Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell

Describes the importance of data and important macro factors that impact industry success.

http://www.gladwell.com/outliers/index.html

Leadership

How We Decide

Jonah Lehrer

This book explains how the discoveries of neuroscience can help us make the best decisions, and arms the reader with tools to determine the correct part of the brain to use for different types of decisions.

http://www.jonahlehrer.com/books

Strategy

Leadership

Rudy Giuliani

Autobiography of Giuliani on his experiences as a corporate lawyer and U.S. attorney and then as mayor of NYC. He champions the leadership principles of preparation, accountability and strong self-definition.

Leadership

The 80/20 Principle

Richard Koch

Describes how in many examples across business (and life), 20 percent of the input produces 80 percent of the output.  Koch helps you to identify your most productive 20 percent and get more out of your business and life.

http://www.the8020principle.com/

Strategy

A Sense of Urgency

John P. Kotter

Describes the importance of having an urgency-driven culture and includes many tools to create a sense of urgency in your business.

http://www.kotterinternational.com/ResourceItemView.aspx?MediaID=74

Culture

Blue Ocean Strategy

W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne

Paints a metaphor of expanding, competitor-free “blue ocean markets” which innovative companies should navigate instead of highly competitive “red seas” and provides tools for analyzing these markets.

http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/

Strategy

Execution – The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan

Explains that the ultimate difference between a company and its competitor is the ability to execute and describes the building blocks that that need to be in place to successfully manage people, strategy, and operations.

http://www.ram-charan.com/execution.htm

Leadership

Mergers & Acquisitions, from A to Z

Andrew J. Sherman

Describes the steps that companies go through during the merger and acquisition process.  A good reference good and checklist for companies that are planning on M&A as part of their corporate strategy.    

Finance

HR for Small Business

Charles H. Fleischer

Great quick reference guide on a wide variety of HR issues that small and midsized companies face.

People

Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition

Dennis Perkins, Margaret Holtman, Paul Kessler and Catherine McCarthy

Describes powerful leadership characteristics through a true-life narrative of Shackleton’s 1910 Antarctic expedition. Combines Shackleton’s compelling 3 year journey with survival leadership techniques.

http://www.margaretholtman.com/leading-at-the-edge.html

Leadership

The Big Short 

Michael Lewis

Describes several key players that were able to predict the 2007-08 housing market implosion.  Shows how these individuals, who were shorting the markets, made a fortune on the bubble collapse and the related impacts on the financial world and economy at large.

Finance

Drive 

Daniel Pink

Describes a model for motivation in the workplace based on the human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

http://www.danpink.com/

People

Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean 

Karen Berman, Joe Knight, John Case

Describes the essentials of finance with basics of financial measurement:  reading income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

http://www.financialintelligencebook.com/

Finance

Buyology 

Martin Lindstrom

Describes a groundbreaking market research method in brain scanning technology.  These new methods use brain activity to determine how people really feel about products, services, and advertising messages.

http://www.martinlindstrom.com//index.php/cmsid__buyology_your_buyology

Marketing

How to be a Good Boss in a Bad Economy - HBR Article

Robert Sutton

HBR article describes the key factors for leaders during challenging and uncertain times.  The 77 tips are suggested actions for businesses to follow during an economic downturn.

Leadership

Goals 

Brian Tracy

Describes the importance of goal setting with empirical evidence and a wide variety of specific goal setting and implementation methods.

http://www.briantracy.com/catalog/product.aspx?pid=211

Strategy

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Tony Hsieh

Describes the journey that Zappos took in building its company and company culture around the idea of “WOW!”customer service.  

http://www.deliveringhappiness.com/about-2/

Culture

Linchpin 

 Seth Godin

Describes an essential type of person in the workplace, the “Linchpin.” These are people who invent, lead, connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos.

http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/books.asp

People

Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard

Heath Brothers

Describes how people need to unite their rational and emotional minds in order to bring about transformative change.

http://www.heathbrothers.com/switch/

Strategy

Integrity Dividend

Tony Simons

Describes how people who do what they say they will do make more money, are more powerful, and are more generally successful.

http://integritydividend.com/

Leadership

Power Base Selling: Secrets of an Ivy League Street Fighter

Jim Holden

Describes how selling has changed in recent years and what it takes to be successful in sales.  How sales professionals must align themselves with powerful advocates inside customer organizations, build well formulated competitive selling strategies, and provide non-traditional value to customers.

Marketing