Amazon link This is a remarkably readable introduction to systems thinking, a method to understand the inherent behavior of a system, and design appropriate interventions to change what the system is doing. Meadows starts by defining a system as “an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something. … […]
Category: coaching
Clarity and Focus
People occasionally ask me what I’ve learned in my first couple years as a leadership coach. The unspoken question is “What is the secret to being a better leader?” And while there is no secret per se, there is a formula I see consistently among people who have more impact: Clarity plus Focus. As context, […]
What You Do is Who You Are, by Ben Horowitz
Amazon link Ben Horowitz is best known at this point for being half of Andreessen Horowitz, a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm. He wrote this book to answer the question: How do you as an organizational leader create and sustain the culture you want? As his book site summarizes, “To Horowitz, culture is how […]
The Art of Leadership, by Michael Lopp
Amazon link I have been reading Michael Lopp’s blog, Rands in Repose, for fourteen years, and liked his previous books, so I bought and read this newest book immediately upon release as it’s especially relevant to my work as an executive coach. Lopp shares what he has learned as a manager at Netscape, a director […]
It’s About Damn Time, by Arlan Hamilton
Amazon link Book site I first heard of Arlan Hamilton on the Startup podcast a couple years ago, and her story was amazing as a queer Black once-homeless woman without a college degree who decided to diversify Silicon Valley venture capital through sheer force of will. I was recently reminded of her when she opened […]
The Willpower Instinct, by Kelly McGonigal
[n.b. This may seem like a weird time to publish this book summary given my last couple posts, but I actually got this book from a physical library in the pre-Covid times, and the library is re-opening, so I have to return it soon. Plus, I do think it is relevant to anti-racism work to […]
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl
Amazon link This book is Frankl’s account of surviving the concentration camps in Nazi Germany, as told from his perspective as a psychiatrist. He readily admits that the conditions were so brutal that every ounce of energy had to be put into survival to even have a chance. He gives the example of earning a […]
Letting go of the Hero mindset
I’ve been thinking about personal responsibility this week, and how I align what I take responsibility for with what I control. In my own work with a coach, we’ve identified that I can get into a “Hero Eric” mindset where I try to make everything go right – I feel responsible for holding everything together […]
The Interruption Opportunity
As the coronavirus is wreaking havoc with our lives, I have been reflecting on what opportunities can be found in this tumultuous time. I wrote on LinkedIn about the value I am finding in an abundance mindset where I appreciate and give thanks for what I still have, and I wanted to expand on that […]
Tiny Habits, by BJ Fogg
Amazon link Book site I went through BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits course back in 2014 with limited success in creating my intended habits. I was planning to skip the book since I figured it was more of the same, but after hearing a podcast interview with him, I realized he covered more in the book […]