidence to faith–that have brought Coach to the pinnacle of success as a leader, a teacher, and a follower of God” (Amazon).

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By Drucker

An executive’s measure is the ability to get the right things done. This involves doing what people have overlooked and avoiding unproductive tasks. The five practices that Drucker identifies essential to business effectiveness that can and must be learned include management of time, choosing what to contribute to the practical organization, knowing where and how to mobilize strength for best effect, setting up the right priorities, and knitting all of them together with effective decision making. Ranging through business and government, Peter Drucker demonstrates the distinctive skill of the executive and offers revised insights into seemingly obvious business situations.

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By Daniel H. Pink

While many people follow the carrot-and-stick approach, Daniel Pink warns that it’s a mistake in motivating others. Drive asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction at work, school, and home is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, learn, and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Basing his claim on scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes mismatches between science and business and how it affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation- autonomy, mastery, and purpose- and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and live.

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