A friend of mine challenged me. What 3 books have made an everlasting impression on your life or career? Wow, only 3! Dozens are very memorable. Reducing to 3 I thought was going to be an impossible challenge. But I had to try.
1. Getting Things Done by David Allen. This book I read several times, and in various stages in my career. It is a great reminder that only action gets results. It also help me define a process that allowed me to get more done in less time. When you apply the principles over years, it makes a difference.
2. The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. All the successful leadership teams I built over my career, I trained using material and ideas from this book. It allows leadership to be learned with an understanding of values, but ties together the leadership actions required in a leadership role.
3. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. This book captures what a person needs to understand to find the leader within themselves. No other book allows a person to develop an understanding of leadership from 21 different, but related perspectives. It encourages people to reflect on their own development.
Books that I had a tough time not putting in the top 3 were First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, and Today Matters by John C. Maxwell. I really wanted to make a top 5 or 10 list.
That is my top 3. How would you define yours?