This page has links to the books I’ve reviewed at Amazon for leadership, team building and internal systems and processes.
While I’ve included customer service as a topic within Marketing, Sales & Strategy, these topics help to make sure that the promises made to customers are kept consistently and at a low cost.
FIVE STARS
The New One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson – an updated version of a classic guide that helps to explain how to manage people in three simple steps. Amazon.co.uk
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Ken Blanchard et al – If you’re rushed off your feet, this book might be the answer. Amazon.co.uk
Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard et al – The third excellent One Minute Manager book. Amazon.co.uk
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E Gerber -this is perhaps the most important but also the most frustrating small business book that’s been written. I’ve put it in the starting a business section because it’s best to avoid these mistakes. Too often business owners know how to do the operational work but don’t know how to build a business (this link takes you to my review). Amazon.co.uk
Summary: The E-Myth Revisited: Review and Analysis of Gerber’s Book – An excellent summary that gives you the important ideas of Michael Gerber without the irritating bits. Amazon.co.uk
The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox – the brilliant book that introduced the Theory Of Constraints. It is set in a manufacturing business but the lessons can be applied to all kinds of businesses. Amazon.co.uk
FOUR STARS
Breeding Gazelles: Fast Growth Strategies For Your Business by Dan Bradbury – Well worth reading for anyone who wants to grow their company and see things from a general management perspective rather than purely sales and marketing. Amazon.co.uk
Successful Project Management in a Week by Mark Brown – Explains the basics to anyone who has to manage a project for the first time. Amazon.co.uk
Moments of Truth by Jan Carlzon – A powerful story of leadership for customer service. Amazon.co.uk
Just Ask Leadership: Why Great Managers Always Ask the Right Questions by Gary Cohen – A good book to dip into when you come up against a new management problem. Amazon.co.uk
Summary: E-Myth Mastery: Review and Analysis of Gerber’s Book – Summary without the dreadful bits but light on the good bits. Amazon.co.uk
The Race by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Robert E. Fox – The Goal told you what to do and why, The Race tells you how to do it. Amazon.co.uk
Critical Chain: A Business Novel by Eliyahu M. Goldratt – Interesting ideas about project management in this management novel. Amazon.co.uk
Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less by Cameron Herold – helps good companies become great, particularly strong on team building, culture and leadership. Amazon.co.uk
Designing KPIs to Drive Process Improvement by Giles Johnston – A short, easy to read guide about measuring process improvement. Amazon.co.uk
The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur: The tell-it-like-it-is guide to cleaning up in business, even if you are at the end of your roll by Mike Michalowicz – A hard hitting book about having a “just do it” mental attitude for new entrepreneurs. Amazon.co.uk
The Quality Pocketbook by Anthony Mitchell – An easy to read overview of what used to be known as Total Quality Management. Amazon.co.uk
Beyond Price: Differentiate Your Company in Ways That Really Matter by Mary Kay Plantes – A leadership approach, for big rather than small businesses. Amazon.co.uk
Why 5% Succeed: The 5 Principles of Predictable Profit by by Gina Robison-Billups and Elaine Starling – Business advice for women. An innovative system but it requires different thinking. Amazon.co.uk
THREE STARS
10 Tips for Scaling Up Your Business When Life Gets Crazy: Use These Tips and Get Your Business Ready to Scale Up and Get Growing! by Jimmy Akela – Short and sensible but nothing special. Amazon.co.uk
Gung Ho!: How To Motivate People In Any Organization by Kenneth Blanchard – American Indian based fable on how to get employees working better but it lacks substance. Amazon.co.uk
Beyond The E-Myth: The Evolution of an Enterprise: From a Company of One to a Company of 1,000! by Michael E. Gerber – Sorry but it’s a non-essential follow-up to The E-Myth Revisited. Small business owners are different to entrepreneurs. Amazon.co.uk
The Small Business Life Cycle: A No-Fluff Guide to Navigating the Five Stages of Small Business Growth by Charlie Gilkey – A business faces new challenges as it grows. Amazon.co.uk
Summary: Review and Analysis of Masterson’s Book: Ready, Fire, Aim – A book that you probably should read in full as it guides you through four growth stages from infancy (0 to $1 million) through to maturity (over $50 million). Amazon.co.uk
From Startup To Scale Up: How to double the size of your business in 12 months or less AND grow it to an 8-figure valuation! by Russell Streeter – Mainly a lead generation tool for a business coach. Amazon.co.uk
TWO STARS
Who Killed Change? Solving the Mystery of Leading People Through Change by Ken Blanchard – A nice idea but done badly when the author is usually so good. Amazon.co.uk
Instant Team Building: How to Build and Sustain a Winning Team for Business Success by Bradley J Sugars – Better than some Brad Sugars books but still not worth buying. Amazon.co.uk
ONE STAR
