We often talk about “Rocket Science” as the triumph of technologies – as good as it gets. But author Ozan Varol shares stories in this book about how it took a certain thought process and approach to solve unsolvable problems for the space program to achieve its accomplishments. He outlines strategies with roots in rocket science that can help all of us achieve our goals, starting with overcoming uncertainties and getting past the fears and doubts that hold us back.

National Public Radio podcast host Guy Raz has interviewed more than 200 entrepreneurs about the path to success, from unexpected inspirations to the struggles of financing and building successful ventures. He provides tips and learnings on starting a new business or spinning off a new venture from an existing business. 

Choosing your words carefully has always been important in relationships and the workplace, but it’s more critical now than ever before. Author and former U.S. Navy Captain L. David Marquet shares that most of the language we use in business today started during a time when most employees were doing manual labor and simply followed orders from managers. That language needs to be updated for today’s workforce, including making efforts to provide information – not merely instructions. 

Author Simon Sinek shares a framework for leadership that is based on developing an “infinite mindset.” While sports and board games are “finite” with clear rules, goals and defined winners and losers, business is a game without a finish line. To succeed in business, leaders should embrace an infinite mindset focused on building stronger, more innovative organizations that are measured by creating value over the long term and delivering innovative products and experiences for customers, employees and shareholders. 

The co-founder of Square, the small-merchant payment company, shares stories and strategies from the creation of the service and how it not only survived but won against a rival service introduced by Amazon. Author Jim McKelvey includes experiences from the founding of Square as well as historical examples of other companies who have delivered world-changing ideas. He shares his concept of the “Innovation Stack,” a series of problems and solutions that companies must navigate in order to bring new ideas or services to the world. 

We’ve all heard about the importance of showing gratitude to family members, co-workers and employees, but it can be challenging to build those habits and put practices in place consistently. Authors Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton share eight ways to show employees they are valued. The book includes case studies and examples of leaders providing authentic, specific and timely acknowledgements of gratitude to employees, and showcases the measurable morale and bottom line benefits. 

Developing resiliency allows managers to not only survive during times of change but to learn, grow and thrive during these times. This guidebook defines resiliency and shares nine developmental components that will help you create a sense of resiliency and increase your ability to handle the unknown and view change as an opportunity for development. 

Putting out fires, dealing with emergencies, solving problems. In our personal lives and businesses, we are often caught in a cycle of responding to problems. Author Dan Heath takes a new perspective, sharing examples from unconventional problem solvers who found ways to prevent problems rather than reacting to them. He provides practical solutions based on data, predictions and switching mindsets. 

As our lives are more hectic and fast-paced than ever before, it is even more critical to identify goals and build habits that will allow you to reach those targets in every aspect of personal and business lives. Coauthors Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt walk readers through ten focusing principles to find balance, build better relationships, build confidence and more. They also provide anecdotes and examples along with checklists to reinforce each principle and make it work for you. 

Bring new levels of creativity and innovation to your thinking with several methods introduced in this book. Author Doug Hall combines data and the latest research with action-oriented tips, all written in a fun and playful way. Hall is founder and chairman of Eureka! Ranch International and will be a keynote speaker on Day One of the 2020 PDPW Business Conference. Get a sneak peek of his fresh approach to marketing and innovation in this book!

For centuries, the common assumption was that our brains stopped developing at a young age.  However, more recent research is showing the power of how our thoughts can physically rewire our brains and change lives.  Attendees of the 2020 PDPW Managers Academy will be learning more about how to change how their brains approach problem solving and challenges. 
 
If you can’t make it to Corpus Christi and the Managers Academy this year, author Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D., shares information about this research and how principles such as intention, focus and repetition can help overcome challenges, reach personal goals, and increase mental sharpness and clarity.  Throughout the book, he provides practical suggestions you can apply to work and daily life. 

BOOK REVIEW: THAT WILL NEVER WORK: THE BIRTH OF NETFLIX AND THE AMAZING LIFE OF AN IDEA
Mark Randolph, the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, shares behind-the-scenes stories from the ideas, pitches, failures and innovations that led to the development of the iconic company. He provides insights on the many ideas that they decided weren’t feasible (personalized baseball bats and shampoo delivery, anyone?) and how they overcame the “that won’t work” responses to shipping DVDs via mail to create the company that is now valued at more than $150 billion. He also shares challenges of managing staff and growing pains for the company in the personal and fast-paced book.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s even more critical to take time for reflection, focus and staying connected to our families, friends and professional communities. Author G. Shawn Hunter shares examples and stories of leaders who adopted small, intentional behaviors and practiced them each day in order to be successful. Some of the 12 competencies he highlights are building confidence, fueling curiosity, inspiring others, and clarifying roles.

Author Holly Green starts with an overview of how the brain processes information that leads to our decisions and actions, then shares how it has a tendency to see what it expects to see and overlook contradicting data. The book helps readers learn how to make better, more informed decisions and avoid getting blinded by data and stay focused. Green will be a trainer at the 2020 PDPW MANAGERS ACADEMY, June 14-16, at Corpus Christi, Texas. Learn more here.

Author Patty McCord shares lessons from her role as Chief Talent Officer for Netflix and experiences at other Silicon Valley companies. She reviews strategies to create high-performing teams by providing motivational and challenging work instead of designing new and complicated bonus and perk programs.

Using the Objectives and Key Results goal setting system has helped a number of companies including Google set priorities, make tough decisions and meet deadlines. Venture capitalist John Doerr shares this system and case studies from successful organization in this book.

Combining the latest research in behavioral economics with real stories from leading companies, the former head of People Operations for Google shares lessons on attracting the best employees and making sure they succeed. Author Lazlo Bock provides insights from his years at Google, including how to strike a balance between creativity and structure.

Author Daniel Coyle examines some of the world's most successful organizations, from the U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six to the San Antonio Spurs, to identify skills and strategies for cohesion and cooperation. The book combines leading-edge science, on-the-ground insights from world-class leaders, and practical ideas for action.

Scott Burrows' riveting story of overcoming adversity through sheer determination, will power, and goal setting is infectious. Scott was a Florida State University football player and top-ranked kickboxing champion until he was critically injured in a disastrous automobile accident. Scott survived, but was paralyzed and diagnosed a quadriplegic. This book is more than the story of Scott's determination to overcome enormous obstacles and rebuild his life. It is a testament to his intention to inspire others and help them triumph over adversity.

Negative feedback about his life goal of playing in the NFL inspired Merril Hoge to write "Find a Way" on the top of the wall above all his goals. "Find a Way" would become a life-long philosophy that helped him achieve his dream of playing in the NFL, but also has helped him deal with the near loss of his hand as a young boy, the loss of his mother at a young age, overcome severe head trauma and battle and beat cancer. It has also become a parenting tool and helped him realize the magic that exists in all of us!

 "Procrastinate on Purpose" seems like advice that's too good to be true. And yet, the five simple tips he offers make business sense for those who feel like they're organizationally challenged, always bogged down by looming deadlines and too many tasks on the to-do list. Don't procrastinate - get this book and be on your way to up your game and do more meaningful work.

Curious about how lean business principles were put to work by both multi-national corporations and small companies?  Authors James Womack and Daniel Jones share how defining what the customer perceives as valuable, then focusing on the business activities that create those values can deliver improvements in both productivity and efficiency.  The book shares simple ideas that can breathe new life into an organization based on experiences of companies around the world.

Author Anders Ericsson has taken three decades of research into how top-performing champions and experts approach building and perfecting skills. For example, as people increase their skill levels, they begin to see things differently, breaking representations of physical objects into different "chunks." They recognize patterns and develop much more sophisticated mental representations. Chess boards, piano keys, and guitar frets are all seen differently by experts. The book shares methods to improve at a variety of skills. Click here to learn more.Author Anders Ericsson has taken three decades of research into how top-performing champions and experts approach building and perfecting skills. For example, as people increase their skill levels, they begin to see things differently, breaking representations of physical objects into different "chunks." They recognize patterns and develop much more sophisticated mental representations. Chess boards, piano keys, and guitar frets are all seen differently by experts. The book shares methods to improve at a variety of skills.

In all corporations and organizations, groups naturally come together in “tribes” consisting of anywhere from a few people to hundreds of people.  The book’s authors share how such tribes develop and how managers can effectively assess them and lead them to improve productivity and growth.

This collection of best-selling articles from the Harvard Business Review features viewpoints and research to help business owners identify their greatest strengths and deepest values and stay engaged and productive throughout their working life.  The book includes essays titled "How Will You Measure Your Life?" by Clayton M. Christensen, "Managing Oneself," "Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey?," "How Resilience Works," "Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time," "Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform," "Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life,” and more. 

Sports journalist and two-time Olympian Matthew Syed looks at performance psychology in sports, business and many other arenas.  How do we stay focused and think of the long game when we're trying to achieve our goals? How do we handle ups and downs, and stay resilient as we slowly move forward? He combines research with his own experiences as an Olympic table tennis player who choked in his first Olympics. 

If given a chance to go back in time and avoid the explosion that almost killed him, O’Leary maintains he wouldn’t change a thing – his book explains the reasons. He goes on to encourage readers to “extinguish indifference, ignite potential and discover the power of a purposeful life.”  Here’s what readers have to say about On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life.
 
“John weaves many life lessons into his story. I especially like his lessons about fear and how we can exchange them for love. This book goes on my list of ‘highly recommended’ life-changing books.”
 
“This book is incredible! I have read too many books in my lifetime to even begin to try and count them and this makes my top 10 all-time favorite reads ever!!!”
 
“I really enjoyed this book of a true hero. Life can be hard sometimes, and we do get tired putting out the little fires of daily living. Maybe we get into a rut, thinking how difficult life can be. Then you are ‘awakened’ by a beautiful book like this. This book showed the courage of a little boy and then a grown man...deal with the ‘big’ fires in life, and the beauty and strength that can transform tragedy to triumph.”
 

Liz Murray’s memoir gives readers a cold, hard look at the years she spent wondering how she’d survive and where she’s sleep. As a teen, Liz’s life mirrored that of her mother when she had been a teenager. Unlike her mother, Liz would not merely survive her adolescence, but go on to thrive.
 
A compelling read and a reader favorite, here are a few reviews of Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard.
 
“Great book of survival.”
 
“Amazing memoir. A must-read for teachers of ‘underprivileged students’, and for those who look with disdain on folks who can't quite ‘pull life together.’ I was so grateful for those teachers who saw the needs of such students and reached out to them.”
 
“A true story that shows the pursuit of happiness. Proves that you are your biggest obstacle when achieving your goals.”
 

Author Stephen Guise changed his fitness habits and launched a journey to better health with just one push-up a day. His book details how making one small positive change at a time can make a huge difference. He shares that when you start playing by your brain's rules and taking your human limitations seriously, you can achieve lasting change. 
 

Which habits can help you achieve long-term success regardless of age, career, strengths, or personality? Author Brendon Burchard outlines the habits and how to practice each of them, including how to seek clarity, generate energy, raise necessity, increase productivity, develop influence, and demonstrate courage.

Author Doug Lipp details the founding of Disney University and how the institution continues Walt Disney’s company values and leadership lessons to thousands of employees today. The book includes 13 lessons that Disney has used to drive profits and growth for more than half a century and to turn out some of the most engaged, loyal, and customer-centered employees the business world has ever seen.