œFirstly, The Collaborative Leader by Ian McDermott and L. Michael Hall PhD.

There are lots of great leaders out there. There are some like Richard Branson or Steve Jobs who believe in the strength of the people around them. There are also leaders who lead less and should probably be titled ˜managers™ which, in this context, isn™t a positive label. The first thing I would say is what type of manager/leader are you? After reading this book, you™ll certainly have some ideas as to how you can adapt your style.

As the title suggests, this book is a practical guide to collaborating with others and leading collaboratively. It™s about learning how to win the hearts and minds of those who we lead. It™s packed with action points, and for me personally is helping me to become a better communicator.

If you have an interest in NLP or co-labouring (working together) then this will add value to you. The way I see this is that if you picked up one golden nugget helping you to become a better leader then this book is a win!

My view on this book is that it is truly jam-packed with ideas, strategy and explanation. A very descriptive book and well worth a purchase.



The second book that has had an impact on me this month is ˜The Learning Imperative™ by Mark Burns and Andy Griffith. I believe that I will not be able to effectively help business owners or their businesses to grow if I don™t concentrate on developing my own style and learning. Therefore as someone who spends a considerable amount working on my own development this book has been very insightful.

In a nutshell, this book™s authors explore the barriers to effective learning and present a range of practical tools and strategies to help organisations bring about - and reap the benefits of - a more positive learning culture.

We all create a culture within our business. We don™t necessarily need staff to create a culture and often overlook what we™re creating and our approach to learning. This book gives you great clarity through case studies, reflection questions and action points.

These two books are being added to our recommended reading list.



It would be great to hear what books have had an impact on you. Here at theBusinessNinja.co.uk, we have a recommended reading list provided by our contributors some of which feature on the list. Let us know which books you think should be added or perhaps those that you don™t rate for the list.

Click here to read these comments by Thomas Stansfield on The Business Ninja website.